The series aired in the United States on the cable channel
TNT from July 9, 2012, to March 17, 2015, and was produced by
ABC Studios.[1][2] On November 13, 2014, TNT canceled the series of Perception after three seasons.[3] The remaining episodes of season 3 began airing February 17, 2015.
Overview
Daniel Pierce, a talented but eccentric neuropsychiatrist, is enlisted by the
Federal Bureau of Investigation to assist in solving some of its most complex cases in Chicago. Pierce works closely with
Special Agent Kate Moretti, a former student who recruited him to work with the FBI. Also on the team are Max Lewicki, Pierce's teaching assistant, and Natalie Vincent, a hallucination manifested as a result of his schizophrenia who also serves as his best friend.
Episodes typically begin with a scene of Pierce giving a lecture to his students about an aspect of the human brain that becomes significant within the plot of the episode. The episodes also typically end with observations said to students about the paradoxes of human perception.
Eric McCormack as Daniel J. Pierce, a
neuropsychiatrist and Davenport Award-winning
neuroscienceprofessor at the (fictional) Chicago Lake Michigan University (CLMU), who is enlisted by the FBI as an expert consultant to assist on some of their most complex cases. Pierce's interest in neuroscience stems from his own long history of
paranoid schizophrenia. His
hallucinations sometimes enable him to pick out subtle clues in solving crimes. In the season 2 finale, Pierce quits CLMU after realizing that the faculty cares more about the school's image and benefactors than its education and moves to
Paris.[4]
Rachael Leigh Cook as Special Agent Katherine Rose "Kate" Moretti, Pierce's former student and the FBI agent who recruited him. Kate has a "tendency to go beyond the scope of the assigned investigation", which cost her a position in Washington, D.C. and caused her demotion back to Chicago. She had a crush on Pierce during her college years and is his most trusting ally. She and Donnie remarry in the final episode.[5]
Arjay Smith as Max Lewicki, Pierce's live-in
teaching assistant, who helps him differentiate between real people and his schizophrenia-induced hallucinations.[6] It is later revealed in the season 1 episode "Nemesis" that the two met when Lewicki was working as an
orderly at the same psychiatric hospital in which Pierce had been confined for his mental illness. Pierce then asked Lewicki to come with him to Chicago on the promise of a teaching assistantship to help Max finish
graduate school.
Kelly Rowan as Natalie Vincent, Pierce's imaginary best friend and adviser, who he realizes is based on someone he once saw at a college party in
Michigan.[7] Rowan also plays Caroline Newsome, Pierce's psychiatrist and the physical basis for Natalie.
Scott Wolf as Assistant U.S. Attorney Donald "Donnie" Ryan (recurring season 2, regular season 3), Kate's ex-husband, who cheated on Kate with her best friend. He has recently transferred back to Chicago in an attempt to re-ignite his relationship with Kate.
Recurring
Jonathan Scarfe as FBI Agent Roger Probert, Kate's former work partner, who is very cynical of Pierce's judgments.
Brad Rowe as FBI Agent Bobby Dalton, Kate's current work partner.
JoBeth Williams as Margaret Pierce, Daniel's late mother, who died from cancer 25 years earlier, but reappears in Daniel's hallucinations.
Jamie Bamber as Michael Hathaway, a handsome hotshot
behavioral science professor newly recruited at CLMU, for whom Pierce has little respect. He is romantically interested in Kate.
Brooke Nevin as Shelby Coulson, a member of the Great Lakes Leadership Committee who lobbies for Donnie to run campaign for
alderman.
Christopher Gartin as Father Pat, a childhood friend of Kate and the
pastor at her local Catholic church, who helps to
annul Kate and Donny's previous marriage so they can legitimately remarry.
Production
Conception and development
Originally known as "Proof", Perception was created by
Kenneth Biller and
Mike Sussman and appeared on
TNT's development slate as early as 2009.[9] On September 8, 2010, after having been in development for well over a year,
TNT placed a pilot order for Perception.[10][11]Kenneth Biller and Mike Sussman wrote the pilot,
Alan Poul was attached to the project as director, with
Kenneth Biller, Mike Sussman and
Alan Poul serving as executive producers.[10][12] Neuroscientist
David Eagleman served as the technical consultant to the series.[13]
On March 22, 2011, TNT
green-lighted the series with an order of 10 episodes to air in the summer of 2012.[1][14] Along with the series pickup, TNT announced that
Alan Poul would not be continuing as an executive producer on the series beyond the pilot; they also announced that the character portrayed by McCormack had been renamed Daniel Pierce.[14]
On August 17, 2011, TNT announced that production had commenced on the remaining nine episodes of Perception.[15] The series is produced by
ABC Studios.
On November 13, 2014, TNT announced that it was cancelling the show after three seasons.[16]
Casting
Casting announcements began in October 2010, with
Eric McCormack first to be cast, McCormack portrays Geoffrey (later renamed Daniel) Pierce, "an eccentric neuroscientist who uses his unique outlook to help the federal government solve complex cases. With an intimate knowledge of human behavior and a masterful understanding of the mind, this quirky, crime-solving professor pulls lessons from an odd and imaginative view of the world."[17][18] Next to join the series was
Arjay Smith as Max Lewicki, "Pierce's teaching assistant, a perpetual student who has spent nine years in college and has had sixteen majors and not a single degree. His primary job is to keep Pierce in line and on task."[19]Rachael Leigh Cook was next to be cast as Kate Rossi, "Pierce’s former student and the person responsible for recruiting him to work for the government."[20]Kelly Rowan was the last actor to be cast, portraying Natalie Vincent, "Pierce’s best friend and every bit his intellectual equal."[21]
Along with the announcement that production had started on the series, the network announced that
Levar Burton had joined the series as a recurring guest star; he portrays Paul Haley, "a dean at the university".[15] TNT also announced that the character portrayed by Cook had been renamed Kate Moretti.[15]
On August 22, 2011, it was announced that
Jamie Bamber had been cast in a recurring role as "a new professor who catches the eye of Kate Moretti".[22] On October 14, 2011, TNT Public Relations announced that
Freddy Rodriguez was cast in a two-episode role as "an eccentric ex-student of McCormack's Dr. Daniel Pierce".[23][24]
On January 29, 2013,
Scott Wolf joined the series in the major recurring role of Donnie, Kate's ex-husband who works as an Assistant U.S. Attorney.[25] On February 13, 2014,
Peter Coyote signed onto the season three guest role of James Alan Pierce, Daniel's father.[26]
Perception premiered on
TVB Pearl in Hong Kong on September 11, 2012. In the United Kingdom and Ireland, the series premiered on
Watch[28] on October 3, 2012.[29] The second season debuted on September 3, 2013.[30] In South Africa, it began airing on
DStv on November 5, 2012. In India, it started airing on
Zee Café on January 19, 2013. In Australia,
Universal Channel premiered it on April 3, 2013. The third season premiered on January 5, 2015.[31]TVNZ in New Zealand debuted the show on January 22, 2014.