Lie To Me: A Show of Fact, Fiction or Both

Fox will premier it's new show "Lie to me" on January 21.  It will be interesting to see how closely "Lie to me" will follow the research and findings of Dr. Paul Ekman.  If the writers are true to Ekman's research there should be some interesting Facial Action Coding Systems cues presented as well as some of Ekman's other work on deception conducted over 30+ years. 

For those who have asked, or are wondering, sorry.. I wasn't involved in the technical side.  There are a lot of great unknown experts in the field and I'm a small fry.  I would have loved the opportunity. I've have been invited to and have pitched tons of stuff to TLC, History Channel, Discovery Channel, Court TV, ABC, CBS, NBC for several years but nothing seems to work out.  I proposed shows on interrogation, detection of deception, live interrogation shows (similar to police chases, First 48, etc) as far back as 9 years ago.  Again... so goes Hollywood and New York.  I guess I was a little ahead of the times.

Since such "scientific information" can be dull, the writers of Lie To Me have got a big job ahead of them - write a decent, compelling and entertaining story around all this scientific information.

The show should be fun BUT just remember.. it IS television and writers take license with reality and truth.  I expect some "flaws" and I worry they may drift away from Ekman's work for the sake of maintaining viewer numbers.  One area about which I am concerned based on a couple of commercials is the eye contact and eye movement issue.  Ekman as well as other scientists debunked those myths long ago but once again ... so goes television and Hollywood.

I will be watching with a critical eye.

Stan
"The Lie Guy®"
www.TheLieGuy.com

Comments

[Kat]

In the very beginning of this, we heard the BS story how Zanieda and Samantha held Casey down (lol) and gave her a 30 day script she had to follow or they would hurt Caylee (lol again).....now that Caylee has been found and is deceased, there is no reason why she can't talk now (lol yet again!) Have the police confronted her with this? If so, what kind of BS is she spewing to explain why she can't talk NOW? Just curious because I haven't heard this brought up on TV or print....does anyone know?

[Patricia]

I have seen two episodes of "Lie to Me" and in some respects it seems true to Ekman's research and in some respects--not. They certainly mention a variety of nonverbal leakage cues, but then they make this giant leap that "seeing" just ONE such cue automatically allows the researcher to claim that that particular suspect is, in fact, lying. Even so, it's an intriguing mix of research and potential practice, so I will probably continue to watch.

[Michael Hodge]

Regarding The new "Lie To Me" TV/Cable show, In either the second or third episode, Polygraph was stated to be useless by the lead actor (I just caught that part because it was on as I entered the room). It appears as though "Hollywood" writers still just don't get it. Polygraph works- not all the time,not in all formats, but it does... Why denigrate a Science that extolls volumes of substantiated research, that our Governement and Law Enforcement utilize heavily on a Daily Basis simply to sensationalize a TV Series?
When one of these writers or editors is falsely accused what will they ask for to prove their innocence? A Polygraph or Ekman's Facial Action Encoding System (Hollywood Version)?
I, appreciate Ekman's dilligence in the pursuit of Truth and have all his books and writings. It is the constant denigration of Polygraph by TV/Cable that consistently infuriates me...

Polygraph Examiner

[JS]

I don't know if I am writing to the correct people: however, if you are the network that shows Lie to Me, as seen on May 6, 2009, I would like to make a comment or two. I have never before written to a network. Tonight's airing of Lie to Me was totally disappointing and distressing. What a terrible way to frighten young girls/ladies! What ideas to give to sickos! In this day and age surely with creative writiers there are themes that can be captivating and thrillling without victimizing women. Lie to Me has been interesting with a good cast. I do hope in the future it will not sink to such levels of distaste.