USA's one-two punch of quirky crimefighters returns to TV tonight and the current state of original scripted programming (the strike has left very little of it on the air) might make both series even bigger hits than they already are. Both Monk and Psych have their flaws but they feature leads that are so charming and plots that are so inoffensive that they're easy to forgive, especially on a Friday night after a long week of work. Monk and Psych are never going to win major awards (except for maybe Tony Shalhoub's excellent lead work on the former) but they're a good match and they should continue for as long as the people involved feel like making them. The eccentric mystery man has been a staple of TV for decades from Columbo through Murder, She Wrote. Adrian Monk (Tony Shalhoub) and Shawn Spencer (James Roday) are just a part of a long legacy and they're fitting in just fine.

The beginning of the second half of season six of Monk (maybe one of these mystery men can look into the bizarre new habit of splitting cable seasons into chunks) features a guest turn by Howie Mandel and a plot that focuses more on the quirks of Adrian than a real mystery. Mandel plays "Father," the head of a cult called "The Siblings of the Sun" that Monk has to infiltrate after one of its members turns up murdered. Fans of the show will know that sending the incredibly gullible Monk into a cult might not be the best idea. "Father" taps a vein of sorrow in Adrian and the mystery at the episode's core gets pushed aside in favor of some excellent character work by Shalhoub, the real strength of the impressive six seasons of this cable staple.

The more lighthearted Psych features a guest turn by Kerry Washington (I Think I Love My Wife) as Guster's wife. That's right, poor Gus (Dule Hill) got married years ago and the wedding was never annulled. Now, Gus needs to get the marriage dissolved so his soon-to-be-ex-wife can get hitched again. But, the new groom goes missing and Gus and Shawn are left to figure out just what's going on at this weird wedding. Like Monk, the focus of Psych is on more of the comedy hijinks of the leads than any sort of solvable mystery, but viewers probably aren't looking for CSI on Friday nights. They need something a little lighter. Like the occasional reference to Short Circuit and some awkward sweater vests.

I don't usually bunch shows together into one review but Monk and Psych have nearly the same set-up and nearly the same pros and cons. They're both about unusual crimesolvers and feature equally mismatched pairs at their core. Both Monk and Psych rely a lot more on comedy than mystery or character. Sometimes too much. Both of this week's episodes have mysteries that most people could figure out in roughly five minutes. It would be nice if the actual whodunit was a little more complex sometimes, but that's not why people tune in. If you're a fan of Monk and Psych, all you need to know is that neither show has lost a quirky step. Enjoy them while there are still original scripts to watch.