Common Sense Media Review
Crime drama focuses on the details of deception.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 15+?
Any Positive Content?
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Lie to Me
Parent and Kid Reviews
Based on 7 parent reviews
Based on 15 kid reviews
Kids say that the show is entertaining and enjoyable, with a mix of humor and crime drama that makes it appealing for older teens and adults. However, there are concerns about its appropriateness for younger audiences due to instances of violence, mild profanity, and some references to sexual content.
- entertainment value
- age recommendations
- mild inappropriate content
- humor and drama
- educational aspects
Summarized with AI
Summarized with AI
What's the Story?
Cal Lightman (Tim Roth) is an expert in deception who has made a science out of studying the tiny, but telling, behavior patterns and bodily tics that indicate when someone is lying -- at least to people who know what to look for. In LIE TO ME, Lightman is the head of a Washington-based consulting company that's regularly brought in by law enforcement agencies, political agencies, private clients, and other groups when they're embroiled in especially juicy crimes and scandals and need to know whether someone is telling the truth.
Is It Any Good?
"Everybody lies," seems to be Lightman's motto, and it certainly keeps him in business. He and partner Gillian Foster (Kelli Williams) investigate a constant stream of cases in which the suspect seems so obviously guilty that you know he isn't, sex scandals with a hidden twist, possibly corrupt officials, unexplainable accidents, and other standard TV conflicts. The cases are interesting, but not surprising and will be familiar to anyone who's ever seen a cop show.
The fun in Lie to Me comes from Lightman's explanations about who's lying. The plotlines may be trite, but the show's science is based on rigorous research and is often backed up by pictures of real people trying to hide their feelings. The characters spend a good portion of each episode interviewing suspects and then dissecting the conversations -- examining the hidden meanings in a dilated pupil, a quick glance to the side, a subtle twitch in the corner of the mouth, and other tiny clues. Even more fun are Lightman's on-the-fly assessments of the people he encounters, ferreting out their deepest secrets to share with the world. Because it's true: Everybody lies.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about lying. Is it ever OK to lie? Do you think some small lies are a necessary part of social interaction?
Is it possible to tell, definitively, that someone is lying? Have you ever been caught telling a lie? If so, what gave it away, and what happened?
TV Details
- Premiere date : January 31, 2011
- Cast : Kelli Williams , Monica Raymund , Tim Roth
- Network : Fox
- Genre : Drama
- TV rating :
- Award : NAACP Image Award - NAACP Image Award Nominee
- Last updated : October 9, 2025
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