FOX SEES THE TRUTH IN “LIE TO ME”



Network Orders New Midseason Drama Series from Producers of “24”



FOX has given a series commitment to LIE TO ME, a compelling new drama from Imagine Television and 20th Century Fox Television. Tim Roth (“The Incredible Hulk”) and Kelli Williams (“The Practice”) star in this fascinating character drama inspired by a real-life specialist who can read clues embedded in the human face, body and voice to expose the truth behind the lies in criminal investigations. LIE TO ME is scheduled to premiere midseason.



When you scratch your chin, wring your hands, wrinkle your nose or swallow too much, Dr. Cal Lightman (Roth) knows you’re lying. He doesn’t just think so – he knows so. As the foremost deception expert in the country, Dr. Lightman can uncover the deepest secrets and crack the hardest cases. More accurate than any polygraph, he knows whether those in front of him – be they family, friends, criminals or complete strangers – are honest or not.



Dr. Lightman heads up The Lightman Group, a private agency contracted by the FBI, local police, law firms, corporations and private individuals when they hit roadblocks in their searches for the truth. Joining him at the agency are a variety of experts in the field of behavioral evaluation: Dr. Gillian Foster (Williams) is a gifted psychologist and Lightman’s professional partner, a woman whose guidance he needs whether he knows it or not; Will Loker (Brendan Hines) is Lightman’s lead researcher who practices “radical honesty” at all times; and Ria Torres (Monica Raymund) is the newest member of the team, selected for her innate ability to read body language and catch certain clues that her colleagues may miss.



Samuel Baum, Brian Grazer, David Nevins and Steve Maeda serve as executive producers on the series, which is produced by Imagine Television and 20th Century Fox Television. Robert Schwentke directed the pilot.

Sounds interesting. Like Moment of Truth meets CSI or something on those lines. Given how well Fox has done this fall, perhaps it could see a decent slot on Monday or Wednesdays this midseason to fill in once a series from the fall airs its episodes up.

FOX midseason is getting pretty crowded; 24, American Idol, Dollhouse, Sit Down Shut Up, Cleveland Show, Courtroom K, Virtuality, ect. Some things have got to air during the summer with So You Think You Can Dance.

I'll be shocked if more than two or three of those dramas make the air. The key will be that they'll simply do what they do every other year: put them on Thursday or Friday and watch them sink like a stone. The animated shows have the best chance of catching on and becoming a contender.

Virtuality is only a two hour pilot/event. So that's easy to take care of. Sundays they will just sub in Sit Down, Shut Up, and The Cleveland Show. 24/Dollhouse will probably stay on Monday but I expect Dollhouse to be pulled fast. Courtroom K or another one of their dramas will fill in fast. The interesting thing is where to place Lie to Me, since they stated it is going in January.

Monday is Dollhouse/24 (with Courtroom K on standby). Tuesday will be at first 2 hour Idols then Idol/Fringe. Wedneday will be 2 hour Idols then House/Idol results (half hour)/some comedy (Outsourced? Glee Club?) Thursday could be where they relocate Bones/and then Lie To Me. Friday then being Hell's Kitchen/5th Grader or some drama/reality show. Saturdays the usual stuff (although they do have an hour of a reality show Bad Dads that could fit right in with Cops/AMW) and Sundays the animation stuff.

They have a few more drama pilots that are contenders, but all of those will have to be either debuting in March or held off to next year.