criminal minds

With A.J. Cook departing 'Criminal Minds,' the series is adding another female character: Rachel Nichols will join the cast for a three-episode story arc later this season.

According to Deadline Hollywood, Nichols will play FBI cadet Ashley Seager. Look for Agent Hotch to invite the young cadet to consult on a case because of her family history.

The role was originally conceived as a series regular part, but has since been downgraded.

In other casting news ...

• Catherine Dent will guest star on 'NCIS.' Dent will play a former NCIS agent who has a past with Ducky. Look for 'The Shield' alumna to appear in at least two episodes in November. [Ausiello Files]

• Anna Kournikova will appear on NBC's 'Biggest Loser' on Tue., Oct. 5. The tennis pro will put the remaining contestants through a workout challenge that turns into a battle of the sexes. [TV Guide]

Last season of 'Criminal Minds' was rough on everyone -- Hotch lost his ex-wife and is now left to raise their son by himself, and Rossi was tested as the team tracked a vicious serial killer.

Of course, we're also losing JJ this season (A.J. Cook will only be in two episodes to wrap up her storyline), and we'll be seeing quite a bit less of Prentiss (star Paget Brewster has said this season will be her last). So where does that leave the BAU team? With secrets, that's where.


I hit the L.A. set to get the scoop on Season 6 (Wednesdays, 9PM ET on CBS) from stars Joe Mantegna and Thomas Gibson, and they both told me that secrets are a big theme this year. So will there be romance for Hotch as he juggles work and single parenthood? And will we meet any of Rossi's three ex wives? Watch and find out about that, new guest stars and more.

['Criminal Minds' - 'The Longest Night']

Two primary thoughts about the start of 'Criminal Minds' Season 6 last night: First up, this was by far the most dramatic, moving episode since last year's chilling Reaper-Hotch showdown (the show's greatest episode ever), an exceptional feat for a procedural-driven series entering its sixth season.

Second, why does JJ have to go? It was downright criminal (pardon the all too obvious pun) that A.J. Cook was forced out, particularly after the terrific performance she gave in this, one of the show's best episodes in recent years.

He ain't afraid of no ghosts, and now Ernie Hudson of 'Ghostbusters' fame ain't afraid of no criminals either.

AOL TV was on the L.A. set of 'Criminal Minds' today, where we learned exclusively that Hudson will appear in the sixth episode of Season 6 (premieres Wed., Sept. 22, 9PM ET on CBS). How? Because he was sitting right next to me, in full uniform, between scenes.

Hudson will play Lt. Garner, a tough fire department chief helping the BAU track a pyro-happy criminal in Detroit. From the scene we watched, it seems there are a ton of victims and everyone's a suspect.

"Half the city is set on fire, and he's got a dwindling fire force and fires everywhere. But we have this serial killer who's working under the guise of Devil's Night. Garner knows the Detroit police can't do it, so he calls in the FBI to give him a hand," Hudson explains. "He's been there for a long time ... he's just feeling less and less effective."

Award-winning actor Daniel J. Travanti is headed to the other side of the law this fall. According to TVGuide.com he will guest-star in an upcoming episode of 'Criminal Minds' playing an elderly serial killer.

Travanti will take on the role of Mr. Mullens, an Alzheimer's sufferer whose past hides a brutal secret: He was once a serial killer known as The Butcher. Mullens crosses paths with the Behavioral Analysis Unit after he comes out of retirement and tries to recapture his violent past despite not being able to remember much of it.

Although Travanti was most recently seen guest-starring in 'Grey's Anatomy' and 'Prison Break,' he's still best-known as Captain Frank Furillo on the '80s smash hit drama, 'Hill Street Blues.'

Maria Bello is returning to NBC with a role on 'Law & Order: SVU.' The Golden Globe-nominated actress, who played Dr. Del Amico on 'ER' and won raves for her performances in films like 'The Cooler' and 'A History of Violence,' will appear in two episodes of the long-running crime procedural. According to TV Guide, Bello will play a woman with a hidden past being investigated by Detective Benson (Mariska Hargitay). The gig reunites Bello with former 'ER' producer Neal Baer. The network has yet to schedule her episodes.

Plus, in other TV news today:

• Syfy is bringing first-person shooter video game series 'Red Faction' to the small screen with a two-hour original movie/backdoor pilot called 'Red Faction: Origins,' reports Deadline. The cable net is teaming up with video game maker THQ for the action-adventure project, which is set to premiere next March. No casting announcements have been made for the flick, which was penned by 'Warehouse 13' scribe Andrew Kreisberg.

Head after the jump for the latest 'Criminal Minds' spinoff casting news, to learn which TV vet is joining Betty White in 'Hot in Cleveland,' and more.

This is Spoilers Anonymous, a weekly column here at TV Squad where we supply you with the dirt on some of the more popular shows on the air. We'll never put spoilers up here on the main page in order to help the reformed stay unspoiled. If you have anything to add to the group, feel free to step up and let yourself be heard, either with our tips form or by e-mailing us at tvsquad@gmail.com. Your anonymity is guaranteed, if you wish to remain as such.

This week we have spoilers for: '90210,' 'Brothers & Sisters,' 'Castle,' 'Criminal Minds,' 'Desperate Housewives,' 'Dexter,' 'Entourage,' 'Eureka,' 'Gossip Girl,' 'House,' 'Psych,' 'Smallville,' 'Supernatural,' and 'The Vampire Diaries.'

It's been reported that Paget Brewster has signed a deal to return for one more season on 'Criminal Minds,' and that despite fan pressure, A.J. Cook has been axed.

Following news that CBS had chosen not to renew Cook's contract, and had reduced the number of episodes Brewster was to appear in, disgruntled fans mounted an online petition to save the actresses' roles.

Writing on Twitter over the weekend, Brewster expressed her gratitude to the more than 40,000 people who had signed the petition. "Thank you for helping and supporting me and AJ," she said. "I am immensely grateful. I'm still angry about AJ. I'm sad this is my last year."

And Cook tweeted to fans: "Thanks for your undying support but it's a done deal."

The CBS procedural is getting a spinoff series and has inspired a videogame, but all is not well with the 'Criminal Minds' piggy bank.

EW.com reports that 'Criminal Minds' producers have opted not to renew the contract of cast member A.J. Cook for the show's upcoming sixth season, because of budgetary reasons. No word yet on whether or not Cook will return long enough to wrap up her storyline; the actress plays FBI BAU Supervisory Special Agent Jennifer "JJ" Jareau, the 'Minds' team's liaison with the media and local law enforcement agencies, who has a son with her policeman boyfriend William LaMontagne.

What's your greatest fear? Are you afraid of heights? Spiders? Public speaking? Commitment? ... Darkness?

[Spoiler alert.]

CBS has officially picked up the much hyped 'Criminal Minds' spinoff starring Oscar winner Forest Whitaker.

Whitaker guest starred in an episode of 'Criminal Minds' last month to test the waters. According to the Live Feed, CBS was lukewarm to the pilot, but picked up the series anyway.

The spinoff joins new CBS shows such as 'Hawaii Five-0,' 'Defenders' and 'Blue Bloods.' A full report on those shows can be found here.

More details are expected on Wednesday when CBS has its presentation to advertisers.

A title for the spinoff has yet to be revealed.

Here's tonight's TV lineup (all times Eastern). All shows listed are new, unless otherwise noted.

8:00 to 9:00
ABC: 'The Middle' -- Starts at 8:30
CBS: 'The New Adventures of Old Christine' and 'Accidentally on Purpose'
The CW: 'America's Next Top Model'
FOX: 'Human Target'
G4: 'Web Soup'

9;00 to 10:00
ABC: 'Modern Family' and 'Cougar Town'
CBS: 'Criminal Minds'
The CW: 'Fly Girls' and 'High Society'
FOX: 'American Idol' -- Results show. Special guest Adam Lambert
BBC America: 'Peep Show' and 'That Mitchell and Webb Look'
Discovery: 'Mythbusters'
SyFy: 'Ghost Hunters'

10:00 to 11:00
ABC: 'Ugly Betty' -- Series finale
CBS: 'CSI: NY'
A&E: 'Dog the Bounty Hunter' and 'Billy the Exterminator'
Bravo: 'Top Chef Masters'
Comedy Central: 'South Park' and 'Ugly Americans' -- 'South Park's' 200th episode
E!: 'E! True Hollywood Story' -- focus on Tiger Woods
Showtime: 'Inside NASCAR'
SyFy: 'Destination Truth'
TBS: 'Tyler Perry's House of Payne' -- Two 30-minute episodes
TLC: 'Addicted'
TV Land: 'First Love, Second Chance'
USA: 'In Plain Sight'

Check your local TV listings for more information. After the jump, the late night talk shows.

We imagine that, for most kids, visiting dad at work isn't as exciting as when Thomas Gibson's kids stop by the set of 'Criminal Minds.'

In fact, Gibson's two boys were once lucky enough to have a makeup artist for the show place fake latex bullet holes on their hands on arms, he said on 'The Bonnie Hunt Show' (weekdays, syndicated).

Watch the video after the jump.

Soon, every single show on CBS will be a spinoff from another show on the network. 'CSI,' 'CSI: Miami,' 'CSI: NY,' CSI: [Insert City Here],' 'NCIS,' 'NCIS: L.A.,' 'NCIS: CBS L.A.' Maybe there'll even a future spinoff of 'The Mentalist' where we follow another law enforcement consultant who used to scam people with a fake psychic act and now sleeps on a mattress on the floor and drinks a lot of tea.

But before that we have the spinoff of 'Criminal Minds' coming up. The April 7 episode of the show will serve as a pilot for a spinoff series that would star Forest Whitaker as FBI profiler Sam Cooper who forms his own team of independent investigators after being away for several years. I'm sure that mystery will serve as a big back story for the new show. TV Fanatic has a bunch of pics from the episode, which will also feature Michael Kelly, Beau Garrett, and Matt Ryan.