Wikipedia

The Irrational

The Irrationalis an Americancrime dramatelevision series created by Arika Mittman. It is loosely based on the life ofDan Ariely,a behavioral economist and professor at Duke University, and his 2008 non-fiction bookPredictably Irrational: The Hidden Forces That Shape Our Decisions.[1]The show featuresJesse L. Martinin the role of Alec Mercer, a behavioral scientist who, like Ariely, lends his expertise to governments, law enforcement, and corporations to solve complex issues. Co-stars include Molly Kunz as Pheobe, Alec's grad student, and Maahra Hill as Special Agent Marisa Clark.

The Irrational
Genre
Created byArika Mittman
Based onPredictably Irrational
byDan Ariely
Starring
ComposerDanny Lux
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No.of seasons2
No.of episodes17
Production
Executive producers
ProducerJesse L. Martin
Running time42 minutes
Production companies
Original release
NetworkNBC
ReleaseSeptember 25, 2023(2023-09-25)–
present

Season one ofThe Irrationalpremiered on September25, 2023, onNBC,and season two began airing a year later, on October8, 2024. With the series' premiere attracting over 3.8 million viewers, it received good reviews from critics and a 5.1/10 rating on Rotten Tomatoes.[2]

Premise

edit

Professor Alec Mercer is a professor of behavioral psychology, whose interests, human irrationality in particular, reflect Ariely’s own work in behavioral economics. Like his prototype, Mercer demonstrates how unconscious biases and emotional impulses influence decision-making, often in ways that defy logical reasoning. Throughout the show, Mercer applies his insights into human nature to helpcooperates with the police and the FBI solve high-stake criminal cases, including murders, plane crashes, and kidnappings. This echoes Ariely’s real-life role as a consultant to governments and corporations, where he leverages his expertise in behavioral science to address complex societal challenges such as policy-making, health decisions, and fraud detection Additionally, Mercer's personal backstory, including the life-changing injury that left him physically scarred, mirrors Ariely’s experience of suffering injuries after an explosion–an accident that aroused his interest in understanding the emotional and psychological dimensions of pain and human behavior.[3]

Cast

edit

Main

edit
  • Jesse L. Martinas Professor Alec Mercer, an expert in behavioral science
  • Maahra Hill as Special Agent Marisa Clark, an FBI agent and Alec's ex-wife
  • Arash DeMaxi as Rizwan, Alec's newest grad student
  • Molly Kunz as Phoebe, Alec's grad student assistant
  • Travina Springer as Kylie, Alec's younger sister

Recurring

edit
  • Brian King as Special Agent Jace Richards, an FBI agent and Marisa's new boyfriend
  • Karen Davidas Rose Dinshaw, a crisis management professional, and Alec's new girlfriend
  • Ben Cottonas Wes Banning, a criminal convicted of the bombing that injured Alec

Episodes

edit

Series overview

edit
SeasonEpisodesOriginally aired
First airedLast aired
111September 25, 2023(2023-09-25)February 19, 2024(2024-02-19)
2TBAOctober 8, 2024(2024-10-08)TBA

Season 1 (2023–24)

edit
No.
overall		No.in
season		TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air dateU.S. viewers
(millions)		Rating/share
(18-49)
11"Pilot"David FrankelArika Lisanne MittmanSeptember 25, 2023(2023-09-25)3.81[4]0.34/3[4]
22"Dead Woman Walking"Jesse WarnArika Lisanne MittmanOctober 2, 2023(2023-10-02)3.98[5]0.29/3[5]
33"The Barnum Effect"John TerleskyMark GoffmanOctober 9, 2023(2023-10-09)3.94[6]0.31/3[6]
44"Zero Sum"Janice CookeRobert Hewitt WolfeOctober 16, 2023(2023-10-16)3.50[7]0.24/2[7]
55"Lucky Charms"Amanda TappingLydia TefferaOctober 23, 2023(2023-10-23)3.73[8]0.29/3[8]
66"Point and Shoot"Ernest DickersonTeleplay by : Kirk Moore
Story by : Kirk Moore &Jordan Rosenberg		October 30, 2023(2023-10-30)3.54[9]0.27/3[9]
77"The Real Deal"Jesse WarnMira Z. BarnumNovember 6, 2023(2023-11-06)3.74[10]0.28/3[10]
88"Scorched Earth"Maja VrviloJordan RosenbergJanuary 29, 2024(2024-01-29)3.18[11]0.28/3[11]
99"Cheating Life"Carl SeatonJordan Rosenberg & Mira Z. BarnumFebruary 5, 2024(2024-02-05)3.30[12]0.26/3[12]
1010"Bombshell"Jesse WarnMark Goffman & Robert Hewitt WolfeFebruary 12, 2024(2024-02-12)2.60[13]0.19/2[13]
1111"Reciprocity"Ernest DickersonArika Lisanne MittmanFebruary 19, 2024(2024-02-19)2.42[14]0.18/2[14]

Season 2 (2024)

edit
No.
overall		No.in
season		Title [15]Directed byWritten by [16]Original air date [15]U.S. viewers
(millions)		Rating/share
(18-49)
121"Collateral Damage"John TerleskyArika Lisanne MittmanOctober 8, 2024(2024-10-08)3.09[17]0.31/4[17]
132"A Kick in the Teeth"Ernest DickersonLydia TefferaOctober 15, 2024(2024-10-15)2.63[18]0.26/3[18]
143"Bad Blood"Jeff W. ByrdMark Goffman&Robert Hewitt Wolfe& Jojo S. WrightOctober 22, 2024(2024-10-22)2.41[19]0.19/3[19]
154"Formal Ties"Jesse WarnKatie WechOctober 29, 2024(2024-10-29)2.29[20]0.19/2[20]
165"Anatomy of a Fall"Darnell MartinMira Z. BarnumNovember 12, 2024(2024-11-12)2.19[21]0.17/2[21]
176"The Wrong Side of Maybe"TBAJordan RosenbergNovember 26, 2024(2024-11-26)TBDTBA
187"Stan by Me"TBAKirk MooreDecember 3, 2024(2024-12-03)TBDTBA

Production

edit

Development

edit

In November 2021, NBC announced it had given a put pilot commitment toThe Irrational,and Arika Mittman stepped in as the show's writer and executive producer.[1]So did Mark Goffman, Samuel Baum, David Frankel, and Dan Ariely.[1]In February 2022,The Irrationalreceived a pilot order. In April 2022, it was announcedJesse L. Martinhad been cast as the show's lead character, Alec Mercer, and would also serve as a producer for the pilot. It was also announced that the series would be written by Arika Mittman, with Dan Ariely serving as consultant.[22]In September 2022, NBC commissioned a mini-room to produce a couple of backup scripts to go with the well-received pilot.[23]In October 2022, NBC extended its options on the cast, which were due to expire in October, to that December.[24]In December 2022, NBC picked upThe Irrationalpilot and gave it a series order. It was revealed at this time thatDavid Frankelwas the director and would also be serving as an executive producer along with Mittman, Mark Goffman and Samuel Baum.[25]On November 17, 2023, NBC ordered an extra episode for the series, bringing the first-season order to a total of 11 episodes.[26]On November 29, 2023, NBC renewed the series for a second season.[27]

Casting

edit

In May 2022, it was announced that Maahra Hill would join the cast in a lead role oppositeJesse L. Martin.[28]In June 2022, Travina Springer, Molly Kunz, and Arash DeMaxi were added to the cast. In June 2023, Brian King joined the cast in a recurring role.[29]

Season 2 featured the same actors, along with Ariely himself, who joined the cast as a psychiatric patient.

Filming

edit

Filming of the pilot took place from late May to early June 2022 inVancouver,British Columbia,[28]standing in for Washington, D.C., and the adjoining Virginia area.[30]After seven episodes were filmed, production stopped due to the2023 WGAandSAG-AFTRA strikes.[31]Filming for the second season began on March 11, 2024 and is scheduled to conclude on November 2, 2024.[32]

Release

edit

The Irrationalpremiered on September 25, 2023, onNBC.It is available to stream onPeacock.[33]The pilot episode ofThe Irrationalthen premiered on September 27, 2023, onUSA Network.[34]The second season premiered on October 8, 2024 on NBC.[35]

Reception

edit

Thereview aggregatorwebsiteRotten Tomatoesreported an approval rating of 47% with an average rating of 5.1/10, based on 17 critic reviews. The website's critical consensus reads, "The Irrationalcould've used a lot more originality to live up to its promise, although Jesse L. Martin's shrewd presence makes even the utterly conventional pretty watchable. "[36]Metacritic,which uses a weighted average, assigned a score of 55 out of 100 based on 14 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews".[37]

Ratings

edit
Viewership and ratings per season ofThe Irrational
Season Timeslot (ET) Episodes First aired Last aired TV season Viewership
rank		 Avg.viewers
(millions)		 18–49
rank		 Avg.18–49
rating
Date Viewers
(millions) 		Date Viewers
(millions)
1 Monday 10:00p.m. 23 September 25, 2023(2023-09-25) 3.81[4] February 19, 2024(2024-02-19) 2.42[14] 2023–24 TBD TBD TBD TBD
2 Tuesday 10:00p.m.[15] TBA October 8, 2024(2024-10-08) 3.09[17] TBA TBD 2024–25 TBD TBD TBD TBD

References

edit
  1. ^abcAndreeva, Nellie (November 30, 2021)."NBC Nabs 'The Irrational' Drama From Arika Lisanne Mittman Inspired By Dan Ariely's Book As Put Pilot".Deadline Hollywood.Archivedfrom the original on April 5, 2023.RetrievedJune 7,2023.
  2. ^https:// thewrap /the-irrational-the-voice-nbc-ratings-viewership
  3. ^https:// pbs.org/newshour/economy/learned-about-motivation-teenage-burn-victim
  4. ^abcPucci, Douglas (September 26, 2023)."Monday Ratings: Decent Results forThe Voice24th Season Premiere andThe IrrationalDebut on NBC ".Programming Insider.Archivedfrom the original on October 7, 2023.RetrievedOctober 7,2023.
  5. ^abPucci, Douglas (October 3, 2023)."Monday Ratings: CBS Debuted Game ShowLoteria Loca".Programming Insider.Archivedfrom the original on October 7, 2023.RetrievedOctober 7,2023.
  6. ^abPucci, Douglas (October 10, 2023)."Monday Ratings:The Irrationalon NBC Remains a Decent Draw in Total Viewers in Week Three ".Programming Insider.Archivedfrom the original on October 10, 2023.RetrievedOctober 10,2023.
  7. ^abPucci, Douglas (October 17, 2023)."Monday Ratings: ABC and ESPN's NFLMonday Night Footballand MLB's NLCS Game 1 on TBS and truTV Dominate in Prime Time Key Demos ".Programming Insider.Archivedfrom the original on October 18, 2023.RetrievedOctober 18,2023.
  8. ^abPucci, Douglas (October 26, 2023)."Monday Ratings: Fox and FS1 Earn Decent Numbers with Game 7 of MLB's ALCS Despite Opposite the NFL".Programming Insider.Archivedfrom the original on October 26, 2023.RetrievedOctober 30,2023.
  9. ^abPucci, Douglas (October 31, 2023)."Monday Ratings: NFLMonday Night Footballon ABC and ESPN Unsurprisingly Tops MLB World Series Game Three on Fox ".Programming Insider.Archivedfrom the original on November 1, 2023.RetrievedNovember 1,2023.
  10. ^abPucci, Douglas (November 8, 2023)."Monday Ratings: ABC and ESPN Share Prime Time Leadership with NFL".Programming Insider.Archivedfrom the original on November 8, 2023.RetrievedNovember 8,2023.
  11. ^abPucci, Douglas (January 30, 2024)."Monday Ratings: NBC'sThe IrrationalWins its Hour Among Broadcast Nets Upon its Return ".Programming Insider.RetrievedJanuary 31,2024.
  12. ^abPucci, Douglas (February 6, 2024)."Monday Ratings: NBC and USA Share Prime Time Victory".Programming Insider.RetrievedFebruary 7,2024.
  13. ^abPucci, Douglas (February 13, 2024)."Monday Ratings: CBS Leads All in Total Viewers with Season Premieres of its Regular Lineup".Programming Insider.RetrievedFebruary 13,2024.
  14. ^abcPucci, Douglas (February 20, 2024)."Monday Ratings:NCISon CBS Pays Tribute to 'Ducky' a.k.a. the Late David McCallum ".Programming Insider.RetrievedFebruary 21,2024.
  15. ^abc"Shows A-Z - irrational, the on nbc".The Futon Critic.RetrievedNovember 12,2024.
  16. ^"The Irrational".Writers Guild of America West.RetrievedNovember 13,2024.
  17. ^abcPucci, Douglas (October 9, 2024)."Tuesday Ratings:The IrrationalReturns Okay for NBC, Airing Out ofThe Voicethe Most-Watched Telecast in Prime Time ".Programming Insider.RetrievedOctober 9,2024.
  18. ^abPucci, Douglas (October 16, 2024)."Tuesday Ratings: New York Yankees Propel TBS to TopFBI-Fueled CBS in Total Viewers and Win Prime Time Overall ".Programming Insider.RetrievedOctober 16,2024.
  19. ^abPucci, Douglas (October 23, 2024)."Tuesday Ratings: TNT Leads Prime Time Demos with NBA Season Tip-Off Doubleheader".Programming Insider.RetrievedOctober 23,2024.
  20. ^abPucci, Douglas (October 30, 2024)."Tuesday Ratings: MLB World Series Ascends in Game 4 for Fox".Programming Insider.RetrievedOctober 30,2024.
  21. ^abPucci, Douglas (November 13, 2024)."Tuesday Ratings: NBC Comedy 'St. Denis Medical' Delivers Solid Demos in Debut".Programming Insider.RetrievedNovember 13,2024.
  22. ^Andreeva, Nellie (April 13, 2022)."Jesse L. Martin Departs 'The Flash' As Series Regular After 8 Seasons, Will Headline NBC Pilot 'The Irrational'".Deadline Hollywood.Archivedfrom the original on April 14, 2022.RetrievedJune 7,2023.
  23. ^White, Peter (February 4, 2022)."Dean Georgaris' 'Blank Slate' & Arika Mittman's 'The Irrational' Land Pilot Orders At NBC".Deadline.Archivedfrom the original on September 24, 2023.RetrievedSeptember 15,2023.
  24. ^Andreeva, Nellie (October 27, 2022)."NBC Pilot 'The Irrational' Extends Options On Cast Led By Jesse L. Martin".Deadline.Archivedfrom the original on October 3, 2023.RetrievedSeptember 15,2023.
  25. ^Petski, Denise (December 27, 2022)."'The Irrational' Drama Starring Jesse L. Martin Lands NBC Series Order ".Deadline.Archivedfrom the original on August 30, 2023.RetrievedSeptember 15,2023.
  26. ^Andreeva, Nellie (November 17, 2023)."NBC's 'The Irrational' Gets Extra Episode, 'Lopez vs. Lopez' Order Is Trimmed As Network Finalizes Midseason Schedule".Deadline Hollywood.RetrievedNovember 17,2023.
  27. ^White, Peter (November 29, 2023)."'Found' & 'The Irrational' Renewed For Season 2 At NBC ".Deadline Hollywood.RetrievedNovember 29,2023.
  28. ^abAndreeva, Nellie (May 19, 2022)."'Delilah's Maahra Hill To Star In NBC Pilot 'The Irrational' As OWN Series Has Ended ".Deadline.Archivedfrom the original on April 23, 2023.RetrievedSeptember 15,2023.
  29. ^Petski, Denise (June 7, 2023)."'The Irrational': Brian King Joins NBC Drama Series As Recurring ".Deadline.Archivedfrom the original on October 3, 2023.RetrievedSeptember 15,2023.
  30. ^Gomulka, Stephanie (2023-10-03)."Where Does The Irrational Starring Jesse L. Martin Take Place, and Where Did it Film?".NBC Insider.Archivedfrom the original on 2023-10-08.Retrieved2023-10-07.
  31. ^Roots, Kimberly (2023-11-13)."The Irrational's Next Episode Won't Air for a While — Here's Why".
  32. ^"DGC BC Production List".Directors Guild of Canada.October 25, 2024.Archivedfrom the original on October 28, 2024.RetrievedOctober 28,2024.
  33. ^Petski, Denise (August 28, 2023)."'The Irrational' Trailer: 'Law & Order' Alum Jesse L. Martin Is Back To Crime-Solving In NBC Procedural ".Deadline.Archivedfrom the original on September 2, 2023.RetrievedSeptember 15,2023.
  34. ^"The Irrationalon USA Network ".USA Network.Archivedfrom the original on September 28, 2023.RetrievedOctober 9,2023.
  35. ^Schwartz, Ryan; Mitovich, Matt Webb (August 20, 2024)."The IrrationalAmong Fall TV Premieres Delayed by Vice Presidential Debate ".TVLine.RetrievedAugust 20,2024.
  36. ^"The Irrational:Season 1 ".Rotten Tomatoes.RetrievedNovember 14,2023.
  37. ^"The Irrational:Season 1 ".Metacritic.RetrievedSeptember 26,2023.
edit
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=The_Irrational&oldid=1259872604"