TV review: Lie to Me

Tim Roth in the show Lie to Me. Photo / Supplied

On the face of it, American telly-makers seem to see British actors as perfect for playing unshaven, grumpy but clever slobs.

First we had stubble- faced crosspatch House (Hugh Laurie). Now taking over his slot is the equally six-o'clock- shadowed misery-guts, Dr Lightman (Tim Roth) in Lie to Me (TV3, Tuesdays, 8.30pm). Unlike his predecessor, who plays an unnaturally rumpled American, Roth is allowed to keep the Brit accent to go with the homely looks.

The twist to this standard "crime procedural" is that Dr Lightman has raised reading body language to the precision of a science, a technique based on the teachings of real-life expert Paul Ekman, and uses this to crack the case.

As twists go, it is an intriguing one, if a little challenged when it comes to staying the distance. A fair whack of last night's episode came under the "intriguing facts" heading as Lightman established his credentials, all illustrated divertingly with famous faces caught in the act.

We learned the giveaway sneering expression of the liar, nose and mouth wrinkling with contempt for his or her victim. Then there's the sideways glance that, contrary to popular interpretation, means the speaker is telling the truth. It's the person who looks you right in the eye while spinning their yarn, who's lying. Another fun fact: liars find it hard to tell their story backwards.

Whereas the cynical House has "everybody lies" las his mantra, the world-weary Lightman's catchphrase appears to be "the truth is out there" - oops, sorry, "the truth is written on all our faces". In his worldview we're all pushing porkies and fabricating fibs to help us get through the day. And Dr Lightman's extraordinary ability to detect these is portrayed as some kind of super- power, as he tunes in and out of the lies people tell even when walking down the street.

The flesh on the bones, however, isn't nearly so intriguing, last night's episode merely delivering a couple of bog standard crime stories: a student accused of killing his teacher; and a Congressman caught up in a sex scandal. Cue Dr Lightman's less than Extraordinary observation: "We all pay for sex one way or another". Lightman's method seems to consist of staring at the accused in close- ups, disconcerting in number and duration.

Well, if you're a fan of high pore definition, this could be your show. In another desperate measure to hook us in with a bit of backstory, there were dark mutterings about Lightman having worked for the Defence Department and fallen out with the Pentagon.

Lightman's colleagues in his private face-reading practice seem, too, to be suffering from an outbreak of cliches. His sidekick and sparring partner Dr Gillian Foster (Kelli Williams) is a Pollyanna whose trusting nature is made heavily metaphoric in her taste for such childish treats as orange slushies.

The ethnic cast member is Ria Torres (Monica Raymund) recruited straight out of the airport security. Then there's the outspoken young dude Eli (Brendan Hines) whose policy of practising "radical honesty" elicits such questions from the much sharper Ria as, "Are you good in bed?" At this point, a casual observer could have detected the nose wrinkle on this TV reviewer's visage.

However, of much more pertinence to viewers as this series progresses, will be watching Roth's face. If Lie to Me manages to delve more deeply into the theme that to live with the absolute truth is to live in hell, he might get away with it. Otherwise, look for the tell-tale tics of embarrassment at being caught in a mugs' game.