Mental (TV series)

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Mental is a mystery medical drama television series produced by Fox Telecolombia and Fox Television Studios. It aired from May 26 to August 14, 2009 on FOX international channels in Latin America, Europe and Asia, and later in the United States. The show ran for one season of 13 episodes. It stars Chris Vance as Dr. Jack Gallagher, with Jacqueline McKenzie, Annabella Sciorra, Derek Webster, Marisa Ramirez, Nicholas Gonzalez and Edwin Hodge in supporting roles. It was created by Dan LeVine, with Deborah Joy LeVine and Dan LeVine as executive producers. Filming took place in Bogotá, Colombia, though the story is set in Los Angeles.

Premise: Dr. Jack Gallagher becomes Director of Health Mental Services at Wharton Memorial Hospital and uses unconventional methods to treat patients with severe mental illness. The series follows his cases, the hospital staff, and his personal life, including a long search for his twin sister Becky, who has schizophrenia. The ensemble includes Veronica, Rylan, Carl and others as they face ethical dilemmas, budget issues, and relationships.

Reception and cancellation: The series was canceled after its first season due to declining ratings. Metacritic gave season 1 a score of 40% based on 18 critics. The pilot attracted about 5.8 million U.S. viewers.

Home media: A complete first-season DVD, Mental - The Complete 1st Season, was released December 1, 2009, featuring all 13 episodes plus an unrated alternate pilot.