USA on A New Way To Watch TV

I’ve posted before about A New Way To Watch TV, and if you follow any of my online social streams you’ve seen me talk about it there too.  The site has also been recognized by others, such as the Streaming TV Guide blog, as a good resource.  I thought it would be good to delve into one of the networks that ANewWayToWatchTV.com has content for to show anyone who’s hesitating to check it out that they need to do so; and I’m going to be “showing-off” USA.

First, a quick recap of A New Way to Watch TV:
The Vision of A New Way To Watch TV is to provide a single website for smart TV users (currently optimized for Google TV, but accessible on other platforms including mobile devices and workstations) which aggregates full-form content from multiple quality syndicated sources, primarily TV networks, movie studios, and online stations. The purpose of which is to allow people without cable or satellite subscriptions or a physical antenna to watch full length content as well as allow those with a cable or satellite subscription or a physical antenna to view web-only, previously aired, or provider limited content. Full-form content is defined here as content produced to be consumed as a whole; and while may be a part of a series is not an excerpt, portion, or selection of a larger distinct product meant to be produced and/or distributed as a single piece. Full-form content includes full-length episodes, minisodes, webisodes, short films, and movies.

USA shows A New Way to Watch TV has content for, and how many videos are available*:
Covert Affairs  –  2
Fairly Legal  –  5
In Plain Sight  –  1
Necessary Roughness  –  5
Royal Pains  –  5
Suits  –  22
White Collar  –  1
Character Project 2011  –  7
Characters Unite  –  1
Monk  –  5
Psych  –  7

There are commercials, one or two before episode starts (this is true for all available USA videos) and about thirty seconds worth at normal commercial breaks.  It is very easy to maximize videos by clicking the “expand” button found in the bottom-right of the video player.  All videos are ordered from newest (in the top left) to oldest (bottom right).

Let’s say I am watching an episode of Royal Pains, when I am done and want to watch another episode I can click on the show logo on the left side of the screen to be taken to the show page so that I can see all available episodes (the browser back button also would have the same result, granted that you did not enter the site directly on that episode).  To get to all USA videos again I can click the USA logo o n the left of the screen below the search box.

All 22 of the aired “Suits” episodes are available*.  So if you saw the first season of Suits but still need to see season 2, or if you haven’t seen any (fyi, they are not available on Netflix), or just want a refresher before the return on Thursday, January 17at 9 (central), you can check them out for free, on your desktop, laptop, Google TV, PS3, Media Center computer, or mobile device (with flash support).  Since content is ordered from newest to oldest you’ll need to go to the third page for videos to see the pilot episode.

One thing you’ll notice is that four of the shows (Character Project 2011, Characters Unite, Monk, and Psych) are under “Stagnant USA Shows”*.  This means that no new content has been added within the last 30 days to A New Way To Watch TV for these shows, but there is still some great content there.  For example the psych webisodes; they are not clips from episodes, they are short productions (1-3 minutes each) with the main characters of the shows doing the things that make us laugh.

Below are descriptions of each show, I recommend checking them out, especially Suits since you can see it from the start, though White Collar is my favorite USA show (then Psych, even though the last season was very predictable, and then Burn Notice; Monk was my favorite, but since it is no longer on the air it isn’t in the top three).

Covert Affairs
A young CIA operative/trainee, Annie Walker, is sent into the field to work for the DPD (Domestic Protection Division). August Anderson is a blind tech operative, and is Walker’s guide in her new life in the CIA. Walker’s cover story is that she works at the Smithsonian Museum.

Fairly Legal
Kate Reed (Sarah Shahi) is a firm believer that justice can always be found–even if it’s not always in the courtroom. Once a lawyer at her family’s esteemed San Francisco firm, Kate’s frustration with the legal system led her to a new career as a mediator. Thanks to her innate understanding of human nature, thorough legal knowledge, and winning smile, Kate is a natural when it comes to dispute resolution. Except, it seems, when it comes to conflicts in her own life.
Kate clashes constantly with her partners at Reed & Reed, steely stepmother Lauren (Virginia Williams) and ambitious up-and-coming attorney Ben (Ben Grogan), the latest addition to the firm. And her personal life is no less complicated, thanks to an on-again, off-again relationship with ex-husband Justin (Michael Trucco), a San Francisco ADA. Luckily, Kate’s got her resourceful assistant Leo (Baron Vaughn) to back her up, and enough energy and determination to face just about any conflict, no matter how unconventional–or even impossible–it may seem.

In Plain Sight
In Plain Sight, now in its fourth season on USA network, is a crime drama starring Mary McCormack as Mary Shannon, a U.S. Marshal attached to the highly secretive Federal Witness Protection Program (WITSEC).
Based in the greater Albuquerque/Santa Fe area, Mary Shannon is the ultimate protector. For some witnesses, WITSEC signals a fresh start, but for others it means leaving behind everything they hold dear. In relocating federal witnesses, Mary must protect not only the innocent, but also some of the world’s most nefarious criminals and gangsters. For better or worse, testimony guarantees a witnesses’ safety at the cost of their previous life. Regardless of their history, Mary helps each of her witnesses stay alive by smoothly transitioning them into their new identities. After all, there’s only thing that every federal witness shares in common: someone wants them dead.
Luckily for Mary, she never has to work alone. No matter the situation, her partner Marshall Mann (Fred Weller), always has her back. Despite their significant differences in personality, the two not only make the perfect team, but also the best of friends. The only thing they enjoy more than teasing each other, is teasing their boss, Stan McQueen (Paul Ben-Victor).
Although it’s never easy leading the life of a WITSEC inspector, Mary’s family has always forced her to take on double duty. While in the past, calling them dysfunctional would be an understatement, things are starting to change for the better. For the first time in recent memory, Mary no longer shares her home with her mother and sister. Gone are the days of alcoholism and meth-filled suitcases. Both Brandi (Nichole Hiltz) and Jinx (Lesley Anne Warren) are gainfully employed, and what’s more, Brandi’s relationship with Peter Alpert (Josh Malina) is going better than ever. While history tells us that all good things must come to an end, until they do, Mary must learn to interact with a family that no longer needs her protection.

Necessary Roughness
Dr. Dani Santino (Callie Thorne) thought she had it all figured out: she had a beautiful home, a successful husband, two great teenaged kids, and a satisfying career as a psychotherapist. But when she caught her husband cheating, Dani’s perfect world began to unravel, and she was forced to find a way to keep her family, her finances, and her sanity intact. Then a romantic encounter with Matt (Marc Blucas), the handsome trainer of the local pro football team, the New York Hawks, leads to the chance for Dani to demonstrate her special brand of “tough love” therapy. Before she can say “Hail Mary,” Dani has taken on the team’s unpredictable star wide receiver, Terrence “TK” King (Mehcad Brooks), as a patient and has become the most sought-after therapist for pro athletes and other high-profile personalities on Long Island. Even with the ups and downs of being a newly divorced single parent and being employed by a demanding organization with its very own “Fixer”—the mysterious Nico (Scott Cohen)—Dani begins to find her footing.
As football season ramps up once again, Dr. Dani has a whole new batch of issues to tackle, both personally and professionally. Now that she’s more deeply invested in the Hawks players’ welfare—and in a new relationship with Matt—the pressure is definitely on to hold it all together, all while trying to keep her kids on track. It’s a whole new season…and a whole new set of crazy.

Royal Pains
USA Network is proud to announce the return of the Hamptons’ newest doctor-on-demand, Hank Lawson (Mark Feuerstein), in Royal Pains.
Once a rising star in the New York City medical community, Hank found himself out of work, dumped by his fiancée and out of options after a dustup with some hospital honchos. Fed up with Hank’s personal pity-party, his younger brother, Evan (Paulo Costanzo), convinced Hank to join him on a last-minute trip to the Hamptons for Memorial Day weekend. When the brothers crashed a party at the home of a Hamptons billionaire and a guest fell critically ill, Hank saved the day. His dramatic medical rescue drew attention from the crowd, and soon Hank’s phone started ringing off the hook with patients wanting Hank to make house calls.
By the end of the weekend, HankMed was born. With Evan as the company’s CFO and the whip-smart, ambitious Divya (Reshma Shetty) as Hank’s physician’s assistant, Hank becomes the Hamptons’ new in-demand Doctor-for-Hire. News travels fast on the East End, especially when it’s about a talented young doctor with MacGyver-like skills who makes house calls. But the rich and powerful aren’t the only ones seeking out HankMed’s services; there are plenty of less well-off locals who need his help, too, and he’s more than happy to lend a hand.
As the practice grows and they become more settled in their new lives, the brothers begin to experience growing pains. With their unreliable father Eddie (Henry Winkler) back in their lives, Evan’s recent engagement to Paige (Brooke D’Orsay) and Jill (Jill Flint) about to leave Hamptons Heritage, Hank and Evan quickly learn that life in the Hamptons isn’t always a walk on the beach.

Suits
Even the best lawyer in New York City can use some help.
While running from a drug deal gone bad, Mike Ross (Patrick J. Adams), a brilliant young college-dropout, slips into a job interview with one of New York City’s best legal closers, Harvey Specter (Gabriel Macht). Tired of cookie-cutter law school grads, Harvey takes a gamble by hiring Mike on the spot after he recognizes his raw talent and photographic memory.
Mike and Harvey are a winning team. Even though Mike is a genius, he still has a lot to learn about law. And while Harvey may seem like an emotionless, cold-blooded shark, Mike’s sympathy and concern for their cases and clients will help remind Harvey why he went into law in the first place. Mike’s other allies in the office include the firm’s best paralegal Rachel (Meghan Markle) and Harvey’s no-nonsense assistant Donna (Sarah Rafferty) to help him serve justice.
Proving to be an irrepressible duo and invaluable to the practice, Mike and Harvey must keep their secret from everyone including managing partner Jessica (Gina Torres) and Harvey’s arch nemesis Louis (Rick Hoffman), who seems intent on making Mike’s life as difficult as possible.

White Collar
White Collar centers on the unlikely crime-solving partnership between Neal Caffrey (Matt Bomer), a charming con man turned consultant for the FBI, and Peter Burke (Tim DeKay), the Federal Agent charged with keeping him on the right side of the law.
When Neal escaped from a maximum-security prison to find his long-lost love, Peter had to bring him to justice – for the second time. Rather than return to jail, Neal suggested an alternate plan: he would provide his criminal expertise to assist the Feds in catching other elusive criminals in exchange for his eventual freedom. Initially wary, Peter quickly found that Neal provided insight and intuition that couldn’t be found on the right side of the law.
Since then, Peter and Neal have amassed an enviable record within the White Collar Crimes Unit and laid the foundation for a deep friendship. But as some have said about Neal, once a con, always a con, and while his unique skills have helped Peter close some high profile cases, his methods have endangered both his friends and fellow colleagues and drawn increased scrutiny from the higher-ups.
Eventually, Neal earned a chance to have his sentence commuted, but when he realized the scales of justice were unfairly weighted against him, Neal did the only thing left for him to do: he ran. Although Manhattan may be in his rearview, the past won’t stay behind him for long, and soon both he and Peter will have to face the consequences of the choices they have made.

Character Project 2011
Character Project is an ongoing artistic initiative committed to celebrating America’s characters – the interesting, dazzling, and distinctive people, from all walks of life, who make this country extraordinary.
Inspired by USA’s “Characters Welcome” brand, Character Project launched in 2009 with a focus on photography. For its second act, USA has partnered with RSA Films and Ridley & Tony Scott, to once again turn a lens on America’s characters, this time through the medium of the moving image. Together, they commissioned seven talented filmmakers to each explore the theme of character from their own unique perspective. From lost loves to loyal friends, private heroes to public personalities, the subjects of these short films – some real, some fictional – show the courage, connection, humor, and hope that give shape to the American character. After all, characters are what make us USA.

Characters Unite
Characters Unite, USA Network’s award-winning public service program, was created to address the social injustices and cultural divides still prevalent in our society.
Inspired by USA Network’s iconic “Characters Welcome” brand and with the support of leading national nonprofit organizations, the ongoing campaign is dedicated to supporting activities and messaging that combat prejudice and intolerance while promoting understanding and acceptance — on-air, online, and in communities across the country.

Monk
Adrian Monk is a brilliant San Francisco detective, whose obsessive compulsive disorder just happens to get in the way.

Psych
PSYCH is a quick-witted comedy/drama starring James Roday as young police consultant Shawn Spencer who solves crimes with powers of observation so acute that Santa Barbara PD detectives think he’s psychic.
Psych also stars Dule Hill as Shawn’s best friend and reluctant sidekick, Gus, and Corbin Bernsen as his disapproving father, Henry, who ironically was the one who honed his son’s “observation” skills as a child. Also featured are Timothy Omundson, Maggie Lawson and Kirsten Nelson.
Psych airs Fridays at 10/9C on USA Network.
Psych was created by Steve Franks (“Big Daddy”), who also serves as executive producer, along with Chris Henze and Kelly Kulchack, in association with Tagline Television and NBC Universal Television Studios.  Co-executive producers include Saladin Patterson (“Frasier”) and Josh Bycel (“American Dad”).  Serving as producers are Andy Berman, Anupam Nigam and Kell Cahoon.  Tim Meltreger is staff writer.
Psych continues USA’s tradition of original scripted programming centering on quirky, intelligent characters. As with Monk, Psych mixes comedy with its crime and features a somewhat eccentric lead character – Shawn, a police Psychic with absolutely no psychic abilities.
Raised in Santa Barbara by a family of cops, Shawn possesses uncanny powers of observation honed by his police officer father, Henry, who drilled young Shawn to note even the smallest of details from his surroundings as a way of grooming him for his inevitable career in the family business. Unfortunately, when a rift develops between father and son, Shawn finds himself taking a series of random jobs instead of becoming the detective he was groomed to be.
However, for the fun of it, Shawn makes a habit of calling in tips to the police about cases he reads about or sees on television, and when one of his tips appears too close to the truth, the police are convinced that Shawn is an accomplice and arrest him.
Using his charm and well-tuned talent, Shawn convinces the cops that he’s actually a psychic, and although highly skeptical of his explanation, they hire him to help solve tough cases. With the reluctant assistance of his best friend Gus, Shawn uses his skills of observation and charismatic personality to become the detective he was trained to be, opening his own PI agency – Psych – and solving cases for an ever-suspicious, but grudgingly impressed, police force.

*At the time of this writing, 11/27/2012.