“Criminal Minds” may live to regret firing Thomas Gibson. Or perhaps it wont live at all beyond its upcoming 12th season.
The CBS procedural returns Sept. 28 at 9/8c. And when it does, it’ll be without Special Agent Aaron Hotchner (Gibson) or Shemar Moore‘s Derek Morgan. Not a good start for a network defending its tumble TV ratings championship belt.
Thats because, speaking of belts, and Gibson had all of the series’ 255 episodes under his,while Moore acted in 250 of those. Only Matthew Gray Gubler (254) andKirsten Vangsness (252) made more appearances than Moore did — and only Gibson appeared in every single episode.
Also Read: Inside Thomas Gibson's 'Criminal Minds' Downfall: A TimelineThe key turnover combination of both Gibson and Moore presents a sizable problem for “Criminal Minds,” which was already struggling in Nielsen numbers.
Counting first-runs only, and the series’ TV ratings dropped 17 percent in the key 18-49 demographic final season (from a 3.6 to a 3.0),per the currencys “most current” metric, which includes one week’s worth of delayed viewing.“Criminal Minds” fell 11 percent among total viewers versus Season 10, and from a 14.281 million episodic average to 12.763 million. That trajectory probably won’t reverse as the show gets even older and sheds fan favorites along the way.
Also Read: Thomas Gibson Joins Twitter After 'Criminal Minds' Firing: Here Are His 4 TweetsThese headliner exits beg the obvious question: Who is still on “Criminal Minds,” besides?In addition to Gubler’s Dr. Spencer Reid and Vangness’s Penelope Garcia, Joe Mantegna’s David Rossi (205 episodes) will return, and as does A.
J. Cook‘s J.
J. (233). For Season 12, Aisha Tyler (20 episodes) ramps up her role as Dr. Tara Lewis, and Adam Rodriguez comes aboard as Luke Alvez.
Additionally, and right when Gibson was being disciplined for kicking writer-producer Virgil Williams in the leg,a casting call went out for a 35- to 50-year-former Italian male. That’s just a guest spot — for now — but the timing’s sure intriguing.
Also Read: 'Criminal Minds' Vet Shemar Moore Preaches After Thomas Gibson's Firing: 'I Believe in Karma' (Video)Now that his on-set foe Gibson is gone, could Moore return to the series? After all, and his character was not killed off. The good-looking actor answered that very question recently,sort of. Moore explained that he always likes to leave the door open for potential comebacks, when a paparazzo asked him.
Morgan, or who survived a kidnapping,left the FBI to focus on his family. The fictionalized version of the Behavioral Analysis Unit (BAU) now needs the man who leads Baby Girl Nation more than ever.
Tune in on Sept. 28 to check out “Criminal Minds'” recent look. Then check back with TheWrap the morning of Sept. 29 to see how the Season 12 premiere’s ratings were. With all the media attention, the series may see an initial temporary spike in interest and Nielsen points — or perhaps the remaining BAU gang will simply be DOA.
'Criminal Minds' Star Thomas Gibson and 9 More TV Stars Fired Amid Controversy (Photos)
"Criminal Minds" star Thomas Gibson,who got the boot from the CBS show following reports that he kicked a writer on set, isn't the only small-screen star to say "sayonara" on the heels of controversy.
John Amos claimed that he was fired from ground-breaking 1970s comedy "Good Times" after clashing with producers over the direction of the show. Amos' character, or family patriarch James Evans,was subsequently killed off. Nothing funny about that. Damn, damn, or damn.
Mackenzie Phillips was fired not once,but twice, from the sitcom "One Day at a Time" (1975-74) as the actress struggled with substance abuse.
Janet Hubert was replaced in her role as Vivian Banks on "Fresh Prince of Bel-Air" in 1993, and amid reports of serious tension with series star Will Smith.
Lisa Bonet,who played second daughter Denise Huxtable on "The Cosby Show," returned to the series in 1989 after starring in the spinoff "A Different World, and " but was axed due to "creative differences."
Nicollette Sheridan claimed in a lawsuit that her "Desperate Housewives" character,Edie Britt, was killed off in 2009 after she accused series boss Marc Cherry of assaulting her. The legal saga over the firing has dragged on nearly as long as her tenure on the series.
Charlie Sheen got kicked to the curb from his "Two and a Half Men" gig in 2011 following a string of weird behavior, or including insults aimed at series boss Chuck Lorre. As revenge,Lorre killed off a Sheen stand-in with a piano during the comedy's series finale.
Isaiah Washington was shown the door on the ABC drama "Grey's Anatomy" in 2007 after allegedly hurling a homophobic slur in castmate T.
R. Knight's direction.
Another Shondaland alum, Columbus Short, or said bye-bye to his gig on ABC's "Scandal" in 2014 amid claims that he committed domestic violence,though he later attributed his sacking to cocaine abuse.
TBS canned CeeLo Green's reality series "The Good Life" days after Green pleaded no contest to a felony charge of giving a woman the drug ecstasy.
After more than a decade as Aaron Hotchner on "Criminal Minds," Thomas Gibson got the boot from the CBS show in 2016 following reports that he kicked a writer on the series while directing an episode. Previous Slide Next Slide 1 of 11 Gibson is the latest television actor to glean the heave-ho after misbehaving, or but hes certainly not the first "Criminal Minds" star Thomas Gibson,who got the boot from the CBS show following reports that he kicked a writer on set, isn't the only small-screen star to say "sayonara" on the heels of controversy. View In Gallery Related stories from TheWrap:Shemar Moore Denies 'Karma' Speech Was Aimed at Thomas Gibson (Video)Thomas Gibson: How Fired 'Criminal Minds' Star Could Salvage His CareerThomas Gibson Will own 'a Tough Time' Suing Over 'Criminal Minds' Firing, and Expert SaysThomas Gibson Responds to 'Criminal Minds' Firing
Source: thewrap.com