Numbers
The Numb3rs logo
Created by	Nicolas Falacci Cheryl Heuton
Starring	Rob Morrow David Krumholtz Judd Hirsch Peter MacNicol Alimi Ballard Navi Rawat Diane Farr Dylan Bruno
Opening theme	Once In A Lifetime by Talking Heads (Season 1)
Country of origin	United States
No. of episodes	59 (list of episodes)
Production
Running time	43 minutes (approx)
Original release
Network	CBS
Release	January 23, 2005 – present

Numb3rs (Numbers; officially NUMB3RS) is an American television show that follows FBI Special Agent Don Eppes (Rob Morrow) and his mathematical genius brother, Charlie Eppes (David Krumholtz), who develops formulae to predict the actions of various criminals. It was created by Nicolas Falacci and Cheryl Heuton, produced by CBS Paramount Network Television, and airs on the CBS network in the US.

The show focuses equally on the relationships between Don Eppes, his brother Charlie Eppes, and their father, Alan Eppes (Judd Hirsch) and on the brothers' efforts to fight crime, normally in Los Angeles. A typical episode begins with a crime, which is subsequently investigated by a team of FBI agents led by Don and mathematically described by Charlie, occasionally with the help of Larry Fleinhardt (Peter MacNicol) and/or Amita Ramajuan (Navi Rawat). The insights provided by Charlie's mathematics are always in some way crucial to solving the crime.

Numb3rs and Mathematics

Several mathematicians work as consultants for each episode.^[1] Actual mathematics is presented in the show; the equations on the chalkboards are real, and they are indeed applicable to the situations presented in each show. This phenomenon has been recognized by working mathematicians; see, for example, the article "Numb3rs gets the math right", published by the Mathematical Association of America^[2] and the January 21 issue of Math Games^[3] in which Ed Pegg, Jr. discusses related issues, e.g. Bayesian search theory, graph theory, combinatorics. However, at least one mathematician consultant to the show has expressed concern with its use of math and the failure to integrate consultants at various stages in each episode's development, in addition to its portrayal of female mathematicians, and inappropriate aspects of the relationship between Charlie Eppes and his graduate student Amita Ramajuan.^[4]

To assist the FBI in the show, Professor Charlie Eppes has invoked the following mathematical disciplines (among others): cryptanalysis, probability theory, game theory, partial differential equations, decision theory, graph theory, data mining and astrophysics.

American math teachers have used episodes of the show as a teaching tool, as it connects the forensics boom in America (triggered by such shows as CSI: Crime Scene Investigation) to classroom topics.^{[citation needed]} Texas Instruments and the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics have created the We All Use Math Every Day education outreach program, in which teachers are provided with class activities based on the concepts to be featured in the next episode.^[5]

Cast and characters

Main Characters

Episodes

Season 1

Season 1 (January 23 2005 – May 13 2005) sees the start of the working relationship between Los Angeles' FBI department and Charlie Eppes. The main FBI agents are Charlie's brother, Don Eppes, and Terry Lake, as well as David Sinclair. Don and Charlie's father, Alan Eppes, provides emotional support for the pair, while Professor Larry Fleinhardt and doctoral student Amita Ramajuan provide mathematical support and insights to Charlie.

Season 2

Season 2 (September 23 2005 – May 19 2006) sees the continuation of the relationship between the FBI and Charlie. Terry Lake is reassigned to Washington, and Megan Reeves replaces her role as a psychological profiler for the team. Colby Granger is also introduced.

Season 3

Numb3rs has been renewed for a third season,^[6] which began airing in North America on September 22 2006. Noticeable changes from previous seasons include the removal of the opening credit sequence (credits are now done during the first segment of the show), the absence of Peter MacNicol's character for much of the season, and the absence of Diane Farr's character for a few episodes. Peter MacNicol appeared in the first eleven episodes before leaving for the television show 24, but returned to Numb3rs on for the 21st episode of season 3. His absence was explained as being a payload specialist on the International Space Station. Diane Farr, pregnant for most of the season, left the show for maternity leave in episode 18, her absence explained as a special assignment to the Department of Justice.

Season 4

While early to have confirmation regarding renewal, the series creators have begun planning Season 4, which will see the return of Megan Reeves (Diane Farr having left on maternity leave near the end of Season 3) from her DOJ task force, as well as details revealed regarding said assignment. Continuing development of the relationships between the characters is expected.

U.S. television ratings

Seasonal rankings (based on average total viewers per episode) of Numb3rs on CBS.

Note: Each U.S. network television season starts in late September and ends in late May, which coincides with the completion of May sweeps.

For most of its series run, Numb3rs has been the most-watched television program on Friday nights.

Production notes

• The original concept for the show had the events take place at MIT.^[9]
• Scenes which take place at CalSci, where Eppes, Fleinhardt and Ramajuan are on the faculty, are filmed at Caltech and USC. One of the most frequent campus locations at Caltech is the vicinity of Millikan Library, including the bridge over Millikan Pond, the Trustees room, and the arcades of nearby buildings. At USC, locations include Doheny Library and the Town and Gown dining room.
• In the third season episode "Pandora's Box", it is the first time the fictional CalSci was referred to by its full name, California Institute of Science.
• Nicolas Falacci and Cheryl Heuton, the show's creators, won the Carl Sagan Award for the Public Understanding of Science in 2006.^[10]
• The Craftsman home used in the first season is owned by David Raposa and Edward Trosper.^[11] From the second season forward, a replica set has been used.^{[citation needed]}
• Famous scientists and mathematicians mentioned in the series include Isaac Newton, Albert Einstein, Archimedes, John von Neumann, Paul Erdős, Pierre-Simon Laplace, Michael Faraday, Richard Feynman, Werner Heisenberg, Bernhard Riemann and Edward Witten.
• The famous chess game Morphy v. Duke of Brunswick and Count Isouard is featured at least twice in the series, once in the ending scene of "Man Hunt" and again in the "chess interlude" of the episode "Assassin".

International Broadcasters

Country	Alternate title/Translation	TV Network(s)	Series Premiere	Weekly Schedule
Australia		Network Ten	August 15 2005
Belgium	Loi des nombres, La (French title)	RTL-TVI	September 2006
Brazil		Telecine Action	August 7 2005
Bulgaria		bTV	January 19 2006
Canada		Global Television Network	January 23 2005
Denmark		Kanal 5	September 20 2006
Finland	Num3rot	MTV3	November 24 2006
France	Numb3rs	M6	April 14 2006
Germany	Numb3rs - Die Logik des Verbrechens	Pro 7, now on Sat.1	September 5 2005
Hungary		TV2	May 22 2006
India		AXN
Ireland		Channel 6
Israel		yesWeekend ("מספ7ים" - Misparim)	October 27 2005
Italy		Rai2	March 5 2006
Japan		Fox Crime/Fox	2006/2007
Malaysia		Season 1 - RTM1, Season 2 - RTM2 and AXN	December 5 2005	RTM2: Tuesdays Midnight
The Netherlands		SBS6	August 30 2005
New Zealand		TV3	July 20 2005
Norway		TV2 (Norway)	December 21 2006
Philippines		AXN
Poland		TV4	June 28 2006
Portugal		TVI	October 19 2006
Quebec		Z Tele	January 6 2006
Russia		TV3	August 18 2006
Saudi Arabia and Arab World		MBC 4	October 30, 2006
Serbia	Broj3vi	B92	March 14 2007
Spain		Antena 3	March 7 2006
Sweden		TV4	April 29 2006
Taiwan		AXN
Thailand		AXN
Turkey		Dizimax	2005
United Kingdom		ITV3	October 5 2005
United States		CBS Television (Broadcast)	September 20, 2006	Wednesdays, 8:00pm ET/PT

DVD releases

References

See also