The Mentalist Episode Guide as been updated with information on The Mentalist Season 1 Episode 13 to be broadcast in January 2009.

"Paint It Red" - While it appears obvious that a business tycoon's son-in-law was in on the robbery of a $50 million painting since his body is found where the painting once hung, Patrick Jane suspects others, including a Russian oil baron, an art forger and an art curator, on THE MENTALIST, Tuesday, Jan. 18 (10:00-11:00 PM, ET) on the CBS Television Network.

You can read the full description and cast information in The Mentalist Episode Guide.

Update: The Above broadast date/time has been changed due to rescheduling by CBS.

Tags: Episodes, S01E13, The Mentalist

According to Mansha Daswani of World Screen, The Mentalist will begin airing in Canada on CTV as of Sunday, January 5th 2009. It will occupy the 10 p.m. (local time) slot, immediately following Desperate Housewives.

Source: http://www.worldscreen.com/newscurrent.php?filename=mentalist12238.htm

Tags: Schedule, Canada, The Mentalist

The Mentalist Episode Guide as been updated with information on The Mentalist Season 1 Episode 12 to be broadcast in January 2009.

"Red Rum" - Patrick Jane sets a mentalist trap to find out who is responsible for the murder of a high school boy who antagonized the local self-proclaimed witch by killing her cat, on THE MENTALIST, Tuesday, Jan. 13 (9:00-10:01 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network.

You can read the full description and cast information in The Mentalist Episode Guide.

Tags: Episodes, S01E12, The Mentalist

For the Dec. 23rd, 2008 REPEAT broadcast of The Mentalist episode 4 "Ladies In Red":

According to the final live+same day ratings for it's time slot, The Mentalist was FIRST in households (6.6/11), viewers (10.67m) and adults 18-49 (2.1/6). It was also the most viewed show for the entire evening, besting a repeat episode of stablemate NCIS (10.59m viewers).

(Source: pifeedback.com & tvbythenumbers.com)

As a side note: "According to Nielsen, the scripted show that averaged the highest percentage of U.S homes all year was ... CBS' new drama "The Mentalist.""

Source: http://www.thrfeed.com/2008/12/nielsens-year-e.html

Tags: Ratings, S01E04, The Mentalist

Who's TV's New King? (Hint: It Ain't Grey's or CSI)
By Joal Ryan
E! Online

"Question 1: So, can you think back to a time when the Usual Suspects (CSI, Housewives, Grey's) were not No. 1? (Answer: Don't think so hard. The answer is just last week, when The Mentalist blew up by about 3 million viewers, and blew straight to the top of the Nielsen rankings—the first time a freshman show has pulled off the latter feat since, CBS said, Housewives was but a wee, young thing back in 2005.)
Question 2: So, what was so special about last week's Mentalist? (Answer: Nothing. Just "more exceptional storytelling," a CBS rep said modestly. That, and Dancing With the Stars is dark on Tuesdays until the spring.)"

Full Article:
http://www.eonline.com/uberblog/b72466_whos_tvs_new_king_hint_it_aint_greys_csi.html


Best Of 2008: Top 5 New Series
By Emily Hochberg
Fancast

"1. The Mentalist

Entertainment Weekly deemed The Mentalist the only hit TV show of the 2008 fall slate. It’s witty, it’s smart, and it stars a hot Aussie. Well, he’s American on the show, but Simon Baker nails it as Patrick Jane, a former TV psychic who’s admitted to faking his visions of the future but is the real deal when it comes to solving crimes. His unconventional approach clashes with no-nonsense Senior Agent Teresa Lisbon, played by Robin Tunney and their fellow team of agents who dislike his narcissistic ways but can’t belittle his knack for cracking cases. Created by Bruno Heller, The Mentalist is a bonafide hit for CBS with stellar ratings, and is one TV show we look forward to following for seasons to come."

Full Article:
http://thebiz.fancast.com/2008/12/top_5_new_series_of_2008.html


Mr. TV: Best, Worst of ’08
By Marc Berman
MediaWeek

"SNL may be the toast of late night, but two shows in prime time that deserve to be touted are CBS Tuesday dramas NCIS and The Mentalist. While they may not be magnets for young viewers, NCIS is now the third-most-watched program in prime time and lead-out The Mentalist, the perfect counterpart, is the highest rated new series of the year."

Full Article:
http://www.mediaweek.com/mw/content_display/community/programming-insider/column/e3if39d7edc6dfc96b5d3a829e6f4f4d99f


Reading 'The Mentalist's' Mind
by Emily Yahr
The Washington Post

"Jane, played by Simon Baker, is a detective/former faux-psychic in the new CBS drama "The Mentalist," the sole breakout hit of a dismal fall TV season. The series features the California Bureau of Investigation and Jane, its brilliant and most controversial employee. Haunted by the murder of his wife and daughter, Jane uses his keen sense of observation, dead-on instincts and frighteningly blinding smile to charm his way into solving any crime.
We talked to Baker and creator Bruno Heller about the idea for this unique character."

Full Article:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/artsandliving/style/studio/122108.html


Zap2it's Year in Review: The least-watched shows of fall 2008
By Rick Porter
Zap2it

"This fall has not been a great one for television, as has been widely both here and elsewhere. Ratings are down across the board, and with the exception of CBS' The Mentalist, which started strong and has stayed that way, there are no new hits to be found anywhere. Including in this post."

Full Article:
http://blog.zap2it.com/frominsidethebox/2008/12/zap2its-2008-ye.html


The Mentalist Simon Baker voted US star of the year
The Herald Sun

""I am one actor in a bunch of people that work very hard and tirelessly to get this show on the air. I am incredibly blessed,"said Baker, 39, in a phone interview from Santa Monica, where he was Christmas shopping with his wife, Rebecca, with whom he has three children (fellow Australians Nicole Kidman and Naomi Watts are godparents for two of them).

Baker was reacting to the news that The Post's TV Week had named him its star of the year. "I'm incredibly flattered," he said humbly. "I enjoy the flattery of it, understanding too well that I'm just one piece in a big machine. "

Full Article:
http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,24833002-5006022,00.html

Tags: Articles, The Mentalist

The December 23rd, 2008 episode of The Mentalist is:

"Ladies in Red" - When the team learns that a wealthy investment banker found murdered inside his locked safe room was living a dual life and skimming millions from clients, Patrick Jane sets up a mental conundrum to see which of the suspects will show their true colors, on a rebroadcast of THE MENTALIST Tuesday, Dec. 23 (9:00-10:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network. (Originally broadcast 10/21/08)

Full description and cast info is available in The Mentalist Episode Guide. Join us in The Mentalist Fan Forum for friendly discussion of the episode!

Tags: Schedule, S01E04, The Mentalist

The Mentalist Episode 10 "Red Brick And Ivy" ratings for the night of December 16th, 2008:

A RECORD-SETTING NIGHT FOR CBS AS THE NETWORK DELIVERS ITS LARGEST TUESDAY AUDIENCE SINCE 1995

"The Mentalist," the Season's Number One New Show, Shatters Its Previous Highs in All Measures

" At 9:00 PM, THE MENTALIST won its time slot in households (11.6/18), viewers (19.31m), adults 25-54 (6.1/14) and second in adults 18-49 (4.2/11). This is the best delivery ever for THE MENTALIST in viewers, adults 25-54 and adults 18-49. This is the second consecutive first-run broadcast THE MENTALIST to hit series highs in viewers, adults 25-54 and adults 18-49. This is CBS's largest audience for a first-run regularly scheduled program in this time period since Feb. 28, 1995 (CBS TUESDAY MOVIE: "Children of the Dust" Part 2). "

(source: CBS Press Release)

Tags: Ratings, S01E10, The Mentalist

The Mentalist Photo Gallery for Season one has been re-organized and split into seperate sections for each episode. A huge number of new promotional photos have, also, been added.

Galleries for a couple of episodes are currently lacking but more updates are forthcoming shortly.

Tags: Photos, S01E01, S01E02, S01E03, S01E04, S01E05, S01E10, The Mentalist

Broadcast Reminder: "Red Brick and Ivy" - When a leading scientific researcher is killed by poisoning, Patrick Jane takes a personal interest in the case when he learns the prime suspect is the victim's wife, and Jane's former psychiatrist, on THE MENTALIST, Tuesday, Dec. 16 (9:00-10:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network. Complete episode description and cast info is available in The Mentalist Episode Guide.

Note: This is the last new episode of The Mentalist to be broadcast in 2008. An encore of episode 4 will run on December 23rd. The series will return with new episodes beginning on January 6th, 2009 in it's normal slot.

Tags: Schedule, S01E10, The Mentalist

The Mentalist Episode Guide as been updated with information on what will be the first new episode of The Mentalist in 2009.

"Red John's Friends" - Patrick Jane, enticed by the promise from a convicted murder that he'll reveal information about Red John upon his release, becomes singularly focused and quits the CBI in order to prove the prisoner is innocent, on THE MENTALIST, Tuesday, Jan. 6 (9:00-10:01 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network.

You can read the full description and cast information in The Mentalist Episode Guide.

Tags: Episodes, S01E11, The Mentalist

For it's time period on December 9th, 2008 The Mentalist's repeat broadcast of episode 3 "Red Tide" was first in households (9.0/14), viewers (13.65m), second in adults 25-54 (4.0/09) and adults 18-49 (2.8/07). Compared to the first run broadcast of this episode (on October 14, 2008), the rebroadcast delivered 96% of the first run household ratings, 91% of viewers, 85% of adults 25-54 and 82% of adults 18-49.

(Source: CBS Press Release)

In related news, for the period of December 1st to December 7th, The Mentalist was the #1 most watched show of the week! The Mentalist is the first freshman series to hit #1 since ABC's Desperate Housewives in 2005.

Source: http://www.reuters.com/article/industryNews/idUSTRE4B914120081210

Tags: Ratings, S01E03, The Mentalist

Tonight's episode of The Mentalist is an encore presentation of episode 3:

"Red Tide" - When a high school girl's body washes up on the beach, Patrick Jane sets a mentalist trap in order to get her surfing friends to turn on each other and reveal what really happened, on a rebroadcast of THE MENTALIST Tuesday, Dec. 09 (9:00-10:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network.

Tags: Schedule, S01E03, The Mentalist

Freshman hit THE MENTALIST delivered its largest audience of the season (18.74m) and beat "Fringe" in adults 18-49 for the third time in four weeks, according to Nielsen updated live plus same day ratings for Tuesday, Dec. 2.

THE MENTALIST won its time slot in households (11.6/18), viewers (18.74m), adults 25-54 (5.4/12) and was tied for first in adults 18-49 (3.8/09, with NBC). Compared to last week, THE MENTALIST was up +20% in households (from 9.7/15), +8% in adults 25-54 (from 5.0/11), +3% in adults 18-49 (from 3.7/09) and added +2.81m viewers (from 15.93m, +18%). This is THE MENTALIST's best delivery in households and viewers. This is also the first time this season THE MENTALIST outdelivered its NCIS lead-in in both households and viewers.

(Source: CBS Press Release)

UPDATE 12/12/08: In related news, for the period of December 1st to December 7th, The Mentalist was the #1 most watched show of the week! The Mentalist is the first freshman series to hit #1 since ABC's Desperate Housewives in 2005.

Source: http://www.reuters.com/article/industryNews/idUSTRE4B914120081210

Tags: Ratings, S01E09, The Mentalist

What celebrities are thankful for this year
American Entertainment Productions

""I'm thankful that America actually stood up and did something quite extraordinary (with the election). ... I've been over here for 12 years and I have a green card and I've been delaying becoming a citizen because I was really troubled by the politics in this country, and sort of befuddled by it." — Australian actor Simon Baker, "The Mentalist.""

Full Article:
http://www.amentinc.com/blogs/2008/11/26/WhatCelebritiesAreThankfulForThisYear.aspx


Mentalist an unpredicible hit
Alex Strachan Canwest News Service, CNS
Financial Post

""One of the basic skills mentalists learn is how to tap into their own prodigious memories," Heller said. "People don't expect you to literally memorize phone books, but good mentalists can do exactly that. What they're doing is far more extraordinary than simply talking to someone on ‘the other side.'

"It says something profound about how the mind works. The human mind is an amazing thing. And what Patrick Jane does with his natural abilities is more extraordinary than talking to ghosts, I feel.""

Full Article:
http://www.financialpost.com/story.html?id=1001981


Q&A: 'The Mentalist' creator Bruno Heller
James Hibbard
The Hollywood Reporter

"THR: Did you watch police procedurals before creating the show?

Heller: It gives me vertigo to watch TV dramas. Previously I did "Rome" and I couldn’t watch any Roman things. So my process was to get things back to basics and try to do the show as if no one had done it before. So I very deliberately avoided seeing what was out there.

THR: When you first wrote the script, who did you picture for the role? Simon Baker is great, but he’s unusual enough so that I wouldn’t think a writer would imagine him per se.

Heller: Yes, as it turned out, he brings whole other stuff to the role that I hadn’t imagined. It needed somebody with grace -- physical and spiritual grace. I imagined a Cary Grant type of role. Somebody who moves and looks graceful, because those guys -- mentalists and psychics -- they have to be people you’d want to get close to because that’s what they are trying to do with you. Simon has those things in spades."

Full Article:
http://www.thrfeed.com/2008/11/qa-the-mentalis.html


Simon Baker sees future in The Mentalist
By Lynn Elber
Providence Journal

"Asked to dissect the appeal of The Mentalist, however, Baker was far more cautious than flip.

“I don’t want to touch it. I’m really happy. Knock on wood. ... This day and age, it’s a very competitive world, the television world. If people want to turn the television on and watch The Mentalist, then I’m very, very happy.”"

Full Article:
http://www.projo.com/tv/content/lb_TV_Mentalist_12-01-08_T4CB99H_v6.2993833.html


‘Mentalist’ Is a Hit, but Who Can See Into Its Future?
By Lisa Bernhard
NY Times

"BRUNO HELLER, the soft-spoken, British-born creator of the CBS series “The Mentalist,” about a television psychic turned crime-solving sleuth, was having a good laugh. He had just been asked what it’s like swanning around Hollywood as the man responsible for the fall television season’s top-rated new show.

“You make that sound very exciting and glamorous,” he said in his dapper English accent, followed by more laughter. “Not much happens, really. No rose petals are scattered in my path. I haven’t been to any parties. And if I went to parties, they would say, ‘Well done.’ And then they would say, ‘Let’s see how he does in the back nine,’ when I walked away.”"

Full Article:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/30/arts/television/30bern.html


What's His Secret? Watch and Learn
By Becky Krystal
Washington Post

"Baker said he was undaunted by having to depict a hyper-aware character whose thinking process unfolds before the audience.

"I've had a bit more problem with the showmanship side of it, because I haven't really played roles like that," he said.

"The watchful stuff is easy for me. Easier for me. Easy," Baker paused, then added, laughing, "None of it's easy for me!""

Full Article:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/11/20/AR2008112002166.html

Tags: Articles, The Mentalist

"Flame Red" - Patrick Jane suspects the only surviving member of a National Guard unit of murdering his friends, and goes undercover to prove it, on THE MENTALIST, Tuesday, Dec. 2 (9:00-10:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network.

See full description and cast listing in The Mentalist Episode Guide.

Tags: Schedule, S01E10, The Mentalist