LieToMe-related stories
Posted Nov 17th 2009 3:12PM by Jane Boursaw
Filed under: OpEd, Episode Reviews, Reality-Free, Lie to Me
(S02E07) "Finally got you thinking like a criminal. Wonders will never cease." - Cal to Gillian
I have to admit, that image of Cal Lightman in a girlie apron still makes me laugh out loud.
Lie to Me may have scored a place in our drama category here on
TV Squad, but in our household, we laugh all the way through the show. That's partly because my son does a perfect Cal Lightman impression, with his penguin walk and in-your-face look to see whether you're lying or not.
But on to this episode -- the perfect scenario for Lightman and team, in figuring out Max's lineage. I lost track of how many cold cases they solved along the way. Lots.
Continue reading Review: Lie to Me - Black Friday
Posted Oct 6th 2009 1:29PM by Jane Boursaw
Filed under: OpEd, Reality-Free, Lie to Me
First of all, I think most parents have a built-in lie detector in their brain. It's not something they're born with. It's something that starts to develop as soon as they have kids and gets stronger as the kids enter their teenage years.
In
last night's episode of Lie To Me, Cal Lightman had reason to rifle through his daughter Emily's dresser drawers, in which he found a fake ID and birth control pills. Then he went ballistic. At one point, Emily berated him for "reading" her, something he promised he'd never do.
My question is this: if you have an amazing lie detection talent, why on earth
wouldn't you be reading your kids all the time?
Continue reading I'd never want Cal Lightman as my dad ... or would I?
Posted Aug 26th 2009 10:00AM by Allison Waldman
Filed under: Other Drama Shows, OpEd, CSI, House, Law and Order, Lost, TV Squad Lists, Reality-Free, Burn Notice, The Mentalist
The fine art of interrogation may seem lost thanks to suspects lawyering up and the Miranda warning. Whatever happened to the days when a snarling cop could throw a perp against a brick wall to get him to squeal? Or a sly questioner could finagle a confession by laying on a guilt trip? Still, there are some very clever, brilliant interrogators plying their trade on these days. In fact, when you look at these eight interrogators, you'll probably agree that they know just how to get to the truth. Here are the eight top interrogators on TV today:
8. Captain James Brass, CSIBrass is the most "old school" of all these interrogators. He's like Andy Sipowicz from
NYPD Blue, only without the violence. Brass talks to suspects with a modicum of respect, but a healthy cynicism. He's seen it all and knows the truth is in there somewhere. He asks questions and waits for them to trip themselves up. When they do, he has them write it down. Despite the laconic attitude, Brass has the brass to get the job done.
Continue reading Eight of TV's toughest interrogators
Posted Jul 6th 2009 3:18PM by Jane Boursaw
Filed under: Other Drama Shows, OpEd, Casting, Reality-Free
I had just gotten into watching
The L Word when it got the ax, but at least now we can see more of Jennifer Beals. She guest-starred in two episodes of
Lie to Me last season, and will
have a recurring role in the upcoming season, playing Assistant U.S. Attorney Zoe Landau, Cal Lightman's ex-wife and mother of their teenage daughter.
Mekhi Phifer (Dr. Gregory Pratt from
ER), who also appeared in two episodes, will come back as FBI agent Reynolds, brought in as a liaison between the Lightman Group and the FBI for those tough cases the FBI can't solve through traditional methods.
The show's second season kicks off Sept. 28 with Shawn Ryan as the new showrunner. He's got some great creds, having worked on
The Unit,
The Shield and
Angel.
Lie to Me really seems to be picking up steam heading into its second season. We gotten a little hooked on it in this household, meaning it isn't "must-see" TV, but if we know it's on, we'll definitely check it out -- and pick up a few pointers on lie detection from Cal Lightman and crew.
Anyone else watching
Lie to Me?
Posted May 18th 2009 12:59PM by Jason Hughes
Filed under: Programming, 24, House, The Simpsons, Pickups and Renewals, Upfronts, The Sarah Connor Chronicles, Fringe, Dollhouse
Fox showed some surprising stability in its schedule (our network is growing up) for the 2009-2010 season. But they are bringing in four new comedies, two dramas and a late night Saturday show.
Returning Summer: Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader?, Don't Forget the Lyrics!, So You Think You Can Dance Returning Fall/Winter: 24, American Dad, American Idol, Bones, Dollhouse,, Family Guy, Fringe, House, Kitchen Nightmares, Lie to Me, The Simpsons, 'Til Death (for some reason),
So You Think You Can Dance (yeah, two separate seasons summer and fall)
Gone: Do Not Disturb, King of the Hill (though there's still episodes in the can which will air sometime next year),
Prison Break (a 2-hour film is being produced that may air next year),
Sit Down Shut Up, Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles New: Brothers, The Cleveland Show, Glee (sneak peek tomorrow),
Human Target, Past Life, Sons of Tucson, The Wanda Sykes Show (late night Saturdays)
The schedule and some details on the new shows after the jump.
Continue reading The Upfronts: Fox
Posted May 13th 2009 7:04PM by Jason Hughes
Filed under: Other Drama Shows, Other Comedy Shows, Programming, OpEd, The Amazing Race, The Apprentice, CSI, House, Lost, Smallville, Grey's Anatomy, The Office, 30 Rock, Reality-Free, Fringe, The Big Bang Theory, Parks and Recreation
Do the American people really like watching their favorite shows this way? Assuming you have more than one or two shows you enjoy following, this week is daunting to say the least and beyond exhausting. Just last night I had a three-hour finale of
The Biggest Loser and that awesome
Fringe finale. In the past few days we've said goodbye to
The Amazing Race,
The Apprentice,
Cold Case,
The Unit,
Brothers & Sisters,
The Big Bang Theory,
House and
Castle. And that's just on the major networks.
Over the next two days we have
America's Next Top Model,
Lie to Me,
Lost,
Bones,
My Name Is Earl,
Smallville,
Parks & Recreation,
CSI,
Grey's Anatomy,
Hell's Kitchen,
The Office,
Supernatural and even
CSI: NY on a special night. And it goes on through the weekend. In an era where ratings are slipping, how can it make good business sense to put all of these finales on against one another all within a few days of each other. I know they've always done that, but I just don't think it makes sense anymore.
Continue reading We're barely halfway through and I've already got finale fatigue!
Posted Jan 21st 2009 12:05PM by Jason Hughes
Filed under: Other Drama Shows, Early Looks, Episode Reviews, Reality-Free
If there's one thing we know about the American television landscape, it's that there just aren't enough procedurals on the air. And while CBS has managed to snatch most of them up before anyone else can get their hands on one, it looks like FOX managed to sneak one by the almighty Eye. And as with most crime dramas of this sort, it must differentiate itself from the others by having a little twist all its own.
Lie to Me offers that twist in the form of
Tim Roth's character, Cal Lightman, who is essentially a human lie detector.
Loosely based on the findings of author and professor of psychology Paul Ekman, FOX was kind enough to send along Ekman's book,
Telling Lies,
with the pilot so I could follow along and see which of his strategies were used on the show. Yeah, I didn't do that.
Continue reading Lie to Me - An early look
Posted Jul 14th 2008 6:03PM by Joel Keller
Filed under: Industry, TCA Press Tour, Reality-Free
Between the sessions for
So You Think You Can Dance and
Fringe, FOX Entertainment president Kevin Reilly happily took answers from the gathered critics. Perhaps the most interesting piece of news he unleashed on us was that the network is officially going to have two development seasons: the traditional one that ends in May with the upfronts, and a new one that ends in December, which will position the network to air pilots in the January/February time frame, a time Reilly called the network's "high season." (Which it is, of course, given the presence of the BCS and
American Idol).
In fact, Reilly has eight pilots currently in development for consideration in December, far more than he had for this past May, due to the writers' strike and other reasons. Other interesting bits after the jump.
Continue reading Kevin Reilly announces two development seasons for FOX - TCA Report
Posted Jul 1st 2008 4:19PM by Kristin Sample
Filed under: Other Drama Shows, Industry, Celebrities, Casting, Reality-Free
Lots of
casting news for Fox pilots lately. Tim Roth, who recently appeared in
The Incredible Hulk, is set to star in Fox's pilot Lie to Me. The show, which is produced by 20th TV and Imagine Entertainment, follows a researcher in the field of deception detection named Cal Lightman. Roth is also currently filming
King Conqueror and
44 Inch Chest.
And the casting news doesn't end there. The CW made some announcements too. Brian Hallisay, who has appeared in
Bones and
Bionic Woman, will co-star in the CW's new drama called
Privileged. The show is about Megan (played by Joanna Garcia), a woman who is hired to be a life coach for a pair of rich 16-year-old twins in Florida.
Continue reading Tim Roth set to star in Fox pilot and other casting news
Andy Richter: The TV Squad Interview
Have any questions for Vik Sahay of Chuck? Ask them here!
Mike Henry and Daryl Hall on a Cleveland Show Thanksgiving
