Could Rob Lowe Be Headed to the Criminal Minds Spinoff?

According to sources, the departing Brothers & Sisters actor is in the running for the new CBS series

By Kristin Dos Santos Feb 03, 2010 9:32 PMTags
Rob LoweMichael Papo/ZUMAPress.com

What's next for Rob Lowe after ABC's Brothers & Sisters?

He could be headed to another series, one that is produced by ABC Studios but airs on a different channel: CBS' planned Criminal Minds spinoff. A rep for the actor wouldn't comment on the record about these reports, but insiders close to Rob tell me that ABC has talked with him about a leading role in the new series. No formal talks and nothing concrete yet—it's just one of the options being discussed.

But hey, wait a minute, if Lowe might be in, does that mean that Forest Whitaker, the spinoff's previously announced star, is out? Here's what we can tell you about the Rob Lowe rumors and what they might mean for the Criminal Minds franchise extension...

According to my sources, Lowe's casting would not be as a replacement for Whitaker, but as a costar. So maybe he could play the good-looking Thomas Gibson type to Whitaker's older and brilliant Mandy Patinkin type?

Now, CBS reps say the rumors are "not true" and an ABC Studios publicist is "not aware of these rumors," so we have to give you fair warning to take all of this with a big, whopping grain of salt. Still, when Lowe's surprising exit from Brothers & Sisters was announced last month, ABC president Steve McPherson said he'd love to keep Rob in house: "We would like to keep Rob at ABC; we feel he should be anchoring his own franchise. We are in talks now."

The backdoor pilot for the Criminal Minds spinoff shoots Feb. 17 to March 3, and could possibly air as the 18th episode of this season of the Criminal Minds mothership.

What do you think of the possibility of Lowe appearing on a CBS procedural? Do you think he'd fit into the tone and style of a new Criminal Minds series? If not, what other series would you love to see him on, ABC or otherwise?

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Follow Kristin Dos Santos on Twitter, @kristinalert.