USA Creative’s newest on-air spot promoting the eighth and final season of “Monk” launches this week. Featuring mockumentary-style “tributes” to obsessive-compulsive detective Adrian Monk by characters from other USA shows, the spot takes USA’s “crossover” strategy – creating spots that feature characters from different series interacting with each other – to new heights. Comedic in-character tributes include Sam Axe (Bruce Campbell) of “Burn Notice,” Dr. Hank Lawson (Mark Feuerstein) of “Royal Pains,” Det. Zack Nichols (Jeff Goldblum) of “Law & Order: Criminal Intent,” Mary Shannon (Mary McCormack) and Marshall Mann (Frederick Weller) of “In Plain Sight” as well as Shawn Spencer (James Roday) and Burton “Gus” Guster (Dulé Hill) of “Psych.”
The spot can be viewed at:
http://ftp.soundhound.ws/RuffCut/edits/AUDIO/USA/USA_Promos_072709/MonkTributeComp/
The latest original scripted “Psych” spot, promoting an all-new season of the hit show, takes a unique approach, breaking the “fourth wall” between characters and viewers. In the promo, paranoia has apparently taken hold of faux psychic detective Shawn (James Roday) when he asks his partner Gus (Dulé Hill) “Do you ever get the feeling that we’re being watched?” As the spot plays out, Shawn wonders whether their exploits would make for a great TV show; towards the end of the spot, he even seems to hear the announcer’s voiceover giving tune-in information for the season premiere. This “meta” approach fits right in with the show’s frequent pop-culture references and knowing “in on the joke” style.
The spot can be viewed at:
http://ftp.soundhound.ws/RuffCut/edits/AUDIO/USA/USA_Promos_072709/PsychRealParnoidComp/