Criminal Minds

2005 • TMDB 8.3 • 19 seasons • 364 episodes • Crime, Drama, Mystery • CBS / Paramount+

Where to Watch

In the US, Criminal Minds streams on Paramount+ Premium, Paramount+ Essential, the Paramount+ Apple TV channel, the Paramount+ Amazon Channel, and the Paramount+ Roku Premium Channel (19 seasons each), Hulu (15 seasons), Philo (6 seasons), Amazon Prime Video and Amazon Prime Video with Ads (5 seasons each), and YouTube TV (1 season). It is also available to buy on the Apple TV Store, Amazon Video, and Fandango At Home (19 seasons each). Availability checked against US listings on October 29, 2026.

Overview

The FBI’s Behavioral Analysis Unit does not chase criminals after the fact — it gets inside their heads before they strike again. Criminal Minds follows the profilers of the BAU as they travel the country, reading crime scenes the way other detectives read fingerprints, and building a portrait of an unknown subject from behavior, victimology, and the smallest details left behind. Led over the years by Aaron Hotchner, David Rossi, and Emily Prentiss, and anchored by genius Spencer Reid, tech wizard Penelope Garcia, and profiler Jennifer Jareau, the team faces serial killers, kidnappers, and predators whose motives are as twisted as their methods. Each case is a race against the clock, but the show’s real engine is the team itself: a found family that absorbs the darkness of its work and leans on each other to keep going. After fifteen seasons on CBS, the series reinvented itself on Paramount+ as Criminal Minds: Evolution, trading case-of-the-week comfort for serialized hunts — and proving this team still has new nightmares to profile.

Creator and Main Cast

Created by Jeff Davis.

• Kirsten Vangsness as Penelope Garcia (364 episodes)
• A.J. Cook as Jennifer Jareau (344 episodes)
• Matthew Gray Gubler as Dr. Spencer Reid (325 episodes)
• Joe Mantegna as David Rossi (319 episodes)
• Thomas Gibson as Aaron Hotchner (257 episodes)
• Shemar Moore as Derek Morgan (257 episodes)
• Paget Brewster as Emily Prentiss (251 episodes)
• Aisha Tyler as Dr. Tara Lewis (127 episodes)
• Adam Rodriguez as Luke Alvez (109 episodes)

Seasons Snapshot

• Seasons 1–5 (2005–2010) — 20–26 episodes each; the original BAU lineup takes shape.
• Seasons 6–10 (2010–2015) — 23–24 episodes each; new profilers join as the team evolves.
• Seasons 11–15 (2015–2020) — 10–22 episodes each; the CBS run closes with a 10-episode final season.
• Seasons 16–19 (2022–2026) — 10 episodes each; the Paramount+ Evolution revival, with serialized storytelling.

Why Watch Criminal Minds?

• The profiling angle sets it apart: the puzzle is the killer’s mind, not just the crime scene.
• Two decades of cases mean you can dip into almost any season and find a gripping standalone story.
• The BAU’s found-family bond gives the darkest cases real emotional stakes.
• The Evolution revival adds serialized, season-long hunts for viewers who want more than one-off cases.
• Its opening literary quotes and jet-set case structure made it one of TV’s most rewatchable procedurals.

Trailer

Watch the official trailer on YouTube: Criminal Minds: Evolution | New Season Official Trailer | Paramount+