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BY KYLA BREWER TV Media S ome TV dramas rely on pulse-racing action and big-budget special effects, while others draw audiences in with clever writing and charismatic per- formances. Viewers looking for such smart TV may want to check out CBS's latest Monday night hit. Psychologist and trial sci- ence expert Jason Bull (Mi- chael Weatherly, "NCIS") helps clients win cases in the drama "Bull," airing Monday, Dec. 10, on CBS. He employs a team of experts as he uses high-tech data analysis, as well as his intuition and knowledge of the human psyche, to figure out what makes people tick in the hopes of tipping the scales of justice. Now in its third season, the show was created by screen- writer Paul Attanasio ("Quiz Show," 1994) and psychologist Phil McGraw ("Dr. Phil"), and was inspired by McGraw's early career as a trial consul- tant. The show premiered on Tuesday, Sept. 20, 2016, to more than 15 million viewers, which was a huge audience for a freshman series. Much of the show's success has been attributed to Weath- erly's solid performance as Bull, who heads up the Trial Analysis Corporation (TAC), a top trial consulting business. Although "Bull" is billed as being "inspired by" the life of television personality and au- thor McGraw, Weatherly re- cently clarified that the pro- gram isn't biographical. In a November interview about the show's third season with ET Canada, the actor talked about McGraw's ongoing in- volvement with the production. "[What] Phil McGraw helps with a lot is the trial science and the analysis of how to best move forward in a jury trial," he explained. "How do you prep your witnesses, how do you select or deselect a jury ... that process is fascinat- ing, and it is a component of the show, but we're not fol- lowing the life of Phil McGraw." Weatherly seems well suit- ed to take on the role of the fictional Bull, who holds three PhDs in psychology, as well as a pilot's license. Having failed the bar exam himself, Bull isn't generally fond of law- yers, but seems to have found his niche in trial consultation. Before Weatherly snagged the starring role in this drama, he was well known to TV fans as Anthony DiNozzo in "NCIS," a role he played from that show's premiere in 2003 until his departure in 2016. He's also known for his work in the TV soap opera "Loving" and the prime-time series "Dark Angel," the latter of which earned him two Saturn Award CR O SS W O R D S S UDO KU W O R D SE A RC H T V & M O V I ES A/Kids Mag Filler 5 x 3 Smart TV The perfect stocking stuffer for every kid on your list! Offi fi fi cial Kids Mag is specially designed for kids in kindergarten through the sixth grade. The glossy magazine is full of local kid hero profi les, features, events, recipes, games, puzzles, coloring, activity pages, and educational stories written just for kids. Call 479-684-5502 or go to Offi cialKidsMag.com Only $ 48 FOR ONE WHOLE YEAR! Includes 12 issues plus the 2019 Christmas and Holiday Gift Guide!