Lie to Me
| Lie to Me | |
|---|---|
 Intertitle for Lie to Me |
|
| Genre | Drama Crime |
| Created by | Samuel Baum |
| Starring | Tim Roth Kelli Williams Brendan Hines Monica Raymund Hayley McFarland Mekhi Phifer[1] |
| Opening theme | Brand New Day (Ryan Star song) |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Language(s) | English |
| No. of seasons | 2 |
| No. of episodes | 33 (List of episodes) |
| Production | |
| Executive producer(s) | Brian Grazer David Nevins Samuel Baum All Seasons Shawn Ryan Season 2 Elizabeth Craft Season 2 Sarah Fain Season 2 |
| Producer(s) | Samuel Baum |
| Production company(s) | Imagine Entertainment, Fox Television |
| Broadcast | |
| Original channel | Fox |
| Original run | January 21, 2009 – present |
| External links | |
| Official website | |
Lie to Me is an American television series that premiered on the Fox network on January 21, 2009.[2] In the show, Dr. Cal Lightman (Tim Roth) and his colleagues in The Lightman Group accept assignments from third parties (commonly local and federal law enforcement), and assist in investigations, reaching the truth through applied psychology: interpreting microexpressions, through the Facial Action Coding System, and body language.[2]
In May 2009, the show was renewed for a second season consisting of 13 episodes,[3] Season 2 premiered on September 28, 2009.[4] On November 24, 2009, Fox ordered an extra nine episodes for season 2, bringing the season order to 22 episodes.[5] On May 12, 2010, Entertainment Weekly reported that Lie to Me received a 13-episode third season pick-up to start November 10, 2010. [6]
Contents |
[edit] Characters and casting
[edit] Main
- Tim Roth as Dr. Cal Lightman, is a genius psychologist with an expertise in body language and predominantly microexpressions and founder of The Lightman Group, a private company that operates as an independent contractor to assist investigations of local and federal law enforcement through applied psychology.[7] Though often confronted by people's skepticism, Lightman uses any psychological technique he deems necessary to reach the truth, however elaborate or confronting. He is divorced, and has shared custody of his teenage daughter. He cares deeply about Gillian Foster, and there is a chemistry between them that has yet to develop into anything more. His mother committed suicide while he was still young, an event that led him to discovering and researching microexpressions. There is evidence he was involved with British Intelligence, due to the fact that Reynolds has said "Yeah, I read your file too. Northern Ireland? Let's talk about that...some of the crap you were involved in"[8]. Lightman also mentioned interrogating IRA members, going as far as admitting he was fooled by a suspect's facial expressions that caused the murder of five people in a pub shortly after the interrogation. He has also admitted to being an MI6 intelligence agent during the Yugoslavia Wars in 1994 in an attempt to gain the trust of an intelligence agent that he was interrogating. The character is based on Dr. Paul Ekman, a notable psychologist and expert on body language and facial expressions at University of California, San Francisco.[9]
- Kelli Williams as Dr. Gillian Foster, Dr. Lightman's colleague and co-worker in The Lightman Group.[10] Her husband's lack of candor often challenges her open pact with Lightman: not to let their professional skill interfere with coworker's personal lives. So, when Cal believes her husband Alec is cheating on her, he simply ignores what he is seeing, much to Torres' dismay. Gillian had adopted a baby (Sophie) who was eventually returned to the birth mother. This character is based on Dr. Maureen O’Sullivan, emeritus professor of psychology at the University of San Francisco.
- Brendan Hines as Eli Loker, initially an employee of The Lightman Group. Loker is academically educated and acquired his skills in "reading" people through practice. He also adheres to Radical Honesty, and thus rarely lies, even if that makes him appear rude or undiplomatic.[11] For example, when he first meets Torres he bluntly tells her that he wants to have sex with her. Lightman demoted him to an unpaid intern after, despite Foster's warnings, he divulged sensitive information to the SEC while working on a case, calling his actions, which includes the fact that Loker made Torres lie about knowing it, "disrespectful, selfish, and just plain stupid". However he is later promoted to vice president. The first time in show he lied was the season one episode "Do No Harm," when he told Torres he "doesn't care" why a peace activist he was attracted to made up a story; Torres catches his lie and Loker acknowledges this.
- Monica Raymund as Ria Torres, an employee of The Lightman Group, and a protegee of Dr. Lightman's, who was recognized as a "natural" while she was still working as a TSA agent.[12] Torres was abused as a child, a common pattern among naturals,[13] by her father. Though talented and loyal, she lacks academic training and sometimes lets her emotions cloud her judgment. This was evidenced in an episode in which Cal used her emotions to cause her to disobey him, also similarly manipulating other characters, in order to solve a case. She is also shown to have a half sister who is in juvenile prison.
- Hayley McFarland as Emily Lightman, Cal Lightman's teenage daughter. She is under shared custody between her parents, and though she does not appreciate her father's ability to "read" her, she does not deny its merit for social screening. She shows a talent for "reading" people, like Foster and even her father. She has had a few boyfriends over the series that her father frequently scrutinizes. (Recurring Season 1, Regular Season 2)
- Mekhi Phifer as Ben Reynolds, an FBI agent who is assigned to and assists the Lightman Group in their investigations, offering armed assistance and practical insights. Reynolds doesn't always agree with Lightman's ways, but stands behind them majority of the time. (Recurring Season 1, Regular Season 2)
[edit] Recurring
- Jennifer Beals as Zoe Landau, Cal Lightman's ex-wife. She is an Assistant Attorney General and though currently engaged to another man, she also engaged in a tryst with Lightman, after he helped her in a case. It was revealed in "Truth or Consequences" that she is bi-racial, having a white mother and African-American father (the same as Beals in real life). (Seasons 1 & 2)
- Tim Guinee as Alec Foster, Gillian Foster's ex-husband. He works at the United States Department of State and is a recovering cocaine addict where throughout the series it was heavily hinted that he was having an extramarital affair until it revealed the woman was his drug sponsor. He and Gillian have decided to divorce. (Season 1)
[edit] Plot
Based on the real-life scientific discoveries of Paul Ekman, the series follows Lightman and his team of deception experts as they assist law enforcement and government agencies to expose the truth behind the lies.[14]
The season opens with Cal and Gillian hiring a new associate: former TSA officer Ria Torres. Ria scored extraordinarily high on Cal's deception detection diagnostic, and is labeled a "natural" at deception detection. Her innate talent in the field clashes with Cal's academic approach, and he often shows off by rapidly analyzing her every facial expression. She counters by reading Lightman and when he least expects it, peppers conversations with quotes from his books.
It was gradually revealed that Dr. Lightman was driven to study micro-expressions as a result of guilt over his mother's suicide; she claimed to have been fine in order to obtain a weekend pass from a psychiatric ward, when she was actually experiencing agony.
For a small number of the early episodes Lightman would team up with Torres working on a case, while Foster and Loker would team up on a separate case. Occasionally their work would intertwine or Foster or Lightman would provide assistance on each others cases. As the first season progressed, the cases became more involved and all four of the main characters would work together on one case for each episode. This formulaic technique is often used in the first episodes of a new series to help establish the characters.
In addition to detecting deception in subjects they interview, Lightman and his team also use various interviewing and interrogation tactics to elicit information that is useful to their cases. Rather than by force, they instead use careful lines of questions, provocative statements, theatrics and healthy doses of deception on their own part. In the show's pilot episode, Lightman is speaking to a man who is refusing to speak at all, and is able to discern vital information by talking to him and gauging his reaction to each statement. This approach is also taken in several other episodes (e.g., "Do No Harm").
[edit] Principal crew
Samuel Baum (Showrunner/Head Writer), Brian Grazer, David Nevins, Steven Maeda. Katherine Pope, former president of NBC Universal’s TV studio, has signed on as a consulting producer. Pope worked on the final four episodes of the first season.[15] Shawn Ryan, creator of The Shield and The Unit, took over as show runner for the second season.[16][17]
[edit] Episodes
| Season | Episodes | First airdate | Last airdate | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season 1 | 13 | January 21, 2009 | May 13, 2009 | |
| Season 2 | 22 | September 28, 2009 | September 13, 2010 | |
| Season 3 | 13 | November 10, 2010 | ||
Season 2 resumed on June 7, 2010. Lie to Me has been renewed for its third season.[18]
[edit] Reception
[edit] Critical reception
The show received mostly positive reviews from television critics. It gained a score of 64 on Metacritic from 24 reviews.[19] Entertainment Weekly's Ken Tucker awarded Lie to Me a B- rating and wrote "Lie to Me is derivative yet well crafted, predictable yet ever-so-slightly novel...it's no wonder that Fox thinks it's got itself a potential hit". However he also commented "if this review were a face, Dr. Lightman would say it had a forced smile: hopeful, but dubious, about Lie's chances."[20] Tom Shales, writing for the Washington Post, said "Lie to Me seems an unusually meaty, thoughtful and thought-provoking crime drama – another police procedural, yes, but one with a dramatic and mesmerizing difference...easily one of the season's best new shows."[21]
[edit] Ratings
In the United States the viewing figures declined as the series progressed. The Pilot was seen by 12.37 million, however by the final episode of the first season it was down to 8.46 million. The most viewed episode was episode 3 ("A Perfect Score") which attracted 12.99 million. The second season premiered on September 28, 2009 to 7.7 million viewers.
| Season | Season Premiere | Season Finale | TV Season | Viewers (in millions) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | January 21, 2009 | May 13, 2009 | 2008–2009 | 10.07 |
| 2 | September 28, 2009 | September 13, 2010 | 2009–2010 | 6.49 (to date) |
| 3 | November 10, 2010 | Summer 2011 | 2010–2011 | TBA |
[edit] International broadcasting
The series is broadcast by Network Ten in Australia and Global TV in Canada, and also airs in Norway, Sweden, Iceland, Hungary and Belgium.[22][23] Lie to Me aired on Sky1 in the UK and Ireland,[24] starting on May 14, 2009. On July 20, 2009, Fox aired the premiere in Latin America.[25] RTL 5 in The Netherlands has been broadcasting it since November 6, 2009.
[edit] DVD releases
| DVD Name | Release dates | Ep # | Additional Information | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Region 1 | Region 2 | |||
| Season 1 | August 25, 2009[citation needed] | September 14, 2009 | 13 | The four-disc box set includes all 13 episodes. Extras include "The Lightman Group Lie Detection Tutorials". Running Time: 605 minutes.[citation needed] |
| Season 2 | November 9, 2010[26] | January 31, 2011 | 22 | The four-disc box set includes all 22 episodes. Running Time: 1022 minutes. |
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ "Lie to Me – Characters". Fox Broadcasting Company. http://www.fox.com/lietome/characters/tim.htm. Retrieved July 23, 2009.
- ^ a b "Lie To Me". Fox. http://www.fox.com/lietome/. Retrieved November 16, 2008.
- ^ "Fall TV: Fox Renews Lie to Me, Sets Sights on Human Target and Sons of Tucson". TVGuide.com. http://www.tvguide.com/News/Lie-Me-renewed-1006026.aspx. Retrieved May 12, 2009.
- ^ http://www.fox.com/shows.htm
- ^ http://tvbythenumbers.com/2009/11/24/lie-to-me-gets-full-season-pick-up/34510
- ^ http://tvbythenumbers.com/2010/05/12/report-lie-to-me-human-target-renewed-by-fox/51207
- ^ ""dr. cal lightman" – tim roth". Fox.com. http://www.fox.com/lietome/characters/tim.htm. Retrieved May 14, 2009.
- ^ [1]
- ^ [2]
- ^ ""dr. gillian foster" – kelli williams". Fox.com. http://www.fox.com/lietome/characters/kelli.htm. Retrieved May 14, 2009.
- ^ ""eli loker" – brendan hines". Fox.com. http://www.fox.com/lietome/characters/brendan.htm. Retrieved May 14, 2009.
- ^ ""ria torres" – monica raymund". Fox.com. http://www.fox.com/lietome/characters/monica.htm. Retrieved May 14, 2009.
- ^ "Unchained". Lie to Me. No. 5, season 1.
- ^ "The Face Never Lies". January 23, 2009. http://www.fox.com/lietome/. Retrieved May 14, 2009.
- ^ Littleton, Cynthia (February 7, 2009). "Pope joins Fox's 'Lie to Me'". variety.com. http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117999783.html?categoryid=14&cs=1. Retrieved May 14, 2009.
- ^ Ausiello, Michael (May 12, 2009). "Scoop: Fox renews 'Lie to Me,' installs 'Shield' creator as new showrunner". EW.com. http://ausiellofiles.ew.com/2009/05/scoop-fox-renew.html. Retrieved May 14, 2009.
- ^ Sepinwall, Alan (September 28, 2009). "'Lie to Me' improves with help from 'Shield' creator Shawn Ryan – Sepinwall on TV". The Star-Ledger. Newark. http://www.nj.com/entertainment/tv/index.ssf/2009/09/lie_to_me_improves_with_help_f.html. Retrieved November 15, 2009.
- ^ "Breaking: Fox renews 'Lie to Me' and 'Human Target'". EW.com. 2010-05-12. http://ausiellofiles.ew.com/2010/05/12/fox-renews-lie-to-me/.
- ^ "Lie to Me reviews at Metacritic.com". Metacritic. http://www.metacritic.com/tv/shows/lietome. Retrieved July 23, 2009.
- ^ Tucker, Ken. "TV review – Lie to Me (2009)". ew.com. Entertainment Weekly. http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20252535,00.html. Retrieved July 23, 2009.
- ^ Shales, Tom (January 19, 2009). "'Lie to Me' handles famous psychologist's truth nicely". The Washington Post. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/01/18/AR2009011802254.html. Retrieved July 23, 2009.
- ^ Knox, David (November 10, 2008). "TEN cooks up Big Brother replacement". TV.com. http://www.tv.com/story/11864.html. Retrieved November 16, 2008.
- ^ "Tim Roth series honest about lying". JAM! Television. http://jam.canoe.ca/Television/TV_Shows/L/Lie_To_Me/2008/11/15/7422526-sun.html. Retrieved December 18, 2008.
- ^ Wilkes, Neil (January 22 2009). "Sky1 acquires 'Lie To Me'". Digital Spy. http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/tv/a144020/sky1-acquires-lie-to-me.html.
- ^ Tim Roth, un detector de mentiras, humano, (in Spanish). La Nación. Retrieved on July 20, 2009.
- ^ http://tvshowsondvd.com/news/Lie-Season-2-Press-Release/14276
[edit] External links
 |
Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: Lie to Me |
