# Poker Face (TV series)
**Poker Face** is an American mystery-of-the-week television series created by [Rian Johnson](https://www.edgepedia.org/rian-johnson) for the streaming service Peacock, starring [Natasha Lyonne](https://www.edgepedia.org/natasha-lyonne) as Charlie Cale, a drifter with an extraordinary ability to determine when someone is lying. Traveling the country in her [Plymouth Barracuda](https://www.edgepedia.org/plymouth-barracuda), Charlie encounters a new cast of characters and a strange crime at every stop, which she cannot help but solve.[1](https://www.peacocktv.com/stream-tv/poker-face) The series ran for two seasons, from 2023 to 2025, before Peacock canceled it and Johnson began shopping a new version with a different lead actor.[2](https://au.variety.com/2025/tv/global/poker-face-canceled-peacock-new-season-peter-dinklage-29957/)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Format | Inverted detective series, a "howcatchem" popularized by *Columbo*: the crime and perpetrator are shown at the beginning of each episode, and the story follows Charlie solving the mystery[3](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/poker_face) |
| Seasons | Season 1: 10 episodes, premiered January 26, 2023 on Peacock; Season 2: 12 episodes, May 8 to July 10, 2025[4](https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2022/12/poker-face-is-rian-johnsons-modern-take-on-retro-mystery) • [5](https://tvdocket.com/shows/poker-face/) |
| Lead | Natasha Lyonne as Charlie Cale, also executive producer, writer, and director of two episodes[1](https://www.peacocktv.com/stream-tv/poker-face) |
| Showrunners | Nora Zuckerman and Lilla Zuckerman led season 1; Tony Tost took over for season 2[2](https://au.variety.com/2025/tv/global/poker-face-canceled-peacock-new-season-peter-dinklage-29957/) |
| Reception | 97% average Tomatometer on Rotten Tomatoes (165 reviews); Metacritic scores of 84 for season 1 and 79 for season 2[3](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/poker_face) • [6](https://www.metacritic.com/tv/poker-face-2023/) |
| Awards | Six Emmy nominations across two seasons, with one win for Judith Light's guest role[2](https://au.variety.com/2025/tv/global/poker-face-canceled-peacock-new-season-peter-dinklage-29957/) |
| Cancellation | Peacock declined a third season in November 2025; Johnson and MRC are seeking a two-season order elsewhere with Peter Dinklage as Charlie Cale[2](https://au.variety.com/2025/tv/global/poker-face-canceled-peacock-new-season-peter-dinklage-29957/) |
## Spoilers
### Premise and format
Each episode is a self-contained case in a new town, built around a moral dilemma that Charlie stumbles into. Johnson has described the series as a return to the pleasures of 1970s and 1980s episodic television such as *[Columbo](https://www.edgepedia.org/columbo)*, *The Rockford Files*, *Knight Rider*, and *Quantum Leap*.[7](https://au.variety.com/2025/tv/features/rian-johnson-brings-back-the-detective-genre-in-poker-face-22846/) Like *Columbo*, the show uses the inverted, or "howcatchem", structure: the audience sees the crime and the perpetrator first, then watches the detective work out who did it and why.[3](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/poker_face)
Charlie's lie detection is the engine of the format. The first season also carried a serialized thread, with Charlie pursued across the country after a close friend's death in the premiere, "Dead Man's Hand", in which she works as a casino cocktail waitress.[8](https://www.metacritic.com/tv/poker-face-2023/season-1/)
### Episodes and directors
Season 1 dropped its first four episodes on January 26, 2023, with the remaining six released weekly.[4](https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2022/12/poker-face-is-rian-johnsons-modern-take-on-retro-mystery) Johnson directed three episodes of the first season, including the premiere.[10](https://www.thewrap.com/rian-johnson-poker-face-season-2-knives-out-3-interview/) The season 1 director roster also included Natasha Lyonne, Miguel Arteta, Lucky McKee, John Dahl, Adam Arkin, Mimi Cave, Adamma Ebo, Clea DuVall, and [Ti West](https://www.edgepedia.org/ti-west).[1](https://www.peacocktv.com/stream-tv/poker-face)
Season 2 premiered on May 8, 2025 and ran through July 10, 2025, expanding to 12 episodes.[5](https://tvdocket.com/shows/poker-face/) Because season 2 production overlapped with filming of Johnson's film *Wake Up Dead Man: A [Knives Out](https://www.edgepedia.org/knives-out-film-series) Mystery*, which he shot in London, he directed only one episode of the season, though he remained involved in the writers' room and production.[10](https://www.thewrap.com/rian-johnson-poker-face-season-2-knives-out-3-interview/) Lyonne again directed two episodes.[1](https://www.peacocktv.com/stream-tv/poker-face)
## Origin and development
Johnson met Lyonne at a book party thrown by his wife, the film historian [Karina Longworth](https://www.edgepedia.org/karina-longworth), and the two bonded over classic television mystery shows including *Murder, She Wrote*, *Magnum P.I.*, and *Columbo*. Johnson said he saw in Lyonne's performance in *[Russian Doll](https://www.edgepedia.org/russian-doll-tv-series)* the magnetic charisma needed to anchor a case-of-the-week show, and the two developed the character of Charlie Cale together.[4](https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2022/12/poker-face-is-rian-johnsons-modern-take-on-retro-mystery) During the pandemic Johnson wrote a draft of what became the pilot, and Lyonne joined as star and executive producer.[4](https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2022/12/poker-face-is-rian-johnsons-modern-take-on-retro-mystery)
The series is produced by MRC and Johnson's company T-Street.[2](https://au.variety.com/2025/tv/global/poker-face-canceled-peacock-new-season-peter-dinklage-29957/) Season 1 was shot in upstate New York, with the writers' room finishing in March and production beginning in late April and early May.[9](https://mande.net/es/atl/awards/emmy-watch/poker-face-showrunner-nora-zuckerman-interview/)
## Guest cast
A rotating roster of guest stars is central to the format. Season 1 featured, among others, [Adrien Brody](https://www.edgepedia.org/adrien-brody), Ellen Barkin, Chloë Sevigny, and [Luis Guzmán](https://www.edgepedia.org/luis-guzman).[3](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/poker_face) Season 2 guests included [Cynthia Erivo](https://www.edgepedia.org/cynthia-erivo), who played multiple characters, John Mulaney as a dirty FBI agent, Katie Holmes, Awkwafina, Melanie Lynskey, Steve Buscemi, Alia Shawkat, Kumail Nanjiani, Sam Richardson, Giancarlo Esposito, Justin Theroux, Carol Kane, and B.J. Novak.[11](https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2025/may/08/poker-face-season-two-review-natasha-lyonne-cynthia-erivo) • [2](https://au.variety.com/2025/tv/global/poker-face-canceled-peacock-new-season-peter-dinklage-29957/) • [1](https://www.peacocktv.com/stream-tv/poker-face)
## Reception and awards
The series earned strong critical reviews. Season 1 scored 84 on Metacritic based on 44 critic reviews, labeled "Universal Acclaim", and season 2 scored 79.[6](https://www.metacritic.com/tv/poker-face-2023/) On Rotten Tomatoes the show holds a 97% average Tomatometer across 165 reviews, with season 1 at 98% and season 2 at 96%.[3](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/poker_face) Lyonne received a Golden Globe nomination for Best Performance by a Female Actor in a Television Series, Musical or [Comedy](https://www.edgepedia.org/comedy) at the 81st ceremony, and the show was named TV Program of the Year at the AFI Awards.[12](https://www.peacocktv.com/blog/natasha-lyonne-nominated-for-golden-globe)
Across its two seasons the series received six Emmy nominations, winning one: [Judith Light](https://www.edgepedia.org/judith-light) took the Creative Arts Emmy for Outstanding Guest Actress for playing a 1960s radical hiding out in a retirement home, her first Emmy in a nearly 50-year television career.[2](https://au.variety.com/2025/tv/global/poker-face-canceled-peacock-new-season-peter-dinklage-29957/) • [13](https://apnews.com/article/0453719974b32c12ec84ee7bd0d52f96)
## Cancellation and proposed continuation
In November 2025, Peacock decided not to renew *Poker Face* for a third season, despite the show ranking as one of the top series on the service. Season 2 performed well but not at the breakout level of season 1, and the series was expensive to produce, with new locations, settings, and guest stars every week.[14](https://www.gamesradar.com/entertainment/crime-shows/poker-face-canceled-ahead-of-season-3-but-creator-rian-johnson-wants-to-keep-it-going-with-peter-dinklage-taking-over-as-lead-character-charlie-cale-from-natasha-lyonne/) • [15](https://www.cinemablend.com/streaming-news/whats-going-on-peter-dinklage-after-poker-face-cancellation-and-rumors-swirled)
Johnson and producer MRC are shopping a new iteration of the series to other distributors, seeking a two-season order. In the proposed version, [Peter Dinklage](https://www.edgepedia.org/peter-dinklage), the four-time Emmy winner known for playing [Tyrion Lannister](https://www.edgepedia.org/tyrion-lannister) on *Game of Thrones*, would take over the lead role of Charlie Cale from Lyonne. Johnson envisions a new actor rotating into the role every two seasons. Lyonne would remain an executive producer, and Johnson would continue as writer and director.[2](https://au.variety.com/2025/tv/global/poker-face-canceled-peacock-new-season-peter-dinklage-29957/) Johnson and Lyonne said in a joint statement, "We've been germinating this next move together since writing the season two finale. We love our 'Poker Face' and this is the perfect way to keep it rolling."[2](https://au.variety.com/2025/tv/global/poker-face-canceled-peacock-new-season-peter-dinklage-29957/)
## References
1. [Poker Face (TV Series) | Peacock](https://www.peacocktv.com/stream-tv/poker-face)
2. ['Poker Face' Canceled at Peacock, Rian Johnson Shops New Version With Peter Dinklage Taking Over for Natasha Lyonne as Charlie Cale, Variety](https://au.variety.com/2025/tv/global/poker-face-canceled-peacock-new-season-peter-dinklage-29957/)
3. [Poker Face | Rotten Tomatoes](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/poker_face)
4. [Poker Face Is Rian Johnson's Modern Take on Retro Mystery TV, Vanity Fair](https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2022/12/poker-face-is-rian-johnsons-modern-take-on-retro-mystery)
5. [Poker Face: All Seasons, Episodes & Where to Watch, TV Docket](https://tvdocket.com/shows/poker-face/)
6. [Poker Face (2023) Reviews, Metacritic](https://www.metacritic.com/tv/poker-face-2023/)
7. [Rian Johnson on Bringing Back the Detective Genre in Poker Face, Variety Australia](https://au.variety.com/2025/tv/features/rian-johnson-brings-back-the-detective-genre-in-poker-face-22846/)
8. [Poker Face (2023) season 1 Reviews, Metacritic](https://www.metacritic.com/tv/poker-face-2023/season-1/)
9. [Poker Face Showrunner Nora Zuckerman Interview, M&E](https://mande.net/es/atl/awards/emmy-watch/poker-face-showrunner-nora-zuckerman-interview/)
10. [Rian Johnson Says Balancing 'Poker Face' Season 2 Production With 'Knives Out 3' Was More Stressful Than Last Time, TheWrap](https://www.thewrap.com/rian-johnson-poker-face-season-2-knives-out-3-interview/)
11. [Poker Face season two review, The Guardian](https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2025/may/08/poker-face-season-two-review-natasha-lyonne-cynthia-erivo)
12. [Natasha Lyonne Gets Golden Globe Nomination For Poker Face, Peacock](https://www.peacocktv.com/blog/natasha-lyonne-nominated-for-golden-globe)
13. [Judith Light and 'Last of Us' actors are first-time winners at Creative Arts Emmy Awards, AP News](https://apnews.com/article/0453719974b32c12ec84ee7bd0d52f96)
14. [Poker Face canceled ahead of season 3, GamesRadar](https://www.gamesradar.com/entertainment/crime-shows/poker-face-canceled-ahead-of-season-3-but-creator-rian-johnson-wants-to-keep-it-going-with-peter-dinklage-taking-over-as-lead-character-charlie-cale-from-natasha-lyonne/)
15. [OK, What's Actually Going On With Peter Dinklage After Poker Face Got Canceled?, CinemaBlend](https://www.cinemablend.com/streaming-news/whats-going-on-peter-dinklage-after-poker-face-cancellation-and-rumors-swirled)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Series and fictional screen worlds › Scripted television and comedy series › Genre and subject-scripted series › Crime, police, and detective series › American crime series › Private detective and mystery series*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 3, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 3, 2026; Oct 25, 2026; Nov 1, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
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