Today's Kool Idea: Psych on USA Network

The end of summer also marks the return of some of our beloved television shows. If you twist our arms a little (very little, we're kinda wimpy), we will admit that there has been a reality show or two that has kept our sadistic side entertained these past few months. Okay, so we love Hell's Kitchen...sue us. We are truly happy to have some of our regular favorites coming back, though. Psych on USA Network is one of them. Yep, the new season airs tonight...hooray!

We actually saw the July 2006 pilot of Psych on our iPod about two years ago. It was a a free download, and we still had rabbit ears on our television (okay, we're wimpy and cheap), so we didn't get any USA Network shows. Well, one episode and we were intrigued enough to download the first two seasons. By the time we got satellite TV (thanks to our older son's ESPN obsession), we were hooked...Psych is a really, really well done show.

For those of you who haven't had the pleasure of seeing it, Psych is a quick-witted comedy/drama about a quirky, yet extremely talented police consultant named Shawn Spencer. Shawn possesses uncanny powers of observation honed by his police officer father, Henry, who drilled him as a child to note even the smallest of details from his surroundings. Shawn's talent gets him in trouble though, when he calls the cops with a tip he notices from watching the news. Using his charisma and over-the-top theatrics, Shawn convinces the police that he's actually a psychic, and they hire him to help solve some of their tougher cases. Shawn enlists the help of his best friend and sidekick Gus, and together they open their own PI agency, appropriately named Psych.

Okay, so Psych's premise is gimmicky, and a bit of a stretch. But, the combination of a wickedly clever script and appealing characters really makes it work. You just gotta love a guy who enjoys messing with other people's heads as much as Shawn does. Our sadistic streak is at it again! We love the by-play between the polar opposite personalities of Shawn and Gus. Plus, it's just plain fun seeing Shawn's antics exasperate all the men, yet fascinate all the women...oh yeah, this fellow is quite the charmer.

Let's face it...after a long week of work and the kids, it's nice to be able to sit back and relax with Psych on a Friday night. Engaging enough to keep us in hysterics for much of the hour-long duration, plus intelligent enough to have us coming back for more, Psych is one "kool" series. You might want to check it out...we're totally psyched (sorry, had to fit that one in) that it's back tonight.

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Today's Kool Idea: Chuck on NBC

Okay, we all have at least one TV show that feeds our obsession with lite, almost brainless entertainment. Chuck is just that show for us at The Daily Kool.

He's your run of the mill computer whiz working for Buy-More with his equally nerdy friends. But Chuck's average life is suddenly turned upside down when an old friend, who happens to work for the CIA, sends Chuck a mysterious encoded e-mail and the world's greatest spy secrets are embedded in Chuck's brain. Now Chuck has unwittingly become the government's most powerful weapon and the fate of both the country and the world now lie in his hands. A Buy More day job and saving the world are all in a day's work for Chuck.

With the government's most precious secrets in Chuck's head (and the fate of the world lying in his hands), Major John Casey (Adam Baldwin, "My Bodyguard") of the National Security Agency is responsible for protecting him. Casey's partner is the CIA's top agent, Sarah Walker (Yvonne Strahovski, "Gone"). They try to keep Chuck safe by trading in his pocket protector for a bulletproof vest. Casey takes a job working with Chuck at the Buy More, and Sarah becomes his undercover "girlfriend" working at the yogurt shop across the street.

The Daily Kool team LOVES Chuck. NBC has, in our opinion, gotten everything right with a witty script and likable characters...a perfect blend of action, romance, comedy and adventure rolled into one truly entertaining series. One thing we especially like about Chuck is that every episode is basically new...you can miss a week and not feel completely Lost...sorry, ABC...we couldn't resist! But really...who would want to miss an episode of Chuck anyway? Chuck is a great antidote to those Monday blues, and is a guaranteed good time. Check it out at 8pm tonight and let us know if you think it's as "kool" as we do!