I loved Fox's new crime drama, "Lie to Me." It is the greatest new show in the history of television. I can't miss another episode. I adored everything about it.

Now, if the show's lead character, deception expert Dr. Cal Lightman (Tim Roth), saw me while I said that, he would notice that one of my fingers raised, I made a slight shrug, I gently massaged my lip, and I started to breathe faster.

In other words, he would know that I was lying through my teeth.

In fact, he would know that I was lying, figure out where I was born, when I lost my virginity and why I became a television critic. And he would be right on every count.

That's one of the unrealistic aspects about "Lie to Me," which debuts Jan. 21 at 8 p.m. on KSTU Channel 13. Lightman is so good at what he does, it's as if he sports a superhero power of lie detection. He can scan any face from just about any distance and know exactly what they're talking about and who is being truthful just by observing their body movements.

This one-hour legal procedural drama plays out like any other crime-of-the-week series. It introduces a new murder with a unique twist, proposes who the suspect is and has the requisite interviewing of witnesses.

"Lie to Me" also is the latest in the new trend of shows that doesn't profile a detective but rather a consultant, an expert about some form of criminal investigation. So far, there have been series like USA Network's "Psych," about a former psychic with powers of observation and CBS' "The Mentalist," about a former evangelist with powers of observation."

What none of these people can do legally is draw a gun or actually lead a police investigation. But that doesn't mean they won't during the course of the season. After all, this is television. You can't have an episode go by without at least one person getting shot at by the good guys.

Roth, who has been intense in movies like "Reservoir Dogs," "Pulp Fiction," and even the newer "Incredible Hulk," is good in his role as Lightman. Surrounding him is the typical group of young, good-looking subordinates who are mostly there to get yelled out by the gruff Lightman.

So you see, I cannot tell a lie: "Lie to Me" is a riveting, thought-provoking piece of television and a can't-miss proposition (nudge, nudge).

Vince Horiuchi 's column appears Mondays and Fridays. He can be reached at vince@sltrib.com or 801-257-8607. For more televi sion insights, visit Horiuchi's blog, "The Village Vidiot," at blogs.sltrib.com/tv/. Send comments about this column to livingeditor@sltrib.com.