Goodbye Numb3rs

I’ve mentioned a couple of times that I don’t watch much television. I don’t have anything against television, mind you. In fact, if I had more free time, I’d probably watch more. I tend to watch Squawk Box in the morning and SportsCenter at night. Aside from those programs, the only other show that I made time to watch was Numb3rs on CBS.


Numb3rs was a police procedural drama with a slight twist. The two main characters were two brothers, Don and Charles Eppes. Don, the older brother, was an FBI agent; Charles was a professor of mathematics at the fictional Cal Sci University. The siblings lived very different and separate lives until Don began asking for Charles for help on some of his cases. Charles, with the help of his girlfriend Amita and colleague Larry, would apply sophisticated mathematics to solve criminal cases.

The show was broadcast on Friday nights, when few people watch television. It managed to stay on the air for six years, no mean feat these days. This year CBS cut back the number of episodes on order from 22 to 16, which was not a good sign. I was surprised to learn that the season finale would air on March 12. Many have concluded that the episode was the series finale, as well. The producers managed to close out all of the main story lines. In the finale, Charles and Amita finally get married and prepare to move to London. Don accepts a promotion, while his second-in-command accepts a position in Washington. Don proposes a second time to his girlfriend, who accepts this time.

I thought the idea of using math to solve crime was a fascinating premise. Whenever Charles would explain how a particular theory or application worked, the screen would be filled with wild special effects that tried to bring the idea to life. One mathematician tried to explain the different mathematical concepts behind the different episodes.

But I guess this is goodbye. Thanks for six great years. At least I can still watch the show on DVD.