Tis the season for some odd choices in primetime shows with special Christmas episodes. Case in point, Pysch, the very funny detective series starring Dule Hill and James Roday. The series, which usually airs in summer, cooked up a special, holiday-themed - well, more like holiday-timed episode that airs Friday, Dec. 7th on USA.

This episode has Shawn, the fake psychic detective, and his partner Gus, must help get Gus’ dad (Ernie Hudson) and mom (Phylica Rashad) off the hook when their neighbor turns up dead. Yes, dead. The usual shenanigans ensue. There’s nothing too Christmas-y about the episode other than the crime takes place during various pre-Christmas festivities and there’s a subplot about Shawn and Dad’s "guess the present" competition. Plus, O’Hara makes the mistake of letting Lassiter into some of her family events. (No movement on the Shawn-Jules romance front…though he does make a few

Psych is always funny and this episode reminds us of that. It had me wishing they did some winter episodes, like Monk does. Do they? I should look into that. In any case, it’s a nice bit of original programming.

Monk also airs a Christmas special. I’d like to tell you how it was, but I lost my screener. I can tell you the basic plot- Monk shoots a Santa - I’m assuming not THE Santa, and he has to clear his own name. Now that’s a new one. I plan to watch it when it airs before Psych.

Unfortunately, I have to say the Closer Christmas special — if you can call it that- was kind of ill-advised. I didn’t hear about it til the day before it aired. Then I watched it and found out maybe why TNT didn’t go all out with the ads. I was pretty excited for a new High Priority case with Brenda and the crew, but what I got was - well, let’s just say, the words "shark" and "jump" went through my mind.

To recap briefly, Brenda has to go get a fugitive in Atlanta without the right paperwork. She takes Fritz along and stays at her cute but overused parents. Provenza and Flynn, of course, are eventually called in so Brenda can stay with her dad and mom, the former of whom lays a massive guilt trip on her. However, Midnight Run style, Wade the fugitive won’t fly. There’s no rental cars or vans to be had in all of Atlanta, no rooms at the inn either. So, Brenda’s dad packs them all into his RV and they go cross country with the fugitive.

No, I’m serious, that actually happens.

On the way, Brenda lies to Wade, says his kid brother was killed by the two baddies he’s covering for. When they all get back to L.A. he surmises she was lying but still decides to vigiliante the baddies because they know his brother turned them in - putting the brother at risk. So, long, screwy, contrived story short, he goes for his revenge, gets killed, but the crew agrees not to tell him ’til after, as Brenda’s dad says ‘He gets use to him being gone…" . Instead they convince him Wade’s doing big work for the FBI or something, and then Brenda’s parents agree to take in the kid brother who is all alone.

No, seriously, that actually happens.

The story had some good moments of the usual comic stuff. Brenda’s explanation of the dark side of her job to her mom was good. And there was a nice twist when it turned out Wade figured out Brenda was lying. But otherwise, this x-mas episode is best chalked up to someone drinking too much eggnog in the writers’ room. I’m not sure when they’re re-running, but knowing TNT, they will be probably into February.