Spinoff City.

CBS is prepping a spinoff to its hit series Criminal Minds. I have not seen a single episode of this show, but it does quite well on Wednesday nights. What's interesting about the spinoff is the network is wooing Forest Whitaker to star in it.

Yes, that's right, CBS of all networks is paving the way to a more diverse television landscape! Who'd have thunk it?

The other thing worth noting about the Criminal Minds spinoff is well, just that. It's a spinoff. CBS has three CSIs, two NCISes (which spun off of JAG), and now we're talking a third franchise. I don't hate on spinoffs the way other people do--after all, without spinoffs, we would not have Melrose Place (either incarnation), Private Practice, and The Colbert Report. We would not have The Hills or The City. We would not have Degrassi: The Next Generation (yes, I watch that, and no, I'm not ashamed of it).

So yeah, spinoffs are cool with me. It's just that I wish they'd spin off shows I watch more. Or, instead of canceling a show I like, they'd spin off one of the characters. Example: Lane from Gilmore Girls. She was the coolest character on the show (much cooler than dippy Rory) and I've always wanted to know what happened to her. Did she become a famous musician and go on tour? Is she still with that Zach dude? How are her babies? And how's her crazy mom?

Another good reason to love spinoffs: They take the place of craptastic new shows. Instead of The Deep End, ABC could've given us an Ugly Betty spinoff. Instead of Human Target (twenty minutes of my life I'll never get back), Fox could've given us a Glee spinoff to hold us over until April. You get my drift.

Will I be watching the Criminal Minds spinoff when the backdoor pilot airs this spring? Nope. But for every CBS spinoff there is on TV, that's one less Three Rivers. And we can all be grateful for that.