Plans Are In Place For Psych 4 If Peacock Gives The Green Light

There was a time when USA Network steadily churned out solid, comfort food-style original programming that was generally referred to as its "Blue Sky Era." The shows were light, breezy, and fun. That era ran for about a decade before coming to a close in 2016, and included shows like "Burn Notice," "White Collar," and of course, the show that kicked it all off, "Monk." While the Blue Sky Era may be over, one of its shows has somehow, somewhat miraculously kept chugging along: "Psych."

Even though the series ended in 2014, the cult hit comedy about a fake psychic detective named Shawn Spencer and his best friend and (often unwilling) partner Gus developed such a rabid fanbase that the creative team behind the show has managed to churn out three made-for-TV films, which came out in 2017, 2020, and 2021. Series creator Steve Franks has ideas for a fourth movie ready to go, too, if Peacock — the streaming home for the last two movies — ever gives him the green light. "We certainly know what we want to do in [a fourth film], and we know what we want to kind of do in [a fifth film], and then knock on wood, can we do [a sixth film]? he told TVLine in November 2021.

So for all of the "Psych" fans out there, the only question now is: Will Shawn and Gus get to solve another crime utilizing Shawn's brilliant mind and Gus's super sniffer, or have we seen the last of Shawn Spencer and his associate, Jazz Hands?

So far, all three "Psych" movies have received pretty strong praise from critics and fans alike. Given the positive reception and Peacock's pivot away from offering a free tier, it sure sounds like the perfect time for another chapter in an intellectual property they already own, which boasts a built-in fanbase that could help bolster subscription numbers. 

If a fourth movie does get the green light from the streaming service, what might it look like? Given the fact that "Psych" has never shied away from homages and overall silliness, it probably won't surprise you what Steve Franks has in mind. As he told TVLine:

"Now that we've done three of them, we've probably earned a chance to do a bit of a departure, just like we used to do on the series. Once or twice a season we would take a swing that was kind of 'out there,' and it would either land or not land. [...] But I do think if you line up all these movies together at the end of the day, however many we end up doing, there should probably be one that stands alone on an island as our 'Halloween III,' where you're like, 'That one was weird.' I feel like we're getting close to doing that one."

If there's one thing that "Psych" mastered during its eight season run, it was being weird. And if Peacock decides to let Franks get the band back together for another wild mystery for Shawn and Gus to solve, we're all for it. Even if it means finally having to bite the bullet and pay for Peacock.