CBS Renews ‘Criminal Minds’ for 2016-17

CBS, as expected, has picked-up Wednesday night drama “Criminal Minds” for a 12th season. The order is for a full season (an expected 22-episodes), and series stars Joe Mantegna, Thomas Gibson, Matthew Gray Gubler, A.J. Cook and Kirsten Vangsness are all expected to return. Mark Gordon, Erica Messer and Breen Frazier are executive producers for ABC Studios in association with CBS Television Studios.

By next season, “Criminal Minds” will tie the original “Hawaii Five-O” and “NYPD Blue” as the 11th longest running scripted network drama in the history of television (behind “Gunsmoke” and “Law & Order,” “Law & Order: SVU,” “Lassie,” “ER” and “CSI,” the original “Dallas,” “Knots Landing,” “NCIS” and “Grey’s Anatomy”).

Still awaiting word on their fates on CBS are sitcoms “Life in Pieces” and “The Odd Couple,” and scripted hours “Code Black,” “Limitless,” “Supergirl,” “Criminal Minds: Beyond Borders” and “Rush Hour.”