The Mentalist

Sunday 18 April, 7:00pm on Five USA

The hit US drama series following the work of CBI consultant Patrick Jane continues.

This week, a diamond heist at an up-market jewellery store uncovers an elaborate plot involving murder and extortion. Evidence points towards a known criminal, but Jane thinks the wealthy family who own the store may be involved.

Elsewhere, Rigsby and Van Pelt consider their relationship. The agents are called in when a robbery at a highend jewellery store results in the shooting of Carl Ward, husband of business owner Esther Doverton. Ward is taken to hospital in a critical condition. With his customary disregard for the rules, Jane questions Doverton’s nephews George and Tom, who run the firm with their aunt. “Does your resentment of him create any tension?” he asks, referring to Ward, who married into the family business four years earlier. “What I do resent is the tone of your questioning,” says George, as Lisbon leads Jane away.

Back at HQ, Van Pelt catches a break in the investigation. With the help of CCTV footage from cameras surrounding the store, she identifies Doyle Murphy, a known criminal with a history of safecracking. “Nice work Van Pelt!” says Lisbon. But Jane suspects there might be more to the case than meets the eye. “It’s all very neat and easy,” he says. He points out that a heist of this nature is normally carried out by more than one person, while the fact that the stolen diamonds were due to be collected the following morning suggests an inside job. “My provisional bet – Carl Ward,” he says.

Ignoring Jane’s hypothesis, Rigsby and Van Pelt go to pick up Murphy at an out-of-town motel, only to find the suspect has been shot dead from close range. “I guess that lets Carl Ward off the hook, huh?” says Rigsby. Forensic tests prove that a gun recovered at the scene was used to kill Murphy and injure Ward. The motel desk clerk reports seeing a man visiting Murphy earlier in the day, but is somewhat sketchy on the details. However, with the help of a little persuasion from Jane, the clerk identifies professional criminal Donny Culpepper, who is promptly arrested. When it emerges that Murphy owed Culpepper $200,000, it seems the agents have the case sewn up. However, CCTV footage from the jewellery store throws up an anomaly. One video taken a week prior to the robbery shows Tom Doverton with Doyle Murphy. Could the pair have been planning the crime together?

Tom is brought in for questioning, but claims Murphy was just a customer. When the rest of the family arrives with a lawyer, the agents are forced to let Tom go. At the same time, Jane releases Culpepper from custody, ensuring that he and the Dovertons meet at the lift. “What the hell was that?” barks Lisbon. “You have no right whatsoever to make those decisions!” The case takes a dramatic twist when Esther Doverton is kidnapped and George and Tom are sent a note demanding the diamonds in exchange for their aunt’s safe release. The crime seems to bear Culpepper’s stamp. “Murphy owed him a lot of money,” says Jane. “He might think that debt transfers with the diamonds.” “But we don’t have the diamonds!” insists George. “He doesn’t know that,” replies Jane. Have Jane’s games put a woman in real danger, or is all this just part of an elaborate plot to draw the real robber out of hiding?

Elsewhere this week, Van Pelt and Rigsby consider their future. “Jane knows about us – I’m sure he does,” says Rigsby. “Why would it be so bad if people figured out we’re together?” asks a hurt Van Pelt. “It’s just the bureau rules,” replies Rigsby.

Friday 16 April 2010 at 9.00pm on Five

The hit US drama series following the work of CBI consultant Patrick Jane continues. This week, a diamond heist at an up-market jewellery store uncovers an elaborate plot involving murder and extortion. Evidence points towards a known criminal, but Jane thinks the wealthy family who own the store may be involved. Elsewhere, Rigsby and Van Pelt consider their relationship.

The agents are called in when a robbery at a highend jewellery store results in the shooting of Carl Ward, husband of business owner Esther Doverton. Ward is taken to hospital in a critical condition. With his customary disregard for the rules, Jane questions Doverton’s nephews George and Tom, who run the firm with their aunt. “Does your resentment of him create any tension?” he asks, referring to Ward, who married into the family business four years earlier. “What I do resent is the tone of your questioning,” says George, as Lisbon leads Jane away.

 Back at HQ, Van Pelt catches a break in the investigation. With the help of CCTV footage from cameras surrounding the store, she identifies Doyle Murphy, a known criminal with a history of safecracking. “Nice work Van Pelt!” says Lisbon. But Jane suspects there might be more to the case than meets the eye. “It’s all very neat and easy,” he says. He points out that a heist of this nature is normally carried out by more than one person, while the fact that the stolen diamonds were due to be collected the following morning suggests an inside job. “My provisional bet – Carl Ward,” he says.

Ignoring Jane’s hypothesis, Rigsby and Van Pelt go to pick up Murphy at an out-of-town motel, only to find the suspect has been shot dead from close range. “I guess that lets Carl Ward off the hook, huh?” says Rigsby. Forensic tests prove that a gun recovered at the scene was used to kill Murphy and injure Ward. The motel desk clerk reports seeing a man visiting Murphy earlier in the day, but is somewhat sketchy on the details. However, with the help of a little persuasion from Jane, the clerk identifies professional criminal Donny Culpepper, who is promptly arrested.

When it emerges that Murphy owed Culpepper $200,000, it seems the agents have the case sewn up. However, CCTV footage from the jewellery store throws up an anomaly. One video taken a week prior to the robbery shows Tom Doverton with Doyle Murphy. Could the pair have been planning the crime together? Tom is brought in for questioning, but claims Murphy was just a customer. When the rest of the family arrives with a lawyer, the agents are forced to let Tom go. At the same time, Jane releases Culpepper from custody, ensuring that he and the Dovertons meet at the lift. “What the hell was that?” barks Lisbon. “You have no right whatsoever to make those decisions!”

The case takes a dramatic twist when Esther Doverton is kidnapped and George and Tom are sent a note demanding the diamonds in exchange for their aunt’s safe release. The crime seems to bear Culpepper’s stamp. “Murphy owed him a lot of money,” says Jane. “He might think that debt transfers with the diamonds.” “But we don’t have the diamonds!” insists George. “He doesn’t know that,” replies Jane. Have Jane’s games put a woman in real danger, or is all this just part of an elaborate plot to draw the real robber out of hiding?

Elsewhere this week, Van Pelt and Rigsby consider their future. “Jane knows about us – I’m sure he does,” says Rigsby. “Why would it be so bad if people figured out we’re together?” asks a hurt Van Pelt. “It’s just the bureau rules,” replies Rigsby.

Sunday 4 April 2010 at 7.00pm on Five USA

The hit US drama series following the work of CBI consultant Patrick Jane continues. This week, Bosco and Lisbon reluctantly join forces to deal with a kidnapping case. When it seems as though the hostage has no chance of survival, Jane comes up with an unorthodox plan to save her life – but Bosco refuses to put it into action.

The team is alerted to the presence of a corpse in a derelict house. When the dead man is identified as Colin Haymer, a hostage abducted three years earlier, Lisbon is reminded of a kidnapping case currently being investigated by Bosco. Much like Haymer, Mia Westlake is in her early twenties and is from a very wealthy family. “Who wants to bet that Colin Haymer’s kidnappers are the same that kidnapped Mia Westlake?” asks Jane. To Bosco’s chagrin, Minelli agrees with Jane. “I want your people teaming up on this,” he says. “I want to foster better inter-unit relations.” “He’s an accident waiting to happen,” Bosco says of Jane. “This is a mistake.”

Despite his reservations, Bosco is forced to share the details of the Westlake case with Lisbon’s team. The hostage was abducted from her car 38 hours ago, her driver was shot dead and the family has since been sent a photograph of a restrained Mia at an undisclosed location. The agents are at the Westlake family mansion questioning Mia’s sister, Verona (Meredith Monroe, ‘Dawson’s Creek’, ‘Criminal Minds’), when the kidnappers’ demand arrives in the form of a video sent by email. The footage shows Mia reading from a script asking for $3.75million in small, non-sequential bills by 6pm. Failure to comply with the demand will result in Mia’s immediate execution.

Theorising that the two kidnapping cases may be linked, Lisbon speaks to Det Louis Earlen, the officer who led the Haymer investigation. “We were wondering if it was an inside job – the ransom demand was pretty specific,” says Lisbon of the Westlake case. “We considered that,” replies Earlen. “I always had a feeling about Colin’s girlfriend – Diane Zoranski.” He also has some bad news. In Haymer’s case, his family paid the ransom as demanded, but the hostage was killed nonetheless.

When Van Pelt and Rigsby go to question Zoranski at her apartment, she immediately opens fire. Van Pelt takes three bullets to the chest, but is protected by a Kevlar vest. An enraged Rigsby gives chase and eventually shoots Zoranski dead. While Van Pelt is taken to hospital for treatment, it emerges that Zoranski was part of a dangerous criminal organisation called the Crazy Hill gang. It is clear that the gang organised both kidnappings.

As the appointed payment hour approaches, Jane suggests to the team that they approach the Westlakes to identify who might be working for the gang. But Bosco is concerned that making such a move would spook the kidnappers, leading them to take drastic action. “They will kill her five minutes after they get the ransom,” says Jane. “She dies either way –we could try something…” However, Bosco is unwilling to listen to anything the maverick consultant has to say.

Back at the mansion, Bosco plants a transmitter in the case of cash and prepares to make the drop-off. Suddenly, Jane takes matters into his own hands. “There’s something you really should know,” he tells Verona. “One of the kidnappers is in this house right now. We should be talking to them, not playing with toys!” Has Jane just made a fatal error, or is this bizarre behaviour all part of a grand plan?

Friday 9 April 2010 at 9.00pm on Five

The hit US drama series following the work of CBI consultant Patrick Jane continues. This week, Bosco and his agents are gunned down within the walls of CBI headquarters. With two men dead and Bosco in a critical condition, Lisbon and her team race to find the perpetrator. As the investigation progresses, it becomes clear that notorious serial killer Red John is responsible – and he has an assistant inside the department.

After being called to a murder case at a cemetery in the middle of the night, Lisbon and the team return to HQ to find Bosco and two of his agents gunned down in their office. “Lock this place down, now!” yells Cho, as Lisbon and Jane strive to resuscitate the casualties. When the ambulance arrives, the two other agents are dead, and Bosco is in a critical condition. In a clear state of shock, Jane surveys the scene. “There should be three bodies, but there are only two,” he says. “Where’s Agent Hicks?”

With CBI HQ on high alert, the agents set about interviewing the security guards and checking CCTV footage to find the shooter. It emerges that the cameras were disabled for 30 minutes – time enough for the killer to enter and leave the building without detection. A shaken Minelli urges Lisbon to do all she can to bring the case to a swift conclusion. “I spoke to the governor. I told him I have my best team on the job – I know you’ll do us proud,” he says. However, he also has some worrying news from the hospital. “His injuries are extensive,” he says of Bosco. “I’m sorry to ask this, but I need to know that you’re gonna be able to go on with this case – no matter what happens.”

The case takes a terrifying twist when Jane learns the identity of the dead man found in the cemetery. The victim is Dr Towlen Morning – family physician to a couple murdered by serial killer Red John some years ago. Jane is convinced that the cases are linked. Sure enough, a search of Dr Morning’s surgery unearths a dead Agent Hicks –with Red John’s signature smiley face painted on the wall in blood.

Jane explains that Dr Morning was involved in the Red John investigation nine years ago when two of his patients, Janet and Carter Peak, were murdered. Though Carter’s body was never found, it was assumed that he was the serial killer’s fourth victim. It emerges that Carter’s body was recently discovered in the foundations of a house, which would explain why Hicks was visiting Dr Morning, and why Red John took such drastic measures to cover his tracks. “There’s evidence on Carter Peak’s body,” surmises Jane. “Damning evidence – like DNA. That’s why he tried to make it disappear!”

Jane and Cho head to the morgue where Carter’s body is being held, but are too late. The coroner informs them that somebody from CBI collected the body last night – none other than Rebecca, Bosco’s PA. Realising Bosco’s life is still in danger, the agents race to the hospital and arrest Rebecca just as she is about to finish the job she started. Back at HQ, Jane interviews Rebecca in a bid to learn Red John’s identity, but she refuses to cooperate. Confident that he will eventually get through to her, Jane asks one question that has been puzzling him. “After you took Carter Peak’s body, why did Red John have you attack Bosco’s team?” he asks. “I got rid of Bosco so that you could have the case back,” is Rebecca’s chilling response. “Red John misses you.” Can Jane use his skills to break Rebecca down, or is Red John about to slip through his fingers once more?

Sunday 28 March 2010 at 6.00pm

The hit US drama series following the work of CBI consultant Patrick Jane continues. This week, a young man is murdered over what appears to be a land dispute. During the investigation, Jane is arrested and sent to jail for bugging Bosco’s office – but manages to continue probing the case from his cell.

The CBI team is called to Sutter Valley Meadow when 29-year-old welder Kirby Hines is found beaten to death. Upon arrival at the scene, Jane notices that there is glitter on the victim’s face. Before long, Hines’s family arrives and a fight breaks out between his brother-in-law and a local man called Ted Luscom. When Luscom pulls out a knife, he is arrested and taken in for questioning.

Back at HQ, Bosco marches into the office looking furious. “Lisbon, you’re not gonna like what I’m about to do, but you’re gonna have to deal with it,” he says. “Jane, you’re under arrest.” It seems the agent has finally discovered the bug Jane placed in his office (see episode two, ‘The Scarlet Letter’) and is determined to have him punished. “We can resolve this easily,” he says. “If Jane resigns and agrees never to return to the CBI, I will ask the AG not to press charges.” “Charge me,” replies Jane, coolly. “I’m not going to leave the CBI just because you tell me to.” An exasperated Lisbon can only watch as Jane is cuffed and led to jail.

With Jane indisposed, the other agents continue the investigation without him. Cho questions Luscom and learns that Kirby’s wife, Donna, owns an oil-rich plot of land with her brother and father. Luscom believes the land should be his, since it once belonged to his grandfather. Could Kirby’s death have anything to do with a dispute over land?

Lisbon visits Kirby’s widow and quizzes her about the oil and her relationship with her late husband. It emerges that Donna stood to make a great deal of money from an imminent drilling operation, and was having difficulties in her marriage. “I have to point this out to you,” says Lisbon. “That gives you strong motive here. Kirby was entitled to half your money. If your marriage was in trouble, that would make you pretty unhappy, wouldn’t it?” Donna fiercely denies killing her husband.

Theorising that Donna’s family is involved in Kirby’s murder, Lisbon visits her father, Dooley Gerber, and his young wife, Sandrine (Ashley Jones, ‘True Blood’, ‘The Bold and the Beautiful’). Dooley also denies murder, but seems indifferent to the crime. “I’ll be honest – I’m sorry Kirby’s dead, but I’m not sorry my daughter isn’t married to a loser anymore,” he says.

Meanwhile, in prison, Jane uses his guile to win some useful allies, before turning his attention to the Kirby case. With the help of some evidence passed to him by Cho and a few phone calls, he soon has a lead. He then sets into action an elaborate escape plan and walks free from jail wearing a guard’s jacket.

Once back on the outside, Jane heads straight for Donna’s house, where the Gerber family is gathered for Kirby’s wake. “If you send the sheriff over, I’ll have Kirby’s killer in ten minutes or so,” he tells a furious Bosco over the phone. He then announces his findings to the family. “When we found poor Kirby, he had some flecks of glitter on his face,” he says, before turning to Dooley. “You had some glitter on your face too, which means you and Kirby were in close contact with the same woman. That will be you, Sandrine.” Has Jane managed to solve the case from his prison cell, or is he about to bring yet more trouble to the CBI?

Friday 2 April 2010 at 9.00pm

The hit US drama series following the work of CBI consultant Patrick Jane continues. This week, Bosco and Lisbon reluctantly join forces to deal with a kidnapping case. When it seems as though the hostage has no chance of survival, Jane comes up with an unorthodox plan to save her life – but Bosco refuses to put it into action.

The team is alerted to the presence of a corpse in a derelict house. When the dead man is identified as Colin Haymer, a hostage abducted three years earlier, Lisbon is reminded of a kidnapping case currently being investigated by Bosco. Much like Haymer, Mia Westlake is in her early twenties and is from a very wealthy family. “Who wants to bet that Colin Haymer’s kidnappers are the same that kidnapped Mia Westlake?” asks Jane. To Bosco’s chagrin, Minelli agrees with Jane. “I want your people teaming up on this,” he says. “I want to foster better inter-unit relations.” “He’s an accident waiting to happen,” Bosco says of Jane. “This is a mistake.”

Despite his reservations, Bosco is forced to share the details of the Westlake case with Lisbon’s team. The hostage was abducted from her car 38 hours ago, her driver was shot dead and the family has since been sent a photograph of a restrained Mia at an undisclosed location. The agents are at the Westlake family mansion questioning Mia’s sister, Verona (Meredith Monroe, ‘Dawson’s Creek’, ‘Criminal Minds’), when the kidnappers’ demand arrives in the form of a video sent by email. The footage shows Mia reading from a script asking for $3.75million in small, non-sequential bills by 6pm. Failure to comply with the demand will result in Mia’s immediate execution.

Theorising that the two kidnapping cases may be linked, Lisbon speaks to Det Louis Earlen, the officer who led the Haymer investigation. “We were wondering if it was an inside job – the ransom demand was pretty specific,” says Lisbon of the Westlake case. “We considered that,” replies Earlen. “I always had a feeling about Colin’s girlfriend – Diane Zoranski.” He also has some bad news. In Haymer’s case, his family paid the ransom as demanded, but the hostage was killed nonetheless.

When Van Pelt and Rigsby go to question Zoranski at her apartment, she immediately opens fire. Van Pelt takes three bullets to the chest, but is protected by a Kevlar vest. An enraged Rigsby gives chase and eventually shoots Zoranski dead. While Van Pelt is taken to hospital for treatment, it emerges that Zoranski was part of a dangerous criminal organisation called the Crazy Hill gang. It is clear that the gang organised both kidnappings.

As the appointed payment hour approaches, Jane suggests to the team that they approach the Westlakes to identify who might be working for the gang. But Bosco is concerned that making such a move would spook the kidnappers, leading them to take drastic action. “They will kill her five minutes after they get the ransom,” says Jane. “She dies either way –we could try something…” However, Bosco is unwilling to listen to anything the maverick consultant has to say.

Back at the mansion, Bosco plants a transmitter in the case of cash and prepares to make the drop-off. Suddenly, Jane takes matters into his own hands. “There’s something you really should know,” he tells Verona. “One of the kidnappers is in this house right now. We should be talking to them, not playing with toys!” Has Jane just made a fatal error, or is this bizarre behaviour all part of a grand plan?

Friday 19th February 9.00pm

This week sees the long-awaited return of the hit US drama series following the work of CBI consultant Patrick Jane (Simon Baker). In the opening instalment, a woman accused of stealing $1million from her place of work turns up dead. In order to catch the killer, Jane employs some typically dubious tactics, casting what he calls a ‘wide, invisible net’. Elsewhere, a messy result in another case sees Lisbon and the team kicked off the Red John case.

The CBI team is called to an apartment block in the Twenty Palms area of California, where 43-year-old Monica Dunninger has been found murdered. The state of the flat suggests her killer was looking for something. A little online research reveals that the victim went missing some months ago after stealing $1million from her employers. In typically unorthodox style, Jane heads off with Cho to find the nearest house for sale. After checking the name on the mail, a Miles Thorsen, he writes a note, pins it to the front door and heads back to HQ. “I’m casting a wide, invisible net,” he explains to a baffled Cho.

Monica’s widower and two teenage children are informed of the news. The daughter, Kessie, holds a great deal of resentment for her mother. She explains that Monica stole the cash and left the family after her affair with her yoga instructor, Bodhi, was discovered. “God works in mysterious ways,” she says of the murder. Bodhi is questioned, but is quickly discounted as a suspect.

Lisbon and the team’s next port of call is the printing firm where Monica worked. Company chairwoman Rhonda Jaffe and manager Greg Humphrey are happy to answer the CBI’s questions and explain how Monica stole the cash. Jane continues to follow his own instincts, asking all the potential suspects if they know Miles Thorsen –much to Lisbon’s annoyance.

Back at HQ, Lisbon instructs Jane to go through the victim’s possessions to look for clues, but the wily consultant has other plans. “Who wants to come with me out to Twenty Palms to catch the killer?” he asks of Cho and Rigsby. “Did Lisbon OK this?” asks Rigsby. “Of course,” lies Jane.

Complete with packed lunches and camping chairs, the three then drive out to the empty house owned by the mysterious Miles Thorsen. While his colleagues are looking the other way, Jane breaks into the house and makes himself comfortable in the lounge. “Okay, so what are we doing here?” asks Rigsby. “Everybody involved is wondering who Miles Thorsen is,” explains Jane. “The killer will be doubly curious.” Jane’s plan is to remain at the property until the killer researches Miles Thorsen, realises there is somebody of that name living near the site of Monica’s death and comes to the house to investigate. “This is more of a fishing expedition,” says Jane. “Maybe we get a bite, maybe we don’t. We just sit back, relax and dangle our feet in the water.”

Elsewhere, a particularly messy result in another of the team’s cases angers CBI boss Virgil Minelli – so much so that he decides to remove Lisbon from the Red John investigation. “You have always been too close to the case,” he tells the agents. “We need to make a change.” Agent Sam Bosco (Terry Kinney, ‘Oz’) is placed in charge. “You guys aren’t even close to catching this guy – a fresh set of eyes has got to be a good idea,” he says.

As soon as the meeting is over, Jane clears his desk. “You’re leaving?” asks Lisbon. “Well, if I can’t use this job to seek some kind of personal revenge, then there’s not a whole lot here for me,” replies Jane. Is this the end of the line for the mentalist?

Thursday 20th August 10.00pm

The hit US drama series following the work of CBI consultant Patrick Jane concludes this week with a double bill. In the first instalment, the murder of a teenage boy leads to a dubious high school principal, a terrifying legend and a mysterious secret society. In the season finale, Jane puts his life on the line in an attempt to catch Red John when the notorious serial killer strikes again.

In Blood Brothers, the agents are called to a forest where a teenager has been found beaten to death. The lad was a student at Bright Arch, a high school for troubled youngsters. Theorising that the boy was attacked elsewhere, Jane wanders up a nearby slope. “Somewhere very close by there’s a spot where someone buried him alive,” he says. Sure enough, he leads the agents to a shallow grave where the assailant attempted to bury his victim.

A hand-drawn map found in the school dorm leads Cho and Rigsby to a run-down shack where they are confronted by an unhinged man with a gun. The man, Marshal Winston, is promptly taken in for questioning. He denies knowledge of the murder, but explains that masked children from Bright Arch regularly harass him, hurling paint at his house, shouting abuse and breaking his windows.

Back at the school, Jane speaks to the kids about the attacks on Winston’s property and learns that the masked children are part of a secretive gang known as Z Crew. The group, whose members remain anonymous, is based on a local legend involving a lumberjack called Zachariah who brutally murdered his colleagues. It seems the children in Z Crew are coerced into carrying out acts of vandalism by their mysterious leader. Could the person behind this gang be responsible for the boy’s death?

The agents then catch the school headmaster, Asher MacLean, attempting to flee with one of the students, Cassie. “He wanted her to go before we had a chance to talk to her and find out that she and he were having sexual relations,” says Jane. Could there be any truth behind this seemingly unfounded accusation, or is Jane playing another dangerous mind game? To get to the bottom of the case, the wily consultant sets up an elaborate sting involving a camp fire, a ghost story and a willing volunteer…

In the final instalment of the season, Red John’s Footsteps, a 19-year-old girl from a neighbouring state is stabbed to death and dumped in California. The girl’s twin sister is still missing. Jane recognises the killer’s telltale modus operandi as that of the man who murdered his wife and daughter. “This is Red John and he wants to make sure I’m on this case,” he says. Lisbon insists it may be a coincidence, until a skywriting plane circles overhead leaving Red John’s signature smiley face emblazoned on the sky.

While Sheriff Hardy deals with the missing-person case, Lisbon and her team set off in pursuit of Red John. The skywriting company provides a PO Box address from which the order for the smiley face was placed. Inside the box, the agents find an old love letter written to a Roy Tagliaferro from a woman called Rosalind. “It’s him, I know it,” says Jane. “This Rosalind has seen Red John.”

Buoyed by the prospect of gaining a positive ID for their suspect, the agents rush to Rosalind’s house – only to discover she is blind. While the woman insists that the man she once loved is no killer, a red smiley face painted on her wall tells a different story. All Rosalind can offer is a rough physical description of the man she knew as Roy, along with the information that he had a friend called Dumar who came round one Thanksgiving.

Thanks to a lucky break with the CCTV at a convenience store near Rosalind’s house, Rigsby identifies Dumar as none other than Sheriff Hardy. However, before Rigsby can let the rest of the team know, an unarmed Jane heads off into the wilderness with the sheriff. Could this spell the end for the mentalist, or does he have one last trick up his sleeve?

Thursday 20th August 8.30pm

How does a globally successful show like ‘The Mentalist’ come together? Five reveals the secrets of the series in this exclusive behind-thescenes visit to the set. The documentary is structured around 24 hours in the life of the show. From early morning make-up to the final call to ‘cut’, each member of the cast hosts a section of the footage, and reveals the secrets behind the stars and the characters they have created.

With unique access to the creative minds behind ‘The Mentalist’, Five counts down the top ten biggest secrets of the hit show. Why does the colour red feature in every episode title? What is the dark secret that links Patrick Jane’s sidekicks, Lisbon and Bosco? Did Jane secretly kill his wife and daughter and then blame it on Red John? Will Jane and Lisbon finally kiss in the season finale? What is the background of the real mentalists who consult on the show? And what hilarious games do the cast play on set to try to put each other off when recording their scenes?

The main characters from the show take viewers on a lighthearted trip around the set, from the ‘honey wagons’ or rest rooms, to the costume and makeup department. The lead actors tell their stories and reveal their favourite and least favourite characters, scenes, murders and moments. Fastpaced, cleverly observed and with amazing access, this absorbing documentary sets the scene for tonight’s season finale and the next series.

Thursday 20th August 8.00pm

As Five launches into the action-packed season finale of hit drama ‘The Mentalist’, this funpacked, clip-filled documentary celebrates the character of Patrick Jane and the equally fascinating Simon Baker, the actor who brings ‘The Mentalist’ to life. Where did the character come from? What makes him attractive to women and men alike? And how has Simon Baker inhabited this unique role and made it his own?

‘The Mentalist’ is the biggest new show in the world. Transmitting in 32 countries around the globe, from Thailand to Turkey, Denmark to the Philippines, it is watched by over 500 million people. In this one-off documentary, the stars of the hit show discuss why they think ‘The Mentalist’ has enjoyed such success. There is also a look at the stunning, strange and downright bizarre promotional campaign clips from broadcasters around the world.

The man behind the enigmatic Patrick Jane, actor Simon Baker, reveals that he began researching the character by viewing thousands of clips of real-life ‘mentalists’ on YouTube. The star then goes on to discuss his feelings about the role that has taken him from relative obscurity to global superstardom. Baker started out in Australia as a bricklayer and state-standard surfer, before turning to acting. Early TV stardom came in Australian soaps ‘E Street’ and ‘Heartbreak High’, followed by a one-month stint on ‘Home and Away’. Minor movie success followed, as a gay hunk in ‘LA Confidential’ and myriad roles playing, as Simon puts it, ‘the third banana on the right’. But then American TV took notice, and he won lead roles in ‘The Guardian’ (showing Saturdays on Five) and then ‘The Mentalist’.

The documentary also provides an insight into Baker’s home life. Although he is now a huge star, the actor is also a real homebody. He has been married to his ‘E Street’ co-star Rebecca Rigg for over 15 years. Their three teenage children count fellow Aussie celebrities Nicole Kidman and Naomi Watts among their godparents. Baker discusses how he feels about turning 40, and what it means to be named one of the sexiest men in the world.

To explore Patrick Jane’s realm, real-life psychics and illusionists Derren Brown, Jamil Qureshi, Paul McKenna and Marc Salem reveal the tricks of the trade – the top five ‘tells’ that divulge what people are really thinking to those who know what to look for. They also explain how mentalists can come across as fortune tellers and psychics by getting their audience to reveal what they least want to give away.

Elsewhere, Five’s in-house mentalists head onto the streets to recreate some of Jane’s finest moments from the series. They reveal the biggest scams that professional ‘psychics’ have pulled off, and the real crimes that they have helped to solve. These tricksters also assess how accurately their profession is portrayed by Patrick Jane. Which clips are the best recreations of classic mentalism, and which ones get it all wrong?

‘The Mentalist’ marks a return to the classic gold standard of maverick detectives in crime procedural dramas. Baker’s heroes are Columbo, Kojak and Quincy – a list he shares with the core demographic in the audience. Writer Bruno Heller was attempting to recreate Sherlock Holmes in a contemporary setting when he devised the series. How does Patrick Jane compare with the daddy of all deductive reasoning?

Finally, ‘The Mentalist: Revealed’ looks forward to Patrick Jane’s story development in season two. Where will Baker take his intriguing character in the much-anticipated episodes to come?