Secrets and Lies (American TV series)
A detective pursues truth in a community of secrets.
Secrets and Lies is an American mystery anthology series that ran on ABC from March 2015 to December 2016. Based on an Australian show, it was adapted for U.S. television by Barbie Kligman. The series centers on Detective Andrea Cornell, who investigates homicide cases.
Quick Facts
- Genre
- Detective fiction, Mystery
- Based on
- Secrets & Lies, Stephen M. Irwin
- Developer
- Barbie Kligman
- Producer
- Barbara D'Alessandro
- Joe Halpin
- Caroline James
- Composer
- Matteo Zingales
- Cinematography
- Frank G. DeNmark, Robert Humphreys
- Country
- United States
- Language
- English
Facts from the source article.
Plot summary
Ben Crawford, a self-employed contractor, discovers the body of five-year-old Tom, a neighbor's son, while on an early morning run. Detective Andrea Cornell suspects Ben, who cannot account for his whereabouts due to a blackout after drinking with his friend Dave. The Crawford family faces media intrusion and community shunning, and Ben learns Tom was his son from a one-night affair. Ben investigates on his own, falsely accusing others, and is kidnapped by a former CIA operative neighbor. Dave later admits to spiking Ben's drink. Ben's marriage collapses, and he briefly rekindles an affair with Jess, Tom's mother, who falsely accuses him of rape. Cornell and Ben independently discover that Ben's daughter Abby killed Tom, claiming it was an accident meant to make Tom appear missing. Ben offers to confess to protect Abby, but Cornell believes Abby will kill again. In season two, Ben is killed in jail, and his innocence is later revealed, though it is unclear whether Abby was exposed as the killer.
Production
Secrets and Lies received a 10-episode series commitment in October 2013. Barbie Kligman was brought in as executive producer and showrunner, with original series producers Tracey Robertson and Nathan Mayfield also serving as executive producers. ABC picked up the series on May 9, 2014, to air as a mid-season entry during the 2014–15 season. An additional scene from the season 1 finale, set 14 months later, was released online, showing Natalie clearing Ben's name.
Reception
The first season received mixed criticism. On Rotten Tomatoes, it earned a 36% approval rating with an average rating of 4.7/10 based on 30 reviews, with the critical consensus citing wooden performances, excessive red herrings, and bad scripts. On Metacritic, it scored 48 out of 100 based on 22 reviews. In March 2015, ABC and the show's producers faced criticism from the bleeding disorder community for a line portraying hemophilia as an incestuous disease. The line was removed from subsequent airings, but ABC issued no formal apology.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes of Secrets and Lies (American TV series) are there?
Secrets and Lies has 20 episodes across 2 seasons.
When did Secrets and Lies (American TV series) end?
Secrets and Lies last aired on 4 December 2016.
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