Summary Criminal Minds renewed for an 18th season at Paramount+ with returning cast members and new guest stars. Show originally aired in 2005, becoming a long-running police procedural series with high ratings. Series underwent casting changes over the years, including original stars leaving and some returning in later seasons.
Fans of Criminal Minds will be pleased to know that the series has already been renewed for an 18th season at Paramount+. The news comes just in time for the premiere of Season 17 on the streaming platform, which begins airing on June 6, 2024, with a two episode premiere, and weekly episodes on Thursdays thereafter until its conclusion on August 1.
Criminal Minds Release Date September 22, 2005 Cast A.J. Cook , Joe Mantegna , Adam Rodriguez , Daniel Henney , Aisha Tyler , Matthew Gray Gubler , Kirsten Vangsness , Paget Brewster Main Genre Crime Seasons 15
As per Variety, Criminal Minds: Evolution was picked up for an 18th season a day ahead of the Season 17 premiere, which sees returning cast members Joe Mantegna, A.J. Cook, Kirsten Vangsness, Aisha Tyler, Ryan-James Hatanaka, Adam Rodriguez and Paget Brewster all reprising their previous roles. Felicity Huffman will guest star as Dr. Jill Gideon, with Clark Gregg, Liana Liberato, Paul F. Tompkins, Tuc Watkins, and Brian White also guest starring in Season 17. Check out the official synopsis for the new season of Criminal Minds: Evolution below.
"Criminal Minds: Evolution picks up as the FBI's elite team of profilers investigates the deadly mystery of Gold Star. As the conspiracy unfolds, the Behavioral Analysis Unit (BAU) is met with an unexpected complication when serial killer Elias Voit (Zach Gilford) negotiates a deal that transfers him to federal custody in the BAU's own backyard. The team faces its biggest threat yet and cannot emerge unscathed from the mind-bending consequences."
Criminal Minds Has Been a CBS Staple for Almost 20 Years Close
First airing in 2005, Criminal Minds has become one of the longest running police procedurals in television history. It quickly garnered massive ratings for CBS, with its debut episode being watched by more than 19 million viewers. While it continued to be a ratings juggernaut for a number of years, all good things must come to an end, and by the show's final season in 2020, it was seen by just a fraction of its original audience, with an average viewership of only 8 million people.
While the series was canceled following Season 15 in 2020, Criminal Minds was brought back to life in 2022 by way of Criminal Minds: Evolution. Though technically it is a new chapter in the show's storied history, its brief hiatus tends to be ignored, with the revival being labeled as Season 16 and beyond.
Related Criminal Minds: The Most Messed Up Episodes
Criminal Minds has a slew of episodes that range from creepy to absolutely frightening.
Criminal Minds has also undergone a number of casting changes over the years, with original star Mandy Patinkin leaving in 2005 after just 47 episodes. Shemar Moore, a series regular since the beginning, also took his leave after 11 seasons, as did Matthew Gray Gubler, whose character of Spencer Reid did not return for Criminal Minds: Evolution in 2022. Other cast members that have come and gone, and come again over the years include Paget Brewster, A.J. Cook, Rachel Nichols, and Thomas Gibson.
Another series regular, Josh Stewart, who portrayed Det. William LaMontagne Jr. from 2007 to 2022, announced earlier this year that he would not be returning for Season 17 of Criminal Minds. The star took to social media to make the announcement, after being asked by a fan if he'd be reprising his role for the new season. He said that sadly his days on the show are over.
Criminal Minds Season 17 kicks off on June 6, 2024, and you can stream its entire run on Paramount+ . Check out the trailer for the new season below.
