Last updated March 2024
Craving extraordinarily spectacular Best crime drama Tv Shows? We assembled 30 marvelous, critic- and user-acclaimed Best crime drama Tv Shows ready for your immediate streaming enjoyment. With near perfect scores from IMDB and widespread praise from our knowledgeable user community, these elite titles are as sensationally great as entertainment gets! Help fellow fans uncover overlooked gems by voting for your personal favorites. We value members who take the time to contribute phenomenal recommendations!
Better Call Saul (2015)
Plot Summary:
Six years before Saul Goodman meets Walter White. We meet him when the man who will become Saul Goodman is known as Jimmy McGill, a small-time lawyer searching for his destiny, and, more immediately, hustling to make ends meet. Working alongside, and, often, against Jimmy, is “fixer” Mike Erhmantraut. The series will track Jimmy's transformation into Saul Goodman, the man who puts “criminal” in “criminal lawyer"
Duration: 3154 min
IMDB Rating: 9.0/10
IMDB Votes: 620000
Genere: Crime, Drama
Country: USA
Plot tags: lawyer, workplace situations, legal, hotshot lawyer, criminal lawyer, family relations, dishonesty, dark humor, moral dilemma, anti hero, lawyer client relationship, cons and scams, organized crime, private investigator, drug cartel, psychosomatic illness, brother brother relationship, ambition, employer employee relationship, mental illness, drug trade, dysfunctional family, criminal underworld, foreshadowing, tragic hero
Homicide: Life on the Street (1993)
Plot Summary:
Homicide: Life on the Street is an American police procedural television series chronicling the work of a fictional version of the Baltimore Police Department's Homicide Unit. It ran for seven seasons on NBC from 1993 to 1999, and was succeeded by a TV movie, which also acted as the de facto series finale. The series was originally based on David Simon's book Homicide: A Year on the Killing Streets. Many of the characters and stories used throughout the show were based on events depicted in the book, which was also part of the basis for Simon's own series, The Wire on HBO. Although Homicide featured an ensemble cast, Andre Braugher emerged as the series' breakout star through his portrayal of Frank Pembleton. The show won Television Critics Association Awards for Outstanding Achievement in Drama in 1996, 1997, and 1998. It also became the first drama ever to win three Peabody Awards for best drama in 1993, 1995, and 1997. In 1997, the episode "Prison Riot" was ranked No. 32 on TV Guide's 100 Greatest Episodes of All Time. In 2007, it was listed as one of Time magazine's "Best TV Shows of All-TIME." In 1996 TV Guide named the series 'The Best Show You're Not Watching'. The show placed #46 on Entertainment Weekly's "New TV Classics" list
Duration: 60 min
IMDB Rating: 8.7/10
IMDB Votes: 14000
Genere: Crime, Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Country: USA
Plot tags: police detective, police, murder, justice, homicide detective, cop, police protagonist, team, fighting crime, police investigation, fbi, african american, workplace, partners against crime, tough law enforcer, police officer, police procedural, investigation, die hard, swat team, serial killer, legal, punishment, black, law and order
The Shield (2002)
Plot Summary:
The story of an inner-city Los Angeles police precinct where some of the cops aren't above breaking the rules or working against their associates to both keep the streets safe and their self-interests intact
Duration: 47 min
IMDB Rating: 8.7/10
IMDB Votes: 86000
Genere: Crime, Drama, Thriller
Country: USA
Plot tags: law enforcement, police corruption, police detective, corrupt cop, dirty cop, cop, police brutality, cruelty, dishonesty, murder, tough law enforcer, peril, victim, machismo, corrupt law enforcer, crime investigation, police, racism, honest law enforcer, police protagonist, investigator, officer, policewoman, robbery, partner
Line of Duty (2012)
Plot Summary:
Steve Arnott is a young officer who’s fallen foul of his superiors for refusing to help in the cover-up of an operation that ended in the shooting of an innocent father. He seems ideal to join AC-12, an anti-corruption police unit, just as it starts to investigate Detective Chief Inspector Tony Gates, the regional force’s Officer of the Year
Duration: 60 min
IMDB Rating: 8.7/10
IMDB Votes: 68000
Genere: Crime, Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Country: UK
Plot tags: police corruption, honest law enforcer, corruption, female police detective, dirty cop, police detective, police, british police, policewoman, twists and turns, law enforcement, law enforcer, police procedural, secret, evidence, corrupt law enforcer, right and wrong, interrogation, police officer, officer, dishonesty, squad, investigation, internal affairs, murder mystery
Mindhunter (2017)
Plot Summary:
An agent in the FBI's Elite Serial Crime Unit develops profiling techniques as he pursues notorious serial killers and rapists
Duration: 60 min
IMDB Rating: 8.6/10
IMDB Votes: 323000
Genere: Crime, Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Country: USA
Plot tags: serial killer, psychopath, psychology, fbi, police, serial murder, murderer, criminal psychologist, police investigation, murder, fbi agent, killings, interview, profiler, prison, rapist, true crime, killer, lesbian, investigation, whodunit, criminal, murder mystery, sapphic, sociopath
Agatha Christie's Poirot (1989)
Plot Summary:
From England to Egypt, accompanied by his elegant and trustworthy sidekicks, the intelligent yet eccentrically-refined Belgian detective Hercule Poirot pits his wits against a collection of first class deceptions
Duration: 100 min
IMDB Rating: 8.6/10
IMDB Votes: 50000
Genere: Crime, Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Country: UK
Plot tags: private detective, investigation, whodunit, murder, murder mystery, who done it, private investigator, murder investigation, danger, multiple suspects, uncover truth, riddles and clues, sleuth, police, suicide, captain, hercule poirot, magical, sherlock holmes, conspiracy, spirituality, lady, team, inspector, crime solving
The Bridge (2011)
Plot Summary:
When a body is found on the bridge between Denmark and Sweden, right on the border, Danish inspector Martin Rohde and Swedish Saga Norén have to share jurisdiction and work together to find the killer
Duration: 60 min
IMDB Rating: 8.6/10
IMDB Votes: 75000
Genere: Crime, Mystery, Thriller
Country: Sweden, Denmark, Germany, Norway
Plot tags: serial killer, multiple suspects, police investigation, murder, police detective, cop, twists and turns, mind game, partners against crime, murder investigation, murderer, videotaping, police, riddles and clues, forensics, suspicion, female protagonist, policewoman, disguise, surprising revelation, rivalry, victim, heroine, determination, killings
Endeavour (2012)
Plot Summary:
The early days of a young Endeavour Morse, whose experiences as a detective constable with the Oxford City Police will ultimately shape his future
Duration: 89 min
IMDB Rating: 8.6/10
IMDB Votes: 32000
Genere: Crime, Drama, Mystery
Country: UK
Plot tags: police, police detective, investigator, murderer, talented, police investigation, coworker, british, oxford, murder, intelligence, bodies, police procedural, law enforcement, investigation, whodunit, police protagonist, justice, murder mystery, who done it, uncover truth, mafia, pride and honor, boss, victim
Justified (2010)
Plot Summary:
A character drama based on the 2001 Elmore Leonard short story "Fire in the Hole." Leonard's tale centers around U.S. Marshal Raylan Givens of Kentucky, a quiet but strong-willed official of the law. The tale covers his high-stakes job, as well as his strained relationships with his ex-wife and father
Duration: 3400 min
IMDB Rating: 8.6/10
IMDB Votes: 116000
Genere: Action, Crime, Drama, Mystery, Thriller, Western
Country: USA
Plot tags: drug lord, u.s. marshal, lone wolves, justice, fighting crime, officer, white trash, tough law enforcer, ex convict, family feud, crime family, rivals, shooting, conflict, machismo, gunfight, dirty cop, criminal, afghanistan veteran, arrest, dumb criminal, police officer, police, murder mystery, cop
Foyle's War (2002)
Plot Summary:
As WW2 rages around the world, DCS Foyle fights his own war on the home-front as he investigates crimes on the south coast of England. Foyle's War opens in southern England in the year 1940. Later series sees the retired detective working as an MI5 agent operating in the aftermath of the war
Duration: 90 min
IMDB Rating: 8.6/10
IMDB Votes: 18000
Genere: Crime, Drama, Mystery, War
Country: UK
Plot tags: world war two, investigation, police investigation, police detective, war crime, spy, police, espionage, homicide detective, whodunit, detective inspector, murder investigation, investigator, law enforcement, crimes of passion, murder, cold war, village, nazism, bomb, detective sergeant, wartime, robbery, fighting crime, world war
Bosch (2014)
Plot Summary:
Based on Michael Connelly's best-selling novels, these are the stories of relentless LAPD homicide Detective Harry Bosch who pursues justice at all costs. But behind his tireless momentum is a man who is haunted by his past and struggles to remain loyal to his personal code: “Everybody counts or nobody counts.”
Duration: 51 min
IMDB Rating: 8.5/10
IMDB Votes: 81000
Genere: Crime, Drama
Country: USA
Plot tags: police, determination, police detective, law enforcement, murder investigation, police investigation, murder, suspicion, coworker, homicide detective, father daughter relationship, lapd, danger, cop, police procedural, evidence, superior officer, riddles and clues, murder trial, legal, criminal, murder mystery, whodunit, stephen king, swat team
Kingdom (2014)
Plot Summary:
A raw family drama set against the world of Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) in Venice, California. Alvey Kulina owns Navy St. MMA with the help of his girlfriend Lisa Prince. He is willing to go through extraordinary means to make sure his fighters are taken care of, but all of this responsibility comes at a steep price. He has complicated relationships with both of his sons, Jay and Nate, who are both struggling with their own identities and places within Alvey’s life and gym
Duration: 43 min
IMDB Rating: 8.5/10
IMDB Votes: 19000
Genere: Drama, Sport
Country: USA
Plot tags: athlete's life, mixed martial arts, ex convict, brother brother relationship, martial arts, gym, drug addiction, father son relationship, competition, sibling relationship, family problems, training, drug abuse, gay, parents and children, rivalry, ambition, contests and competitions, brutality, friends, estrangement, blind ambition, lgbt, villain, lgbtq
Happy Valley (2014)
Plot Summary:
Happy Valley is a dark, funny, multi-layered thriller revolving around the personal and professional life of Catherine, a dedicated, experienced, hard-working copper. She is also a bereaved mother who looks after her orphaned grandchild
Duration: 58 min
IMDB Rating: 8.5/10
IMDB Votes: 62000
Genere: Crime, Drama, Thriller
Country: UK
Plot tags: policewoman, police, police investigation, investigator, kidnapping, police protagonist, investigation, british police, whodunit, law enforcement, criminal, drug dealer, police station, loss of daughter, revenge, crime investigation, drug lord, ransom, rapist, sister sister relationship, unsolved crime, sergeant, rape, police officer, police procedural
Luther (2010)
Plot Summary:
A dark psychological crime drama starring Idris Elba as Luther, a man struggling with his own terrible demons, who might be as dangerous as the depraved murderers he hunts
Duration: 60 min
IMDB Rating: 8.4/10
IMDB Votes: 152000
Genere: Crime, Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Country: UK
Plot tags: uncover truth, murder, talented, police detective, police investigation, law enforcement, cruelty, psychopath, police, forensics, crime investigation, tough law enforcer, cop, against the rules, serial killer, investigation, police procedural, graphic violence, violent content, partner, multiple suspects, black, unlikely relationship, anti hero, killer
Top Boy (2011)
Plot Summary:
A thrilling and raw crime drama following a gang of drug dealers in Hackney, London - an honest and gripping rendition of inner-city drug and gang culture
Duration: 60 min
IMDB Rating: 8.4/10
IMDB Votes: 37000
Genere: Crime, Drama, Thriller
Country: UK
Plot tags: urban ghetto life, gang, teenage life, ambitious, life is a bitch, ambition, drug dealing, youth, poverty, rivalry, society, social problems, gang war, struggle, right hand man, partners in crime, financial problem, black, drug dealer, urban, violence, mafia, drug lord, african american, corruption
Narcos: Mexico (2018)
Plot Summary:
See the rise of the Guadalajara Cartel as an American DEA agent learns the danger of targeting narcos in 1980s Mexico
Duration: 50 min
IMDB Rating: 8.4/10
IMDB Votes: 91000
Genere: Crime, Drama
Country: USA
Plot tags: drug cartel, cartel, organized crime, marijuana, undercover agent, business, corruption, drug lord, gang, criminal, drug, drug dealing, cocaine, mafia, outlaw, drug dealer, dea, mariachi, investigation, crime boss, gangster, bandit, heroin, gang leader, criminal gang
Broadchurch (2013)
Plot Summary:
The murder of a young boy in a small coastal town brings a media frenzy, which threatens to tear the community apart
Duration: 48 min
IMDB Rating: 8.4/10
IMDB Votes: 124000
Genere: Crime, Drama, Mystery
Country: UK
Plot tags: murder investigation, police investigation, murder, police detective, twists and turns, grief, multiple suspects, small town, legal, reluctant partners, police officer, murderer, uncover truth, courtroom drama, small town life, social relations, under the surface, investigation, whodunit, police, coastal town, parents and children, who done it, loss of child, police procedural
24 (2001)
Plot Summary:
24 is an American television series produced for the Fox network and syndicated worldwide, starring Kiefer Sutherland as Counter Terrorist Unit agent Jack Bauer. Each 24-episode season covers 24 hours in the life of Bauer, using the real time method of narration
Duration: 44 min
IMDB Rating: 8.4/10
IMDB Votes: 195000
Genere: Action, Crime, Drama, Thriller
Country: USA
Plot tags: terrorism, president, political conspiracy, secret service, terrorist, terrorist plot, government agency, race against time, assassination of president, investigation, assassination attempt, twists and turns, politician, villain, heroes, deception, bomb, interrogation, treason, bodyguard, save the day, state affairs, spy, bio weapon, shooting
Unforgotten (2015)
Plot Summary:
'Unforgotten' follows modern police team DCI Cassie Stuart and DI Sunny Khan, who gradually unravel long-forgotten secrets which have a dramatic impact on their investigation and the four potential suspects. The slow revelation of the secrets will also affect the personal lives of both Sunny and Cassie
Duration: 45 min
IMDB Rating: 8.4/10
IMDB Votes: 29000
Genere: Crime, Drama, Mystery
Country: UK
Plot tags: murder investigation, murder, murder mystery, investigation, police investigation, police, cold case, missing person, female police detective, uncover truth, father daughter relationship, haunted by the past, life turned upside down, sleuth, police procedural, crime investigation, forensics, mysterious disappearance, unsolved crime, fighting crime, secret, partner, homicide detective, police detective, detective inspector
Doc Martin (2004)
Plot Summary:
Doc Martin is a British television comedy drama series starring Martin Clunes in the title role. It was created by Dominic Minghella after the character of Dr. Martin Bamford in the 2000 comedy film Saving Grace. The show is set in the fictional seaside village of Portwenn and filmed on location in the village of Port Isaac, Cornwall, England, with most interior scenes shot in a converted local barn. Five series aired between 2004 and 2011, together with a feature-length special that aired on Christmas Day 2006. Series 6 began airing on ITV on 2 September 2013
Duration: 46 min
IMDB Rating: 8.4/10
IMDB Votes: 19000
Genere: Comedy, Drama, Romance
Country: UK
Plot tags: doctor, village life, social relations, doctors and patients, treatment, medicine, teacher, hospital, surgery, responsibility, manners, antisocial behavior, seaside, alienation, boss, workplace, estrangement, anti conformity, patronizing, verbal byplay, unhappy, power relations, secretary, uptight character, loner
Mare of Easttown (2021)
Plot Summary:
A detective in a small Pennsylvania town investigates a local murder while trying to keep her life from falling apart
Duration: 60 min
IMDB Rating: 8.4/10
IMDB Votes: 179000
Genere: Crime, Drama, Mystery
Country: USA
Plot tags: small town, murder, murder investigation, small town life, homicide detective, murder mystery, female detective, mother daughter relationship, female police officer, ex husband ex wife relationship, drug abuse, incest, lesbian daughter, therapist, kidnapping, crime investigation, investigation, teenage mother, family relations, deception, true crime, catholic priest, criminal, feminist, private investigation
The Killing (2007)
Plot Summary:
The Killing is a Danish police procedural set in the Copenhagen main police department and revolves around Detective Inspector Sarah Lund and her team, with each season series following a different murder case day-by-day and a one-hour episode covering twenty-four hours of the investigation. The series is noted for its plot twists, season-long storylines, dark tone and for giving equal emphasis to the story of the murdered victim's family alongside the police investigation. It has also been singled out for the photography of its Danish setting, and for the acting ability of its cast
Duration: 57 min
IMDB Rating: 8.4/10
IMDB Votes: 30000
Genere: Crime, Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Country: Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Germany
Plot tags: murder, policewoman, serial killer, murder mystery, police investigation, cold case, murder investigation, murderer, police detective, investigation, politician, uncover truth, election, investigator, family problems, suspicion, nordic, crime investigation, homicide detective, dishonesty, whodunit, strong female character, conspiracy, unsolved crime, assassination plot
Life on Mars (2006)
Plot Summary:
Life on Mars is a British television series broadcast on BBC One between January 2006 and April 2007. The series combines elements of science fiction and police procedural, featuring an officer from the Greater Manchester Police who travels back in time after being involved in a road accident. The title is a reference to David Bowie's 1973 single "Life on Mars?" An American adaptation of the series was produced by ABC and ran for one season from October 2008 to April 2009. A Spanish adaptation of the series was broadcast from April to June 2009. A Russian adaptation of the series The Dark Side of the Moon was broadcast in November 2012. A sequel to the series, Ashes to Ashes, also referencing another David Bowie song, began airing on BBC One in February 2008, followed by a second series in 2009 and a third and final series in 2010
Duration: 60 min
IMDB Rating: 8.4/10
IMDB Votes: 32000
Genere: Crime, Drama, Mystery, Sci-Fi
Country: UK
Plot tags: police, police detective, police officer, police investigation, time travel, investigation, culture clash, partner, disorder, twists and turns, rivalry, fighting crime, time loop, time traveler, murder investigation, sent to the past, crime investigation, homicide detective, crime solving, partners against crime, riddles and clues, cop, whodunit, police partner, time jump
Prison Break (2005)
Plot Summary:
Due to a political conspiracy, an innocent man is sent to death row and his only hope is his brother, who makes it his mission to deliberately get himself sent to the same prison in order to break the both of them out, from the inside out
Duration: 44 min
IMDB Rating: 8.3/10
IMDB Votes: 569000
Genere: Action, Crime, Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Country: UK, USA
Plot tags: prison, fugitives, escape, prison life, conspiracy, confined, determination, fbi, scheme, brother, self sacrifice, siblings relations, security guard, courage, frame up, prison escape, convict, chases and races, life is a bitch, false accusation, obstacle, fighting the system, manhunt, investigation, die hard
Shetland (2013)
Plot Summary:
Created from the novels by award winning crime writer Ann Cleeves, Shetland follows DI Jimmy Perez and his team as they investigate crime within the close knit island community. In this isolated and sometimes inhospitable environment, the team have to rely on a uniquely resourceful style of policing
Duration: 60 min
IMDB Rating: 8.3/10
IMDB Votes: 24000
Genere: Crime, Drama, Mystery
Country: UK
Plot tags: police, police detective, murder investigation, investigation, murder, police investigation, island, who done it, multiple suspects, british police, detective inspector, law enforcement, social relations, whodunit, murder mystery, adaptation, police procedural, father daughter relationship, team, life philosophy, remote island, police officer, criminal, intrigue, forensic
Unbelievable (2019)
Plot Summary:
The true story of Marie, a teenager who was charged with lying about having been raped, and the two female detectives who followed a twisting path to arrive at the truth
Duration: 385 min
IMDB Rating: 8.3/10
IMDB Votes: 116000
Genere: Crime, Drama
Country: USA
Plot tags: investigation, rape, rape victim, female protagonist, sexual abuse, female detective, psychopath, teenage rape, violence, murder mystery, police officer, police, criminal, true crime, women, feminist, police investigation, nobody believes, serial killer, graphic violence, danger, adaptation, dishonesty, sex, killer
Ray Donovan (2013)
Plot Summary:
Set in the sprawling mecca of the rich and famous, Ray Donovan does the dirty work for LA's top power players, and makes their problems disappear. His father's unexpected release from prison sets off a chain of events that shakes the Donovan family to its core
Duration: 60 min
IMDB Rating: 8.3/10
IMDB Votes: 92000
Genere: Crime, Drama
Country: USA
Plot tags: identity crisis, hollywood, family secret, nudity, power relations, teamwork, blackmail, relatives, family feud, family problems, trauma, family relations, intrigue, businessman, rivalry, ambition, siblings relations, health situation, expert, fbi, violence, millionaire, violent content, graphic violence, die hard
Spooks (2002)
Plot Summary:
Tense drama series about the different challenges faced by the British Security Service as they work against the clock to safeguard the nation. The title is a popular colloquialism for spies, and the series follows the work of a group of MI5 officers based at the service's Thames House headquarters, in a highly secure suite of offices known as The Grid
Duration: 60 min
IMDB Rating: 8.3/10
IMDB Votes: 18000
Genere: Action, Crime, Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Country: UK
Plot tags: intelligence agency, spy, cia, terrorism, police, espionage, squad, code breaking, twists and turns, undercover, race against time, profanity, heroes, double agent, trap, society, danger, rookie, nuclear threat, treason, machismo, mole, renegade, government agency, state affairs
Hustle (2004)
Plot Summary:
A motley group of London con artists pull of a series of daring and intricate stings
Duration: 60 min
IMDB Rating: 8.2/10
IMDB Votes: 23000
Genere: Crime, Drama, Mystery
Country: UK
Plot tags: cons and scams, thief, criminal heroes, heist, con artists, leader, group of criminals, blackmail, exploitation, fake identity, coworker relationship, caper, hustler, con men, spy, investigation, criminal, voodoo, murder mystery, team, confidence, manipulation, impostor, breaking the fourth wall, confidence artist
The Missing (2014)
Plot Summary:
A gripping anthological relationship thriller series exploring the emotional fallout of a child's abduction not only on the family but on the wider community, told over two time frames
Duration: 60 min
IMDB Rating: 8.2/10
IMDB Votes: 29000
Genere: Crime, Drama, Mystery
Country: UK, France, Belgium, USA
Plot tags: investigation, missing child, missing person, police detective, twists and turns, abduction, pedophile, police, child abuse, family relations, journalist, child abduction, parents and children, life is a bitch, life turned upside down, haunted by the past, grief, spy, police officer, murder mystery, reporter, aspiration, police investigation, storytelling, police procedural