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Profileris an Americancrime dramacreated by Cynthia Saunders that aired onNBCfrom September 21, 1996, to July 1, 2000. The series follows the exploits of acriminal profilerworking with the fictionalFBIViolent Crimes Task Force (VCTF) based inAtlanta, Georgia.
| Profiler | |
|---|---|
 Title card. | |
| Genre | Crime drama |
| Created by | Cynthia Saunders |
| Starring | |
| Theme music composer | Angelo Badalamenti |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language | English |
| No.of seasons | 4 |
| No.of episodes | 83(list of episodes) |
| Production | |
| Executive producers |
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| Producers |
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| Running time | approx. 42 min, hour with commercials (per episode) |
| Production companies |
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| Original release | |
| Network | NBC |
| Release | September 21, 1996– July 1, 2000 |
The show initially starredAlly Walkeras profiler Dr. Samantha Waters, the victim of a stalker known as "Jack of All Trades". At the end of the third season, Walker departed the series and was replaced byJamie Lunerasprosecutor-turned-profiler Dr. Rachel Burke during the show's final season.[1][2]Robert Davi,Roma Maffia,Peter Frechette,andJulian McMahonco-starred for all four seasons.Caitlin WachsandErica Gimpelalso co-starred for the first two seasons; Wachs was replaced byEvan Rachel Woodin a recurring role for the third season, while Gimpel appeared as a guest star.
Along withThe Pretender,Profilerwas a staple ofNBC's Saturday night lineupduring the late 1990s. The series shared a similar lead character and premise with theFoxseriesMillennium,which also premiered at the beginning of the 1996–97 television season.
Plot
editSeasons 1–3
editDr. Samantha "Sam" Waters (Ally Walker) is aforensic psychologistworking for theFBI's (fictitious) Violent Crimes Task Force ( "VCTF" ), based in Atlanta, Georgia. She is acriminal profilerwith her own unique gift to "see" through the eyes of others. This gift gives Sam an added special insight into the workings of the criminal mind.
Sam performs all of her duties diligently and competently, her drive coming from experiencing both a professional and personal tragedy years earlier in which her husband was murdered by a serial killer known only as "Jack of All Trades." Due to Jack's dangerous and pathological nature, Sam must live under 24/7 police guard in a former firefighter station with her seven-year-old daughter Chloe (Caitlin Wachs,laterEvan Rachel Wood); and her best friend, artist Angel Brown (Erica Gimpel).
After helping her mentor Bailey Malone (Robert Davi) on a difficult case, Sam comes out of retirement and reclusiveness to join theFBIViolent Crimes Task Force. Also on the team are detectives John Grant (Julian McMahon) and Nathan Brubaker (Michael Whaley),computer hackerGeorge Fraley (Peter Frechette),forensic pathologistGrace Álvarez (Roma Maffia).
In season two, Brubaker leaves the VCTF and is replaced by Marcus Payton (Shiek Mahmoud-Bey), who creates tension on the team due to his skepticism of Sam's methods. Jack also recruits violent ex-felon Sharon Lesher (Traci Lords) to become his partner-in-crime "Jill of All Trades." Bailey is also faced with the rebellious behavior of his daughter Frances (Heather McComb) after she becomes involved in criminal activity.
In season three, all three of the new characters were dropped while Chloe was downgraded to a recurring character. With "Jack" seemingly being captured as a childhood schoolmate of Sam named Donald Lucas (Mark Rolston), the series began to focus more on VCTF cases and Sam's attempts to reintegrate back into society. Sam and Chloe move into an upscale house in the Atlanta suburbs, while Sam also begins to reconnect with her estranged father Walter Anderson (Lawrence Pressman) and pursue a relationship with prosecutor Paul Sterling (John Mese). Bailey also reconciles with his ex-wife Janet (Patricia Healy).
Season 4
editIt is discovered at the end of season three that Lucas is not the real "Jack"; he was instead framed by violentsociopathAlbert Newquay (Dennis Christopher). To mislead and tease the viewers, Albert Newquay, the real Jack's true name, was first mentioned in season two when he took refuge at the Maryland home of his wealthy mother Miriam (Louise Fletcher) to recover after being shot by Sam. Newquay then appeared on-camera for the first time in season three posing in disguise as Ed Post, the seemingly buffoonishsheriffof a sinister fictional small northern California town.
At the start of season four, Sam is kidnapped by Newquay. Bailey calls in for assistance from profiler Rachel Burke (Jamie Luner), a former FBI instructor at Quantico who also had Waters' skill of profiling. After being freed, Sam departs VCTF and Burke joins the team.
Burke initially alienates the team members due to her brusque take-charge manner that is unlike Sam. She and John Grant, who had met her previously, in particular clash due to a disagreement on whether they had actually engaged in intercourse during a liquor-filled nightcap. Rachel struggles to help her self-destructive younger brother Danny (Raphael Sbarge); Grace faces dealing with her second pregnancy after her husband leaves her; and George develops an addiction to painkillers after being injured in a minor car accident.
Rachel soon receives a stalker of her own with the shadowyurban legendnamed Damian Kennasas. Unstable FBI agent Joel Marks (Gregory Itzin) is initially presented as the main suspect. However, the season ends with a cliffhanger as Rachel is framed for Joel's murder by the real Damian. The VCTF also faces disbandment fromU.S. Congressover its high budget. The cancellation of the series resulted in these cliffhangers never being answered.
Episodes
editCast
edit| Actor | Character | Seasons | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | ||
| Ally Walker | Dr. Samantha "Sam" Waters | Main | Guest | ||
| Robert Davi | Agent Bailey Malone | Main | |||
| Julian McMahon | Agent John Grant | Main | |||
| Roma Maffia | Dr. Grace Alvarez | Main | |||
| Michael Whaley | Agent Nathan Brubaker | Main | |||
| Peter Frechette | George Farley | Main | |||
| Erica Gimpel | Angel Brown | Main | Guest | ||
| Caitlin Wachs | Chloe Waters[Note 1] | Main | |||
| Evan Rachel Wood | Recurring | ||||
| Heather McComb | Frances Malone | Recurring | Main | ||
| Shiek Mahmud-Bey | Agent Marcus Payton | Main | |||
| Traci Lords | Sharon Lesher | Main | |||
| Jamie Luner | Agent Rachel Burke | Main | |||
- Notes
- ^Wood replaced Wachs as Chloe after season 2. However, she was credited in a recurring role instead of a main role.
Recurring
edit- A Martinezas Nick Cooper[3](seasons 1–2), an ATF bomb disposal expert and love interest of Sam Waters. He was murdered by "Jack" out of jealousy at the beginning of season two. Martinez and Walker had previously worked together on the NBC daytime serialSanta Barbara.
- Evan Rachel Woodas Chloe Waters (seasons 3–4)
- Mark Rolstonas Donald Lucas (season 3), a childhood schoolmate of Sam who is believed to be "Jack." However, it is proven he was framed by the real "Jack"
- John Mese as Paul Sterling (season 3), a prosecutor whom Sam begins dating.
- Lawrence Pressmanas Walter Anderson (season 3), Sam's estranged father who has a mysterious connection to Donald Lucas.
- Patricia Healyas Janet Bailey (season 3), Bailey's ex-wife with whom he tries to reconcile. The reconciliation is ultimately unsuccessful, and she is not seen again after the third season.
- Raphael Sbargeas Danny Burke (season 4), Rachel's younger brother. A self-destructive drug addict, he dies from an overdose towards the end of season four.
- Gregory Itzinas Joel Marks (season 4), an unstable FBI agent who stalked Rachel after she taped him threatening her and derailed his career. He is murdered at the end of season four, with Rachel being framed for the crime as revenge for her brother's death.
Unconfirmed
edit- Dennis Christopheras "Jack of All Trades" / Albert Newquay (Uncredited or credited as "Jack" during seasons 1–2)
The Pretenderuniverse
editProfilershared the same universe withThe Pretender,with three crossover episodes, three withMichael T. Weissguest-starring onProfiler,Ally Walker made a guest appearance onThe Pretenderin season 3, episode 19, and Jamie Luner making a guest appearance onThe Pretenderin season 4, episode 10.
Broadcast
editProfilerwas first syndicated toCourt TVin 2000[4]and it aired weeknights at 1:00 a.m. and 4:00 a.m. Eastern onNBC Universal's 24-hour crime and mystery-themed cable channelSleuth(nowCloo) in 2007. From 2018 to 2022, reruns aired at 1:00 a.m. and 2:00 a.m. daily on the network channelStart TV.
InEurope,it aired onCNBC Europe,inHungaryon TV3 andTV2,in theCzech RepubliconČT1andTV Prima,inItalyonRai 2,LA7andFox Crime,inSlovakiaonMarkíza,inBulgariaon cable television with subtitles, later broadcast onBNT 1with the 1st Bulgarian dubbing, and a few years later, repeats with a new dubbing onDiema 2and onAXN Crime,again with subtitles, inGermanyonVOX,inFranceonM6,Série Club, Téva,TF6andNT1,inBelgiumon La Un, inSwitzerlandonRTS 1and inUkraineon QTV and Antenna.
Home media
editDVD release
editA&E Home Video(under license byNBC Entertainment) has released the entire series on DVD in Region 1 in the United States of America. The four-season release box set has been discontinued and is now out of print.
- Episode #1.4 'I'll Be Watching You' from Season 1 was not included in the set due to music right issues over the title song.[5]
| Title | Format | Ep # | Discs/Tapes | Region 1 (USA) | Special Features | USA Distributor |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Profiler (Season 1) | DVD | 21 | 6 | 1 July 2003 29 July 2003 |
Profiles of Evil: Inside the Criminal Mind episode of A&E's American Justice series
Commentary by Ally Walker and Robert Davi on the pilot episode "Insight" Photo gallery Cast Biographies |
A&E Home Video |
| Profiler (Season 2) | DVD | 20 | 6 | 28 October 2003 25 November 2003 |
Commentary with Investigative Criminal Profiler Pat Brown on episode "Victims of Victims"
Cast Biographies |
A&E Home Video |
| Profiler (Season 3) | DVD | 22 | 6 | 30 March 2004 27 April 2004 |
Commentary with Roma Maffia on the episode "Heads You Lose" Ally Walker's final season Cast Biographies |
A&E Home Video |
| Profiler (Season 4) | DVD | 20 | 5 | 28 September 2004 26 October 2004 |
Interview with series consultant Howard Teten, Former FBI Unit Chief and Criminal Profiler
Commentary with executive producer Clifton Campbell on the final episode "On Your Marks" Cast Biographies |
A&E Home Video |
Streaming
editAs of 2025, this show is not available to stream onPeacock,while it is currently available to stream onThe Roku Channel.
Australian DVD release
edit| Title | Format | Ep # | Discs/Tapes | Region 4 (Australia) | Special Features | Australia Distributor |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Profiler (Season 1 & 2) | DVD | 42 | 12 | 22 May 2019 | Bonus Episode – “I’ll Be Watching You” | Via Vision Entertainment |
| Profiler (Season 3 & 4) | DVD | 41 | 12 | 10 July 2019 | None | Via Vision Entertainment |
| Profiler (The Complete Series) | DVD | 83 | 23 | 16 November 2019 | None | Via Vision Entertainment |
Ratings
edit| Season | U.S. ratings | Network | Rank | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1996–97 | 7.4 million | NBC | #82 |
| 2 | 1997–98 | 9.9 million | NBC | #86 |
| 3 | 1998–99 | 8.9 million | NBC | #89 |
| 4 | 1999-00 | 8.1 million | NBC | #86 |
References
edit- ^Josef Adalian (July 12, 1999)."NBC's 'Profiler' Looks to Luner".Variety.RetrievedJuly 11,2016.
- ^Shauna Snow (July 13, 1999)."Morning Report".Los Angeles Times.RetrievedJuly 11,2016.
Luner's character, former prosecutor-turned-FBI-profiler Rachel Burke, will be introduced in a two-part season premiere...
- ^Ray Richmond (December 4, 1996)."Martinez Joins 'Profiler'".Variety.RetrievedJuly 11,2016.
- ^John Dempsey (July 14, 2000)."Court TV gavels in 'Profiler,' 'Forensic'".Variety.RetrievedJuly 11,2016.
- ^Susan King (July 26, 2003)."Back for reruns, but why?".Los Angeles Times.Archived fromthe originalon August 18, 2016.RetrievedJuly 11,2016.
The set features all but one episode from the premiere season -- the fourth episode is missing because of the very expensive music rights for the Police classic "Every Breath You Take," which is prominently featured in the episode.