PERCEPTION: Get An Inside Look at the New TNT Series Before It Debuts

Back in October, a small group of press was invited to a set visit for the upcoming TNT summer series Perception that stars Emmy winner Eric McCormack (Will & Grace) and Rachael Leigh Cook (She’s All That). Until this week, those of us included in this rare visit, which included NiceGirlsTV, were instructed not to talk about the show or our interviews with McCormack and Cook as well as executive producer Kenneth Biller (Legend of the Seeker). But now that our embargo has been lifted, I am delighted to say this will be one of the new summer dramas that viewers will definitely want to watch.

McCormack plays Dr. Daniel Pierce, a neuroscientist and professor who is recruited to help the federal government crack difficult cases. His intimate knowledge of human behavior and masterful understanding of the mind give him an extraordinary ability to read people, but his eccentric view of the world and less-than-stellar social skills can often interfere with his work. Meanwhile, Cook stars as FBI agent Kate Moretti, Pierce’s former student and the person responsible for recruiting him to work for the government.

Without revealing too much of the storyline from the pilot, for which those of us at the set visit were the first to see besides the network ‘brass’, McCormack is electrifying as Pierce, who is obviously a beloved professor and the top man in his field; but he has his own demons; or more to the point, his own problems with his brain. Whereas, Cook is remarkably believable as Agent Moretti, who tends to be a bit of a rule-breaker and an out-of-the-box thinker, which is probably why she clicked so well with Pierce during her time as his student.

Kenneth BIller

Meanwhile, Arjay Smith (The Day After Tomorrow) plays Max Lewicki, the teaching assistant whose primary job is to keep Pierce in line and on task; and how they met, and why they continue to work together, will really surprise viewers. And, Kelly Rowan (The O.C.) stars as Natalie Vincent, Pierce’s best friend and sometimes therapist who is every big his intellectual equal. Also, LeVar Burton (Star Trek: The Next Generation) will recur as Paul Haley, a dean at the university where Pierce’s teaches.

During the interviews, Biller shared that he learned there are consultants to the FBI who are very much like Pierce; but, of course, they do take some liberties in depicting Pierce’s own problems because of the desire to keep the audience guessing just what kind of condition he has. He also shared in the beginning that there were a lot of names tossed around during the casting process, but it always went back to McCormack. Biller also complimented McCormack on his transformation into the character of Pierce and that Cook nailed the audition of Moretti on the first day.

Rachael Leigh Cok and Eric McCormack

McCormack then shared an interesting story about when he ran into a fan at a grocery store in Canada who inquired about what he was working on now; and he shared the details about Perception. As it turns out, this fan turned out to be a neuroscientist and they had a great conversation about his new role and how it reflects her life. And, Cook shared that the attribute she likes best about her character is her fierceness.

It was also discussed that McCormack makes Pierce come alive so effortlessly in Perception that viewers won’t even recognize him from his days on Will & Grace and that was done deliberately because McCormack wanted to push the envelope in the hope that the show would educate viewers as well as entertain.

Both actors talked about the advantage of being on a cable show because there is more freedom and it seems that cable is what people seem to be watching and talking about. And, they shared that some of the guest stars during their nine-episode summer run will include Neal McDonough, Tom Sizemore, Eddie Furlong, Cary Elwes and Jamie Bamber.

While the debut date for Perception has yet to be set by TNT, the show will be part of their summer programming and the pilot episode will feature actors Colin Cunningham (Falling Skies) and Joanna Douglas (Being Erica) in guest starring roles.