After failing to snag a "fresh" face to replace Mandy Patinkin on its Wednesday procedural drama "Criminal Minds," CBS has once again turned to the Leslie Moonves Repertory Theatre to fill the role, casting Joe Mantegna.

"Criminal Minds" is an important player for the nation's most watched network, having historically been perhaps the most "American Idol"-proof series on any net's prime-time lineup.

CBS has been searching for Patinkin's replacement since last month, when he did not show up for a table read on an episode for the new season and announced soon thereafter he was leaving the show for what he called in a statement "creative differences."

Last month, at Summer TV Press Tour 2007, CBS programming chief Nina Tassler addressed Patinkin's abrupt departure, telling TV critics "creative differences" was an industry euphemism for "personal issue" but declining to elaborate.

"In the legacy of 'ER' and 'Law & Order' -- the show will go on," she added, which, until then, was something we thought people only said in Broadway musicals.

"People come to that show for the 'E ticket' -- you know, what white-knuckle ride that they're going to get every week," she said.

Anyway, Tassler was preaching to the choir; most critics believe the popularity of "Criminal Minds" is not because of Patinkin, but that "E ticket" Tassler mentioned -- or, as they call it, the weekly story lines featuring women in peril in cages and/or chains. Potato, pohtahto.

Even so, CBS did a full-court press to try to cast the role with a "name" fresh to CBS, starting with Geena Davis, a k a friend of Tassler. Others approached included Bob Hoskins and Michael Keaton, and the network came close to signing Harvey Keitel. When that fell through, they turned to Mantegna, whose CBS credits include the miniseries "The Last Don," the short-lived Supreme Court drama "First Monday" and "Joan of Arcadia."

Mantegna is a member of the Les Moonves Rep Theatre, the folks who pop up repeatedly across CBS's prime-time landscape. Other members include Joe Pantoliano (CBS credits include "Dr. Vegas," "Waterfront," "The Handler" and "EZ Streets"), Hector Elizondo (CBS credits include this fall's new drama "Cane," as well as "Without a Trace" and "Chicago Hope") and Ted Danson ("Becker," "Ink," "Pearl"), among others.

Mantegna will join the cast as FBI Special Agent David Rossi, an original member of the Behavioral Analysis Unit who took early retirement to go on lecture and book tours and has volunteered to return to the unit. He'll make his first appearance in the fifth episode of the new season, which begins Sept. 26.