Lie to Me is an American television midseason replacement that premiered on the Fox network on January 21, 2009. In the show, Dr. Cal Lightman and his colleagues in The Lightman Group accept assignments from third parties (commonly local and federal law enforcement), and assist in investigations, reaching the truth through applied psychology: interpreting microexpressions, through the Facial Action Coding System, and body language. Dr. Lightman's character is based on Paul Ekman, noted psychologist and expert on body language and facial expressions.