Person of Interest (TV series)
Encyclopedia
Person of Interest is an American crime
drama
television series broadcasting on CBS
. It is based on a screenplay developed by J. J. Abrams
and Jonathan Nolan
. The series was officially picked up by CBS on May 13, 2011, and debuted on September 22, 2011. On October 25, 2011 the show was picked up for a full season.
), a mysterious billionaire, developed a computer program for the government that predicts terrorist threats to the US. It was designed as a means to prevent another 9/11-type disaster, but Finch discovered that it was also predicting many "irrelevant" (non-terrorist) crimes. The non-terrorist data is dumped to a separate database and deleted each night. Finch realized that a great many domestic crimes could also be prevented if that data could be used. Finch built a backdoor into the machine that allows him to retrieve a list of Social Security number
s of people who will be involved in those crimes in order of occurrence. Unable to investigate the data on his own, Finch hires John Reese (Jim Caviezel), a former Green Beret
and CIA
field officer
who is presumed dead, to help stop the crimes from taking place. The world thinks that Finch, like Reese, is dead. Finch made the choice of only transmitting the Social Security Numbers of the persons of interest so that if the backdoor is discovered, the government would have no clue as to what the numbers mean or that Finch is still alive.
Opening: narrated by Mr. Finch (Michael Emerson):
At the point where Finch says "But whether victim or perpetrator, if your number's up, we'll find you", the person of interest of the week is shown.
, Person of Interest received the highest test ratings of any drama pilot in 15 years, what one CBS executive called "crazy broad appeal you don't usually see." The ratings prompted CBS to move CSI
, which had occupied that slot for over 10 years, to Wednesday 10/9c to make room for Person of Interest.
The pilot episode won its time slot, drawing 13.2 million viewers.
David Wiegand of the San Francisco Chronicle
says "[Person of Interest] separates itself from the gimmick pack, not only because of superbly nuanced characterization and writing but also because of how it engages a post-9/11 sense of paranoia in its viewers." David Hinckley of the New York Daily News gave the pilot four stars out of five, commenting on Caviezel and Emerson's performances, saying Caviezel "brings the right stuff to this role" and Emerson "is fascinating as Mr. Finch." Mary McNamara of the Los Angeles Times
gave the pilot decent reviews, saying "the notion of preventing crimes rather than solving them is an appealing twist...The surveillance graphics are very cool."
The show has averaged 13.97 million viewers and a rating of 4.6 in adults 25-54.
Crime
Crime is the breach of rules or laws for which some governing authority can ultimately prescribe a conviction...
drama
Drama
Drama is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance. The term comes from a Greek word meaning "action" , which is derived from "to do","to act" . The enactment of drama in theatre, performed by actors on a stage before an audience, presupposes collaborative modes of production and a...
television series broadcasting on CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
. It is based on a screenplay developed by J. J. Abrams
J. J. Abrams
Jeffrey Jacob "J. J." Abrams is an American film and television producer, screenwriter, director, actor, and composer. He wrote and produced feature films before co-creating the television series Felicity...
and Jonathan Nolan
Jonathan Nolan
Jonathan "Jonah" Nolan is a British-American author and screenwriter. His short story "Memento Mori" was used by his brother, director Christopher Nolan, as the basis for the screenplay for the critically acclaimed film Memento. He has also co-written the screenplays for The Prestige and The Dark...
. The series was officially picked up by CBS on May 13, 2011, and debuted on September 22, 2011. On October 25, 2011 the show was picked up for a full season.
Plot
Mr. Finch (Michael EmersonMichael Emerson
Michael Emerson is an American actor who is perhaps best known for his roles as Benjamin Linus on Lost and fictional serial killer William Hinks in The Practice.-Early life:...
), a mysterious billionaire, developed a computer program for the government that predicts terrorist threats to the US. It was designed as a means to prevent another 9/11-type disaster, but Finch discovered that it was also predicting many "irrelevant" (non-terrorist) crimes. The non-terrorist data is dumped to a separate database and deleted each night. Finch realized that a great many domestic crimes could also be prevented if that data could be used. Finch built a backdoor into the machine that allows him to retrieve a list of Social Security number
Social Security number
In the United States, a Social Security number is a nine-digit number issued to U.S. citizens, permanent residents, and temporary residents under section 205 of the Social Security Act, codified as . The number is issued to an individual by the Social Security Administration, an independent...
s of people who will be involved in those crimes in order of occurrence. Unable to investigate the data on his own, Finch hires John Reese (Jim Caviezel), a former Green Beret
Green beret
The green beret was the official headdress of the British Commandos of World War II. It is still worn with pride by members of the Royal Marines after passing the Commando Course and any member of the British Military who has passed the All Arms Commando Course.There are certain other military...
and CIA
Central Intelligence Agency
The Central Intelligence Agency is a civilian intelligence agency of the United States government. It is an executive agency and reports directly to the Director of National Intelligence, responsible for providing national security intelligence assessment to senior United States policymakers...
field officer
Agent handling
In intelligence organizations, agent handling is the management of agents, principal agents, and agent networks by intelligence officers typically known as case officers.-Human intelligence:...
who is presumed dead, to help stop the crimes from taking place. The world thinks that Finch, like Reese, is dead. Finch made the choice of only transmitting the Social Security Numbers of the persons of interest so that if the backdoor is discovered, the government would have no clue as to what the numbers mean or that Finch is still alive.
Opening: narrated by Mr. Finch (Michael Emerson):
At the point where Finch says "But whether victim or perpetrator, if your number's up, we'll find you", the person of interest of the week is shown.
Cast
- Jim Caviezel as John Reese; a former Green Beret and CIA officer, presumed dead
- Taraji P. HensonTaraji P. HensonTaraji Penda Henson is an American actress and singer. She is best known for her roles as Yvette in Baby Boy , Shug in Hustle and Flow and Queenie in The Curious Case of Benjamin Button , for which she was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress in 2009...
as Detective Carter; NYPDNew York City Police DepartmentThe New York City Police Department , established in 1845, is currently the largest municipal police force in the United States, with primary responsibilities in law enforcement and investigation within the five boroughs of New York City...
officer who crosses paths with Reese and tries to track him down - Kevin ChapmanKevin ChapmanKevin Chapman is an American actor known for his big build and ability to play an assortment of characters ranging from the obnoxious brother, Terrence in FX's Rescue Me to street enforcer Val Savage in Clint Eastwood's critically acclaimed film, Mystic River.Chapman was discovered by the late...
as Detective Lionel Fusco; a corrupt cop blackmailed by Reese into being a source inside the police department - Michael EmersonMichael EmersonMichael Emerson is an American actor who is perhaps best known for his roles as Benjamin Linus on Lost and fictional serial killer William Hinks in The Practice.-Early life:...
as Mr. (Harold) Finch; a mysterious billionaireBillionaireA billionaire, in countries that use the short scale number naming system, is a person who has a net worth of at least one billion units of a given currency, usually the United States dollar, Euro, or Pound sterling. Forbes magazine updates a complete list of U.S. dollar billionaires around the...
software genius, presumed dead
Reception
According to CBSCBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
, Person of Interest received the highest test ratings of any drama pilot in 15 years, what one CBS executive called "crazy broad appeal you don't usually see." The ratings prompted CBS to move CSI
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation is an American crime drama television series, which premiered on CBS on October 6, 2000. The show was created by Anthony E. Zuiker and produced by Jerry Bruckheimer...
, which had occupied that slot for over 10 years, to Wednesday 10/9c to make room for Person of Interest.
The pilot episode won its time slot, drawing 13.2 million viewers.
David Wiegand of the San Francisco Chronicle
San Francisco Chronicle
thumb|right|upright|The Chronicle Building following the [[1906 San Francisco earthquake|1906 earthquake]] and fireThe San Francisco Chronicle is a newspaper serving primarily the San Francisco Bay Area of the U.S. state of California, but distributed throughout Northern and Central California,...
says "[Person of Interest] separates itself from the gimmick pack, not only because of superbly nuanced characterization and writing but also because of how it engages a post-9/11 sense of paranoia in its viewers." David Hinckley of the New York Daily News gave the pilot four stars out of five, commenting on Caviezel and Emerson's performances, saying Caviezel "brings the right stuff to this role" and Emerson "is fascinating as Mr. Finch." Mary McNamara of the Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
gave the pilot decent reviews, saying "the notion of preventing crimes rather than solving them is an appealing twist...The surveillance graphics are very cool."
The show has averaged 13.97 million viewers and a rating of 4.6 in adults 25-54.
External links
- Person of Interest videos at Citytv Video
- Person of Interest at TV.comTV.comTV.com is a website owned by CBS Interactive. The site covers television and focuses on English-language shows made or broadcast in the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland and Japan...