During the 2000s,White CollarandPsychwere both airing on USA at the same time, and as a result, the two shows had a crossover commercial to promote each other, which is a trend television should bring back today. Although network television is still up and running, the past decade has seen an intense surge in streaming. Now, platforms like Netflix and Hulu dominate the market with original series and massive franchises. While this definitely creates some loyalty to certain streaming services,companies like Netflix could be benefiting even more by doing crossovers.
White CollarandPsychare a perfect example. Both owned by USA,White CollarandPsychwere somewhat similar series.White Collarfollowed criminal and con artist Neal Caffrey, who convinces the FBI to let him work for them in exchange for his freedom. Meanwhile,Psychcentered on Shawn Spencer, an observant man who persuades the police that he is psychic so that he can help them solve crimes. Because of these similarities, it only made sense for the two shows to come together ina unique crossovercommercial.
White Collar & Psych’s USA Network Promo Is A Reminder That We Don’t Get That Kind Of Crossover Anymore
Why Crossovers Don’t Happen Anymore
After revisiting theWhite CollarandPsychcrossover promo, it puts into stark relief the fact that audiences don’t get crossovers anymore. Or at the very least, they don’t happen nearly as much as they used to.In the days ofWhite CollarandPsych,fans of the shows could see what was essentially new contentbetween beloved characters in the middle of a commercial break. It was like a little treat for viewers, even if they weren’t familiar with both shows. Now though, these opportunities are occurring less and less.
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Why More Crossovers Need To Happen In The 2020s
Notably,White CollarandPsychare not outliers. Throughout the 2000s and 2010s, audiences got all kinds of crossovers during commercials, award shows, and even in-season.Psychhad a similar commercial crossover withMonk,which also aired on USA. In 2011,Breaking Badshared a sketch withThe Officeat the Emmy’s. As recently as 2016,Fox’sNew GirlandBrooklyn Nine-Ninehad an entire crossover episode. All in all, these crossovers didn’t change the plot, but acted as much-needed fan service.
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Ultimately, streaming services would benefit from using crossovers more, even with the lack of commercial space.Audiences love to see their favorite shows collide, and these types of collaborations do not need to be particularly extensive. Something as short as theWhite CollarandPsychcommercial can hark back to a time of television that would feel nostalgic for viewers. So, Netflix needs to put together aWednesdayandBridgertoncollab as soon as possible.
White Collar
Cast
White Collar is a crime drama television series featuring Neal Caffrey, a skilled con artist and art thief, portrayed by Matt Bomer. After being captured by FBI agent Peter Burke, Neal agrees to help the FBI catch elusive white-collar criminals as a consultant, leveraging his unique skills. The series explores the evolving partnership and mutual trust between Neal and Peter, blending elements of crime-solving and personal redemption.
Psych
Shawn Spencer happens to possess some uncanny powers of observation thanks to his father, Henry, a former police officer who taught his son to remember even the smallest details of his surroundings. When Shawn is accused of committing a crime that he actually solved, he convinces the cops that he’s a psychic – and with the reluctant help of his best friend, Gus, Shawn starts solving cases for a skeptical but increasingly impressed police force.
