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).

In the making-of featurette, "The Truth about Lies, " creator Samuel Baum explains that he strives to explore "situations where honesty may not be the best policy" (Loker believes in "radical honesty, " while Lightman won't hesitate to lie to expose a liar). Fun trivia: the first season ends with Roth walking toward the camera in slow motion, a move eerily reminiscent of Reservoir Dogs. --Kathleen C. Fennessy.