# Numb3rs - oh yeah, this'll be a hit **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 22, 2005, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/numb3rs-oh-yeah-thisll-be-a-hit/286108 "2005-01-22T17:35:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Push\_You\_Down](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/push_you_down/32/9095_2.png) [@Push\_You\_Down](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Push_You_Down)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2005, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/numb3rs-oh-yeah-thisll-be-a-hit/286108/41 "2005-01-24T22:06:40Z")
> [@HeyHomie](#): > > [Anthony Heald](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0372217/?fr=c2l0ZT1kZnxteD0yMHxzZz0xfGxtPTIwMHxwbj0wfHE9SGVhbGR8aHRtbD0xfG5tPW9u;fc=3;ft=20;fm=1). Although his IMDB résume doesn’t yet include his _Numb3rs_ gig. He was also the self-important assistant principal in _Boston Public_. > > And btw, it’s Dr. Chilton, according to IMDB. In the opening credits I read the name as “Anthony Head” and said “Hey, Giles is in this?” I watched it with my girlfriend. My opinion: It’s infinitely more interesting than CSI. It an easy light show. I’ll watch it again. My girlfriend’s opinion: It’s about math! I love math! Look at my key chain that says “I Love Math”. I love this show… Let’s TIVO it. ---
**Author:** ![fiddlesticks](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fiddlesticks/32/18129_2.png) [@fiddlesticks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fiddlesticks)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2005, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/numb3rs-oh-yeah-thisll-be-a-hit/286108/42 "2005-01-24T22:08:09Z")
> [@DeVena](#): > > I think the regular timeslot will be Fridays at 9c/10e. I hardly think CBS has that high of hopes for the show if they are shunting it off to Fridays. Then again, they think enough of it not to put it on Saturdays. A couple of years ago, CBS tried the high-concept cop show Robbery Homicide Division in the same late Friday night time slot. I enjoyed it, but apparently most of the rest of the target audience was out partying or watching DVDs and it died a rather quick death. (It was probably helped by Tom Sizemore’s legal troubles as well). Then again, math geeks are probably not out partying on Friday nights. 😉 Interesting effort though…maybe it’ll capture some of the same magic the original CSI did. ---
**Author:** ![Indyellen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/indyellen/32/4176_2.png) [@Indyellen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Indyellen)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2005, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/numb3rs-oh-yeah-thisll-be-a-hit/286108/43 "2005-01-24T22:38:10Z")
> [@HeyHomie](#): > > [Anthony Heald](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0372217/?fr=c2l0ZT1kZnxteD0yMHxzZz0xfGxtPTIwMHxwbj0wfHE9SGVhbGR8aHRtbD0xfG5tPW9u;fc=3;ft=20;fm=1). Although his IMDB résume doesn’t yet include his _Numb3rs_ gig. He was also the self-important assistant principal in _Boston Public_. > > And btw, it’s Dr. Chilton, according to IMDB. My bad - I realized I’d typed it wrong later as I was reading back over the thread last night. :smack: Didn’t watch _Boston Public_…and IMDB probably hasn’t updated it yet because he wasn’t in the regular credits, he had a guest spot credit. Maybe they haven’t decided if he’s going to be a regular yet. I _did_ enjoy the show, though, and since there’s nothing else I like on at 10pm Fridays, I’ll probably catch it when I’m not watching a movie. ---
**Author:** ![Green\_Bean](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/green_bean/32/1760_2.png) [@Green\_Bean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Green_Bean)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2005, 3:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/numb3rs-oh-yeah-thisll-be-a-hit/286108/44 "2005-01-25T03:35:03Z")
I liked it. It was good to see Judd Hirsch and Sabrina Lloyd. The premise is interesting. Math gets a bad rap. (Poor math!) Maybe this show will help a little. And frankly, if it helps to teach people that “the law of averages” doesn’t exist, then it’s all good to me. On the negative side, the number in the word thing is very ten years ago, and should be scrapped immediately. Numb3rs? Oo. Clever. I agree with **Reloy** that the mathematician was pleasantly normal. A little geeky, maybe, but not a total poindexter. From the promos, I guessed that the FBI guy would use his not-fit-for-human-interaction brother as a kind of a secret weapon, picking his brain, solving cases and and taking credit, while the genius brother slaved over a chalkboard in a garret somewhere. I’m glad it wasn’t like that. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2005, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/numb3rs-oh-yeah-thisll-be-a-hit/286108/45 "2005-02-07T21:26:51Z")
> [@CalMeacham](#): > > There was a MAD parody once , where they tried to make shows more educational. One of 'em was (paraphrased from memory): > > **M.A.T.H.** – a group of mathematicians are drafted to serve in the Korean War. In this episode, B.J. and Hawkeye put a trapezoid in Frank’s bed, and Col. Potter finds a parallelogranm in his shoe. Guest star: Isaac Asimov I’d like to see that. Unfortunately, it’s not in Totally MAD. ---
**Author:** ![suranyi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@suranyi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/suranyi)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2005, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/numb3rs-oh-yeah-thisll-be-a-hit/286108/46 "2005-02-07T22:54:27Z")
> [@Mr. Blue Sky](#): > > I’ve seen several promos for this show. At risk of having to eat these words, I’m gonna say this will likely not make it past it’s initial run of episodes, if that much. Although it’s still early, you may have to eat your words. So far, it’s killing its competition in its timeslot on Friday. Ed ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2005, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/numb3rs-oh-yeah-thisll-be-a-hit/286108/47 "2005-02-07T23:12:34Z")
> [@suranyi](#): > > Although it’s still early, you may have to eat your words. So far, it’s killing its competition in its timeslot on Friday. > > Ed Being big on Fridays ain’t saying a whole lot. Friday is _usually_ the dumping ground of TV. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2005, 1:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/numb3rs-oh-yeah-thisll-be-a-hit/286108/48 "2005-02-08T13:39:42Z")
I never understood the whole Friday thing. Am I the only one with kids? Everyone else in the world is out partying? I’m such a loser. 🆒 ---
**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2005, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/numb3rs-oh-yeah-thisll-be-a-hit/286108/49 "2005-02-08T14:53:00Z")
Not just partying. Couples and families go out to eat, to the movies, to friends houses, stuff like that. ---
**Author:** ![moi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c2a13f/32.png) [@moi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/moi)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2005, 4:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/numb3rs-oh-yeah-thisll-be-a-hit/286108/50 "2005-02-12T04:14:58Z")
No one found the math bits of the show, particularly the black-and-white portions, to be oddly derivative of [_Pi_](http://imdb.com/title/tt0138704/)? ---
**Author:** ![pinkfreud](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pinkfreud/32/17603_2.png) [@pinkfreud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pinkfreud)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2005, 4:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/numb3rs-oh-yeah-thisll-be-a-hit/286108/51 "2005-02-12T04:22:10Z")
> [@moi](#): > > No one found the math bits of the show, particularly the black-and-white portions, to be oddly derivative of [_Pi_](http://imdb.com/title/tt0138704/)? I did think if _Pi_, both because of the black-and-white math snippets and because parts of this show made me feel like drilling a hole in my skull. I may keep watching, though. Almost anything with Judd Hirsch in it will get my attention. Now where is that drill?.. ---
**Author:** ![suranyi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@suranyi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/suranyi)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2005, 6:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/numb3rs-oh-yeah-thisll-be-a-hit/286108/52 "2005-02-12T06:35:54Z")
> [@Mr. Blue Sky](#): > > Being big on Fridays ain’t saying a whole lot. Friday is _usually_ the dumping ground of TV. True, but remember: CSI started on Friday. Not that I expect this to be another CSI. Ed ---
**Author:** ![Improv\_Geek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/b3f665/32.png) [@Improv\_Geek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Improv_Geek)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2005, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/numb3rs-oh-yeah-thisll-be-a-hit/286108/53 "2005-02-12T16:15:13Z")
Personally I love the show and if my roommates were not scifi channel addicts and Battlestar Galactica wasn’t on during Numb3rs, It’d be appointment tv for me. As it is I tivo it and watch it as my Saturday morning routine. I love Rob Morrow, I first saw him in **Quiz Show** and was excited to see him on a sitcom. I also love seeing Krumholz, MacNicol, and Lloyd. I think this show is quirky enough to grab people’s attention and if its storylines do expand then I think it has lots of possibility. And I was also reassured to find that the math on the show was all based on real math, I was afraid it was fictionalized and then I would have lost interest real quick. ---
**Author:** ![TJdude825](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/dec6dc/32.png) [@TJdude825](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TJdude825)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2005, 7:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/numb3rs-oh-yeah-thisll-be-a-hit/286108/54 "2005-02-13T07:20:27Z")
I’ve seen the first two episodes, and it wasn’t really enough to form a valid opinion, but I’m not really interested in watching it again. But then, I really don’t watch much TV at all. Anyway, is there a thread open that analyzes the math in the show? Here’s my question: I don’t remember which episode it was, but Math Boy found a “hot spot,” with different probabilities of finding the killer in different areas. There’s a 60% chance he’s in the white area, and then a 70% chance he’s in either yellow or white, and so on. And they only checked out to yellow or orange, and then they just gave up. The unchecked area did have a pretty small probability, but it seemed weird they didn’t continue. Also, the episode that was all about this really clever bank robbery chain. Good drama, but there was almost no math, as I recall. ---
**Author:** ![Snooooopy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ee7513/32.png) [@Snooooopy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snooooopy)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2005, 7:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/numb3rs-oh-yeah-thisll-be-a-hit/286108/55 "2005-02-13T07:35:14Z")
> [@TJdude825](#): > > Also, the episode that was all about this really clever bank robbery chain. Good drama, but there was almost no math, as I recall. A lot of the math happened before the episode. As it starts, Charlie is hanging out by a fish pond while the authorities used an equation he had already developed to nab the robbers. ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2005, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/numb3rs-oh-yeah-thisll-be-a-hit/286108/56 "2005-02-13T14:47:35Z")
> [@TJdude825](#): > > Also, the episode that was all about this really clever bank robbery chain. Good drama, but there was almost no math, as I recall. There was enough math to show a math glitch. They said there were 16 robberies. The average take was $2700. Later in the episode, Don (Rob Morrow) said that the robberies were really inconsistent, with the takes being as much as a couple hundred thousand and as little as a couple hundred. Unless there were times when the robbers gave money back, this does not compute. ---
**Author:** ![Improv\_Geek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/b3f665/32.png) [@Improv\_Geek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Improv_Geek)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2005, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/numb3rs-oh-yeah-thisll-be-a-hit/286108/57 "2005-02-13T14:56:14Z")
**jsgoddess** - Nice catch! I’ll have to go back and watch this episode again… [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/numb3rs-oh-yeah-thisll-be-a-hit/286108.md?page=2)