Fans of the CBS show "Criminal Minds" will have a lot to look forward to when the long-running police drama kicks off its 11th season this fall and introduces a new character, who will bring a unique skillset to the BAU.

Earlier this year, executive producer Erica Messer confirmed that Jennifer Love Hewitt will not reprise her role as FBI undercover Agent Kate Callahan next season, since she is taking time off to spend with her new baby. In addition, series star AJ Cook will also be missing in action during the first couple of episodes of Season 11 because of maternity leave.

To make up for Hewitt's departure and Cook's temporary absence, the show has cast veteran actress Aisha Tyler as the newest member of the Behavioral Analysis Unit (BAU) team. Tyler will play the reoccurring role of a forensic psychologist named Dr. Tara Lewis. According to Messer, Tyler's character will bring an entirely new element to the police drama.

"Every time we introduce a new team member, we want to make sure that they're worthy of being a part of this elite criminal unit ... She brings a different skill set than anyone else we've had," Messer told Entertainment Weekly. "Once we've done our job and the bad guy is put away, she's seeing what makes them tick once they aren't hiding and running anymore. It's really a cool sandwich to what our team does. It's been a fun skill set to bring to the team, and one that we never thought we needed, but now that we have it, we love it."

Tyler, who is currently a co-host on "The Talk," described Dr. Tara Lewis' role in the BAU.

"The people in the BAU are analyzing these unknown subjects trying to catch them, but my character analyzes them after they've been caught to make sure they're competent to stand trial," she teased.

When she took on her new role, Tyler said that she "wanted her to look really different than how I look on 'The Talk,'" which is why she decided to sport an edgy haircut on the series.

Tyler also said that she loves playing her character "because I get to do field work, I get to run around, wear a vest, wear a gun. She's someone who has gathered a lot of evidence about the psychological makeup of the sociopath and she's now bringing that knowledge into the field to help catch bad guys."

In addition, Messer revealed that Mathew Gray Gubler's Spencer Reid is going to have a very big moment in the season premiere.

"He gets to do a takedown Reid style, which is just using his brain with a physical thing that's really disturbing - you have to turn away," the showrunner told Entertainment Weekly. "It's not a standoff with a gun, it's a Reid version of a takedown."

Season 11 of "Criminal Minds" will premiere on Wednesday, Sept. 30 at 9 p.m. EDT on CBS.