Even More Criminal Minds Is Coming To TV, Get The Details

If you are a fan of Criminal Minds, there could be good news on the horizon. This week, we learned CBS has planned another Criminal Minds spinoff, and the introductory episode will pop up during Criminal Minds sometime later this season. The basic theme of tracking down and profiling criminals will be the same on the spinoff, but this Criminal Minds spinoff is going to be bigger and bolder.

The still-untitled Criminal Minds spinoff is expected to shoot in February and should theoretically have a broader appeal for the international markets, as it will follow an FBI team that essentially does the same things Hotch, Morgan, Reid and the rest of the gang do, just in a setting that is abroad. While it would not make sense for the FBI to get involved with the affairs of other countries, it does make sense that the FBI might get involved when American citizens get into trouble while on trips or living overseas, and Deadline reports the latter will be the case in the spinoff show.

Most of the same behind-the-scenes people will be involved with the new Criminal Minds spinoff project. ABC Studios is producing, and Criminal Minds’ Erica Messer will executive produce, along with Mark Gordon and Nick Pepper. Despite the fact that the spinoff episode is set to film soon (in February), other details regarding the project are scarce. Obviously, a backdoor pilot's success or failure does often have an affect on whether or not a spinoff will move forward, so expect CBS to sign a couple of big names over the next month or so.

CBS is typically a good place for spinoffs to get set up. NCIS has two successful spinoffs currently airing, and CSI has had numerous spinoffs, as well, including the upcoming CSI: Cyber. You would think a spinoff of the successful Criminal Minds franchise would be a no-brainer, but it’s a little more complicated than that.

In fact, if you can remember back just a few years ago, Criminal Minds actually put together a spinoff called Criminal Minds: Suspect Behavior that actually had a backdoor pilot during an episode of Criminal Minds and later lasted a whopping 13 episodes before CBS opted to cancel the series. The network may be expecting different results this time around, thanks to a format similar to NBC’s Crossing Lines, which was set and distributed internationally. It’s unclear if CBS’ goal is to go international with the new Criminal Minds project, but that seems to be the smartest angle, and the biggest reason to go international with the setting.

We’ll keep you posted as the potential new CBS crime drama moves forward and gets an official backdoor episode premiere.

Jessica Rawden
Managing Editor

Jessica Rawden is Managing Editor at CinemaBlend. She’s been kicking out news stories since 2007 and joined the full-time staff in 2014. She oversees news content, hiring and training for the site, and her areas of expertise include theme parks, rom-coms, Hallmark (particularly Christmas movie season), reality TV, celebrity interviews and primetime. She loves a good animated movie. Jessica has a Masters in Library Science degree from Indiana University, and used to be found behind a reference desk most definitely not shushing people. She now uses those skills in researching and tracking down information in very different ways.