Paramount+ Confirms “Criminal Minds” Revival, Starring Adam Rodriguez

Adam Rodriguez is heading back to his roots

Following more than a year of on- and off- deal-making, Paramount+ has confirmed it has ordered to series a Criminal Minds revival starring the 47-year-old Puerto Rican and Cuban American actor and some of his former cast mates.

Adam RodriguezIn addition to Rodriguez, who portrayed Luke Alvez on the original series, the six fan favorites returning for the reboot includes Joe Mantegna, Kirsten Vangsness, A.J. Cook, Aisha Tyler and Paget Brewster. 

Also back is the series’ longtime executive producer/showrunner Erica Messer, who closed her deal to return earlier a couple of months ago.

The actors’ contracts had been contingent on Messer signing a pact with ABC Signature where she is under an overall deal.

By February, Criminal Minds studios ABC Signature and CBS Studios had reached a license agreement with Paramount+ for a 10-episode new season of Criminal Minds. The last several months were spent getting Messer and the cast officially on board, triggering a formal green light, with production slated to begin Aug. 21 in Los Angeles. Mantegna teased the shoot on Twitter with a picture of him on a soundstage “doing a little inspection today for an upcoming project” and #criminalminds.

In the revival series, FBI’s elite team of criminal profilers come up against their greatest threat yet, an UnSub who has used the pandemic to build a network of other serial killers. Now, as the world opens back up, the network goes operational, and the team must hunt them down, one murder at a time.

Mantegna, Vangsness, Rodriguez, Cook, Tyler and Brewster represent the majority of Criminal Minds’ cast in its 15th and final season. As Deadline reported in February, missing from the list are original cast member Matthew Gray Gubler, who had indicated that he was ready to move on after playing Spencer Reid for 15 years, and Daniel Henney, who stars in The Wheel of TimeThe Prime Video series, which films in Prague, and any potential Henney guest appearance on Criminal Minds would be subject to his commitment to Wheel of Time and scheduling.

The actors’ agreements for Criminal Minds are multi-year and are not fully exclusive, according to Deadline, with the cast members able to do major recurring roles on ongoing series and series regular parts on limited series if production does not interfere.

The Criminal Minds revival, whose formal green light was first reported by TVLine, was announced with much fanfare at the streamer’s coming-out presentation last February. By July 31, Brewster told fans on Twitter that “we think it’s dead.” Fast forward six months to Feb. 1 when Nicole Clemens, President, Paramount+ Original Scripted Series, told reporters that Criminal Minds is “alive and well.”

“For 15 seasons, Criminal Minds was at the forefront of cutting-edge scripted drama as it explored the psychology behind crime – thrillingly,” Clemens said in a statement Thursday. “The series never stopped evolving during its run, and we are beyond excited to bring it back into a new era with new stories for a new generation of viewers at Paramount+. Erica, the whole cast and creative team are building a season full of new twists that we are sure will electrify audiences.”

The original series, created by Jeff Davis, follows a group of criminal profilers who work for the FBI as members of its Behavioral Analysis Unit, using behavioral analysis and profiling to investigate crimes and find perpetrators. The group is led by Senior Agent David Rossi (Mantegna) and includes Agents JJ Jareau (Cook), Tara Lewis (Tyler) and Luke Alvez (Rodriguez) as well as Technical Analyst Penelope Garcia (Vangsness) and Unit Chief Emily Prentiss (Brewster).

The classic broadcast procedural is being serialized for binge-driven streaming consumption, with the team coming back together to investigate a single case over 10 episodes in the new season for Paramount+.

Messer serves as showrunner, executive producer and writer. Breen Frazier and Chris Barbour will serve as writers and executive producers, Glenn Kershaw will direct and executive produce, and Mark Gordon will also serve as executive producer.

Criminal Minds is among Paramount Global’s most prized titles in the streaming era.

It had been a top performer on Netflix since before the streamer started releasing viewership information. While Paramount+ has all 15 seasons, Netflix carries the first 12. They accounted for 33.9 billion minutes of viewing on the global platform, making it the most watched title on Netflix in 2021. Criminal Minds also was the third-most-streamed series in 2020 on Netflix behind The Office and Grey’s Anatomy, with 590M hours viewed.

Adam Rodriguez Among Six Original “Criminal Minds” Cast Members In Talks For Show’s Paramount+ Revival

Adam Rodriguez may be returning to his Criminal roots…

The 46-year-old Puerto Rican and Cuban American actor is among the original cast members reportedly in final talks to star in the Criminal Minds revival for Paramount+.

Adam RodriguezIn addition to Rodriguez, other fan favorite cast members who’ve reportedly agreed to come back include Joe MantegnaKirsten VangsnessA.J. Cook, Aisha Tyler and Paget Brewster, subject to closing their deals and availability.

Contract talks with Rodriguez and the other original cast members have been put on hold, according to Deadline, as Criminal Minds lead studio, ABC Signature, is focusing on making a deal with the series’ longtime executive producer/showrunner Erica Messer.

Negotiations with Messer, who has an overall pact with the studio, are still ongoing, with the two sides getting closer to a deal.

A license agreement for a 10-episode new season of Criminal Minds has been reached between Paramount+ and the studios behind the crime drama, ABC Signature and CBS Studios.

Rodriguez and the other five originals represent the majority of Criminal Minds’ cast in its 15th and final season.

The original series, created by Jeff Davis, follows a group of criminal profilers who work for the FBI as members of its Behavioral Analysis Unit, using behavioral analysis and profiling to investigate crimes and find perpetrators. The group is led by Senior Agent David Rossi (Mantegna) and includes Agents JJ Jareau (Cook), Tara Lewis (Tyler) and Luke Alvez (Rodriguez) as well as Technical Analyst Penelope Garcia (Vangsness) and Unit Chief Emily Prentiss (Brewster).

The classic broadcast procedural is being serialized for binge-driven streaming consumption, with the team coming back together to investigate a single case over 10 episodes in the new season for Paramount+.

Criminal Minds is among ViacomCBS’ most prized titles in the streaming era. It had been a top performer on Netflix since before the streamer started releasing viewership information. While Paramount+ has all 15 seasons, Netflix carries the first 12. They accounted for 33.9 billion minutes of viewing on the global platform, making it the most watched title on Netflix in 2021. Criminal Minds also was the third-most-streamed series in 2020 on Netflix behind The Office and Grey’s Anatomy, with 590M hours viewed.

CBS Renews Adam Rodriguez’s “Criminal Minds” for a 14th Season

Adam Rodriguez will still be Minds-ing his business…

CBS has renewed its veteran drama Criminal Minds, starring the 43-year-old Puerto Rican and Cuban American actor, for a 14th season.

Adam Rodriguez

After a long run at 9:00 pm, Criminal Minds moved to 10:00 pm this season. It has improved the time period and is doing well in delayed viewing.

The crime drama ended its 13th season on a cliffhanger, reportedly with the blessing of CBS. A cancellation would’ve robbed the show’s loyal fans of a proper ending and would’ve deprived the series of hitting the 300th episode milestone, ending its run with 299.

Now Criminal Minds‘ Season 14 premiere will also mark the show’s 300th episode, giving it an extra promotional push.

Criminal Minds revolves around an elite team of FBI profilers who analyze the country’s most twisted criminal minds, anticipating their next moves before they strike again. Joe Mantegna stars as David Rossi, along with Paget Brewster as Emily Prentiss, Matthew Gray Gubler as Dr. Spencer Reid, A.J. Cook as Jennifer “JJ” Jareau, Aisha Tyler as Dr. Tara Lewis, Kirsten Vangsness as Penelope Garcia, Rodriguez as Luke Alvez and Daniel Henney as Matt Simmons.

ABC Studios produces in association with CBS Television Studios.

CBS Renews Rodriguez’s “Criminal Minds” for a 13th Season

There’s more crime activity in Adam Rodriguez’s future…

CBS has picked up veteran crime drama Criminal Minds, starring the 42-year-old Puerto Rican and Cuban American actor, for a 13th season.

Adam Rodriguez

Criminal Minds, from ABC Studios and CBS Studios, averages respectable 10.8 million viewers (Live+Same Day). Its Live+7 adults 18-49 tally (2.4) is the third-highest for a CBS non-sports program.

After a major cast overhaul in the past year, with the departure of Shemar Moore, the shocking exit of Thomas Gibson, the return of Paget Bewster, the promotion of Aisha Tyler and the addition of Rodriguez, as Luke Alvez, and Damon Gupton, there are no major changes planned for next season, with the cast expected to return. That includes veterans Joe Mantegna, Matthew Gray Gubler, A.J. Cook and Kirsten Vangsness.

Rodriguez previously starred on CBS’ long-running series CSI: Miami.