''Profiler'' is an American

crime drama Crime films, in the broadest sense, is a film genre inspired by and analogous to the crime fiction literary genre. Films of this genre generally involve various aspects of crime and its detection. Stylistically, the genre may overlap and combine ...

created by Cynthia Saunders that aired on

NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American English-language commercial broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a division of Comcast, its headquarters are l ...

from September 21, 1996, to July 1, 2000. The series follows the exploits of a

criminal profiler Offender profiling, also known as criminal profiling, is an investigative strategy used by law enforcement agencies to identify likely suspects and has been used by investigators to link cases that may have been committed by the same perpetrato ...

working with the fictional

FBI The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is the domestic Intelligence agency, intelligence and Security agency, security service of the United States and its principal Federal law enforcement in the United States, federal law enforcement age ...

Violent Crimes Task Force (VCTF) based in

Atlanta, Georgia Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,715 ...

. The show initially starred

Ally Walker Allene Damian "Ally" Walker (born August 25, 1961) is an American actress. She made her television debut in the NBC daytime soap opera '' Santa Barbara'' (1988) before landing the leading roles on the short-lived dramas '' True Blue'' (1989–199 ...

as 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 by

Jamie Luner Jamie Michelle Luner (born May 12, 1971) is an American actress who first came to prominence as Cindy Lubbock on the ABC sitcom ''Just the Ten of Us'', but is perhaps better known as Peyton Richards on ''Savannah'', Lexi Sterling on ''Melrose Pla ...

prosecutor A prosecutor is a legal representative of the prosecution in states with either the common law adversarial system or the Civil law (legal system), civil law inquisitorial system. The prosecution is the legal party responsible for presenting the ...

-turned-profiler Dr. Rachel Burke during the show's final season.

Robert Davi Robert John Davi (born 1953) is an American actor, singer and filmmaker. Over the course of his acting career, Davi has performed in more than 130 films. Among his most known roles are opera-singing heavy Jake Fratelli in ''The Goonies'' (1985), ...

Roma Maffia Roma Maffia is an American actress. Life and career Roma Maffia grew up in Brooklyn, New York and is of English, German and West Indian descent. Her Italian surname reportedly comes from her stepfather. Maffia began her official acting career ...

Peter Frechette Peter Frechette ( ; born October 3, 1956) is an American actor. He is a stage actor with two Tony Award nominations for '' Eastern Standard'' and ''Our Country's Good'', and frequently stars in the plays of Richard Greenberg. He is well known on ...

, and

Julian McMahon Julian Dana William McMahon (born 27 July 1968) is an Australian actor, former model, and the son of a former Prime Minister of Australia, Sir William McMahon. He is best known for his roles as Detective John Grant in '' Profiler'', Cole Turn ...

co-starred for all four seasons.

Caitlin Wachs Caitlin Elizabeth Wachs (pronounced ''wax''; born March 15, 1989) is an American production coordinator and actress. She appeared alongside Ally Walker and Robert Davi on the NBC television series '' Profiler'' in the role of Chloe Waters and ...

and

Erica Gimpel Erica Fawn Gimpel (born June 25, 1964) is an American actress, singer, and dancer. She is best known for her roles on television shows '' Fame'' as Coco Hernandez and on '' Profiler'' as Angel Brown. She is also known for her recurring roles on ...

also co-starred for the first two seasons; Wachs was replaced by

Evan Rachel Wood Evan Rachel Wood (born September 7, 1987) is an American actress and activist. She is the recipient of a Critics' Choice Television Award as well as three Primetime Emmy Award nominations and three Golden Globe Award nominations for her work in ...

in a recurring role for the third season, while Gimpel appeared as a guest star. Along with '' The Pretender'', ''Profiler'' was a staple of NBC's Saturday night lineup during the late 1990s. The series shared a similar lead character and premise with the

Fox Foxes are small to medium-sized, omnivorous mammals belonging to several genera of the family Canidae. They have a flattened skull, upright, triangular ears, a pointed, slightly upturned snout, and a long bushy tail (or ''brush''). Twelve sp ...

series ''

Millennium A millennium (plural millennia or millenniums) is a period of one thousand years, sometimes called a kiloannum (ka), or kiloyear (ky). Normally, the word is used specifically for periods of a thousand years that begin at the starting point (ini ...

'', which also premiered at the beginning of the 1996–97 television season.

Plot

Seasons 1-3

Dr. Samantha "Sam" Waters (

) is a

forensic psychologist Forensic psychology is the development and application of scientific knowledge and methods to help answer legal questions arising in criminal, civil, contractual, or other judicial proceedings. Forensic psychology includes both research on various ...

working for the

's (fictitious) Violent Crimes Task Force ("VCTF"), based in Atlanta, Georgia. She is a

with 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 (

, later

); and her best friend, artist Angel Brown (

). After helping her mentor Bailey Malone (

) on a difficult case, Sam comes out of retirement and reclusiveness to join the

Violent Crimes Task Force. Also on the team are detectives John Grant (

) and Nathan Brubaker (

Michael Whaley Michael Whaley is an American film and television actor. He graduated from Culver City High School in 1980. Some of his most known characters are Dr. Wesley 'Wes' Hayes on ''Sisters'', Det. Nathan Brubaker on '' Profiler'', Detective Paul Armstro ...

computer hacker A hacker is a person skilled in information technology who uses their technical knowledge to achieve a goal or overcome an obstacle, within a computerized system by non-standard means. Though the term ''hacker'' has become associated in popu ...

George Fraley (

forensic pathologist Forensic pathology is pathology that focuses on determining the cause of death by examining a corpse. A post mortem examination is performed by a medical examiner or forensic pathologist, usually during the investigation of criminal law cases an ...

Grace Álvarez (

). 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 Traci Lords (born Nora Louise Kuzma; May 7, 1968) is an American actress and singer. She entered the adult film industry using a fake birth certificate to conceal that she was two years under the legal age of eighteen. Lords starred in adult fi ...

) to become his partner-in-crime "Jill of All Trades." Bailey is also faced with the rebellious behavior of his daughter Frances (

Heather McComb Heather Ann McComb (born March 2, 1977) is an American actress. Career McComb started acting at age two in a commercial for Publisher's Clearing House. In 1989 she played the title character in Francis Ford Coppola's segment, "Life Without Z ...

) 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 Mark Rolston (born December 7, 1956) is an American character actor, known for his supporting roles in popular films such as ''Aliens'', ''Lethal Weapon 2'', ''The Shawshank Redemption'', ''The Departed'' and the ''Saw'' film series, as well as G ...

), 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 Lawrence Pressman (born David M. Pressman; July 10, 1939) is an American actor, probably best known for roles on '' Doogie Howser, M.D.'', ''Ladies' Man'', a recurring role on '' Profiler'', the title character on '' Mulligan's Stew'' and as a ...

) and pursue a relationship with prosecutor Paul Sterling (John Mese). Bailey also reconciles with his ex-wife Janet (

Patricia Healy Patricia Healy is an American actress who was born in Egypt. She began acting in 1991 as Charlene in the erotic made-for-television thriller film ''Sweet Poison'', co-starring Steven Bauer. She was known for ''General Hospital'' (in the role of ...

Season 4

It is discovered at the end of season three that Lucas is not the real "Jack"; he was instead framed by violent

sociopath Psychopathy, sometimes considered synonymous with sociopathy, is characterized by persistent antisocial behavior, impaired empathy and remorse, and bold, disinhibited, and egotistical traits. Different conceptions of psychopathy have been u ...

Albert Newquay (

Dennis Christopher Dennis Christopher (born Dennis Carrelli; December 2, 1955) is an American actor. He is best known for his roles in ''Breaking Away'' (1979), '' Fade to Black'' (1980), ''Chariots of Fire'' (1981), '' It'' (1990) and ''Django Unchained'' (2012) ...

). 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 Estelle Louise Fletcher (July 22, 1934 – September 23, 2022) was an American actress who portrayed the antagonist Nurse Ratched in '' One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest'' (1975), which earned her an Academy Award for Best Actress, a BAFTA Award, ...

) 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 buffoonish

sheriff A sheriff is a government official, with varying duties, existing in some countries with historical ties to England where the office originated. There is an analogous, although independently developed, office in Iceland that is commonly transla ...

of 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 (

), 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 Raphael Sbarge (born February 12, 1964) is an American actor and filmmaker. He is perhaps best known for his roles as Jake Straka on ''The Guardian'' (2001–04), Jiminy Cricket / Dr. Archibald Hopper on ''Once Upon a Time'' (2011–18) and Insp ...

); 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 shadowy

urban legend An urban legend (sometimes contemporary legend, modern legend, urban myth, or urban tale) is a genre of folklore comprising stories or fallacious claims circulated as true, especially as having happened to a "friend of a friend" or a family m ...

named Damian Kennasas. Unstable FBI agent Joel Marks (

Gregory Itzin Gregory Martin Itzin (April 20, 1948 – July 8, 2022) was an American character actor of film and television best known for his role as U.S. President Charles Logan in the action thriller series '' 24''. Early life Itzin was born in Washin ...

) 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 from

U.S. Congress The United States Congress is the legislature of the federal government of the United States. It is Bicameralism, bicameral, composed of a lower body, the United States House of Representatives, House of Representatives, and an upper body, ...

over its high budget. The cancellation of the series resulted in these cliffhangers never being answered.

Episodes

Cast

;Notes

Recurring

A Martinez Adolfo Larrue Martínez III (born September 27, 1948) is an American actor and singer with roles in the daytime soap operas '' Santa Barbara'', ''General Hospital'', ''One Life to Live'', ''The Bold and the Beautiful'', and ''Days of Our Lives' ...

as Nick Cooper (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 serial '' Santa Barbara''. *

as Chloe Waters (seasons 3–4) *

as 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. *

as Walter Anderson (season 3), Sam's estranged father who has a mysterious connection to Donald Lucas. *

as 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. *

as Danny Burke (season 4), Rachel's younger brother. A self-destructive drug addict, he dies from an overdose towards the end of season four. *

as 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

as "Jack of All Trades" / Albert Newquay (Uncredited or credited as "Jack" during seasons 1–2)

''The Pretender'' universe

''Profiler'' shared the same universe with '' The Pretender'', with three crossover episodes, three with

Michael T. Weiss Michael Terry Weiss (born February 2, 1962) is an American actor known for his role as Jarod in the television series '' The Pretender''. Early life Michael Terry Weiss was born in Chicago, Illinois on February 2, 1962. His father was a steel i ...

guest-starring on ''Profiler'', Ally Walker made a guest appearance on ''The Pretender'' in season 3, episode 19, and Jamie Luner making a guest appearance on ''The Pretender'' in season 4, episode 10.

Broadcast

''Profiler'' was first syndicated to

Court TV Court TV is an American digital broadcast network and former cable television channel. It was originally launched in 1991 with a focus on crime-themed programs such as true crime documentary series, legal analysis talk shows, and live news cove ...

in 2000. ''Profiler'' aired weeknights at 1:00 a.m. and 4:00 a.m. Eastern on

NBC Universal The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American English-language commercial broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a division of Comcast, its headquarters are l ...

's 24-hour crime and mystery-themed cable channel

Sleuth Sleuth may refer to: * Detective *Sleuth, collective noun for a group of bears Computing * The Sleuth Kit, a collection of forensic analysis software *SLEUTH assembler language for the UNIVAC 1107 Entertainment and media *Cloo Cloo (stylized ...

in 2007. From 2018 to 2022, reruns aired at 1:00 a.m. and 2:00 a.m. daily on the network channel

Start TV Start TV is an American free-to-air television network owned as a joint venture between Weigel Broadcasting and the CBS News and Stations subsidiary of Paramount Global. Predominantly carried on the digital subchannels of its affiliated televis ...

. In Europe, the series aired on

CNBC Europe Consumer News and Business Channel Europe (referred to on air simply as CNBC) is a business and financial news television channel which airs across Europe. The station is based in London, where it shares the Adrian Smith (architect), Adrian S ...

Home media

A&E Home Video A&E Networks (stylized as A+E NETWORKS) is an American multinational broadcasting company that is a 50–50 joint venture between Hearst Communications and The Walt Disney Company through its General Entertainment Content division. The company o ...

(under license by

NBC Entertainment NBCUniversal Television and Streaming is the television and streaming arm of NBCUniversal, and the direct descendant and successor of the former division NBCUniversal Television Group, which existed from 2003 to 2019. History NBC Broadcasting In ...

) 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.

Australian DVD Release

Ratings

References

External links

*
Profiler
a
EpisodeWorld.com
{{DEFAULTSORT:Profiler (Tv Series) 1990s American crime drama television series 1996 American television series debuts 2000s American crime drama television series 2000 American television series endings English-language television shows NBC original programming Television series by Universal Television Television shows set in Atlanta Television series about fictional serial killers