For other uses, see Lie to Me (disambiguation).

Lie to Me
Genre | Crime Drama Police Procedural
Created by | Samuel Baum
Starring | Tim Roth Kelli Williams Brendan Hines Monica Raymund Hayley McFarland Mekhi Phifer[1]
Opening theme | "Brand New Day" by Ryan Star
Country of origin | United States
Original language(s) | English
No. of seasons | 3
No. of episodes | 48 (List of episodes)
Production
Executive producer(s) | Brian Grazer David Nevins Samuel Baum All Seasons Shawn Ryan Season 2 Elizabeth Craft Sarah Fain Season 2
Producer(s) | Samuel Baum Seasons 1?2 Tim Roth Season 3
Running time | 42 minutes
Production company(s) | Imagine Television 20th Century Fox Television MiddKid Productions (season 1-2) Pagoda Pictures (season 3)
Broadcast
Original channel | Fox
Original run | January 21, 2009 (2009-01-21) – January 31, 2011 (2011-01-31)

Lie to Me is an American crime drama television series. It originally ran on the Fox network from January 21, 2009 to January 31, 2011. 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.[6][7] The third season of Lie to Me was originally to premiere on November 10, 2010. On September 28, 2010, the premiere date was moved to October 4, 2010, because of the cancellation of Lone Star.[8] Lie to Me was cancelled by Fox on May 11, 2011.[9]

## Characters and casting[edit]

### Main[edit]

- Tim Roth as Dr. Cal Lightman, a genius psychologist with an expertise in body language, 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.[10] 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, although in the third season finale he confesses (to his daughter) that he loves her. 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.[11] Lightman also mentioned interrogating IRA members, going as far as admitting his read of one of them caused the US government to murder innocent people, based on their misinterpretation of his words. He has also admitted to being an MI6 intelligence agent during the Yugoslav Wars in 1994 in an attempt to gain the trust of an intelligence agent that he was interrogating. Lightman is a West Ham United supporter as he mentions himself in Season 2. He can also be seen wearing a Claret and Blue scarf in one of the later episodes of Season 2. The character is based on Dr. Paul Ekman, a psychologist and expert on body language and facial expressions at University of California, San Francisco.[12]

- Kelli Williams as Dr. Gillian Foster, Dr. Lightman's colleague and co-worker in The Lightman Group.[13] Her husband's lack of candor often challenges her open pact with Lightman: not to let their professional skill interfere with coworkers' personal lives. So, when Cal believes her husband, Alec, is cheating on her, he simply ignores what he is seeing, much to Torres's dismay. It is later revealed that he was not, in fact, cheating on her, but was trying to overcome his drug addiction. 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. During season 1, he also adheres to Radical Honesty, and thus rarely lies, even if that makes him appear rude or undiplomatic.[14] Lightman demoted him to an unpaid intern after, despite Foster's warnings, he divulged sensitive information to the SEC while working on a case. However, he is later promoted to vice president, which puts a rift in any developing relationship between him and Torres (the two had slept together once).

- Monica Raymund as Ria Torres, an employee of The Lightman Group, and a prot?g? of Dr. Lightman's, who was recognized as a "natural" while she was still working as a TSA agent.[15] Torres was abused as a child,[16] a common pattern among naturals. Though talented and loyal, she lacks academic training and sometimes lets her emotions cloud her judgment. She has a half sister who is in juvenile prison.

Hayley McFarland, who plays the role of Emily Lightman

- 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 has had a few boyfriends over the series that her father frequently scrutinizes. Though she sometimes gets into trouble and has fake IDs, and much to Lightman's chagrin, has been sexually active with at least one or more of her past boyfriends, she is generally very well-behaved and has a loving relationship with her father. She kisses Eli Loker in season 2. She notices the dynamic between Foster and Lightman. (Recurring Season 1, Regular Season 2?3)

- 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 the majority of the time. (Recurring Season 1, Regular Season 2)

### Recurring[edit]

- Jennifer Beals as Zoe Landau, Cal Lightman's ex-wife and Emily's mother. 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. (Seasons 1 2)

- Monique Gabriela Curnen as Detective Sharon Wallowski. She is a police officer who assists Lightman. (Seasons 2 3)

- 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 CA sponsor. He and Gillian divorced. (Season 1)

- Sean Patrick Thomas as Special Agent Karl Dupree. Dupree initially assisted the Lightman group on a case involving a controversial South Korean ambassador, who is presumed to be an assassination target at his son's state wedding. Torres and Dupree are romantically involved later in season one. He also defends Torres against Loker when he divulged sensitive information to the SEC while working on a case. (Season 1)

- Brandon Jones as Liam, Emily Lightman's boyfriend, a high school jock who is not intimidated by Cal Lightman. Emily breaks up with him because he does not believe in sex before marriage. (Season 3)

## Episodes[edit]

Main article: List of Lie to Me episodes

Season | Episodes | Originally aired | DVD release dates
--- | --- | --- | ---
Season premiere | Season finale | Region 1 | Region 2 | Region 4
| 1 | 13 | January 21, 2009 | May 13, 2009 | August 25, 2009 | September 14, 2009 | October 28, 2009
| 2 | 22 | September 28, 2009 | September 13, 2010 | November 9, 2010 | January 3, 2011 | December 1, 2010
| 3 | 13 | October 4, 2010 | January 31, 2011 | October 4, 2011[17] | N/A | November 2, 2011[18]

## Plot[edit]

Based on the work 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.[19]

Season one opens with Cal and Gillian hiring a new associate: TSA officer Ria Torres, who scored extraordinarily high on Cal's deception-detection diagnostic, and is in turn 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 (which mostly parallels Paul Ekman's anecdote in his book "Telling Lies").

For a small number of the early episodes, Lightman would team up with Torres to work on a case, while Foster and Loker would team up on a separate case. Occasionally, their work would intertwine, or Foster and/or Lightman would provide assistance on each other's 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.

In addition to detecting deception in subjects they interview, Lightman and his team also use various interviewing and interrogation tactics to elicit useful information. Rather than by force, they use careful lines of questioning, 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").

## Principal crew[edit]

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.[20] Shawn Ryan, creator of The Shield and The Unit, took over as show runner for the second season.[21][22]

## Reception[edit]

### Critical reception[edit]

The show received mostly positive reviews from television critics. It gained a score of 64 on Metacritic from 24 reviews.[23] 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."[24] 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."[25]

### Ratings[edit]

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 the third episode, "A Perfect Score", which attracted 12.99?million. The second season premiered on September 28, 2009 to 7.73?million viewers.[26] The season two finale had 4.94?million viewers in the U.S. on September 13, 2010.[27] The third season, which had its premiere moved forward to October 4, 2010, was viewed by 5.87?million people in the U.S.[28] The series' official cancellation was announced by Fox on May 10, 2011.[29]

#### Seasonal ratings[edit]

Season | Episodes | Original airing | Rank | Viewers (in millions) | Notes | Network
--- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | ---
Season premiere | Season finale | TV Season
| 1 | 13 | January 21, 2009 (2009-01-21) | May 13, 2009 (2009-05-13) | 2008?2009 | #29[30] | 11.06[30] |  | Fox
| 2 | 22 | September 28, 2009 (2009-09-28) | September 13, 2010 (2010-09-13) | 2009?2010 | #57[31] | 7.39[31] | [Note 1]
| 3 | 13 | October 4, 2010 (2010-10-04) | January 31, 2011 (2011-01-31) | 2010?2011 | #78 | 6.71[33] |

### Awards and nominations[edit]

#### Primetime Emmy Awards[edit]

- 2009 Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Main Title Design (nominee)

#### People's Choice Awards[edit]

Lie to me was nominated for two awards at the 37th People's Choice Awards and won both of them.[34]

- 2011 Favorite TV Crime Drama (WON)
- 2011 Favorite TV Crime Fighter (Tim Roth, WON)

## International broadcasting[edit]

The series is broadcast on Global in Canada, Network Ten in Australia, M-Net in South Africa, and also airs in Norway, Sweden, Iceland, Hungary and Belgium.[35][36] Lie to Me aired on Sky1 in the UK and Ireland,[37] starting on May 14, 2009. On July 20, 2009, Fox aired the premiere in Latin America.[38] RTL 5 in The Netherlands has been broadcasting it since November 6, 2009. The series debuted in Italy on September 7, 2009 on the Fox Satellite channel. The series has aired in India since September 2010.

Country | Television Network
--- | ---
Albania | Digi
Argentina | Fox
Arab World | Fox
Armenia | Kentron TV
Australia | Network Ten, W
Austria | ATV
Belgium | 2BE, RTL-TVI
Brazil | Fox, Rede Globo
Bulgaria | bTV Cinema
Canada | Global, V
Chile | Fox, MEGA
Colombia | Fox, Caracol Television
Costa Rica | Fox
Croatia | HRT2
Cuba | Multivision
Czech Republic | TV Prima
Denmark | TV2
Dominican Republic | Fox
Ecuador | Fox Broadcasting Company
El Salvador | Fox Broadcasting Company
Estonia | TV3
Finland | MTV3
France | M6
Georgia | Rustavi 2
Germany | VOX
Honduras | Fox
Hungary | RTL Klub, Cool TV
Iceland | St?? 2
India | STAR World
Indonesia | Fox, B Channel
Ireland | RT? Two
Israel | yes stars Action HD
Italy | Fox, Rete 4
Japan | Fox, TV Tokyo
Kazakhstan | KazTRK
Latvia | TV3, TV3 , TV6, Fox Life
Lithuania | TV3
Malaysia | ntv7 Fox
M?xico | Fox
Moldova | Jurnal TV
The Netherlands | RTL 5
New Zealand | TV3 (New Zealand)
Norway | TV2
Panama | Fox, TV Max
Paraguay | Fox
Peru | Fox
Philippines | Fox, Jack TV
Poland | Canal Poland, FOX Life, TVP Seriale, TVP2
Portugal | FOX (Portugal), TVI
Russia | Channel One (Russia)
Serbia | TV Avala
Singapore | Starhub Channel 505 ? Fox Channel
Slovakia | TV JOJ
Slovenia | TV 3
South Africa | M-Net
South Korea | Fox Korea
Spain | Antena3
Sweden | TV4
Switzerland | RSI La 1, 3 , TSR 1
Taiwan | PTS
Thailand | True Series (Thailand), Fox Thailand
Turkey | Foxlife
Ukraine | 1 1
United Kingdom | Sky1, Pick TV, Universal_Channel_(UK)
Uruguay | Canal 4
Venezuela | Fox
Vietnam | VTV6

## Home release[edit]

Season one and two have been released on DVD in Regions 1, 2 and 4. However, while season one was also released on Blu-ray in North America[39] there has been no announcement about releasing the second season on Blu-ray.[40] The first and second season DVDs sets include deleted scenes and behind-the-scenes featurettes.[41][42] The second season also includes "Dr. Ekman's Blog" and a gag reel.[42] The third and final season was released on October 4, 2011.[17]

Season | DVD release date | Blu-ray release date
--- | --- | ---
Region A | Region B
Region 1 | Region 2 | Region 4 | United States | Canada | United Kingdom | Australia
| 1 | August 25, 2009 (2009-08-25)[39] | September 14, 2009 (2009-09-14)[43] | October 28, 2009 (2009-10-28)[44] | August 25, 2009 (2009-08-25)[39] | N/A | N/A
| 2 | November 9, 2010 (2010-11-09)[42] | January 3, 2011 (2011-01-03)[45] | December 1, 2010 | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A
| 3 | October 4, 2011[17] | N/A | November 2, 2011[46] | N/A | N/A | January 9, 2012 (2012-01-09)[47]

## See also[edit]

- Lie detection
- Microexpression
- Paul Ekman
- Wizards Project
- Facial Action Coding System

## Notes[edit]

1. ^ The season 2 ranking and average viewers only covers the first 10 of 22 episodes in season 2. Episodes 11 through 22 of season 2 were broadcast beginning on June 7, 2010.[32]

## References[edit]

1. ^ "Lie to Me ? Characters". Fox Broadcasting Company. Retrieved July 23, 2009.
2. ^ "Lie To Me". Fox. Retrieved November 16, 2008.
3. ^ "Fall TV: Fox Renews Lie to Me, Sets Sights on Human Target and Sons of Tucson". TVGuide.com. Retrieved May 12, 2009.
4. ^ Shows, Fox
5. ^ Lie to Me gets full season pick up, TV by the numbers, November 24, 2009 .
6. ^ Report: Lie to Me ? Human Targe renewed by Fox, TV by the numbers, May 12, 2010 .
7. ^ It is official: Fox cancels Lone Star, Deadline .
8. ^ "Season three of Lie to Me to premiere Monday, October 4, on Fox" (Press release). Fox Flash. September 28, 2010. Retrieved September 29, 2010.
9. ^ Ausiello, Michael (May 10, 2011). "Fox Cancels Human Target, Lie To Me, Chicago Code, Two Others". TV Line. Retrieved May 10, 2011.
10. ^ "Dr. Cal Lightman ? Tim Roth". Fox. Retrieved May 14, 2009. [dead link]
11. ^ Lie to Me: lack of candor, Hulu .
12. ^ Lie to Me, USFCA .
13. ^ [1][dead link]
14. ^ "Eli Loker ? Brendan Hines". Fox. Retrieved May 14, 2009. [dead link]
15. ^ "Ria Torres ? Monica Raymund". Fox.com. Retrieved May 14, 2009. [dead link]
16. ^ "Unchained". Lie to Me. Season 1. Episode 5.
17. ^ a b c Lambert, David (August 10, 2011). "Lie to Me - The 3rd and Final Season of the Show is Announced for DVD". TV Shows on DVD. Retrieved August 10, 2011.
18. ^ "Lie To Me – Season 3 (DVD)". JB HI-FI. Retrieved October 10, 2011.
19. ^ "The Face Never Lies". January 23, 2009. Retrieved May 14, 2009.
20. ^ Littleton, Cynthia (February 7, 2009). "Pope joins Fox's 'Lie to Me'". Variety. Retrieved May 14, 2009.
21. ^ Ausiello, Michael (May 12, 2009). "Scoop: Fox renews 'Lie to Me,' installs 'Shield' creator as new showrunner". EW.com. Retrieved May 14, 2009.
22. ^ Sepinwall, Alan (September 28, 2009). "Lie to Me improves with help from 'Shield' creator Shawn Ryan ? Sepinwall on TV". The Star-Ledger. Newark. Retrieved November 15, 2009.
23. ^ "Lie to Me reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved July 23, 2009.
24. ^ Tucker, Ken (January 14, 2009). "TV review ? Lie to Me (2009)". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved July 23, 2009.
25. ^ Shales, Tom (January 19, 2009). "'Lie to Me' handles famous psychologist's truth nicely". The Washington Post. Retrieved July 23, 2009.
26. ^ Calabria, Rosario T. (October 5, 2009 (2009-10-05)). "Broadcast TV Ratings for Monday, October 5, 2009". YourEntertainmentNow.com. Check date values in: `|date=` (help)
27. ^ Gorman, Bill (September 14, 2010). "TV Ratings Monday: 90210, Gossip Girl Premieres Down Sharply; Lie to Me Summer Finale Falls". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved September 15, 2010.
28. ^ Seidman, Robert (October 5, 2010). "Monday Finals: Castle, Lie to Me, 90210 Adjusted Down; How I Met Your Mother, Mike Molly, Adjusted Up". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved October 5, 2010.
29. ^ Ausiello, Michael (May 10, 2011). "Fox Cancels Human Target, Lie To Me, Chicago Code, Two Others". TVLine. Retrieved May 11, 2011.
30. ^ a b "Season Rankings from 09/22/08 through 08/23/09" (Press release). ABC Medianet. May 27, 2009. Retrieved January 25, 2011.
31. ^ a b Gorman, Bill (June 16, 2010). "Final 2009?10 Broadcast Primetime Show Average Viewership". TV By The Numbers.
32. ^ Levin, Gary (May 14, 2010). "Networks freshen up summer with scripted series". USA Today. Retrieved January 25, 2011.
33. ^ tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com
34. ^ "People's Choice Awards 2011 Nominees". Procter Gamble. Retrieved January 25, 2011.
35. ^ Knox, David (November 10, 2008). "TEN cooks up Big Brother replacement". TV.com. Retrieved November 16, 2008.
36. ^ "Tim Roth series honest about lying". JAM! Television. Retrieved December 18, 2008.
37. ^ Wilkes, Neil (January 22, 2009). "Sky1 acquires 'Lie To Me'". Digital Spy.
38. ^ Tim Roth, un detector de mentiras, humano, (in Spanish). La Naci?n. Retrieved on July 20, 2009.
39. ^ a b c Lambert, David (May 27, 2009). "Lie to Me ? Did Amazon Lie To Me? CORRECT Date, plus Details/Extras/Box for DVD Blu-ray 3-disc Blu-ray and 4-disc DVD both due on August 25th (two weeks later than Amazon's current date)". TVShowsOnDVD.com. Retrieved October 3, 2010.
40. ^ Lambert, David (July 14, 2010). "Lie to Me ? Honestly, Fox Has Announced a DVD Release for Season 2!". TVShowsOnDVD.com. Retrieved October 3, 2010.
41. ^ Lambert, David (June 24, 2009). "Lie to Me ? Fox's Official Press Release for Season 1 on Blu-ray Disc DVD". TVShowsOnDVD.com. Retrieved October 3, 2010.
42. ^ a b c Lambert, David (August 18, 2010). "Lie to Me - Fox's Official Season 2 Press Release Includes the Finalized DVD Street Date As mentioned in our previous report, the date was not in October: look for this on November 9th". TVShowsOnDVD.com. Retrieved October 3, 2010.
43. ^ "Lie To Me ? Season 1 (DVD) (2009)". UK: Amazon. Retrieved October 3, 2010.
44. ^ "Lie To Me ? Season 1 DVD". dvdorchard.com.au. Retrieved October 3, 2010.
45. ^ "Lie To Me ? Season 2 (DVD) (2010)". Amazon.co.uk. Retrieved October 3, 2010.
46. ^ "Lie To Me ? Season 3 (DVD)". JB HI-FI. Retrieved October 10, 2011.
47. ^ "Lie to Me: The Complete Final Season Blu-ray". Bluray.com. December 15, 2011. Retrieved December 15, 2011.

## External links[edit]

| Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: Lie to Me

- Lie to Me at the Internet Movie Database
- Please use a more specific TV.com template. See the documentation for available templates.
- Deception Detection, American Psychological Association

Works produced by Brian Grazer
Film |
1980s | Night Shift Splash Real Genius Spies Like Us Armed and Dangerous Like Father Like Son Parenthood
1990s | Kindergarten Cop My Girl Far and Away Housesitter Boomerang For Love or Money My Girl 2 Greedy The Paper The Cowboy Way Apollo 13 Sgt. Bilko Fear The Nutty Professor The Chamber Ransom Liar Liar Inventing the Abbotts Mercury Rising Psycho Edtv Life Bowfinger Beyond the Mat
2000s | Nutty Professor II: The Klumps How the Grinch Stole Christmas A Beautiful Mind Undercover Brother Blue Crush 8 Mile Intolerable Cruelty The Cat in the Hat The Missing Friday Night Lights Inside Deep Throat Cinderella Man Flightplan Fun with Dick and Jane Inside Man The Da Vinci Code American Gangster Changeling Frost/Nixon Angels & Demons Curious George 2: Follow That Monkey!
2010s | Robin Hood The Dilemma Restless Cowboys & Aliens J. Edgar Tower Heist Katy Perry: Part of Me Rush
Television |
1980s | Shadow Chasers
1990s | Hiller and Diller Sports Night Felicity From the Earth to the Moon
2000s | Wonderland The PJs The Beast Miss Match The Big House The Inside Misconceptions Arrested Development Treasure Hunters Friday Night Lights Saved 24 Shark 24: Redemption Lie to Me Curious George
2010s | Parenthood Friends with Benefits The Playboy Club How to Live with Your Parents (For the Rest of Your Life) Gang Related 24: Live Another Day

Lie to Me
Seasons | Season One (Pilot) Season Two Season Three