CBS’s New Spin-off Procedural Criminal Minds: Beyond Borders

Criminal Minds: Beyond Borders
(Left-right) Alana De La Garza, Gary Sinise, Tyler James Williams, Annie Funke and Daniel Henney star in the CBS drama, Criminal Minds: Beyond Borders. Photo: Richard Cartwright/CBS ©2015 CBS Broadcasting, Inc. All Rights Reserved
Criminal Minds: Beyond Borders
(Left-right) Alana De La Garza, Gary Sinise, Tyler James Williams, Annie Funke and Daniel Henney star in the CBS drama, Criminal Minds: Beyond Borders.
Photo: Richard Cartwright/CBS ©2015 CBS Broadcasting, Inc. All Rights Reserved

CBS sends its successful crime procedural, Criminal Minds, on a trip around the world in the spin-off, Criminal Minds: Beyond Borders. In the internationally-focused series, the FBI’s International Response Unit (ITR) solves crimes and comes to the rescue of Americans who find trouble while abroad.

The cast and creators presented the new series to a group of journalists at the Television Critics Association (TCA) winter press tour and they explain that the new series will thrill loyal fans of Criminal Minds, but also attract a new audience with it’s look at international perils that face Americans every days.

EP Mark Gorson explains that he was looking for a series that made sense to spin off of the Criminal Minds Mothership. Says Criminal Minds EP Erica Messer came up with the series, a premise that Godson promises “Will delight our viewers” and “Bring something different and fresh to the table.”

Messer and Gorson knew that there were “More stories to tell,” within the Criminal Minds framework, but wanted to move beyond domestic perils. “There’s a great big world out there,” says Messer, who notes that 68 million Americans leave the U.S. every year. “There’s crime out there,” she says. “Wouldn’t it be amazing if there was a team of FBI heroes out there to save you?”

Criinal Minds: Beyond Borders
Gary Sinise as Unit Chief Jack Garrett on “Criminal Minds: Beyond Borders”
Photo: Robert Voets/CBS ©2015 CBS Broadcasting, Inc. All Rights Reserved

Gary Sinise on his character, unit chief Jack Garrett, “What makes this guy ‘fresh and special’? I had success on CSI: New York, Mac was a very professional guy. There are similarities, but what I like about this guy, in Law enforcement, there’s always characters who are constantly broken because they deal in such dark worlds. On the other hands, there are several law enforcement officials who can keep their worlds together. I know several people like that myself. I wanted to portray a character who can keep his family together.” Sinise says the series will eventually explore the personal lives of the characters.

I had the opportunity to sit down with Sinise and chat about the series, and he is looking to honor the traditions of military/service member families (like his character Jack), in the same way that CSI: NY’s Mac Taylor honored families touched by 9/11. That interview will be online close to the series premiere and in Channel Guide Magazine‘s March issue.

Messner reveals that she always saw Gary Sinise in the star’s central role. “Gary’s a hero, onscreen and off.”

Mark Gordon has been a fan since seeing Sinise direct and star in a play with John Malkovich. Thought, “I would love an opportunity to work with this great actor.”

Story will also insert the every-day problems that are common to travelers (Drinking the water, drivers getting lost)

FBI has a few teams like this, but the IRU is something that the show’s producers came up with for the series.

Alana De La Garza was under the weather and missed the panel; but she plays Clara, a Cultural Anthropologist.

Criminal Minds did have a spin off before, Criminal Minds: Suspect Behavior, which premiered in 2011 and was cancelled after 13 episodes. The police procedural drama starring Forest Whitaker and Janeane Garofalo and the edition’s profiling team also worked for the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Behavioral Analysis Unit (BAU) in Quantico, Virginia.

Gordon learned from that experience and said it took many years to find an organic idea that would work well on its own, but could be successfully spun off of an established franchise.

The series is produced in LA, but technology allows the production to create the world that they see in the world. The series uses green screen, visual effects and production design to create international worlds, without having to leave LA.

Daniel Henney says when he travels, he’s aware of what’s he’s doing, but the series hasn’t made him wary of traveling abroad.

Tyler James Williams-mildly paranoid about getting kidnapped, and that fear drew him to the role.

Annie Funke’s new favorite way to travel is by giant, private plane- that doesn’t mve. She admits to be very airplane averse.

Criminal Minds: Beyond Borders stars Gary Sinise, Alana De La Garza, Tyler James Williams, Annie Funke and Daniel Henney. The drama premieres Wednesday, March16 at 10pm ET/PT on CBS.