I'll let everyone else harp on Lost and instead take a hard right at Albuequerque (Bugs Bunny aficionados out there should have just snickered) and tell you to set your TiVos for Lie To Me, the new Mr. Orange (aka Tim Roth) vehicle on Fox at 9:03 (yes, three minutes past. That ain't a typo.). Freddy--er, Mr. Roth--plays Dr. Cal Lightman, a human lie detector who uses body language and facial expressions to tell when someone's giving the truth or is a big ol' Fibber McGee. He's a hit at parties and the bane of poker tables, but he also uses his talents for the greater good, helping law enforcement bust the bad guys once a week in this time slot.
Lightman the character is based on the extensive body of research by psychologist Dr. Paul Ekman, who is an expert on facial, body, and speech patterns, and has advised law enforcement entities in how to recognize when someone's got something to hide (although I'm willing to bet Vin Diesel would give him a run for his money. Vin shows no emotion and has but one facial expression. Rage, pain, broken heart, ecstasy...it's all the same.). I've read some of Dr. Ekman's work and it's fascinating stuff, indeed. Dr. Ekman is a consultant to the show and will even be writing a weekly column for the show's website, explaining what in each episode was based on real science and what the writers took some liberty with (to wit: tonight's rubbing-the-nose plot thread apparently doesn't necessarily mean someone's lying).
If it sounds like The Mentalist (which, I think, is a higher brow rip-off of the always funny Psych on USA Network), well, since the sincerest form of reproducing high Nielsen ratings is a Xerox copy but with a British accent, it may well be. I guess we'll find out.
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