Criminal Minds star Paget Brewster says that the Paramount+ revival is likely dead. The popular crime drama series premiered on CBS in 2005 and followed members of an elite squad of FBI profilers who use psychology to analyze the minds of some of the most twisted criminals. Created by Jeff Davis, the CBS series introduced audiences to many actors, including Matthew Gray Gubler, and even went on to inspire two spin-off series. After 15 seasons, the long-running crime procedural aired its final episode in 2020.
Like many shows in recent years, Criminal Minds was said to be making a return for fans after its ending. Back in February, it was announced that a Criminal Minds revival series was in the works at Paramount+. Though the revival was still in negotiations and not many details about the series were being revealed, it was said that long-time showrunner and executive producer Erica Messer would return to helm the show, with CBS Studios and ABC Signature producing. Brewster, who starred as Special Agent Emily Prentiss, said that cast members from the last four seasons of Criminal Minds were approached to return for the revival series. However, Brewster is now sharing a disappointing update for fans.
Recently, Brewster revealed on social media that the potential revival for Criminal Minds is likely not happening now. Responding to a tweet from a fan who asked if there is any news on the show's revival, Brewster wrote, "No, and sadly, we think it’s dead. I’ll let you know if there is any progress, but it seems unlikely. Which is a bummer.” However, a spokesperson for Paramount+ told TVLine that Brewster's claim is not true and that the revival is “still very much in development.”
If the revival happens, Criminal Minds would be one of a number of shows that Paramount+ is reviving. Last month, the streamer revived Nickelodeon's hit teen series iCarly, which had been off the air for 10 years. The revival saw most of the main cast return, and iCarly has even been renewed for a season 2. Earlier this year, the streamer also released a reunion season of the massively popular MTV reality series The Real World and was also recently announced to be reviving the comedy-drama series The Game, with new and returning cast members.
It's unclear why Brewster believes the Criminal Minds revival is dead, especially when Paramount+ says that the series is still happening. It's possible that there just hasn't been much word on the series recently, so Brewster thought that the show was likely off. While there has not been much said about the new series, Paramount+ has previously stated that the series would be a mix of returning cast members and new faces. It does not seem like fans will know for sure whether the series is officially happening until Paramount+ shares more information.
Source: Paget Brewster / TVLine