USA Network is losing Monk this year, but it's not about to let Psych go. The adventures of Shawn and Gus will continue. USA announced today that Psych is coming back for season five, with 16 new episodes ordered up.

This, my friends, is a no-brainer. Psych is one of USA's more reliable hours, a comedy-mystery series that has a loyal following. This past summer season -- which will soon be completed in the winter when the second half of the episodes air beginning in late January (the date hasn't been confirmed yet) -- the show performed especially well in younger demographics.

For me, Psych has always been more about the characters than the crimes. It's the teamwork between James Roday and Dule Hill that makes Psych tick. They're like a really good comedy team, in the tradition of Abbott & Costello or Martin & Lewis, but without either guy being a stooge. Maybe that makes them more Cheech & Chong, sans the smoke?

Well, whatever the allusion, they have terrific chemistry, and creator Steve Franks knows it. If they're not improvising a lot of the shtick they do, the writers are working with them for all the little goofy references in there. It makes everything more interesting and fun.