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Network: CBS

Premiere: Friday, October 3, 10pm

Cast: Rob Morrow, David Krumholtz, Navi Rawat, Judd Hirsch, Peter MacNicol

Previously On Numb3rs: Don and Charlie worked on a case that put the two at significant philosophical odds.  Charlie put his job on the line to stick up for his friend, and Megan (Diane Farr) left the team.

CBS requires a lot of suspension of disbelief with its procedurals.  The premise of Numb3rs is that a team led by two brothers, help the FBI solve crimes using math.  Fine, that's a really cool little premise for a TV series.  However, when there are also shows like CSI and The Mentalist and Criminal Minds, where very different (but ultimately effective) methods are used to solve crimes, it makes one wonder: “How is it possible that every one of the cases given to these characters can be solved using their specific expertise?”   Using math to solve crimes is, again, a cool idea, but I struggle to believe that it'd be an effective tool in a significant number of FBI cases. 

Nonetheless, Numb3rs has been a big-time ratings earner for CBS on the TV wasteland that is Friday night.  The cast is especially impressive.  Rob Morrow, David Krumholtz, Judd Hirsch, Peter MacNicol and Navi Rawat.  All TV veterans, all formidable in their own right.  The family dynamic between Morrow, Krumholtz and Hirsch is somewhat rare on crime procedurals, and it's one of the things that makes Numb3rs unique. 

Selfishly, I almost want Numb3rs to end soon, so David Krumholtz can rightly claim a spot in Judd Apatow's stable of comic talents.  Krumholtz is a funny, funny guy, and all you have to do to witness his abilities is check out either Harold and Kumar film or check out his work in Superbad. 


-Oscar Dahl, BuddyTV Senior Writer
(Image Courtesy of CBS)