Last updated March 2024
Want to watch Best Crime Tv Shows that live up to the hype? Here are 30 of the Best Crime Tv Shows available for your immediate viewing pleasure. Loved by IMDB critics and everyday viewers like yourself, these highly rated Best Crime Tv Shows represent the cream of the crop. Help other fans find new favorites by voting for the titles you enjoy most. We appreciate members of our community pitching in to spotlight the finest Best Crime Tv Shows!
Breaking Bad (2008)
Plot Summary:
When Walter White, a New Mexico chemistry teacher, is diagnosed with Stage III cancer and given a prognosis of only two years left to live, he becomes filled with a sense of fearlessness and an unrelenting desire to secure his family's financial future at any cost as he enters the dangerous world of drugs and crime
Duration: 3030 min
IMDB Rating: 9.5/10
IMDB Votes: 21000000
Genere: Crime, Drama, Thriller
Country: USA
Plot tags: criminal, cancer, peril, life turned upside down, drug dealing, drug cartel, unlikely partners, drug lord, master criminal, family problems, life is a bitch, drug, ambition, meth lab, desperation, double life, success, anti hero, hidden identity, lifestyle change, cartel, methamphetamine, chemistry, drug dealer, outlaw
Scam 1992: The Harshad Mehta Story (2020)
Plot Summary:
Set in 1980's & 90's Bombay, Scam 1992 follows the life of Harshad Mehta - a stockbroker who single-handedly took the stock market to dizzying heights & his catastrophic downfall. Being directed by National Award-winning filmmaker Hansal Mehta, the series is based on journalist Debashis Basu & Sucheta Dalal's book "The Scam"
Duration: 54 min
IMDB Rating: 9.3/10
IMDB Votes: 154000
Genere: Biography, Crime, Drama, Thriller
Country: India
Plot tags: finance, insider trading, financial crisis, stock exchange, stock broker, newspaper office, embezzler, caper, financier, cons and scams, money, con artists, criminal, deception, con trick, fraud, historical figure, escapades, financial problem, historical character, motivation, wall street, corruption, mission, innovation
The Wire (2002)
Plot Summary:
Told from the points of view of both the Baltimore homicide and narcotics detectives and their targets, the series captures a universe in which the national war on drugs has become a permanent, self-sustaining bureaucracy, and distinctions between good and evil are routinely obliterated
Duration: 59 min
IMDB Rating: 9.3/10
IMDB Votes: 367000
Genere: Crime, Drama, Thriller
Country: USA
Plot tags: organized crime, corruption, police detective, police, urban ghetto life, life is a bitch, working undercover, fighting crime, drug dealing, surveillance, shooting, police investigation, gang, urban decay, drug lord, murder, cop, black, wiretap, team, politics, criminal, journalism, legal, dirty cop
The Sopranos (1999)
Plot Summary:
The Sopranos is an American television drama created by David Chase. The series revolves around the New Jersey-based Italian-American mobster Tony Soprano and the difficulties he faces as he tries to balance the conflicting requirements of his home life and the criminal organization he heads. Those difficulties are often highlighted through his ongoing professional relationship with psychiatrist Jennifer Melfi. The show features Tony's family members and Mafia associates in prominent roles and story arcs, most notably his wife Carmela and his cousin and protégé Christopher Moltisanti
Duration: 55 min
IMDB Rating: 9.2/10
IMDB Votes: 450000
Genere: Crime, Drama
Country: USA
Plot tags: organized crime, mafia, killings, dark humor, mob boss, criminal heroes, gangster, family life, violence, dysfunctional family, family relations, ambition, cosa nostra, parents and children, introspection, psychiatrist, criminal, death, crime boss, mobster, italian gangster, racial slur, mob hit, rise to the top, midlife crisis
Sherlock (2010)
Plot Summary:
A modern update finds the famous sleuth and his doctor partner solving crime in 21st century London
Duration: 88 min
IMDB Rating: 9.1/10
IMDB Votes: 977000
Genere: Crime, Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Country: UK, USA
Plot tags: sherlock holmes, investigation, private detective, murder mystery, mastermind, genius, friendship, british, murder, mind game, riddles and clues, prodigy, danger, partner, talented, buddies, eccentricity, intelligence, expert, friendship between men, inspector, police detective, deduction, mysterious character, teamwork
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
Persona (2018)
Plot Summary:
After being diagnosed with Alzheimer's, a retired judicial officer decides to commit a murder that he had been planning for years
Duration: 60 min
IMDB Rating: 9.0/10
IMDB Votes: 45000
Genere: Crime, Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Country: Turkey
Plot tags: serial killer, investigation, rape, secret, police, death, journalist, anti hero, danger, alzheimer's disease, family relations, muslim, murder mystery, sister, life lesson, nordic, cognitive science, killer, police officer, cat, suicide, corruption, blood, flashback, dead body
Batman: The Animated Series (1992)
Plot Summary:
Batman: The Animated Series is an American animated television series based on the DC Comics superhero Batman. The series was widely praised for its thematic complexity, dark tone, artistic quality, and faithfulness to its title character's crime-fighting origins
Duration: 23 min
IMDB Rating: 9.0/10
IMDB Votes: 114000
Genere: Animation, Action, Adventure, Crime, Family, Mystery, Sci-Fi
Country: USA
Plot tags: superhero, double life, villain, heroes, good versus evil, guilt, disguise, vigilantism, superpower, undercover, evil, danger, imaginary, mysterious character, heroic mission, multiverse, werewolf, comic book, batman, gotham city, partner, christmas, immortal, moving, organized crime
Death Note (2006)
Plot Summary:
Light Yagami is an ace student with great prospects—and he’s bored out of his mind. But all that changes when he finds the Death Note, a notebook dropped by a rogue Shinigami death god. Any human whose name is written in the notebook dies, and Light has vowed to use the power of the Death Note to rid the world of evil. But will Light succeed in his noble goal, or will the Death Note turn him into the very thing he fights against?
Duration: 851 min
IMDB Rating: 8.9/10
IMDB Votes: 365000
Genere: Animation, Crime, Drama, Fantasy, Mystery, Thriller
Country: Japan
Plot tags: mind game, anti hero, secret identity, vigilante, police, rivals, battle of wits, supernatural, heart attack, law enforcement, supernatural ability, intelligence, serial killer, teenage life, fighting crime, outsmarting, artifact, student, arrogance, police detective, moral dilemma, fbi, mature, eternal love, darkness
When They See Us (2019)
Plot Summary:
Five teens from Harlem become trapped in a nightmare when they're falsely accused of a brutal attack in Central Park
Duration: 296 min
IMDB Rating: 8.9/10
IMDB Votes: 134000
Genere: Biography, Crime, Drama, History
Country: USA
Plot tags: investigation, legal, social injustice, black, black lives matter, black cast, racial injustice, black history, lgbtq, criminal justice, suspect, false accusation, social problems, fight for justice, social issues, false accusation of rape, falsely accused, racial issues, social justice, law and order, courtroom, accusation, guilty verdict, framed for a crime, blaxploitation
True Detective (2014)
Plot Summary:
An American anthology police detective series utilizing multiple timelines in which investigations seem to unearth personal and professional secrets of those involved, both within or outside the law
Duration: 55 min
IMDB Rating: 8.9/10
IMDB Votes: 618000
Genere: Crime, Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Country: USA
Plot tags: serial killer, police investigation, investigation, murder, murder mystery, police detective, murder investigation, murderer, drinking problem, partners against crime, insomnia, antisocial behavior, troubled, female nudity, graphic violence, uncover truth, haunted by the past, violence, partner, corrupt cop, mysterious man, buddy cop, sexual content, evidence, cruelty
Undercover (2011)
Plot Summary:
Just an ordinary boy from the Sofia suburbs becomes the first bulgarian undercover cop. Forced by his father when he was young to lie and cheat, Martin becomes the perfect liar. That skill, and also the hatred of the 'underworld' makes him the perfect match for a dangerous mission - to infiltrate the crime organisation of a rich and powerful businessman. While infiltrating and living in fear of being uncovered, Martin falls in love with the most inappropriate woman - Djaro's girlfriend, Suni. Just when he gains the trust of the mobsters, it appears that the real enemy is in the police. Martin is alone against all, facing difficult decisions
Duration: 60 min
IMDB Rating: 8.9/10
IMDB Votes: 27000
Genere: Action, Crime, Drama
Country: Bulgaria
Plot tags: hidden identity, undercover, mob boss, gang war, corruption, organized crime, mission, danger, peril, characters in danger, gangster, promotion, mafia, law enforcement, spy, passion, science, wartime, law firm, fight, police, street racing, undercover agent, police corruption, police operation
Fargo (2014)
Plot Summary:
A close-knit anthology series dealing with stories involving malice, violence and murder based in and around Minnesota
Duration: 53 min
IMDB Rating: 8.9/10
IMDB Votes: 398000
Genere: Crime, Drama, Thriller
Country: USA
Plot tags: dark humor, psychopath, small town, police investigation, law enforcement, policewoman, cop, snow, killings, small town life, social relations, dishonesty, killer, female police officer, scheme, sheriff, police officer, winter, gory, shooting, blackmail, victim, crime gone awry, gangster, family relations
Black Sun (2017)
Plot Summary:
A historical fiction drama and thriller set in the turbulent period of the late 1930s in the Balkans as a place where high politics, local interests, capital and crime all merge together
Duration: 60 min
IMDB Rating: 8.9/10
IMDB Votes: 12000
Genere: Crime, Drama, Thriller
Country: Serbia
Plot tags: secret society, conspiracy, police detective, law enforcement, secret movement, criminal, murder investigation, undercover, politician, partner, dishonesty, female nudity, political intrigue, political conspiracy, geopolitics, interwar period, female pubic hair, nudity, gangster, police, nude, female full frontal nudity, nudity (full frontal - brief), crime, crimes
Narcos (2015)
Plot Summary:
The true story of Colombia's infamously violent and powerful drug cartels
Duration: 49 min
IMDB Rating: 8.8/10
IMDB Votes: 458000
Genere: Biography, Crime, Drama, Thriller
Country: USA, Colombia
Plot tags: drug cartel, gangster, drug dealer, cartel, drug dealing, rise to the top, drug lord, illegal drugs, cia agent, dea, master criminal, ambition, hitman, criminal heroes, drug, organized crime, smuggling, politics, mafia, terrorism, cocaine, kidnapping, cold war, president, hidden money
Peaky Blinders (2013)
Plot Summary:
A gangster family epic set in 1919 Birmingham, England and centered on a gang who sew razor blades in the peaks of their caps, and their fierce boss Tommy Shelby, who means to move up in the world
Duration: 2109 min
IMDB Rating: 8.8/10
IMDB Votes: 621000
Genere: Crime, Drama
Country: UK
Plot tags: organized crime, gangster, gang, mafia, gang war, determination, cruelty, mob boss, power struggle, crime boss, rivalry, family relations, society, rise to the top, shooting, business venture, leader, killings, corruption, urban, world war one, brother brother relationship, criminal heroes, gypsy, fighting crime
Twin Peaks (1990)
Plot Summary:
The body of Laura Palmer is washed up on a beach near the small Washington state town of Twin Peaks. FBI Special Agent Dale Cooper is called in to investigate her strange demise only to uncover a web of mystery that ultimately leads him deep into the heart of the surrounding woodland and his very own soul
Duration: 1505 min
IMDB Rating: 8.8/10
IMDB Votes: 211000
Genere: Crime, Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Country: USA
Plot tags: serial killer, small town, surrealism, murder, nightmare, supernatural, investigation, secret, hallucination, mysterious death, mysterious villain, small town life, double life, under the surface, murder investigation, mysterious place, hotel, who done it, evil spirit, parapsychology, small town sheriff, death, another dimension, riddles and clues, coffee
Not Me (2021)
Plot Summary:
When his twin Black is was viciously attacked and subsequently left hospitalised, White is was unable to endure the harm done to his brother in silence. Knowing from his brother's mouth that it was one of Black's closest friends who betrayed him, White will disguises himself as Black to root out the traitor. Was it Sean who's so calm, serious and hard to read? Cheerful and friendly Graham? Or might it have been hot-blooded Yok who likes to fight?
Duration: 45 min
IMDB Rating: 8.8/10
IMDB Votes: 12000
Genere: Action, Crime, Romance, Thriller
Country: Thailand
Plot tags: fight, brother brother relationship, life is a bitch, betrayal by friend, traitor, betrayal, family problems, gay, impersonation, fight for justice, hidden identity, social inequality, friendship, love, revenge, gang, violence, gay love, politics, graffiti, transsexual, gay relationship, homosexual love, twin brother, male protagonist
Oz (1997)
Plot Summary:
The daily lives of prisoners in Emerald City, an experimental unit of the Oswald Maximum Security Prison where ingroups - Muslims, Latinos, Italians, Aryans - stick close to their mutual friends and terrorizes their mutual enemies
Duration: 55 min
IMDB Rating: 8.7/10
IMDB Votes: 105000
Genere: Crime, Drama, Thriller
Country: USA
Plot tags: prison life, prison, gay, life is a bitch, confined, violence spree, rape, homosexual rape, rapist, strong sexual content, gang violence, racism, prison rape, survival, power struggle, punishment, african american, solitary, lgbt, ku klux klan, neo nazism, electric chair, danger, warden, peril
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
Mouse (2021)
Plot Summary:
A psychopath’s ruthless serial murders have left the entire nation gripped with fear and chaos. A honest and justice-seeking rookie police officer and a veteran detective with tragic past, face against the killer. After the encounter with the psychopath, their lives totally change
Duration: 80 min
IMDB Rating: 8.7/10
IMDB Votes: 10000
Genere: Action, Crime, Mystery, Sci-Fi, Thriller
Country: South Korea
Plot tags: investigation, serial killer, murder, serial murder, murder mystery, psycho killer, psychopath, murder investigation, police officer, homicide detective, killings, homicidal maniac, criminal, crime investigation, dna, killing spree, secret, police investigation, fighting crime, crime solving, police partner, teamwork, unsolved crime, partner, cold case
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
Monster (2004)
Plot Summary:
Kenzou Tenma, a Japanese brain surgeon in Germany, finds his life in utter turmoil after getting involved with a psychopath that was once a former patient
Duration: 24 min
IMDB Rating: 8.7/10
IMDB Votes: 41000
Genere: Animation, Crime, Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Country: Japan
Plot tags: moral dilemma, false accusation, mastermind, doctor, hospital, murder, protagonist as suspect, life is a bitch, choice, manipulation, guilt, society, police detective, nihilism, orphanage, murderer, boy, investigator, mature, human experiment, mental disorder, psychology, bad guy, sexual content, mind game
Dexter (2006)
Plot Summary:
Dexter is an American television drama series. The series centers on Dexter Morgan, a blood spatter pattern analyst for 'Miami Metro Police Department' who also leads a secret life as a serial killer, hunting down criminals who have slipped through the cracks of justice
Duration: 5076 min
IMDB Rating: 8.7/10
IMDB Votes: 753000
Genere: Crime, Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Country: USA
Plot tags: serial killer, crime investigation, right and wrong, hidden identity, double life, gory, vigilantism, anti hero, serial murder, loner, police station, dark humor, murder, dark secret, corpse, killings, expert, forensics, secret life, psycho, murder investigation, police detective, blood splatter, law enforcement, police department
The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes (1984)
Plot Summary:
The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes (1984–1985), The Return of Sherlock Holmes (1986–1988), The Case-Book of Sherlock Holmes (1991–1993) and The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes (1994), collectively known as Sherlock Holmes, are a series of adaptations of Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes stories which were produced by Granada Television and originally broadcast by ITV in the United Kingdom. The series starred Jeremy Brett as Holmes and David Burke (in the Adventures series) and Edward Hardwicke (Return, Case-Book, Memoirs) as Dr. Watson. The programme adapted 42 of the original stories in 41 episodes, with 36 running for 50 minutes (in a one-hour timeslot), and five being feature-length specials. Adventures ran for two series totalling 13 episodes, from April to June 1984 and August to September 1985. Return ran for two series from July to August 1986 and April to August 1988, as well as the specials "The Sign of Four" and "The Hound of the Baskervilles", which aired on 29 December 1987 and 31 August 1988 respectively. Case-Book ran for one series from February to March 1991 and three specials which aired on 2 January 1992 and 27 January and 3 February 1993. Memoirs ran for one series from March to April 1994. A short episode was also produced as part of "The Four Oaks Mystery" which aired during the ITV Telethon in 1992. Sherlock Holmes appeared in the first part, with the casts of Van der Valk, Taggart and Inspector Wexford appearing in the second, third and fourth parts respectively
Duration: 60 min
IMDB Rating: 8.7/10
IMDB Votes: 24000
Genere: Crime, Drama, Mystery
Country: UK
Plot tags: sherlock holmes, private detective, investigation, riddles and clues, partners against crime, murder, victorian england, who done it, ego clash, rivalry, danger, law enforcement, talented, misfit partners, friendship, brother brother relationship, police, murder mystery, asexual, christmas, serial killer, steampunk, writers, driver, taxi
The Return of Sherlock Holmes (1986)
Plot Summary:
Dr. Watson, finds a mystery in an empty house, while Holmes and he later solve the mysteries of an abbey grange, the Musgrave ritual, a second stain, a man with a twisted lip, the priory school, and a half-dozen plaster busts of Bonaparte
Duration: 60 min
IMDB Rating: 8.7/10
IMDB Votes: 13000
Genere: Crime, Drama, Mystery
Country: UK
Plot tags: sherlock holmes, private detective, investigation, mind game, mastermind, serial killer, police, writers, spirituality, murder mystery, murder, prodigy, who done it, law enforcement, partner, partners against crime, uncover truth, riddles and clues, gangster, isolation, mystery, crime, tv show, crimes
Ezel (2009)
Plot Summary:
Ömer, a young man returning from military service, is set up by his friends and fiancé and ends up in prison for ten years. He fakes his own death and manages to escape. He re-creates himself as ‘Ezel’, a high-end gambler who is outwardly a successful man, but inwardly driven by one thing - his determination to understand why the people he loved betrayed him, and take his revenge
Duration: 90 min
IMDB Rating: 8.7/10
IMDB Votes: 36000
Genere: Crime, Drama, Thriller
Country: Turkey
Plot tags: tragic love, warden, mafia, intrigue, vengeance, manipulation, ex convict, hidden identity, tragic hero, betrayal, murder, seduction, life is a bitch, organized crime, frame up, rivalry, disorder, false arrest, trial, regret, prison, muslim, kurd, love, heroes
The Boys (2019)
Plot Summary:
A group of vigilantes known informally as “The Boys” set out to take down corrupt superheroes with no more than blue-collar grit and a willingness to fight dirty
Duration: 60 min
IMDB Rating: 8.7/10
IMDB Votes: 611000
Genere: Action, Comedy, Crime, Drama, Sci-Fi
Country: USA
Plot tags: superhero, murder, society, dark humor, super speed, vengeance, superhuman, superhero team, gore, superheroine, corruption, supernatural power, rivalry, investigation, blood, violence, super powers, revenge, brutality, nudity, supernatural, sex scene, corporation, boyfriend girlfriend relationship, name calling
Dark (2017)
Plot Summary:
A missing child causes four families to help each other for answers. What they could not imagine is that this mystery would be connected to innumerable other secrets of the small town
Duration: 1455 min
IMDB Rating: 8.7/10
IMDB Votes: 429000
Genere: Crime, Drama, Mystery, Sci-Fi, Thriller
Country: Germany, USA
Plot tags: time travel, investigation, time loop, time machine, mysterious past, cave, time portal, missing child, repeated event, changing the future, disappearance, alternate dimension, deja vu, small town, loss of father, mysterious disappearance, butterfly effect, corpse, time traveler, family crisis, family relations, conspiracy, nuclear waste, apocalypse, school