The hit drama was renewed following strong ratings and a new licensing deal.
CBS has officially renewed Criminal Minds for a 12th season, marking it one of the longest-running television series over the past decade. However, there is still no word on whether its spinoff, Criminal Minds: Beyond, will make a comeback.
Criminal Minds brought in an average of 12 million viewers during its 11th season, with about 2.8 million being adults between ages 18-49. With Joe Mantegna playing the lead role, the hit drama is currently CBS’ second-highest rated series in total viewers. It is also backed by the talents from Thomas Gibson, A.J. Cook, Matthew Gray Gubler, and Kirsten Vangness.
The main reason for its renewal stems from a reduced license fee between ABC and CBS Television Studios. The deal was worked out between executive producers Mark Gordon, Erica Messer, and Breen Frazier. Ownership of property is becoming a higher priority among television networks, prompting off-networks to work harder into licensing deals for co-produced series.
CBS is also in talks to re-examine a deal for new drama series Supergirl, produced by Warner bros. Television, which is said to cost roughly $3 million per episode.
Criminal Minds is only one of several dramas making a return. These include Blue Bloods, Hawaii Five-0, Elementary, NCIS, NCIS: Los Angeles, NCIS: New Orleans, Madam Secretary, and Scorpion.
However, some of their other shows are still uncertain, including Beyond Borders, CSI: Cyber, Limitless, Code Black, as well as Rush Hour. A decision about their fate should be made available within the next several weeks.
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