Just when it was looking as though Criminal Minds was down for the count, the veteran crime drama is officially eyeing a comeback!
As fans will recall, following the show’s final season in 2020, buzz began building regarding a possible sixteenth season being eyed by CBS Studios and ABC Signature. At the time, it was reported the plan was to revive the series with help from a mix of returning and new characters.
Sadly, talks of the revival went cold as 2021 went on leading to star Paget Brewster telling fans the working assumption was that the revival was “dead” and that the project was looking “unlikely.”
Several months later, the rollercoaster ride continued as Tanya Giles, Chief Programming Officer at ViacomCBS Streaming, told reporters at the Television Critics Association Winter Press Tour the project was “still very much in development” and was “alive and well.”
Well, it might have taken several months, but Giles has made good on her assurance to fans as the Criminal Minds revival has officially been given the green light. That’s right, Criminal Minds season 16 is officially a go and we’re here to break down everything there is to know about the upcoming revival of CBS’s hit series!
What channel will the Criminal Minds revival be on?
While all 15 seasons of Criminal Minds aired on CBS, the newly ordered revival series will be making the move to Paramount+. The series will become the latest in a string of former CBS series to make the jump to Paramount+, a list that includes SEAL Team, EVIL and Blood and Treasure.
How many episodes will Criminal Minds season 16 be?
According to a report from TVLine, the upcoming Criminal Minds revival will consist of ten episodes. While this is shorter than the average season of the show’s earlier seasons, it’s on pace with the standard episode order for Paramount+ originals and also with the show’s most recent season.
Criminal Minds season 16 release date (rumors)
At this time, Paramount+ has not yet announced a release date for Criminal Minds season 16; however, it’s looking likely the earliest we could season the season debut would be in the fall of 2022. It’s also possible Paramount+ could choose to hold the series for early 2023.
Criminal Minds season 16 cast
Returning for season 16 of Criminal Minds will be original cast members Joe Mantegna, A.J. Cook, Kirsten Vangsness, Aisha Tyler, Adam Rodriguez, and Paget Brewster. Additional casting announcements are said to be coming soon with new blood expected to be added to the mix.
Criminal Minds season 16 synopsis
Wondering just what you can expect from the upcoming Criminal Minds revival? Here is how Paramount+ describes the upcoming sixteenth season of the hit drama:
"In the all-new Criminal Minds episodes exclusively available on Paramount+, the 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 our team must hunt them down, one murder at a time."
Criminal Minds season 16 trailer
No trailer has been released for Criminal Minds season 16, which isn’t surprising as the revival was only just announced in mid-July. With filming expected to begin sometime this summer, it’s likely we won’t get an official trailer or teaser until later this year.