The Paramount Criminal Minds Revival Just Got The Worst Possible News
For those waiting in anticipation for the "Criminal Minds" revival from Paramount+, there's bad news today out there in the Twitter-sphere. It looks like the show isn't coming to fruition after all.
The news comes from actor Paget Brewster, who was reported to be one of the show's veterans returning for a revival that would include both new and old characters. When asked by a fan if there was an update about the announced upcoming series, she tweeted, "No, and sadly, we think it's dead. I'll let you know if there is any progress but it seems unlikely. Which is a bummer."
This is tough news for fans of the show, who are talking about organizing in response, saying that such efforts have succeeded in the past. Whether that actually happens remains to be seen, but it's clear that the long-running show, which ended in February 2020, has suffered a setback despite the desires of its passionate fans.
The revival was announced in February 2021
A revival of "Criminal Minds" was first announced in February 2021, when Paramount+ confirmed that the show would return to bolster the nascent streamer's catalog (via Deadline). The streaming service said that it was assembling a creative team for what would basically be a 16th season, and that the team was expected to be led by Erica Messer, who served as showrunner on "Criminal Minds" for years.
The article also noted that Paramount was talking with most of the cast members from the CBS series' final season about returning. That cast list includes Brewster, Joe Mantegna, A.J. Cook, Matthew Gray Gubler, Kirsten Vangsness, Adam Rodriguez, Daniel Henney, and Aisha Tyler. Also, there was word that it could continue as an ongoing series (via TVLine).
The revival was supposed to be part of a plan to bring back the franchise alongside a companion true-crime docuseries called "The Real Criminal Minds," which would feature a former FBI profiler (via Deadline). It is unclear if that show is still happening.
The original 2005-2020 show is available on Paramount+ for streaming, but that's small consolation for those who were hoping for more, new stories, and the return of the Behavioral Analysis Unit they've come to know and love.