Soon to return for an impressive eighth season, detective comedy drama Psych is back at Comic-Con with a unique twist for its fans.
During the next run - rumoured to be its last - the plotline of one episode will be determined by viewers. Five potential storyline ideas have been posited and fans have been able to vote online for their fave. Expect more on that in today's panel, along with a sneak peek at the much-anticipated musical episode.
Please note that all times in this live blog are Pacific, which is eight hours behind the UK and three hours behind the East Coast.
Pineapple juices at the ready? Good stuff. Thanks for joining me for the Psych panel, which will get underway at around 1pm.
Perhaps disappointingly for the people still waiting outside, there have been very few people exiting Ballroom 20 after the last session. I suspect most people are just camping out in here for Sherlock and The X-Files, which are due up later this afternoon.
While we wait for the panel to start, some loud rock is being played over the sound system. I've just plugged in my earphones and am instead listening to some classic Spice Girls. Think I should just be honest about that up front.
The moderator on this panel will be recurring guest star Cary Elwes, while the panel proper includes James Roday (Shawn Spencer), Dulé Hill (Burton "Gus" Guster), Maggie Lawson (Juliet O'Hara), Tim Omundson (Carlton Lassiter), Kirsten Nelson (Chief Karen Vick), and Corbin Bernsen (Henry Spencer), plus execs Steve Franks, Kelly Kulchak and Chris Henze.
Update: Now Playing - Geri Halliwell, 'Look At Me'
Psych wrapped its seventh season a few months back but before the eighth season (due some time next year) there's the aforementioned musical episode, due to air later this year.
The much-anticipated two-hour episode (originally planned as part of season six) was screened for fans at an event in San Diego last night.
We're still waiting for the panel to be brought out. To be fair, there'sa lot of namecards to set out on the table.
Quick teaser trail for season 8 (the number 8 with a pineapple sprouting from the top being a highlight), then huge cheers as Elwes comes out.
Bernsen is the first out and he can't seem to find where he's supposed to sit, bless.
In other news, a woman in a wheelchair with a dog attached to it has gotten into an argument with said dog.
They have now left through the side exit, disgraced.
The cast are still coming out. Bernsen has perched himself at the side of the table, cast out from the others.
Why is Roday not on Twitter? "I've given this a lot of thought, you guys. It's bad I made you wait this long. It's not about love, there's plenty of love, it's about me being afraid. I don't wanna be afraid any more, so why don't we go ahead and get this started?"
The audience decides that @JamesRoday's first tweet will be "suck it".
Roday is now challenging Franks to join him on Twitter. "Are you going to be man enough to join me?"
And @SteveFranks is now online. Meanwhile, the rest of the cast all have their phones out and are tweeting. Riveting.
Who would play them in a movie version? Lawson: "I'd have to say Alicia Silverstone just to make it really weird." Roday: "How about Alan Alda?"
Bernsen: "I'm gonna go with David Saul." Nelson: "The only one that comes up is Angela Lansbury." SHE MENTIONED ANGELA!!
Where are we taking Shawn and Juliet in season eight? Lawson: "We've been together a while. There are going to be some twists and turns. We go on a journey in season eight."
Update: Woman and her angry dog are back for all of thirty seconds. The dog is even angrier.
Tell us something personal that nobody knows? Omundson: "I'll go first. I cry a lot. I'm man enough to admit it." Nelson: "If I wasn't acting maybe I would be a CPA. I think I'm very boring that way. And I like numbers. 22."
Bernsen: "I'm very afraid of most things. I suffer from all phobias. Fear in not having your namecard on the table."
If Roday's character were creating a mixtape for a roadtrip, what would it sound like? "There would be a lot of '80s synth. There'd be Depeche Mode, plenty of Tears for Fears."
Two extra eps for season eight. Franks: "We have two more episodes and as you know, we generated a fan vote to see which of the ones you'd like to see."
The president of USA network is here to announce the winning episode. An "overwhelming majority" went for 'Dream Therapy'.
Elwes brings up the screening of the musical episode last night, then coerces Roday and Hill into an impromptu performance.
They sound terrible, but I think that might be the point.
No further sign of wheelchair dog woman. I can only assume she's been mauled to death somewhere outside Ballroom 20.
Franks: "I knew Dule could sing, I knew Maggie had a musical theatre background, James I knew could sing from when we shower together sometimes. But what really blew me away was the rest of the cast singing."
Audience Q&A time. If they had a favourite prop to take home, what would it be? Nelson: "I would like to bring my chief badge home." Omundson: "I would like to take last year's Colt 1911."
Lawson: "I would take my detective Juliet nameplate from my desk." Hill: "I would take the blueberry."
A Where's Wally/Waldo lookalike wearing a Spider-Man mask asks if we will see more Badass Shawn this season. Roday: "We actually get Badass Gus this season, which for me was far more satisfying."
Any more themed episodes, after the clue episode and musical episode? Franks: "We have not touched Harry Potter, we've never gone to London, we've never done a Guy Ritchie gangster movie, so why not take those three elements and put them in one episode?" Big cheers from the crowd at that idea.
Roday: "For the first time in television history, we remade one of our own episodes. We chose an episode from early in the series that we thought was bristling with potential and never fully realised, and remade the damn thing. We recast it with Psych allstars, favourite guest stars from the last few years, and plugged them all in."
How did the pineapple concept come to be? Someone shouts "Google it".
Is McNab really fired? Hill: "Didn't you see enough of him in those chaps?" Roday: "Officer McNab is not done on Psych."
Why did the Psych logo change colour in the first season? Henze: "That was a network choice. We started blue because of water, then at some point the network did green for something and it stuck."
A boy asks Kristen Nelson how her first name is pronounced because his sister has the same name. Are there really multiple ways to say it?
Omundson mentions that Nelson directed an episode this year. Nelson: "It was great." Kulchak: "She made everyone cry. She knocked it out of the park with these incredible shots. It was an incredibly complicated episode and she brought it." Nelson: "This episode is gonna blow your mind because it's hard. But it's so joyful - it's a love song to Psych."
Little girl says that her and her family "do suck it competitions". I think we'll leave this one here.
Why has Gus been so hungry this season? Hill: "Gus has a fast metabolism. Shawn has him running all over the place. When you're scared you use a lot of energy, so you gotta feed yourself. And he's just greedy."
Most unexpected surprise so far? Kulchak: "This, this right here." Henze: "You guys. You could never ever predict this kind of reaction." Kulchak: "You realise you're doing a show that touches people and excites them and makes them laugh."
Elwes confirms that during this panel, Roday has gained over 6000 followers while Franks has managed just over 1000.
After a screening of the latest gag reel, Elwes brings the panel to a close. But we're not done yet - up next it's Sherlock and you can join me for live updates from that panel right here, right now!
Written by
Neil Wilkes
Neil Wilkes
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