TV Article 'Criminal Minds' renewed for ninth season By Lynette Rice Lynette Rice Editor at Large for Entertainment Weekly, host of Outlander Live! on EW Radio, and Mark Harmon enthusiast. Yes, I know the guacamole is extra. EW's editorial guidelines Published on May 9, 2013 09:54PM EDT Photo: Cliff Lipson/CBS The elite profilers will be back: CBS announced today that it has renewed Criminal Minds for a ninth season. News of the pickup comes amid reports that the drama’s five leads — Joe Mantegna, Thomas Gibson, Shemar Moore, Kirsten Vangsness and A.J. Cook — were looking to secure new deals (and bigger raises). Deadline reports that all five have agreed to new, two-year contracts, which paved the wave for a renewal. Despite its age, Criminal Minds remains a strong performer for CBS. It is the No. 1 show on Wednesdays, where it has averaged 12.24 million in viewers (12.24m) and a 3.3/9 in adults 18-49. Because of the actor negotiations, Criminal Minds was one of the few shows that didn’t earn an early renewal this spring by CBS. CBS will announce its fall schedule Wednesday in New York. Death Watch: Final TV Survival Predictions of the Season CBS renews 18 shows