While there are many real-life cases some episodes are based on, the rest of the work the Behavioral Analysis Unit does on this show is almost entirely fabricated, which can beg the question "how accurate is Criminal Minds?" The show doesn't get everything wrong, though.

Is Criminal Minds based on real facts?

Criminal Minds ran from 2005-2020 and the writers actually based some episodes on real-life cases. Criminal Minds is a police procedural drama following the lives of FBI agents in the Behavioural Analysis Unit.

Is the FBI BAU like Criminal Minds?

The BAU was brought into mainstream culture by television shows such as Criminal Minds, which depict an elite group of "FBI agent profilers" who travel the country assisting local law enforcement on diverse cases.