It would be impossible to ever replace Psych, the iconic TV series that generations of fans have fallen in love with. However, after watching all eight seasons and three movies, it's easy to wish there were other series that could fill the hole Psych left. Running from 2004 to 2016, Psych aired during an era when procedurals, particularly crime dramedies, were everywhere, but Psych was something different. Propelled by the chemistry between James Roday and Dulé Hill, who played Shawn and Gus, their dynamic duo is one of the many elements of the show that make it so unforgettable.
All the best episodes of Psych demonstrate the unique blend of heart, humor, and friendship that instantly distinguished Psych from the many great procedurals airing at the time. The series follows Shawn, a perceptive investigator, who convinces the Santa Barbara PD that he's a psychic, becoming a consultant on many cases. This premise inherently lends itself to many misadventures and sticky situations that Shawn has to wriggle out of using his charm and talents. While no series could be the same as Psych, many of these projects are just as fun and enjoyable.
7 Chuck (2007–2012)
Espionage Gets Quirky Makeover In Chuck
Like Shawn, Chuck (Zachary Levi) constantly has to keep up appearances and hide the truth of his double life in Chuck. Putting a twist on the spy genre, this procedural is unlike anything else. After accidentally getting all the government's darkest secrets ed into his brain, Chuck finds himself paired with a CIA agent, Sarah (Yvonne Strahovski), and an NSA agent, Casey (Adam Baldwin), fighting international crime. While the mild-mannered Chuck begins the series feeling out of his depth, he soon learns to embrace his new lifestyle.
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While the stakes of Chuck are higher, as the fate of the world is often on the line, the series is just as funny as Psych, and always balances the espionage with the everyday dramas of Chuck's cover life as a retail employee. The budding workplace romance that begins between Chuck and Sarah has echoes of the relationship between Shawn and Juliet (Maggie Lawson). Both couples try to deny their feelings for each other, but the tense realities of solving crimes bring them closer than ever.
- Showrunner
- Josh Schwartz
Title |
Rotten Tomatoes Critic Score |
Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score |
Chuck (2007–2012) |
90% |
92% |
6 Elsbeth (2024–Present)
This Recent Legal-Crime Drama Has Just As Much Heart As Psych
The line between lawyer and detective is blurred in Elsbeth, the spinoff of The Good Wife and The Good Fight, which highlights the unconventional but effective Elsbeth Tascioni (Carrie Preston). As hilarious and offbeat as its central character, Elsbeth, has had lots of fun pulling apart the detective genre and playing with form through its first two seasons. The season 2 finale even includes a musical homage, which is exactly the kind of high-concept humor that we expect from projects similar to Psych.
Preston is delightfully charismatic as Elsbeth, encouraging us to root for her.
Preston is delightfully charismatic as Elsbeth, encouraging us to root for her even when she's causing a bit of trouble for the NYPD. Like Shawn, Elsbeth is an outsider among the other detectives, but she quickly proves her worth, becoming a vital part of the team. Blending the legal and investigative sides of the crime drama is always interesting, and Elsbeth pulls off this combination of genres and stories seamlessly. In each episode, it's thanks to Elsbeth's perspective and insight that the cases are solved.
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Title |
Rotten Tomatoes Critic Score |
Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score |
Elsbeth (2024–Present) |
92% |
73% |
5 Scrubs (2001–2010)
The Dynamic Duo Of J.D. & Turk Clearly Inspired Shawn & Gus
One of the most original medical procedurals in TV history, Scrubs was sharply funny and emotionally poignant at the same time. Though it isn't a crime show, Scrubs still has intense drama and big moments, crafting a specific tone that shows like Psych would benefit from. Led by Zach Braff and Donald Faison as J.D. and Turk, best friends and doctors in training, Scrubs focuses on the hilarity of being a young doctor as well as the intensity of holding someone's life in your hands.
Scrubs' J.D. and Turk are similar to Shawn and Gus, and since Scrubs came first, it's easy to see how their hijinks and playful dynamic were an inspiration for our favorite friends on Psych. While the style and tone of the writing on Scrubs is reason enough to watch it, the series also boasts nine seasons, which is plenty to help heal the wound of finishing Psych. Though it's largely episodic, the characters grow and change a lot throughout Scrubs, much like Psych.
4 Monk (2002–2009)
A Predecessor To Psych, Monk Is An Offbeat Dramedy That's Easy To Fall In Love With
It's safe to say that without Monk, there would be no Psych. Paving the way for lovable oddballs in the crime genre, Monk stars Tony Shalhoub as the titular Adrian Monk, a brilliant detective who struggles to balance his investigations with his OCD. The many similarities between Monk and Psych are difficult to count, and there's significant overlap between the two fan bases. Though it premiered before Psych, watching Monk after finishing Psych further cements how connected the series are.
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A recent update about the hit procedural dramas, Monk and Psych, might mean that the long-awaited collaboration between the two series can happen.
Like Psych, Monk eventually received a spinoff film in 2023, demonstrating how much of a hold the classic show still has on its fans. Though there was never an official crossover episode between Monk and Psych, it's been confirmed that they exist in the same universe, so many audiences are still holding out hope that we'll see Shawn, Gus, and Monk in the same project one day. This would be incredibly exciting, as though Shawn and Monk fulfill similar roles, they would certainly clash when solving a case together.
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Title |
Rotten Tomatoes Critic Score |
Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score |
Monk (2002–2009) |
89% |
88% |
3 Poker Face (2023–Present)
Rian Johnson's Unique Mystery Series Takes Its Cues From Classic Shows Like Psych
Natasha Lyonne recently returned for Poker Face season 2, the highly anticipated second installment of the boundary-pushing mystery show. Created by Rian Johnson, the acclaimed filmmaker behind the Knives Out movies, Poker Face is typically compared to iconic projects like Columbo, but it shares a zany sense of humor with series like Psych. Both shows are ultimately rooted in reality, but aren't afraid to push into magical realism territory to create their atmospheres.
Lyonne plays Charlie Cale, another lead character with a special skill like Shawn, but she's a human lie detector. Traversing across the country and inadvertently stumbling upon many different murders, Charlie uses her abilities and her specific perspective to solve outlandish and complicated crimes. Though Poker Face is undoubtedly higher-budget and more ambitious in scale, it shares a warmth and joy with Psych that not every crime series can boast. It's exciting to see the direction the genre is taking through works like Poker Face.
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Title |
Rotten Tomatoes Critic Score |
Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score |
Poker Face (2023–Present) |
99% |
75% |
2 Castle (2009–2016)
The Comedic Slant Of Castle Is Similar To Psych's Tone
After he was Captain Malcolm Reynolds in Firefly, and before he started leading the cast of The Rookie as John Nolan, Nathan Fillion starred as Rick Castle in Castle. Fillion performed opposite Stana Katic as Det. Kate Beckett. She was the other half of the unlikely duo solving crimes in New York City. Like Shawn, Rick isn't a police officer and is brought on as a consultant because he writes murder-mystery books. However, this unique expertise makes him a great investigator.
Castle opts to stay on the lighter side of the crime genre, making it comparable to Psych.
Though Shawn and Juliet's love story is a sentimental part of the series, Castle is much more romantically oriented than Psych. The will-they-won't-they dynamic between Castle and Beckett is what maintains the character-driven tension throughout the show. Despite this, the development of Castle and Beckett's relationship is similar to that of Shawn and Juliet, prioritizing cases and humor while laying the groundwork for true love. Tonally, Castle opts to stay on the lighter side of the crime genre, making it comparable to Psych.
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- Showrunner
- Andrew W. Marlowe
Title |
Rotten Tomatoes Critic Score |
Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score |
Castle (2009–2016) |
82% |
87% |
1 White Collar (2009–2014)
Neal & Peter Are Just As Fun A Duo As Shawn & Gus
White Collar has a bit more of a serious tone than Psych, but both Shawn and Neal (Matt Bomer) share a charisma and devil-may-care attitude that gets us invested from the beginning. Set against the backdrop of the white collar crimes division of the FBI, Neal is an outsider like Shawn, convinced to use his past as a criminal to help Agent Peter Burke (Tim DeKay). Though they butt heads at times, Neal and Peter are a crack team, and slowly become the best of friends.
's best episodes make me excited for the reboot, as the series has the potential to be just as popular and successful today as it was in the 2010s. Like Psych, White Collar takes on a primarily episodic format, interweaving some overarching plot lines into the fabric of the story. If Psych were set in New York City and its characters were allowed to be a little more suave, these shows would have even more in common than they already do.
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Title |
Rotten Tomatoes Critic Score |
Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score |
White Collar (2009–2014) |
96% |
93% |
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- Directors
- Mel Damski, Steve Franks
- Writers
- Andy Berman, Steve Franks
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