Janeane Garofalo to Join New 'Criminal Minds' Series?
Comedian, activist and actress Janeane Garofalo is reportedly joining the cast of the new 'Criminal Minds' spinoff, 'Criminal Minds: Suspect Behavior,' the Ausiello Files is reporting.
Oscar winner Forest Whitaker has already signed to the much-hyped show, which will be the first spin-off in the 'Criminal Minds' franchise.
The procedural drama will follow F.B.I. profiler Sam Cooper (Whitaker) who forms his own team of independent investigators after being away for several years. Garofalo, who previously played an F.B.I. agent in '24,' is expected to star as one of these elite agents.
Garofalo got her big TV breaks in the '90s on 'Saturday Night Live' and 'The Larry Sanders Show.' In recent years, however, she's appeared in high-profile drama series, with roles on 'The West Wing' and '24.' She became available for 'Suspect Behavior' after her fall pilot, a John Wells-produced medical drama about doctors who travel the country helping people in life-or-death situations, was not picked up by CBS.
CBS has developed several successful drama franchises over the years, most notably with the 'CSI' shows and 'NCIS,' which was itself a spinoff from 'JAG.' The new 'Criminal Minds' series was announced amid falling ratings and rumors of budgetary problems with the original drama, and in recent weeks series regulars Paget Brewster and A.J. Cook have been dropped.
Although the pilot episode of 'Suspect Behavior' reportedly met with a lukewarm reception at the network, CBS executives announced it as part of the Fall 2010 lineup back in May, and are presumably hoping that a successful launch will reboot the fortunes of the original show.
'Criminal Minds: Suspect Behavior' is due to debut on CBS in the fall.

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