Jeanne Tripplehorn, seen here in HBO's "Big Love," joins CBS's "Criminal Minds" next season

'CRIMINAL' THREAT: A brunette bombshell who last played a polygamist's wife will soon be weighing the actions and motives of all sorts of deviants.

The departure of "Criminal Minds" cast member Paget Brewster at the end of last season opened the door for CBS to bring in Jeanne Tripplehorn, who will replace her as the team's newest profiler starting at the beginning of the new season.

"We're thrilled to have Jeanne Tripplehorn join our team as a profiler," said executive producer Erica Messer. "Her character will be introduced in the premiere. It's an exciting way to start Season 8."

Tripplehorn's last regular television gig was as Barb Henrickson, the first of Bill Henrickson's three wives in the critically acclaimed and controversial HBO series "Big Love." The series wrapped in 2011 after five seasons, and it also starred Bill Paxton, Chloe Sevigny, Ginnifer Goodwin and Amanda Seyfried.

Television viewers may also remember Tripplehorn for her memorable portrayal of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis in the acclaimed 2009 telefilm "Grey Gardens" -- a performance that earned her an Emmy nomination.

The actress is also known for her versatility in film, with credits in such titles as "Swept Away" (2002), "Paranoid" (2000), "Mickey Blue Eyes" (1999), "Sliding Doors" (1998), "Waterworld" (1995), "The Firm" (1993) and "Basic Instinct" (1992).

Most recently, she did a two-episode arc as Ouli in the hit freshman comedy "New Girl" on Fox. She was also one of many industry A-listers attached to the poignant Lifetime telefilm "Five" (2011), which told the stories of people affected by breast cancer through five short films.

With this great variety of experience under her belt, it's safe to assume that Tripplehorn will bring great strength to the long-running CBS series as it works through this transition.

CUTTING-EDGE TV: Two Hollywood heavyweights have joined forces to make television just a bit darker.

Tim Roth, who was last seen in Fox's "Lie to Me," will return to television under the guidance of filmmaker David Cronenberg, who will direct and executive produce a series of his own for the first time. The project, titled "Knifeman," is being produced by Media Rights Capital, which will soon begin shopping the series to potential buyers.

Roth is known for his scene-stealing abilities and gritty roles in mostly big-screen titles, which include "Reservoir Dogs" (1992), "Pulp Fiction" (1994), "Planet of the Apes" (2001) and "The Incredible Hulk" (2008). Additionally, it was his character's wide-reaching appeal, sharp wit and oddly appealing imperfections that helped "Lie to Me" survive for three seasons despite its similarities to CBS's "The Mentalist" and USA's "Psych" -- both of which are still going strong.

His pairing with Cronenberg will likely trigger a bidding war for the series, since the director has a reputation for making movies that not only do well at the box office but also garner plenty of critical acclaim. Cronenberg's most recent film, "Cosmopolis," debuted at the Cannes Film Festival in May and will hit theaters in North America later this summer. He's also known for helming "A Dangerous Method" (2011), "Eastern Promises" (2007), "A History of Violence" (2005), "Naked Lunch" (1991) and "The Fly" (1986).

"Knifeman," which is based on the book by Wendy Moore, follows John Tattersall, a self-taught surgeon whose radical way of life brings him many successes and problems as he attempts to unearth all of the mysteries of human anatomy. This edginess fits the Cronenberg M.O. perfectly, so it should be interesting to see where he takes the series as it progresses.

SAVE THE CHIEF: Linda Hamilton is the kidnapped president of the United States, and Jeremy Sisto has to rescue her.

The two veteran performers have signed on to lead the cast of the upcoming four-hour miniseries "Air Force One is Down," a modernized version of a story first created by the late Scottish wordsmith Alistair MacLean.

The project, which is currently filming in Luxembourg, will co-star Emilie de Ravin ("Lost"), Rupert Graves (2005's "V for Vendetta") and Jamie Thomas King ("The Tudors").

Hamilton (1984's "The Terminator" and its 1991 sequel) will play President Harriet Rowntree, who is taken hostage when Air Force One is sabotaged and goes down in the Mediterranean. Her captor demands that an evil Serbian leader be released or the president will be killed on camera. It's up to Capt. Fergus Markey (played by Sisto of "Suburgatory") to come to her rescue and neutralize the threat to international security.

The story of "Air Force One is Down" started in the 1970s when MacLean was commissioned by a production company to write several crime-related movie outlines, all of which centered around the fictional United Nations Anti-Crime Organization. However, MacLean died in 1987 before he could complete the stories, so they were published under his name but finished by other authors. This one in particular was finished by John Denis, who received criticism because the finished product had many plot holes and lacked the suspense and twists associated with MacLean's writing style.

Therefore, Niall Leonard ("Wild at Heart") was given quite the challenge when hired to write this teleplay, but the gifted cast will certainly guarantee strong performances. Director Cilla Ware has done well overseas and is best known for helming episodes of BBC America's "Primeval" and the 2005 BBC telefilm "The Strange Case of Sherlock Holmes & Arthur Conan Doyle."