Perception Information

Perception is an American crime drama television series created by Kenneth Biller and Mike Sussman. The series stars Eric McCormack as Dr. Daniel Pierce, a schizophrenic neuropsychiatrist who assists the FBI on some of their most complex cases.

The series is broadcast in the United States on the cable channel TNT, and is produced by ABC Studios. It premiered on July 9, 2012.

On August 17, 2012, TNT renewed Perception for a second season consisting of 14 episodes, which premiered on June 25, 2013. On the 15th August, 2013, TNT renewed Perception for a third season.

Overview

Dr. 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. Dr. 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, Dr. Pierce's teaching assistant and Natalie Vincent, a delusion manifested as a result of his schizophrenia who also serves as his best friend.

Cast

Main cast

• Eric McCormack as Dr. Daniel J. Pierce, a neuropsychiatrist and Davenport Award-winning neuroscience professor 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. Dr. Pierce's interest in neuroscience stems from his own long history of paranoid schizophrenia. Pierce's hallucinations sometimes enable him to pick out subtle clues in solving crimes.
• Rachael Leigh Cook as Special Agent Kate Moretti, Pierce's former student and the FBI agent who recruited him. Kate has a tendency to go beyond the scope of the assignments. She had a crush on Pierce during her college years and is his most trusting ally.
• Arjay Smith as Max Lewicki, Dr. Pierce's live-in teaching assistant, who helps him differentiate between real people and his schizophrenia-induced hallucinations. 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 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 a real woman he once saw at a party. Rowan also plays Dr. Caroline Newsome, Dr. Pierce's psychiatrist and the woman who serves as the physical basis for Natalie.
• LeVar Burton as Paul Haley (Season 2, recurring previously), a professor of cultural anthropology and Pierce's dean at CLMU. He and Pierce have been close friends since they were roommates in college.

Recurring cast

• Jonathan Scarfe as FBI Agent Roger Probert, Kate's work partner, who is very cynical of Dr. Pierce's judgments.
• Jamie Bamber as Dr. Michael Hathaway, a handsome hotshot professor newly recruited at the university, for whom Pierce has little respect. He was romantically interested in Kate.
• Scott Wolf as Assistant U.S. Attorney Donald "Donnie" Ryan, Kate's ex-husband, who cheated on Kate with her best friend. He has recently transferred back to Chicago in an attempt to reignite his relationship with Kate.

Episodes

See List of Perception episodes for more information

Development and production

Originally known as "Proof", Perception was created by Kenneth Biller and Mike Sussman and appeared on TNT's development slate as early as 2009. On September 8, 2010, after having been in development for well over a year, TNT placed a pilot order for Perception. 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. Neuroscientist David Eagleman serves as the technical consultant to the series.

Casting announcements began in October 2010, with Eric McCormack first to be cast, McCormack portrays Dr. 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." 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." 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." Kelly Rowan was the last actor to be cast, portraying Natalie Vincent, "Pierce's best friend and every bit his intellectual equal."

On March 22, 2011, TNT green-lighted the series with an order of 10 episodes to air in the summer of 2012. 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.

On August 17, 2011, TNT announced that production had commenced on the remaining nine episodes of Perception. 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." TNT also announced that the character portrayed by Cook had been renamed Kate Moretti. The series is produced by ABC Studios.

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." 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."

On January 29, 2013, Scott Wolf joined the series in the major recurring role of Donny, Kate's ex-husband who works as an Assistant U.S. Attorney.

International distribution

Country	Channel	Premiere date
	TNT	July 9, 2012
	[[Séries+]] (in French)	March 19, 2013
	Universal	April 3, 2013
	Fox	August 10, 2012
	AXN	August 20, 2012
	AXN	August 20, 2012
	TVB Pearl	September 11, 2012
	Watch	October 3, 2012
	AXN	November 5, 2012
	AXN	November 7, 2012
	Fox	November 28, 2012
	Zee Café	January 19, 2013
	AXN	October 1, 2012
	Dizimax Vice	October 2, 2012
	RTL-TVI (in French)	March 6, 2013
	DStv	November 5, 2012
	AXN Mystery	April 20, 2013
	FOXCRIME
	Universal
	Universal
	RTL
	AXN