5:03PM: On the reason THE UNIT/ THE SHIELD creator Shawn Ryan joined LIE TO ME, creator Samuel Baum offered up the following not-at-all-rehearsed comment, “At the end of last season I tested positive for HGH.”
5:05PM: It only took three minutes for Ryan to get in his one-and-only dig at CBS when explaining his reason for jumping on board LIE TO ME. “Not only did I really enjoy the show, after THE UNIT was unceremoniously dumped by CBS, I found myself with a little time on my hands.” Ouch!
5:07PM: Mekhi Phifer, who appeared on two episodes last season has joined the cast as a series regular this year as Special Agent Ben Renyolds who Phifer describes as “the guy with the gun and the badge in an effort to bring some of these cases home.” Added Baum, “We needed someone who wouldn’t get blown off the screen by Roth. A man, who had gravity.”
5:11PM: Star Kelli Williams promises a great start out of the gate with the season’s first episode featuring a woman with a multiple personality disorder — played by special guest star Erika Christensen.
5:17PM: First Shawn Ryan and now we find out that PRISON BREAK’s Matt Olmstead is writing for the show! When did LIE TO ME become the Ellis Island of TV series and is there any room for Rina Mimoun?
5:27PM: Ryan asks the TCA attendees to twitter that LIE TO ME wants to start a rivalry with THE MENTALIST. Something that normally we’d be happy to do, if only twitter wasn’t down right now.
5:29PM: Star Tim Roth reveals that the first season was killer in terms of the workload. But unlike ungrateful GREY’S ANATOMY star Katherine Heigl, says that it’s a privilege to be on the show and that he’s so incredibly happy to be at work.
5:33PM: Garrett Dillahunt will be back…. on FOX, with the panel revealing that he’s set to guest star on an upcoming episode.
5:34PM: The producers stress that they’re looking for world class actors to guest star, not Paris Hilton. Which is somewhat awkward considering SUPERNATURAL just announced this. 