Creators:
Samuel BaumCast:
Tim Roth, Kelli Williams, Monica Raymund, Brendan Hines, Hayley McFarland, Kristen Ariza, Mekhi Phifer, Tim Guinee, Wayne Dalglish, M.D. Walton, Tim Griffin (more)VOD (2)
Seasons(3) / Episodes(48)
Plots(1)
Dr. Cal Lightman (Tim Roth), a deception specialist, believes that "the truth is written on all our faces." Unlike the psychics of Medium and The Mentalist, he reads body language rather than minds or dreams to crack cases, from murders to business matters, for a variety of law enforcement agencies. His team includes Eli Loker (Brendan Hines), Ria Torres (Monica Raymund), and Dr. Gillian Foster (The Practice's Kelli Williams). Though the show opens with the disclaimer that "the following story is fictional and does not depict any actual person or event," Lightman often looks to real life for reference, so archival images enter into each episode, sometimes resulting in cheap shots at political figures, like Richard Nixon ("I am not a crook"), but their contradictory gestures can be instructive. Overall, Lie to Me manages to feel both familiar and distinctive. Sleuths who deal better with problems than with people are a television staple, and Lightman is no different (Jennifer Beals plays his district attorney ex-wife). He also condescends to those he considers intellectually inferior or overly instinctive--like Torres--but Roth makes him sufficiently sympathetic. The stories, however, offer more surprises, since they cover the gamut from depressed pilots to gambling addicts. (official distributor synopsis)
(more)Cast
Tim Roth
UK
Best series:
Twin Peaks (1990) (series)
Robot Chicken (2005) (series)
Lie to Me (2009) (series)
Kelli Williams
USA
Best series:
Scrubs (2001) (series)
The Fosters (2013) (series)
Lie to Me (2009) (series)
Monica Raymund
USA
Best series:
Chicago Fire (2012) (series)
Chicago P.D. (2014) (series)
Lie to Me (2009) (series)
Brendan Hines
USA
Hayley McFarland
USA
Best series:
Mad Men (2007) (series)
Sons of Anarchy (2008) (series)
The Rookie (2018) (series)
Kristen Ariza
USA
Best series:
Friends (1994) (series)
Parks and Recreation (2009) (series)
Bosch (2014) (series)
Mekhi Phifer
USA
Best series:
Roots (2016) (series)
Love, Victor (2020) (series)
White Collar (2009) (series)
Tim Guinee
USA
Best series:
Marvel - The Punisher (2017) (series)
Homeland (2011) (series)
Hell on Wheels (2011) (series)
Wayne Dalglish
USA
Best series:
The Shield (2002) (series)
Lie to Me (2009) (series)
The Bernie Mac Show (2001) (series)
M.D. Walton
Best series:
Lie to Me (2009) (series)
Rescue Me (2004) (series)
All My Children (1970) (series)
Tim Griffin
USA
Best series:
True Detective (2014) (series)
How to Get Away with Murder (2014) (series)
Grey's Anatomy (2005) (series)
Josh Stamberg
USA
Best series:
House M.D. (2004) (series)
Suits (2011) (series)
Six Feet Under (2001) (series)
Robert Wisdom
USA
Best series:
The Wire (2002) (series)
How I Met Your Mother (2005) (series)
Black Bird (2022) (series)
Jake Thomas
USA
Best series:
House M.D. (2004) (series)
The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy (2001) (series)
Lie to Me (2009) (series)
Georgia Hatzis
Best series:
Lie to Me (2009) (series)
NCIS: Naval Criminal Investigative Service (2003) (series)
Hung (2009) (series)
Kathryn Meisle
USA
Best series:
Oz (1997) (series)
Grey's Anatomy (2005) (series)
Lie to Me (2009) (series)
Chris Vaughn
Best series:
Lie to Me (2009) (series)
Carla Jeffrey
Best series:
American Vandal (2017) (series)
Lie to Me (2009) (series)
Torchwood (2006) (series)
Randy Oglesby
Best series:
Godless (2017) (series)
Mad Men (2007) (series)
Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip (2006) (series)
Tyrees Allen
Best series:
Day Break (2006) (series)
Grey's Anatomy (2005) (series)
Lie to Me (2009) (series)