FOX will add Lie To Me, a new show starring Tim Roth (The Incredible Hulk), to its spring schedule. The new series will follow American Idol on Wednesdays, and it is based on an elite team of experts who crack cases using the science of lying. The show was created by Samuel Baum (The Evidence), and he spoke about the show to television journalists via conference call.
The idea for the show came from some research Baum had been doing on lying. He explained, "I was just completely fascinated by the idea that you could tell if someone was lying just by looking at them without their saying a word ... This science of deception detection is based on the work of Dr. Paul Ekman who is the world’s leading deception expert. And Paul has contracted himself with the Secret Service, the Department of Homeland Security, and pretty much every government agency to consult in deception-related fields."
Baum quickly realised the potential for a drama series with a broad appeal and is very happy with the excellent time slot the series has been given, following the American Idol results show on Wednesdays. He feels the series "is perfect for reaching a broad audience, because lying is such a part of the fabric of our everyday life. And also the fact that the whole focus of the science is that it’s universal; that we all look the same when we lie and we all look the same when we conceal emotions."
Lie To Me features Dr. Cal Lightman (Roth) heading up a team of experts who assist federal law enforcement, government agencies, and local police with their most difficult cases. The team consists of Lightman, psychologist Dr. Gillian Foster (Kelli Williams, The Practice), researcher Will Loker (Brendan Hines: Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles), and newest member Ria Torres (Monica Raymund, Law and Order: SVU). Asked whether they actually investigate the cases themselves, Baum confirmed that they do, as the type of cases they take on do not depend on the finding of physical evidence, but rather on who is lying and why.
The executive producer explained that "determining if someone is lying is just the beginning of our story. The real question is: why is someone lying? Is someone lying because they committed the crime they’re being accused of? Is someone lying to protect someone else? Is there a secret that’s unrelated to the crime that they’re so ashamed of that will come out if they tell the truth that they’re forced to lie?" In pursuit of the truth about lies, the team will use sophisticated techniques such as voice stress analysis, speech analysis, analysis of body movements, body language and the work of recognizing facial micro expressions.
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Article comments
1 - Eyes
I am a natural-born lie detector that was studied by science. You might enjoy reading my blog. I write about the pros and cons of this ability as well as what I see and make of the world around me.
2 - Gerry
There certainly are folks who can read the "tells" very well. You may be very interested in this series, as one of the members of the team is a "natural"--one who did not learn about the science of lying, but rather has always had the ability to discern them.