New on FOX this year is the hour long drama series "Lie to Me" which follows the story of Dr. Cal Lightman (Tim Roth) a deception expert who, you guessed it, can tell when people are lying. He helps uncover the truth for anyone who needs it, including the FBI, local police, lawyers, corporations, and individuals. The show is inspired by a real-life behavioral scientist and premiered on January 21st. The real expert is Dr. Paul Ekman, who can read clues fixed on the human face, body, and voice to expose the difference between truth and lies during a criminal investigation. Previews of "Lie to Me" demonstrate Dr. Lightman using the same techniques as he analyzes a criminal's face, body, voice and speech. He reads his subject's feelings to help solve cases. While on the job he might face skepticism from law enforcement officials, but he is usually correct. However, outside of the office, Lightman's ability can be a curse because he is constantly aware of whether or not his friends and family are telling the truth. He even cannot help but notice the involuntary body language of strangers on the street.Dr. Lightman, together with his team, forms the Lightman Group and they act as human polygraph machines. Lightman and his partner Dr. Gillian Foster (Kelli Williams), a gifted psychologist, run the Group. Together they have impeccable insight of human behavior. Roth, a Quentin Tarantino favorite, and Williams of "The Practice" fame make a dynamic duo.Rounding out the team is Eli Loker (Brendan Hines) as the lead researcher. Loker is uncomfortable with the excessive amount of lying he witnesses on the job and decides to try "radical honesty." Of course, being brutally honest causes trouble. Then there is the "natural," Ria Torres (Monica Raymund) the newest member of the Group who has an innate ability to read people. The ratings for the series premiere were quite respectable, as it held its own against ABC's established show "Lost" and 13 episodes of the drama have been picked up. Of course, "Lie to Me" did have a good chance at early success since it premiered in the extremely coveted post-"American Idol" spot.Discover the truth with the cast of "Lie to Me" Wednesdays at 9 p.m. on FOX.
