Could USA Provide a Happy Ending for Happy Endings?

Well ABC did all they could to try and sell Happy Endings on Friday nights (please read this in the sarcasm font). Sadly, when the show returned from its unplanned hiatus, it did so to less than stellar numbers. I’m sure now ABC will have to go ahead and cancel the sitcom, as the people they turned to and pleaded to help save Happy Endings have let them down.

Let’s all take a moment of silence.

Now with that nonsense over, what could the future hold for the “no really it looks like a crappy Friends knockoff at first but give it a chance, it’s good” show? Well in a move much like that of Cougar Town (also an ABC sitcom) last year, it appears as if Happy Endings might be heading to cable. Deadline reported this week that the basic cable channel USA, home of Psych, is looking to pick up the sitcom.

One has to imagine that USA is looking at Cougar Town‘s move to TBS and seeing how they’ve not only done better than on ABC, but also bringing in a demographic that TBS had previously not seen much of. However I don’t know that the same will happen in this case. TBS was known mainly for Law and Order reruns, not original content. Then they brought on Conan (who just signed a contract through 2015) which certainly brought new viewers to the network. Cougar Town was just an add on to that. When Happy Endings first showed signs of being canceled, I thought that a  Cougar Town/Happy Endings block could do quite well on TBS, but apparently USA thinks that it would fit better over there. They have been looking to develop more half hour sitcoms to round out their schedule that is filled with show like Royal Pains and Suits (as well as hour after hour of Law and Order reruns, seriously what is it with Law and Order?)

With Pych likely being canceled, they could also eying Happy Endings to be a replacement for that. USA’s original shows aren’t bad, actually some of them are quite good, but I do think bringing on a show like this and the publicity it brings, could only mean good things for the network.

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Is the End Near for USA’s ‘Psych’?

Watching USA Network today, it’s hard to believe that once upon a time, its biggest claim to fame was being home to one of the longest running animated children’s shows, Calliope. Nowadays, Calliope is long forgotten and USA has gone on to be quite the success story when it comes to original scripted programming on a basic cable channel.

When season seven of Psych premieres on Feb. 27th, it will do so as the second longest running original program in USA’s history. When season eight premieres (filming starts in April), it will tie Monk, the network’s record holder for longest running show. However Psych‘s chances getting a season nine, and surpassing Monk are slim. And looking slimmer by the day.

Over the summer, there had been rumors that Dulé Hill was not interested in signing a new contract when his current one, that is good through an eighth season, ran out. Now there’s news of another major cast member who is planning their post-Psych life.

Maggie Lawson who plays the adorable and incredibly patient and understanding Juliet O’Hara has been cast in an untitled ABC pilot. Created by the Cullen brothers, Mark and Robb, who have worked together on both Las Vegas and Heist, the show has James Caan starring as an ex-baseball player and is billed as a new Modern Family. We’ll just have to wait and see if it makes it to air, but what does this mean for Psych?

Theoretically, the show could continue. USA has shown it has zero issue with moving around scheduling (seriously it’s been a year since a Psych episode last aired, ridiculous) and with season 8 getting ready to start filming, they could extend it another season or two if Dulé Hill returns? Maybe?

Okay, probably not. So what’s a Psych-o to do? Well, first take solace in the knowledge there is plenty of warning for the end of the series which should hopefully result in a satisfying wrap up. It would suck to put in eight years of time into watching a show only to get to the end and have them just be canceled with no warning and therefore a crappy last episode. Nothing chaps my ass more than when shows get surprise canceled and there is no resolution.

Secondly, let’s enjoy the time we have left. Like last season with the Hashtag Killer, the powers that be over at Psych have put together another interactive online game, “The S#cial Sector“. I know it’s probably lame, but I really enjoyed Hashtag Killer, and have already started the first week of S#cial Sector. While it’s not as good as Hashtag Killer, it’s still fun and I’ll probably play all eight weeks. If USA does nothing else right, they do have a somewhat firm grasp on how to get people involved in shows like Psych with the online and social interactive aspects. Did you know that 30 Rock has won awards for their various webseries? Probably not, because they don’t advertise that stuff whereas USA, an NBC family member does, and quite well.

All that said, I am going to need a group hug of some sort. It seems like a lot of my shows are ending in the very near future (if not already) and I’m already experiencing withdrawal symptoms. So what say you Pysch fans? What should I watch next? Go ahead and give me some suggestions down in the comments box, or simply share your favorite Psych memory. We can get through this together.