20 Years Later, Psych Remains One Of The Best Detective Shows Of All Time

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Timothy Omundson as Carlton Lassiter in Psych

Published Feb 1, 2026, 11:30 AM EST

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Psych premiered back in 2006, but the quirky detective show only gets better with age. Psych's eight seasons follow the hilarious escapades of Shawn Spencer (James Roday Rodriguez) and his best friend, Burton “Gus” Guster (Dulé Hill). Alongside Santa Barbara’s finest, Detectives Carlton Lassiter (Timothy Omundson) and Juliet O’Hara (Maggie Lawson), the dynamic duo solved increasingly absurd crimes.

Beyond cementing its legacy as one of the best police procedurals of all time, Psych is an exceptional television program that gets even better with age. The distance allows viewers to pick up on easily missed details, subtle references, and symbolic parallels throughout the USA Network original. Though Psych is still immensely popular today, it was something special right from the beginning.

Psych Premiered In 2006 As An Instant Classic

The Crime Procedural Is A Quirky Twist On A Familiar Trope

James Roday Rodriguez as Shawn Spencer and Dulé Hill as Burton "Gus" Guster in Psych.

When its pilot aired in 2006, it was obvious that Psych had something exceedingly rare: a clear identity. Despite consulting on violent murder cases and high-octane abductions, the series was often more comedic than dramatic. Nonetheless, even with Shawn’s fake psychic role acting as an underlying source of humor, Psych seamlessly incorporated true drama when necessary to underline a certain scene’s importance.

Meanwhile, Shawn’s friendship with pharmaceutical salesman Gus may seem odd at first, but the two prove themselves to be platonic soulmates in every episode. With Shawn’s seemingly supernatural attention to detail and Gus’s insider knowledge of niche medications, Psych is easily the best Sherlock Holmes adaptation, and the crime-solving pair work like a well-oiled machine throughout the hit procedural’s run.

Plus, Psych offered everything audiences had come to expect from the usual police drama: episodic mysteries, satisfying round-ups, and a slow-burn love story — all without the overwrought air of gritty, unflinching realism. As soon as Shawn met Juliet in the series’ second episode, it was obvious that they would eventually find a happy ever after as Psych’s central couple.

Why Psych Is Still Worth The Watch, 20 Years Later

After Decades, Psych Remains Truly One Of A Kind

James Roday Rodriguez as Shawn Spencer in Psych The Musical.

For all its button-pushing and boundary-breaking, however, Psych is awarded dual honors as both a timeless detective procedural and a peerless work of art that can’t simply be forged. The comedy isn’t just cheap puns or obvious punchlines; Psych has its own sense of humor that invites the audience in on the joke.

Similarly, the USA Network took great pains to meticulously craft the series, leaving endless details for eagle-eyed rewatchers to notice, from the pineapple hidden in every episode to Shawn’s absurd nicknames for Gus. Even as it retains a devoted fandom, however, Psych deserves far more attention as one of the greatest, most unique detective shows of all time.