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 We
all went through a Psych drought for a while,
but it only rallied more excitement for this current sixth
season of the fan-favorite show when it returned in October.
But, now it's time to say goodbye-for-now to the wittiest
show on television... only until February/March 2012 though!
We can hang in till then, right? Probably.
The winter finale of Psych airs Wednesday, December
14 at 10 PM on USA and continuing the series' all-star
guest line-up it will feature familiar names and faces like
Jason Priestley, Jennifer Finnigan and Tony
Hale.
So when PCM's Allison had the opportunity to participate
in a conference call with Jason Priestley to not
only get the scoop on this incredible winter finale (seriously,
we've seen it and it only continues the excellence and humor
that has become synonymous with the series), but also to
speak with former teen-heartthrob, there was no question
where we'd be.
On the winter finale, "Neil Simon's Lover's Retreat,"
Priestley plays a one half of a couple that Shawn and Jules
befriend while on their romantic getaway vacation from casework
and the SBPD. But that getaway is definitely interrupted
when their hotel room is robbed and a dead body surfaces
at a nearby winery. Yeah, Priestly plays a conman in this
episode and you are going to love it!(!)
So to get the scoop on this incredible episode, Priestley's
love for Psych, his take on the new version
of 90210, returning home for filming and much,
much more be sure to read everything he had to share with
us below!
--
What is it about the show or about the part that made
you want to be a part of Psych?
Well, you know, I've always been a fan of the show, oddly
enough. I started watching Psych back in the first season.
Actually, I have a close friend who's actually - my children's
godmother is actually a controller at NBC Universal and
she is the controller who controls Psych.
So I've known about, you know, I knew about the show from
its inception and I started watching it and because I saw
a very early version of the pilot and I really enjoyed the
show from, you know, from that very early version of the
pilot that I was able to get through very nefarious channels
that I, you know, can't really talk about because I'm sure
that, you know, copyright police will come kicking through
my door and take me away in handcuffs. But I, you know,
so I've always liked the show and I've always been a fan
of it.
So when they called me up and asked me if I wanted to
do this episode, you know, and they explained the episode
to me and what it was going to be and then they told me
that Jennifer Finnigan was going to be playing, you know,
the other ha- you know, my partner in this episode, I was
even more excited by that because Jennifer and I have been
very good friends for a very long time and I've been a big
fan of her work. And, you know, just on a personal level,
her and I have been very good friends for a long time.
So it was a wonderful confluence of things that made this
a lot of fun for me and something that I was very happy
and very eager to be a part of.
Any chance there'll be a 90210 reference on the show?
No, there were no 90210 references on the show. I tend,
you know, at this point in my life and, you know, that project
is so quickly disappearing in the rearview mirror of my
life, I tend not to - I tend to reference that as infrequently
as possible.
And what do you think was the most challenging aspect
of being on the show? I mean, was it dealing with Roday
being so goofy and Dule's cracking you up?
It was - yes, well, you know, all I did, you know, in
all of - all of mine and Jennifer's stuff was with Roday
and Maggie Lawson. And then with Tony Hale as well.
So we - it was really just the five of us. And yes, it's,
you know, I mean, the hardest part of working with James
is, you know, is keeping a straight face because he is a
very, very funny man and so there are challenges inherent
within that. But it's - he's a, you know, him and Maggie
are both very professional and, you know, and very prepared.
And, you know, really - you really have to show up on
that set with all your material prepared and ready to go
because, you know, as is - as it is in television, you know,
everything moves very quickly and you need to, you know,
you need to hit your marks and get it right and be able
to hit the funny in the first few takes because we got a
lot of work to do, you know.
So it's - but it was a lot of fun, you know. Those guys
are very professional and we had a lot of laughs.
Can you talk a bit about where you drew your inspiration
to play an eccentric character like Clive?
An eccentric character. Well, he was, I mean, you know,
Clive was, you know, Clive's a, you know, Clive's a rogue
and Clive's a conman and, you know, the real thing, you
know, the real thing with Clive was, you know, the, you
know, the overriding thing with Clive was - it was that
old saying I never met a conman I didn't like, you know,
so I just sort of really took that to heart and made sure
that Clive was as charming as charming could be.
And that's really - that was really the big thing that
- that was really the big thing that me and Jennifer made
sure that the two of us were, you know, were the very gregarious,
loquacious couple that were very entertaining and kept every,
you know, kept everybody laughing while we were reaching
into their back pockets and stealing their wallets, you
know.
And that was really the thing that we really worked and
really, really wanted to keep, you know, just keep every,
you know, keep together, you know, keep everybody looking
over here while we were, you know, stealing their stuff
over there.
Can you describe what you find interesting about the
humor in Psych and how it complements your own sense of
humor?
 Sure.
Well, I mean, you know, the, you know, the humor, you -
the humor and the way that they use humor in the storytelling
in Psych is they - is sort of, you know, it's the very modern
type of humor that I think we use a lot. We utilize it a
lot in storytelling nowadays.
It's not - and it's sort of what has led to the death
of the sitcom really because it's not - it's no longer,
you know, you know, set up, set up, punch line, set up,
set up, punch line is not, you know, audiences are too sophisticated
for that and audiences want more out of their humor and
they don't like to have it spoon fed to them like that anymore
and they want more than - they want more to be - than to
be told when to laugh by a laugh track.
And I think that Psych has been very, as a television
show, has been very successful in that genre, especially
being a one hour show. It's been very successful.
And it was one of the earl- you know, you know, now it's,
you know, in its sixth year. I mean, it was kind of an early
pioneer of that one hour, you know, come- sort of that one
hour comedy, you know, dramedy genre which is now - which
has a lot of traction now in the television business.
And they've been very successful in it. You know, it's
got, you know, it has a lot of comedy and a little - and,
you know, a little bit of action and, you know, it's a buddy
show and, you know, it's got a little romance now, you know,
and it's been very successful in crossing a lot of genres.
And I think that audiences are - audiences are very savvy
now and audiences demand more out of their television and
I think that, like I said, you know, Psych has been very
successful in crossing all of those genres.
And being Canadian and filming in Vancouver, what's
it like filming from home?
You know, and it was - it was fantastic coming back to
Vancouver. And it, you know, it's always nice for me coming
back to Vancouver and shooting there. And actually this
episode, you know, we shot a lot of it up in Whistler and
it was nice to go up there and be up there and be back in
the town where I learned how to ski. It was nice.
It was - no, it was nice to - and I - and it was - it's
always nice to come back home, you know. I love Vancouver.
It's a great city and I love being back there. And I, you
know, I'd be lying if I said that, you know, the fact that
Psych shoots in Vancouver and it was a - just another opportunity
to come back home wasn't anoth- yet another reason for me
to do the show.
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