Shawn and Gus make a meta-joke in Psych 3: This Is Gus about not watching USA Network anymore, mocking how it canceled the original series. Psych’s series originally ran on USA Network from 2006 to 2014, with the show being canceled in its eighth season. There wasn’t a clear reason why Psych was never renewed by USA, but some speculated it was due to its decreasing viewership numbers for its final 10 episodes.
When announcing that season 8 would mark Psych's series finale, USA Network president Chris McCumber still left hope for fans by saying he didn’t believe audiences have “heard the last of Shawn and Gus” (via EW). As time would tell, he was right, and USA Network greenlit a sequel movie for the beloved Psych characters that aired in 2017. Since the premiere of Psych: The Movie, NBCUniversal has had much more creative control over USA Network’s projects, shifting Psych’s projects to the Peacock streaming service. Beginning with Psych 2: Lassie Come Home in 2020, Psych’s movies have been labeled Peacock Originals, which also gives them more leeway to mock the station that canceled them.
Following a chaotic car chase in Psych 3, Shawn and Gus come face-to-face with Selene’s fake sister, Whitney, who reveals she was actually a hired actress. When asking where they may have seen her work, Whitney asks the two best friends if they watch USA Network, to which Shawn responds that they stopped watching in 2014. Psych is known for its meta-references, and this response is a direct, playful jab at USA Network for canceling the show in 2014. Since USA Network is a part of NBCUniversal, it was all under the studio’s jurisdiction to allow the bit, which shows just how perfect a place Peacock is for Psych - a place that allows them to endlessly make fun of themselves.
Along with mocking USA Network, Psych 3's own Peacock streaming service was subject to a clever jab. In the same scene, Whitney asks if they have Peacock, and Shawn and Gus say they have no idea what that is, explaining there are way too many streaming services today. Peacock has been mocked as one of the most unpopular current streaming services in competition with venues like Netflix, Hulu, and HBO Max, so it really goes to show how comfortable Peacock is in its own skin to make jokes at its own expense in Psych 3.
While Psych’s television series has been off the air for nearly 8 years, Peacock and USA Network redeemed itself by greenlighting original movies that continually bring back the zany detectives. Psych creator Steve Franks has been vocal about wanting to do at least six Psych movies, which means Peacock could have its own movie franchise for the once-canceled series. Shawn Spencer actor James Roday Rodriguez also revealed in an interview promoting Psych 3: This Is Gus that he wouldn’t be surprised if Franks had ideas for 10 more movies (via CBR), so, hopefully, Peacock and USA will keep the magic going instead of overseeing another premature cancelation.