The much-loved crime drama series inspired by the life of a deaf FBI agent is making a nostalgic comeback on UK screens. Sue Thomas: F.B. Eye, which originally aired from 2002 to 2005, will return on Freeview channel Great Mystery this month.

Real-Life Inspiration

The series draws themes from the real-life cases of Sue Thomas, a deaf woman whose exceptional lip-reading skills earned her a role on a top-tier FBI surveillance team. Born in Boardman, Ohio on May 24, 1950, Sue faced numerous challenges due to her disability but overcame them through years of speech therapy and voice lessons.

Career at the FBI

In 1979, Sue became the first-ever deaf person to be recruited by the FBI. Initially working as a fingerprint examiner, she found her true calling in lip-reading suspects from long distances, producing transcripts of their conversations during illicit deals. Her extraordinary career mainly involved white-collar cases, including drug-related crimes, embezzlement, and financial offenses.

The TV Series

The series, created by Dave Alan Johnson and Gary R. Johnson, originally launched on October 13, 2002, and ran for three seasons until May 2005. Sue Thomas was portrayed by actress Deanne Bray, who later starred in Law and Order and Grey's Anatomy. Bray shared that Sue "really shifted my perspective about how a deaf person can make a choice on how they want to navigate this world."

Sue's Appearances

Sue herself appeared twice in the series across its 56-episode run, playing a consultant named Deanne in the episode Billy the Kid and the series finale, Ending and Beginnings.

Series End and Legacy

The show came to an abrupt end after the network PAX decided to no longer produce original programming after three seasons. The cast also included Marc Gomes, who has appeared in The X-Files and Dexter, playing surveillance specialist Dimitrius Gan.