"Numb3rs" (2005)TV series 2005-????

Creators:

Nicolas Falacci
Cheryl Heuton

Seasons:

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5

Release Date:

23 January 2005 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Drama | Mystery | Thriller

Plot:

Working for the FBI, a mathematician uses equations to help solve various crimes.

Plot Keywords:

Science | Intentionally Misspelled Title | Federal Agent | Father Son Relationship | FBI

Awards:

Nominated for Primetime Emmy.

US TV Schedule:

Fri. July 25	9:00 PM	CBS	Burn Rate	#3.20
Fri. Aug. 1	9:00 PM	CBS	The Art of Reckoning	#3.21

Cast

David Krumholtz	...	Charlie Eppes / ... (81 episodes, 2005-2008)
Rob Morrow	...	Don Eppes (80 episodes, 2005-2008)
Judd Hirsch	...	Alan Eppes (79 episodes, 2005-2008)
Alimi Ballard	...	David Sinclair (76 episodes, 2005-2008)
Peter MacNicol	...	Dr. Larry Fleinhardt / ... (69 episodes, 2005-2008)
Navi Rawat	...	Amita Ramanujan (68 episodes, 2005-2008)
Diane Farr	...	Megan Reeves (64 episodes, 2005-2008)
Dylan Bruno	...	Colby Granger (61 episodes, 2005-2008)

Also Known As:

Num3ers (USA) (promotional title)
Numbers (USA) (working title)
Gyilkos számok (Hungary) [hu]
Loi des nombres, La (Belgium: French title) [fr]
Num3rot (Finland) [fi]
Numb3rs (France) [fr]
Numb3rs (Argentina) [es]
Numb3rs - Die Logik des Verbrechens (Germany) [de]
Numbers (Greece) [el]
Numbr1d (Estonia) [et]

Runtime:

43 min | Argentina:60 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Australia:M | Argentina:13 | New Zealand:M (season 3)

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

CBS Paramount Network Television

Trivia:

The university Cal Sci is modeled on the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) in Pasadena, developing characters loosely based on a Caltech professor and students. Portions of the series have been filmed on the Caltech campus. Gary Lorden, the chairman of the math department at Caltech, consults for the show. The pilot episode was screened at Caltech as well, receiving a standing ovation at the end.

Quotes:

[Charlie and Alan are golfing and Charlie tries to hit the ball, but misses]
Alan Eppes: That was better.
Charlie Eppes: What?
Alan Eppes: It was! You almost hit the ball.
Charlie Eppes: You know, I'm the king at basketball, I-I-I can snowboard, I'm the best at video games, I'm even getting over my fear of rock climbing. But I still, I can't hit this little white ball.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "TV Land Confidential: Locations (#2.5)" (2007)

Soundtrack:

Once in a Lifetime

Numbthreers: Dumb title, decent show

I've liked the show so far, though I can see the Mathematics as a Crime-Solving Tool angle will get old pretty quick. I don't necessarily think that will be a crippling problem for this show, however, because it isn't a flat-out procedural like the CSIs are. It's really a more old-fashioned show than that, more like some of the dramas from the 70s and 80s. If Numbthreers were really another CSI clone, we wouldn't have all the back story about Charley and Don's mother's death, nor would their father be a regular character.

I'm particularly liking Krumholtz, who has turned out to be very different from what I would have expected. Most surprisingly of all, he turned out to be CUTE. He was a fairly stereotypically nerdy Jewish boy as a teenager, but the big-eyed, shaggy-haired socially awkward angelic genius role fits him like a glove. In another actor's hands, it would likely be pretty cloying, but Krumholtz underplays it nicely.

Rob Morrow and Judd Hirsch are more typical characters, with more workmanlike performances so far, but the chemistry between the three Eppeses is fine. The other characters will be developing as the show ages, so we'll see how they turn out.

As I said, I suspect they will have to leave aside the specific formula they've laid out for the show so far, because even if they manage to come up with dozens of plots which hinge on some permutation of mathematics, the theme is certain to quickly grow repetitive and even self-parodying before too long. Since they have supplied interesting characters, though, change-of-pace plots should be just as watchable as the ones done up to now.