Criminal Minds first premiered on September 22, 2005 on CBS and is now in its 6th season. Criminal Minds is about a criminal profiler team from FBI’s BAU (Behavioral Analysis Unit.) The show takes place in Quantico, Virginia. Criminal Minds is a crime drama but focuses more on the criminal rather than the crime. The team consists of six people who are the main characters in each episode. The teams consists of Thomas Gibson as Aaron Hotcher “Hotch,” Shemar Moore as Derek Morgan, Matthew Gray Gubler as Spencer Reid, Kristen Vangsness as Penelope Garcia, Paget Brewster as Emily Prentiss and Joe Mantegna as David Rossi. At the beginning and end of each episode there is a famous quote that relates to the episode. For example, in one episode the quote: “These violent delights have violent ends,” William Shakespeare, was used when the team wasn’t able to save the person in danger of the criminal.
The show always begins with the team receiving their case and traveling to the crime scene. There are always twists and turns along the way, so it’s very hard to figure it out before the team does. Most episodes focus entirely on the case, though there sometimes is a back story with the characters. Each character adds something important to the team. For instance, Spencer Reid played by Matthew Gray Gubler, is a genius with an IQ of 187. Any fact the team needs to know, he’s got it, and no research is needed. Also Emily Prentiss played by Paget Brewster, is fluent in many languages. So if anyone they need to talk to doesn’t speak English, she’s the one they go to.
In my opinion, Criminal Minds is one of the best shows on TV. It airs on Wednesday nights at 9:00. It’s hard to compare with other crime dramas like CSI and Law and Order because those shows are mainly about the crime while Criminal Minds is mainly about the criminal. They use the crime to help figure out the criminal but they use characteristics and personality traits to completely analyze the person. Criminal Minds won the ASCAP Award three years in a row, and the BMI TV Music Award two years in a row. It was nominated twice for an Emmy. The show was also nominated for the Golden Reel Award in 2008, the People’s Choice Award in 2009 and the Your Artist Award in 2008 and 2009.