One of the handful of originals that will launch NBCUniversal’s Peacock streaming platform is Psych 2: Lassie Come Home. The second Psych followup movie, reuniting the cast and the creative auspices of the long-running USA Network crime dramedy, had been originally commissioned by USA but was shifted to Peacock. There, it may be be followed by more standalone films.
“The Psych movie we are very excited about; people are buzzing about being able to see it on the service,” Bill McGoldrick, President of Original Content, NBCUniversal Entertainment Networks and Direct-to-Consumer, told Deadline during an interview tied to Peacock’s July 15 launch. “We are going to see how this movie performs but we’ve loved the collaboration, we are going to be in constant conversation with that group, and we are open to talking about more.”
Also making more Psych original movies a strong proposition is the strength of the Psych library, which is on Peacock. The eight seasons of the series, which is owned by NBCU, “is performing nicely in the audience footprint” during Peacock’s beta launch, said President of Content Acquisition and Strategy Frances Manfredi. What from the platform’s library content is hit with viewers is expected to play a key role in making decisions on original greenlights.
Psych was part of a strong roster of hit series on USA in the first half of this past decade, that also included White Collar.
Series creator Jeff Eastin and White Collar cast members got fans buzzing recently with back-and-forth messages on social media hinting at a possible return of the show
During a White Collar charity cast reunion, star Matt Bomer confirmed that there are talks to bring back the USA drama though plans are in the early stages. “There are real conversations happening. There seems to be a lot of excitement about it,” he said.
The contestations have not involved Peacock, which would be a natural home for a White Collar revival as a large portion of original scripted programming on the NBCU cable brands, including White Collar‘s original network USA, is shifting to the streamer.
“We would listen to anything if it came together in a package but there is nothing going on between Peacock and the White Collar team right now,” McGoldrick said.
Ownership is another obstacle to a White Collar reboot on Peacock. Unlike Psych, White Collar comes from an outside studio, Fox 21 TV Studios, and its library is not on Peacock either.