The boys are back, as Psych returns with new season five episodes tonight (10PM ET, USA Network). It’s a change-up for the show, which has aired on Friday nights since its premiere in 2006, but an hour of Shawn (James Roday) and Gus (Dule Hill) shenanigans is certainly something to look forward to mid-week.

Tonight’s episode is a gem — one of the most fun episodes of season four so far — as WWE star John Cena guest stars as Ewen, Juliet’s brother, a military man who’s hiding a big secret from his sis, which leads Shawn to assume Ewen is possibly involved in a murder.

The episode’s also a pivotal one for Shawn and girlfriend Abigail (guest star Rachael Leigh Cook);  let’s just say things might be looking up for “Shawniet” fans …

Meanwhile, the Psych devoted who’d like to see the gang in action live should enter USA’s sweepstakes to win a trip to the Psych set, which includes lunch with the cast and signed scripts. Sweet.

And one more Psych note: Send get well soon thoughts to James Roday, who had a little appendectomy surgery last weekend.

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• Filed in Comedy, Dramedy, Psych
• Tags: John Cena Psych, Psych, Psych season 4

All the tube news that’s fit to surf …

– Does Alec Baldwin really dislike acting, or is he maybe trying to feel people out on a rumored desire to run for political office? He tells Men’s Journal that he’s going to quit acting in 2012, which would be a shame since 30 Rock really is his career-best role.

– Nominees for the PGA (Producers Guild of America) were just announced; Drama nominees: Mad Men (last year’s winner), Breaking Bad, Dexter, Lost and True Blood, while the Comedy series nods went to 30 Rock (last year’s winner), Californication, Weeds, Entourage and The Office.

– Matthew McConaughey is developing a TV cartoon based on the life of his brother Rooster. Rooster Tales will revolve around “a beer-swilling, redneck sheriff who marries a much younger woman from Mexico” and becomes entwined with her large family. Rooster, by the way, is already sorta famous on his own: Not only does he have a son named Miller Lyte (guess what Rooster’s fave beverage is), but he’s also been featured on the A&E reality show Black Gold.

– Saturday Night Live hosts and musical guests for December: Blake Lively/Rihanna on Dec. 5, Twilight star Taylor Lautner and Bon Jovi on Dec. 12 and big-screen-turned-General Hospital star James Franco with Muse on Dec. 19.

– Kinda bummed that Psych is moving to Wednesday nights when it returns with the second half of its fourth season on Jan. 27. That means it’ll be up against Lost, and with American Idol back in full swing, I’m afraid it’s going to get, um, lost in the primetime shuffle. Plus, it’s just a really great Friday night show.

– Levi Johnston says he’d probably say yes to competing on Dancing With the Stars. Duh. Let’s be honest: This guy would say yes to coming to your house for dinner if you offered him a ten spot.

– TV Tango has an awesome list of Rock Band-worthy tunes from fictional TV bands (The Silver Platters’ “Keep On” is a true classic). By the way, for the ultimate round-up of fake bands from TV and movies, check out the Rocklopedia Fakebandica book and Website.

– Scrubs is back tomorrow night, but what about the rest of the “midseason” TV schedule? My colleagues at AOL TV have it covered here.

– Speaking of midseason, in addition to new 24, Psych, Damages, Chuck and Lost, there’s season four of Big Love to look forward to on Jan. 10. Here’s the trailer for the new batch of episodes.

– Doctor Who IS John Lennon? Sorta … former Who (and Heroes) star Christopher Eccleston will play Beatle Lennon in a new British flick.

– Poor Kris Allen. Seems like a nice enough dude, but as the blandest American Idol winner ever, he’s also experiencing the lowest record sales ever for an AI winner’s debut CD. Perhaps he might be making more of an impression if his new song didn’t sound like he was trying to mimic the far more talented Gavin DeGraw …

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• Tags: Alec Baldwin quitting acting, Big Love season 4, Levi Johnston Dancing with the Stars, Matthew McConaughey, Midseason TV, Psych season 4, Psych Wednesday night, Rooster McConaughey, Saturday Night Live December hosts, Saturday Night Live Taylor Lautner

Whip up a pineapple beverage and do a little Shawn (James Roday) and Gus (Dule Hill) happy dance: Our favorite fake psychic and his BFF have been renewed for a fifth season on USA.

The 16-episode fifth season will launch in summer 2010 and, like other Psych runs, will be split into two halves, with the back set of eps likely to premiere in 2011.

In fact, the second half of the show’s fourth season premieres in January (Jan. 29 is the tentative date), with an episode that introduces Juliet’s (Maggie Lawson) brother, played by wrestler/actor John Cena.

There’s also an upcoming guest appearance by Judd Nelson, and, in an episode that James Roday teased when I interviewed him in September, Juliet’s college boyfriend also pops in, and makes a certain big faker really jealous.

My Psych Magic 8 Ball predicts it’s going to be another fun batch of episodes.

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• Filed in Psych, TV News
• Tags: Dule Hill, James Roday, Maggie Lawson, Psych renewed, Psych season 4, Psych season 5

HOORAY! We have our winner:

Richard! Congrats, Richard, and thanks for entering. Your awesome Psych goodies will be on their way to your mailbox shortly. Enjoy, and thanks again for checking us out at TV Screener.com!

And everyone, keep checking our WIN THIS! section … we’ve got lots more TV goodies coming your way!

It’s heeeere … the Psych season four premiere! Shawn and Gus are back in action tonight (10PM ET, USA Network) in “Extradition: British Columbia,” as they try to help Lassiter catch the wily international art thief Despereaux (guest star Cary Elwes), who has been eluding Lassie for years!

And in celebration of the season four premiere, our pals at USA Network have given us a prize pack that is full of delicious flavor. No, you can’t eat it, but you can wear it, read it and display it proudly on your desk, where it will inspire jealousy in all other Psych fans: It’s a Psych t-shirt, Psych comic book and Psych Magic 8-Ball, the same pack of goodies that were given to fans at San Diego Comic Con last month!

In short, it’s better than sharing a delicious pineapple cocktail with Shawn Spencer and his BFF, Lavender Gooms. Okay, maybe not … but it’s still good.

And all you have to do to have a shot at winning this excellent Psych Prize Package is leave a comment on this post, with the name of your favorite Shawn nickname for Gus, and an e-mail address or Web/blog link way to reach you, and you may be a winner.

Remember:
– Leave a comment on this post, with the name of your favorite Shawn nickname for Gus, and an e-mail address or Web/blog link way to reach you
– Deadline to enter is August 21 at 8PM ET (according to recorded comment time)
– The winner will be chosen by random, using Random.org’s Random Number Generator
– The winner will be announced on the evening of August 21, as an update to this post

Good luck, fans of delicious flavor!

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• Filed in WIN THIS!
• Tags: Psych Comic Con, Psych giveaway, Psych season 4

Season four … it’s amost here! To help wile away these last few days ’til Shawn, Gus, Lassie and the gang hit our screens again (August 7, 10PM ET, USA), 10 reasons to be fist-bumping Psych-ed about the season ahead:

1. The Guest Stars!
The season’s guest stars include Cary Elwes, Rachel Leigh Cook, James Brolin, Sendhil Ramamurthy, Robert Patrick, David Naughton, Tom Wilson (Biff from Back to the Future) and Christine Baranski

2. The Bobbleheads!
Shawn and Gus bobblehead dolls: They talk. And they bump fists.

3. The Storylines!
Among season four’s storylines: a western-themed episode (with Brolin), a Bollywood-themed episode (with Ramamurthy), an exorcism, the attempted murder of Lassiter (Timothy Omundson), more jabs at The Mentalist and the continuation of Shawn’s relationship with girlfriend Abigail (Cook) – sorry Shawn (James Roday) and Juliet (Maggie Lawson) fans

4. The Season Premiere!
“Extradition: British Columbia” finds Shawn and Gus (Dule Hill) trying to capture Despereux, a wily international art thief (guest star Elwes)

5. The Books!
Psych textbooks: meh. Psych novels: fun! Check out Psych: Mind Over Magic and Psych: A Mind Is a Terrible Thing to Read

6. The Nicknames!
Lavender Gooms … the nickname by which all other nicknames should be measured. Of course, it’s just one of many faux monikers Shawn has slapped on Gus throughout the seasons, as this YouTube clip illustrates.

7. The Comic Con Panel!
Watch the cast and producers’ Comic Con 2009 panel, which includes lots of cast and character tidbits, Dule Hill showing off his dancing skills and the scoop on the real Lavender Gooms (she’s a real person!)

8. The Episode Titles!
Among season four’s other episode titles: “High Noon-ish,” “He Dead” and “You Can’t Handle This Episode”

9. The Pineapples!
Are you a fan of Psych? And a fan of delicious flavor? Then the perfect season premiere snack is, of course, the official fruit of Psych, the pineapple. Check out the many, many pineapple recipes at About.com and submit your own pineapple recipes to the official Psych Website.

10. The Theme Song!
The show’s promos are almost as good as their episodes. Season four’s discussion between Shawn and Gus about a new theme song for the show is a classic. Of course, Psych already features one of the most infectious TV theme songs of all time, “I Know, You Know,” by The Friendly Indians, the band of Psych creator Steve Franks.

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• Filed in Comedy
• Tags: Dule Hill, James Roday, Maggie Lawson, Psych, Psych season 4, Steve Franks, The Friendly Indians, Timothy Omundson