Culture 2 min read By Lauren Baxter
Paramount+ cancels Criminal Minds: Evolution after Season 20
Paramount+ will end Criminal Minds: Evolution with its upcoming 20th season, closing the long-running procedural's run on the streamer.
Paramount+ has canceled Criminal Minds: Evolution, and the upcoming 20th season will be the revival's last on the streamer. The long-running procedural follows the FBI's Behavioral Analysis Unit, and the decision closes the series' run on the platform.
Variety reported that Evolution was originally revived for Season 16 at the streamer back in 2022. Season 19 aired between May and July of this year. Season 20 does not yet have a premiere date, but it will air in 2027. Variety's report, citing its own sourcing, said the show will end with that 20th season on Paramount+.
Deadline reported that the decision was made recently, making it the first official cancellation under the new Paramount+ leadership team. Deadline's coverage described the team as led by a Co-Chair and Chief Content Officer, and framed the move as the first big decision of that group's tenure. The outlet also noted that Criminal Minds is ending its run, for now, across two incarnations on two platforms.
The two versions of the franchise share a premise but have lived on different services. The original Criminal Minds ran for many seasons before its broadcast run ended, and Evolution carried the story of the BAU team forward on the streaming service. Season 20 will therefore mark the close of the BAU's work on Paramount+ after two decades of episodes across both shows.
Neither report describes a detailed explanation from the network for the decision, and the sources supplied do not include reactions from the cast or creators. What is confirmed is the timeline: a 2022 revival for Season 16, a summer 2026 run for Season 19, and a 2027 air date for the final season, which has not yet been scheduled for a premiere.
6
