‘Psych 2: Lassie Come Home’
Wednesday on Peacock
Fans of a certain series are bound to be particularly “Psych”-ed about the wide debut of Peacock.
After a version of it debuted three months earlier for subscribers of parent company Comcast, NBC Universal’s streaming service gets total national distribution starting Wednesday, July 15. Drawing from the past and present series libraries of NBC and its affiliated cable networks plus ViacomCBS, as well as the movie vaults of both Universal Pictures and Paramount Pictures, Peacock also will have original offerings in scripted and unscripted programming plus (when such events resume) sports.
Among the new Peacock options available at full launch will be “Psych 2: Lassie Come Home,” the second movie sequel to the comedy-mystery series that spent eight seasons on USA Network. Sleuths Shawn and Gus (James Roday, who also co-wrote the script with executive producer and director Steve Franks, and Dule Hill) investigate an attack on their police comrade Lassiter (Timothy Omundson), as does his former partner Juliet (Maggie Lawson), who’s now married to Shawn.
Seen recently on the Fox sitcom “Outmatched,” Lawson says a huge appeal of “Psych 2” for her was the chance to work again with Omundson, whose work on the first “Psych” movie sequel was limited by a stroke he suffered. “It was such an emotionally charged time and experience for all of us,” the pleasant Lawson reflects of making the latest follow-up. “We felt whole again. And to watch Tim in this ... he does such a good job.”
Other new Peacock programs available on July 15 will include: “Brave New World,” adapting the Aldous Huxley sci-fi novel and starring Demi Moore; the British mystery “The Capture”; “Intelligence,” a Britishmade spy comedy with “Friends” alum David Schwimmer; the unscripted “Lost Speedways” (with Dale Earnhardt Jr.) and “In Deep With Ryan Lochte”; and the children’s series “Cleopatra in Space” and “Where’s Waldo?” Families also can watch new episodes of “Curious George.”
However, exactly what is available to Peacock viewers will depend on which tier of the service they have. Those who choose the free, ad-supported version will have access to certain episodes of its original series. Full seasons of the shows can be seen by those who pay for a “Premium” version that also will have ads, and also by those who subscribe to a version that will cost more but will be without commercials.
Lawson says she’s game to do more “Psych” projects for Peacock, especially if it means getting to do more scenes with Omundson. She credits Franks with letting them improvise for “Psych 2”: “That emotion, he let a lot of it play. You can see it in the movie, yet it’s still the ‘Psych’ everybody knows. And that’s one of my most favorite things about it.”