Why The Criminal Minds Spin-Off Suspect Behavior Was Canceled After One Season
The immense popularity of "Criminal Minds" made spin-offs all but inevitable, yet CBS' first go-around at another series fell completely flat. "Criminal Minds: Suspect Behavior" premiered in 2011 as the first spin-off of the acclaimed police procedural, only to be promptly canceled after one short season.
Starring Forest Whitaker as Sam Cooper, Janeane Garofalo as Beth Griffith, and Michael Kelly as Jonathan "Prophet" Simms, the show focused on the Behavioral Analysis Unit's rapid response agents. Known as the Red Cell, the squad handled higher-stakes and ultra-dangerous cases. "Criminal Minds" Season 5, Episode 18 served as the backdoor pilot for "Suspect Behavior" in 2010, introducing the new characters while setting up their story.
"Suspect Behavior" Season 1 aired in the Wednesday night time slot directly following "Criminal Minds," but that didn't translate to success. The series never resonated with the masses, and low ratings were not a promising sign for the network. According to TV Series Finale, ratings declined following the series premiere — which drew 13.06 million viewers. Near the end of Season 1, the show averaged only 9.84 million viewers and held a mediocre 2.4 Nielsen rating for adults 18-49. CBS canceled "Suspect Behavior" on May 17, 2011, while on the same day renewing a different procedural spin-off, "CSI: NY." In comparison to "Suspect Behavior," "CSI: NY" likely fared better thanks to a large syndication deal and its franchise's established foothold with international audiences.
Criminal Minds didn't stop branching out after Suspect Behavior failed
The early cancellation of "Criminal Minds: Suspect Behavior" didn't stop CBS from developing more projects in the universe. Five years after "Suspect Behavior," audiences were introduced to the spin-off show "Criminal Minds: Beyond Borders." Running for two seasons in 2016 and 2017, the Gary Sinise-led drama saw its central team investigate international cases involving American citizens. Unfortunately, low viewership once again claimed the life of a "Criminal Minds" spin-off, as "Beyond Borders" didn't last long before its cancellation.
That was the end of CBS' string of unsuccessful "Criminal Minds" spin-offs, and the original series ended in 2020 after 15 seasons. But only two years later, the series returned on Paramount+, now newly titled "Criminal Minds: Evolution." A true continuation of "Criminal Minds" rather than a spin-off, "Evolution" has run for four seasons thus far. The "Criminal Minds" revival has been renewed for Season 20, which will premiere in 2027. While "Criminal Minds" hasn't triumphed as a CBS franchise in the way "NCIS" and "CSI" have over the years, it's still considered one of the best crime shows on TV.