Created by Jeff Davis, Criminal Minds is a procedural crime drama series aired on the CBS network from September 2005 to February 2020. The series ran for fifteen seasons and had 324 episodes.
The success of the series birthed two spin-off series- Criminal Minds: Suspect Behavior and Criminal Minds: Beyond Borders. The series also had a South Korean adaptation.
Cast
The original principal cast of Criminal Minds consisted of Mandy Patinkin as Jason Gideon, Thomas Gibson as Aaron Hotchner, Lola Glaudini as Elle Greenaway, Shemar Moore as Derek Morgan, Matthew Gubler as Spencer Reid, A.J. Cook as Jennifer Jareau, and Kirsten Vangsness as Penelope Garcia.
During the series’ run, the cast changed from time to time. The makers replaced the original cast members with new cast members.
The new cast members included Paget Brewster as Emily Prentiss, Joe Mantegna as David Rossi, Rachel Nichols as Ashley Seaver, Jeanne Tripplehorn as Alex Blake, Jennifer Love Hewitt as Kate Callahan, Aisha Tyler as Tara Lewis, Adam Rodriguez as Luke Alvez, Damon Gupton as Stephen Walker, and Daniel Henney as Matt Simmons.
Premise
Criminal Minds revolves around the members of the Behavior Analysis Unit of the FBI. These criminal profiles use behavioral analysis to investigate crimes and arrest the criminals.
The storyline revolves around the team’s various cases while battling private matters.
The analysis team is headed initially by its Unit Chief Aaron Hotchner and then by Emily Prentiss.
The team members include Jason Gideon, the founder of the Behavior Analysis Unit and the best profiler, an ex-cop expert on obsessional crimes named Derek Morgan, geographic profiling expert Spencer Reid, and communication manager Jennifer Jareau.
The other team members include sex crimes expert Elle Greenway, criminal profiling expert David Rossi, an amateur FBI agent Ashley Seaver, language expert Alex Blake, undercover agent Kate Callahan, forensic psychologist Tara Lewis, an expert fugitive tracker Luke Alvez, counterintelligence expert Stephen Walker and profiler Matt Simmons.
Reception
Criminal Minds was one of the most-watched shows on the CBS network. It was always high on the rating scale during its fifteen-season run.
The series’ success birthed spin-offs, adaptations, and a video game.
Although high on the rating scale, the series’ first season received mixed reviews from critics. Some critics thought the series had confusing characters and storylines.
A 10-episode revival series will air on Paramount+. A documentary series titled ‘The Real Criminal Minds’ will also air on the streaming platform.
Accolades
During its fifteen-year run, Criminal Minds has received several awards and nominations.
The series’ most significant nominations include the People’s Choice Awards, BMI Film & TV Awards, the Primetime Emmy Awards, the Image Awards, the MovieGuide Awards, the ASCAP Film and Television Music Awards, and the Prism Awards.
The series won the Top TV Series award at the ASCAP Film and Television Music Awards twice in a row, in 2006 and 2007. It won the music awards at the BMI Film & TV Awards in 2008 and 2009; and the Best Score in a TV Show at HMMA.
Criminal Minds again won the Top Television Series at the ASCAP Film and Television Awards in 2011, 2012, and 2013. The series won Favorite TV Crime Drama at the People’s Choice Awards in 2017.