From TVGuide
‘Minds’ cast not thrilled with franchise
Shemar Moore wants ‘Criminal’ spinoff to fail
In less than a month’s time, Criminal Minds will shift from being a singular crime drama to a franchise brand. Feb. 16 marks the debut of its spinoff, Suspect Behavior, and to say the original cast is less than thrilled is an understatement. In fact, they offered up some rather frank opinions on the subject to TV Guide Canada.
“I’m flattered that we’ve done such a good job that they would like to do another show, but there’s another part of me that wants it to fail,” states Shemar Moore on the show’s L.A. set. “CBS, as far as I know, has never had a failed spinoff. I’m not gonna lie, I hope this is their first. Nothing against those actors, but because if it fails [CBS will] realize that this shit ain’t easy.”
“We worked with a guest cast and they used our resources and our crew, and we worked really hard to create this thing for them (and) we kinda got shafted,” continues Paget Brewster. “And it was what we were afraid of. We were afraid that we would be cannibalised for the creation of this next show and unfortunately, that’s a little bit of what happened.”
On the flip side, Thomas Gibson notes the whole Criminal brand would look bad if any part of it didn’t succeed and Matthew Gray Gubler says he’s “very curious” to see the spinoff; however, he does point out he prefers fresh ideas to Hollywood remakes.
Regardless, Suspect Behavior was the source behind the changes to the original, which was confirmed by CBS president Nina Tassler at the recent TCAs. Though the cast appears to have welcomed new addition Rachel Nichols with open arms, Cook’s dismissal threw them for a loop and sadly, it looks like Brewster may soon be following in her footsteps. This season, the actress says her character will face a growing problem that stems from her past with a European organization, which “may or may not lead to my demise.”
Those who keep abreast of Criminal news know that Brewster’s Season 6 deal includes a pilot out, meaning she’s free to film another television show should she so choose to. While she says nothing has struck her fancy to date, it’s very possible the BAU will have another spot to fill come next fall — yet another upset to both cast members and fans alike.
“I don’t even want to cross that bridge. I really don’t,” says Gibson.
Criminal Minds airs Wednesdays at 9 p.m. ET on CTV/CBS. Suspect Behavior debuts post-Criminal
