TV Bites: Forest Whitaker Will Blow Your Criminal Minds

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· Oscar-winning actor Forest Whitaker is in final negotiations to star in a Criminal Minds spinoff. The new series, which centers on a group of profilers who work outside the FBI bureaucracy, will be introduced on an episode of Criminal Minds in the spring. Whitaker will star as Cooper, the dynamic and mysterious squad leader, and receive a producing credit on the project, which will be produced by ABC Studios, the Mark Gordon Co. and CBS Studios. [TMZ]

Paula Abdul considers dancing again, one Jersey Shore cast member tests her reporting skills, and more TV Bites after the jump.

· Paula Abdul is in negotiations with ABC for a $1 million development deal that would allow her to join The X Factor with Simon Cowell. The only sticking point is that the network wants her to compete on the next season of Dancing with the Stars, which begins shooting in March. [TMZ]

· How does "Snooki, red carpet correspondent" sound? If MTV irons out the final details in its negotiations with the shortest of the Jersey Shore cast members, Snooki could be interviewing stars at the Grammys on Sunday. [Radar]

· CBS has renewed How I Met Your Mother for a sixth season. [EW]

· Not quite HBO and Showtime numbers yet, but Starz celebrated its most-watched series debut on Friday when Spartacus: Blood and Sand pulled 553,000 viewers. [Reuters]



Comments

  • Furious D says:

    1. This just illustrates the sheer dearth of decent movie roles when someone who only recently won an Oscar, is going to do network TV. At least it's not bad enough to make Mr. Whittaker work for NBC.
    2. Wasn't she a professional dancer and choreographer? Doesn't that sort of defeat the purpose of having her compete against untrained amateurs? A judge I can understand, but compete? That sounds like an NBC type decision.
    3. Another reason to avoid the Grammys.
    4. Congrats to them.
    5. It's a start, folks like the sex and violence.

  • stoolidog says:

    forest Whitaker needs to star in a biopic of Gary Coleman. If he pulls it off, then I'll be convinced he can act.