Creator Steve Franks' comedic entry into the crime-solving genre follows the investigative efforts of fake psychic Shawn Spencer (James Roday) and his childhood pal and sidekick Burton "Gus" Guster (Dulé Hill). Realizing they can cash in on Shawn's unique skill set, the pair sets up a detective agency and enlists the help of Det. Juliet O'Hara (Maggie Lawson), who takes the pair's unusual antics in stride, though her partner Carlton Lassiter (Timothy Omundson) does not, causing no small amount of tension from within the group. However, as Shawn and Gus investigate a series of odd cases, including spelling-bee treachery, murder at a Civil War reenactment, a sorority-house haunting and a case in which the sole witness is a cat, they inevitably produce results, a fact that even Lassiter must begrudgingly admit.