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| A&E NETWORK ACQUIRES CBS TELEVISION DISTRIBUTION'S CRIMINAL MINDS FOR SEPTEMBER 2009 DEAL ALSO GIVES A&E A WEEKLY PREVIEW OF EARLY SEASONS BEGINNING IN MAY 2008 NEW YORK, NY, April 24, 2008 A&E Network will become the official cable home to the hit CBS drama series Criminal Minds, it was announced today by Bob DeBitetto, Executive Vice President and General Manager, A&E Network. The acquisition from CBS Television Distribution gives A&E the exclusive cable rights to the critically acclaimed series beginning September 2009. Additionally, beginning in May 2008, A&E will be airing episodes from the first three seasons of the series once weekly before fully stripping the series in September 2009. "'Criminal Minds' is a strategic acquisition which will serve as an excellent promotional platform for A&E's cable-leading portfolio of justice programming, as well as a perfect complement to the strong stable of high-quality, character-driven off-net dramas, including CSI: Miami' and The Sopranos'," said DeBitetto. "The addition of this series comes at the perfect time, as we get ready to reintroduce original drama series to the network, beginning this summer." One of the top-rated crime dramas on broadcast television, "Criminal Minds" revolves around an elite team of FBI profilers who analyze the country's most twisted criminal minds, anticipating their next moves before they strike again. The Behavioral Analysis Unit's team includes David Rossi (Joe Mantegna), a founding member of the BAU, who returns to help the team solve new cases, while pursuing some unfinished business of his own; Special Agent Aaron Hotchner (Thomas Gibson), a family man who is able to gain people's trust and unlock their secrets; Special Agent Derek Morgan (Shemar Moore), an expert on obsessional crimes; Special Agent Dr. Spencer Reid (Matthew Gray Gubler), a classically misunderstood genius whose social IQ is as low as his intellectual IQ is high; Jennifer "JJ" Jareau (A.J. Cook), a confident young agent who acts as the unit liaison for the team; and Penelope Garcia (Kirsten Vangsness), a computer wizard who helps research the cases. Emily Prentiss (Paget Brewster), the daughter of high-powered diplomats who recently joined the team and must prove her worth to Hotchner; Each member brings his or her own area of expertise to the table as they pinpoint predators' motivations and identify their emotional triggers in the attempt to stop them. For the first two seasons of Criminal Minds," Mandy Patinkin played the role of Jason Gideon. and Lola Glaudini (the sopranos, NYPD Blue, the Handler) played the role of Special Agent Elle Greenaway |