Last updated March 2024
Want to watch Best thrilling Tv Shows that live up to the hype? Here are 30 of the Best thrilling Tv Shows available for your immediate viewing pleasure. Loved by IMDB critics and everyday viewers like yourself, these highly rated Best thrilling 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 thrilling Tv Shows!
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
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
The X-Files (1993)
Plot Summary:
The exploits of FBI Special Agents Fox Mulder and Dana Scully who investigate X-Files: marginalized, unsolved cases involving paranormal phenomena. Mulder believes in the existence of aliens and the paranormal while Scully, a skeptic, is assigned to make scientific analyses of Mulder's discoveries that debunk Mulder's work and thus return him to mainstream cases
Duration: 45 min
IMDB Rating: 8.6/10
IMDB Votes: 243000
Genere: Crime, Drama, Mystery, Sci-Fi, Thriller
Country: USA
Plot tags: ufo, supernatural, investigation, fbi, conspiracy, paranormal investigation, alien, top secret, paranormal activity, alien contact, space and aliens, female fbi agent, alien abduction, uncover truth, monster, mysterious place, paranormal investigator, violence against women, female agent, alien conspiracy, government facility, danger, heroine, special agent, alien invasion
Wentworth (2013)
Plot Summary:
Bea Smith is locked up while awaiting trial for the attempted murder of her husband and must learn how life works in prison. A modern adaptation and sequel of the iconic Prisoner series
Duration: 45 min
IMDB Rating: 8.6/10
IMDB Votes: 24000
Genere: Crime, Drama, Thriller
Country: Australia
Plot tags: prison, lesbian, women in prison, prison life, women's prison, power struggle, protest, lesbian relationship, life is a bitch, danger, government facility, survival, sadism, convict, lgbtq, warden, female prisoner, lawyer, lgbt, smuggling, racial issues, anti hero, confined, blood, arrest
Ozark (2017)
Plot Summary:
A financial adviser drags his family from Chicago to the Missouri Ozarks, where he must launder $500 million in five years to appease a drug boss
Duration: 60 min
IMDB Rating: 8.5/10
IMDB Votes: 337000
Genere: Crime, Drama, Thriller
Country: USA
Plot tags: money laundering, drug cartel, danger, family relations, rivalry, murder, investigation, drug, teenage girl, mafia, organized crime, violence, law enforcement, cheating wife, mind game, finance, gang, teenage boy, chase, couples, escapades, dishonesty, survival, money, apocalypse
Southland (2009)
Plot Summary:
Since premiering in 2009, Southland has redefined the police drama with its raw, authentic look at the lives and work of Los Angeles detectives and beat cops. The show centers on four main characters: Officer John Cooper (Cudlitz), a seasoned cop who will have to prove himself again after recovering from surgery; Officer Ben Sherman (McKenzie), who still has much to learn after recently completing his training rotation; Detective Lydia Adams (King), whose unending caseload hits closer to home; and Sammy Bryant (Hatosy), a former detective who decided to go back to being a uniform cop after the traumatic death of his partner
Duration: 42 min
IMDB Rating: 8.5/10
IMDB Votes: 29000
Genere: Crime, Drama, Thriller
Country: USA
Plot tags: lapd, policewoman, police detective, law enforcement, partners against crime, police protagonist, fighting crime, police officer, swat, police, peril, team, responsibility, workplace, tough law enforcer, workplace situations, rookie, investigation, sex, relationships, car chase, justice, feminist, love affair, legal
Fringe (2008)
Plot Summary:
FBI Special Agent Olivia Dunham, brilliant but formerly institutionalized scientist Walter Bishop and his scheming, reluctant son Peter uncover a deadly mystery involving a series of unbelievable events and realize they may be a part of a larger, more disturbing pattern that blurs the line between science fiction and technology
Duration: 46 min
IMDB Rating: 8.4/10
IMDB Votes: 254000
Genere: Drama, Mystery, Sci-Fi, Thriller
Country: USA, Canada
Plot tags: supernatural, investigation, mad scientist, time travel, parallel universe, fbi, alternate dimension, experiment, top secret, alternate reality, paranormal activity, danger, research, peril, scientist, government facility, alternate universe, creature, killings, mission, disappearance, coworker, mysterious place, laboratory, father son relationship
Homeland (2011)
Plot Summary:
CIA officer Carrie Mathison is tops in her field despite being bipolar, which makes her volatile and unpredictable. With the help of her long-time mentor Saul Berenson, Carrie fearlessly risks everything, including her personal well-being and even sanity, at every turn
Duration: 55 min
IMDB Rating: 8.3/10
IMDB Votes: 357000
Genere: Crime, Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Country: USA
Plot tags: terrorism, espionage, cia, spy, national security, investigation, treason, war on terror, secret service, terrorist, danger, top secret, bipolar disorder, mental illness, mental disorder, surveillance, government agency, counter terrorism, victim, characters in danger, cia agent, supportive coworker, muslim, interrogation, paranoia
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
Fauda (2015)
Plot Summary:
A top Israeli agent comes out of retirement to hunt for a Palestinian militant he thought he'd killed, setting a chaotic chain of events into motion
Duration: 60 min
IMDB Rating: 8.3/10
IMDB Votes: 36000
Genere: Action, Drama, Thriller
Country: Israel
Plot tags: espionage, israeli palestinian conflict, terror, terrorist, war on terror, israeli, disguise, murder, danger, assassination, chase, mossad, israeli army, spy, terrorism, conflict, government agency, stephen king, islam, murder mystery, revolution, political conspiracy, propaganda, covert operation, religious
Mayor of Kingstown (2021)
Plot Summary:
Set in a small Michigan town where the only industry remaining are federal, state, and private prisons, the story follows the McClusky family, the power brokers between the police, criminals, inmates, prison guards and politicians, in a city completely dependent on prisons and the prisoners they contain
Duration:
IMDB Rating: 8.2/10
IMDB Votes: 43000
Genere: Crime, Drama, Thriller
Country: USA
Plot tags: prison, organized crime, corruption, business, corrupt politician, racism, political corruption, inequality, corrupt mayor, mayor, town mayor, murder, criminal, conspiracy, legal, nypd, brother brother relationship, imprisonment, prison guard, swat team, murderer, women's prison, female nudity, prisoner, death
The Mentalist (2008)
Plot Summary:
Patrick Jane, a former celebrity psychic medium, uses his razor sharp skills of observation and expertise at "reading" people to solve serious crimes with the California Bureau of Investigation
Duration: 43 min
IMDB Rating: 8.2/10
IMDB Votes: 197000
Genere: Crime, Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Country: USA
Plot tags: serial killer, partners against crime, investigation, fighting crime, murder, police investigation, police, law enforcement, danger, talented, justice, outsmarting, vengeance, who done it, psychic, coworker, weirdo, twists and turns, policewoman, deception, investigator, private detective, female detective, murderer, crime solving
Stargate Atlantis (2004)
Plot Summary:
With the Ancients' city of Atlantis discovered in the Pegasus Galaxy by Stargate Command, Dr. Elizabeth Weir and Major Sheppard lead a scientific expedition to the ancient abandoned city. Once there, the team not only find themselves unable to contact Earth, but their explorations unexpectedly reawaken the Ancients' deadly enemies, The Wraith, who hunger for this new prey. Now with the help of newfound local allies like Teyla Emmagan, the Atlantis Team sets about to uncover their new home's secrets even as their war of survival against the Wraith begins
Duration: 44 min
IMDB Rating: 8.1/10
IMDB Votes: 71000
Genere: Action, Adventure, Drama, Sci-Fi
Country: Canada, USA
Plot tags: space travel, outer space, fate of humanity, spacecraft, space opera, danger, alien planet, space adventure, ancient mystery, good versus evil, parallel world, team, space wars, technology, save the world, evil alien, benign alien, heroes, legends and myths, space and aliens, scientist, atlantis, stargate, alien, space
Black Bird (2022)
Plot Summary:
As Jimmy Keene begins a 10-year prison sentence, he gets an incredible offer: If he can elicit a confession from suspected killer Larry Hall, Jimmy will be freed. Completing this mission becomes the challenge of a lifetime
Duration: 347 min
IMDB Rating: 8.1/10
IMDB Votes: 95000
Genere: Biography, Crime, Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Country: USA
Plot tags: serial killer, organized crime, investigation, deal, prison, informant, bandit, murder, killings, murder investigation, crime investigation, criminal underworld, fighting crime, police investigation, plea bargain, apocalypse, spy, killer, psychopath, sociopath, corruption, murder mystery, truth, sister, drug
Castle (2009)
Plot Summary:
After a serial killer imitates the plots of his novels, successful mystery novelist Richard "Rick" Castle receives permission from the Mayor of New York City to tag along with an NYPD homicide investigation team for research purposes
Duration: 43 min
IMDB Rating: 8.1/10
IMDB Votes: 172000
Genere: Comedy, Crime, Drama, Mystery, Romance
Country: USA
Plot tags: writers, investigation, female detective, romancing partners, crime investigation, homicide detective, police investigation, police detective, riddles and clues, who done it, police, law enforcement, murder, resourceful, murder investigation, workplace situations, cop, unlikely partners, multiple suspects, reluctant partners, workplace, writer's life, police station, whodunit, medical examiner
Bates Motel (2013)
Plot Summary:
A "contemporary prequel" to the 1960 film Psycho, depicting the life of Norman Bates and his mother Norma prior to the events portrayed in Hitchcock's film, albeit in a different fictional town and in a modern setting. The series begins after the death of Norma's husband, when she purchases a motel located in a coastal Oregon town so she and Norman can start a new life
Duration: 45 min
IMDB Rating: 8.1/10
IMDB Votes: 115000
Genere: Drama, Horror, Mystery, Thriller
Country: USA
Plot tags: serial killer, motel, mental disorder, obsession, dysfunctional family, hotel, family problems, insanity, murder, small town, half brother, incestuous desire, danger, mother son relationship, high school, twists and turns, taxidermy, taxidermist, teenage life, small town life, sexual initiation, graphic violence, violent content, psychopath, sexual awakening
Criminal Minds (2005)
Plot Summary:
An elite team of FBI profilers analyze the country's most twisted criminal minds, anticipating their next moves before they strike again. The Behavioral Analysis Unit's most experienced agent is David Rossi, a founding member of the BAU who returns to help the team solve new cases
Duration: 42 min
IMDB Rating: 8.1/10
IMDB Votes: 214000
Genere: Crime, Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Country: USA
Plot tags: fbi, investigation, serial killer, team, law enforcement, crime investigation, murder, forensics, danger, profiler, investigator, intelligence, policewoman, human nature, victim, riddles and clues, police procedural, murderer, federal agent, computer genius, computer system, police, leader, antisocial behavior, die hard
Damages (2007)
Plot Summary:
Damages is an American legal thriller television series created by the writing and production trio of Daniel Zelman and brothers Glenn and Todd A. Kessler. The plot revolves around the brilliant, ruthless lawyer Patty Hewes and her protégée, recent law school graduate Ellen Parsons. Each season features a major case that Hewes and her firm take on, while also examining a chapter of the complicated relationship between Ellen and Patty. The first two seasons center around the law firm Hewes & Associates. Later seasons center more on Patty and Ellen's relationship as Ellen begins to distance herself from Hewes & Associates and begins an independent career
Duration: 60 min
IMDB Rating: 8.1/10
IMDB Votes: 31000
Genere: Crime, Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Country: USA
Plot tags: trial, lawyer, legal investigation, female lawyer, hotshot lawyer, legal action, manipulation, workplace, corporate crime, dishonesty, power relations, twists and turns, intrigue, law firm, price of justice, characters in danger, female protagonist, powerful corporation, law, murder, whodunit, attorney, strong female lead, criminal, power
The Black Donnellys (2007)
Plot Summary:
Meet the Donnelly brothers: Tommy, Jimmy, Kevin and Sean. There is nothing these four Irish brothers wouldn't do to protect each other, and for them that means lying, cheating, stealing and, occasionally, calling the cops. Narrated by wannabe gangster Joey "Ice Cream," this gritty series bears witness to the Donnelly brothers' sudden involvement in organized crime, focusing on how they go from boys to mobsters, and showing how their new life affects their relationships with friends, family and lovers
Duration: 60 min
IMDB Rating: 8.1/10
IMDB Votes: 14000
Genere: Crime, Drama
Country: USA
Plot tags: mafia, organized crime, mob boss, murder, vengeance, family business, blind ambition, gang, family relations, family life, corruption, rivalry, young man, gang war, siblings relations, regret, suspicion, dishonesty, ethnic, criminal heroes, uninhibited rivalry, gangster, irish mob, father daughter relationship, jail
Dexter: New Blood (2021)
Plot Summary:
Set 10 years after Dexter Morgan went missing in the eye of Hurricane Laura, he is now living under an assumed name in Upstate New York, far from his original home in Miami
Duration: 529 min
IMDB Rating: 8.1/10
IMDB Votes: 98000
Genere: Crime, Drama, Mystery
Country: USA
Plot tags: serial killer, serial murder, murder, missing person, vigilante, secret identity, homicidal maniac, murderer, kidnapping, killings, murder investigation, killing spree, hidden identity, abduction, investigation, murder mystery, forensics, secret, homicide detective, dark past, tragic past, new identity, apocalypse, superhero, criminal
The Unit (2006)
Plot Summary:
A covert team of special forces operatives risk their lives on undercover missions around the globe, while their wives maintain the homefront, protecting their husbands' secrets
Duration: 60 min
IMDB Rating: 8.1/10
IMDB Votes: 23000
Genere: Action, Drama, Thriller, War
Country: USA
Plot tags: terrorism, squad, terrorist, top secret, spy, military, army, veteran, swat team, sergeant, marriage, marital problem, special forces, police, african american, parenthood, team, sacrifice, patriotism, military life, die hard, espionage, intelligence, war on terror, prison
How to Get Away with Murder (2014)
Plot Summary:
A sexy, suspense-driven legal thriller about a group of ambitious law students and their brilliant, mysterious criminal defense professor. They become entangled in a murder plot and will shake the entire university and change the course of their lives
Duration: 43 min
IMDB Rating: 8.1/10
IMDB Votes: 163000
Genere: Crime, Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Country: USA
Plot tags: murder mystery, legal, defense attorney, hotshot lawyer, lawyer, law student, murder, court case, attorney, college, courtroom, lgbt, teachers and students, murder suspect, courtroom drama, manipulation, female professor, student life, rivalry, student, sex, strong female lead, woman, lesbian, affair
Slow Horses (2022)
Plot Summary:
This quick-witted spy drama follows a dysfunctional team of MI5 agents—and their obnoxious boss, the notorious Jackson Lamb—as they navigate the espionage world’s smoke and mirrors to defend England from sinister forces
Duration:
IMDB Rating: 8.0/10
IMDB Votes: 52000
Genere: Drama, Thriller
Country: UK, USA
Plot tags: reconnaissance, team, crime investigation, agent, misfit, cia agent, spy, secret agent, prospector, investigation, unlikely hero, terrorism, espionage, moving, traitor, british intelligence, anti hero, ambition, fbi agent, psychological drama, apple, anti-hero, anti heroes, secret agents
Lie to Me (2009)
Plot Summary:
The world's leading deception researcher, Dr. Cal Lightman, studies facial expression, body language and tone of voice to determine when a person is lying and why, which helps law enforcement and government agencies uncover the truth. But his skills also make it easier for him to deceive others
Duration: 43 min
IMDB Rating: 8.0/10
IMDB Votes: 126000
Genere: Crime, Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Country: USA
Plot tags: investigation, psychology, team, talented, expert, crime investigation, outsmarting, deception, riddles and clues, lie, human nature, sign language, uncover truth, research, interrogation, law enforcement, fbi, truth, dishonesty, leader, workplace situations, doctor, police investigation, boss and employee, hidden truth
Tokyo Vice (2022)
Plot Summary:
A Western journalist working for a publication in Tokyo takes on one of the city's most powerful crime bosses
Duration: 60 min
IMDB Rating: 8.0/10
IMDB Votes: 35000
Genere: Crime, Drama, Thriller
Country: USA
Plot tags: yakuza, journalism, corruption, organized crime, reporter, mafia, writers, journalist, economist, cadet, foreigner in japan, complex characters, killer, agent, police, criminal, sword, job, office, security guard, bus, criminal underworld, enemy, squad, car
The Capture (2019)
Plot Summary:
When soldier Shaun Emery's conviction for a murder in Afghanistan is overturned due to flawed video evidence, he returns to life as a free man with his young daughter. But when damning CCTV footage from a night out in London comes to light, Shaun's life takes a shocking turn and he must soon fight for his freedom once again
Duration: 60 min
IMDB Rating: 7.9/10
IMDB Votes: 22000
Genere: Crime, Mystery, Thriller
Country: UK
Plot tags: investigation, twists and turns, murder, capture, police, stalking, evidence, police officer, suspicion of murder, ex soldier, lawyer, hacker, stephen king, cia, feminist, forensic, forensics, mature, hacking, surveillance, artificial intelligence, conspiracy, police investigation, court, father daughter relationship
The Terminal List (2022)
Plot Summary:
Navy SEAL Commander James Reece turns to vengeance as he investigates the mysterious forces behind the murder of his entire platoon. Free from the military’s command structure, Reece applies the lessons he’s learned from nearly two decades of warfare to hunt down the people responsible
Duration: 55 min
IMDB Rating: 7.9/10
IMDB Votes: 103000
Genere: Action, Drama, Thriller
Country: USA
Plot tags: navy seal, military, investigation, death, tough guy, gunfight, conspiracy, memory, political conspiracy, soldier, die hard, war veteran, government conspiracy, revenge, supernatural, criminal, shooter, mental health, cop, violence, murder, veteran, vengeance, heroes, female nudity
Angel (1999)
Plot Summary:
Angel is an American television series, a spin-off from the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Angel, a 240-year old vampire cursed with a conscience, haunts the dark streets of Los Angeles alone. But after he meets a half-demon with mysterious visions, Angel realizes his true purpose: to help those in danger with the hope that he may have a chance to redeem himself and save his own soul. With Cordelia and Doyle at his side, he forms Angel Investigations. He is soon joined by Wesley, Gunn, Lorne and Fred, and he will need all their expertise to fight the growing forces of evil, and the supernatural law firm of Wolfram and Hart
Duration: 44 min
IMDB Rating: 7.9/10
IMDB Votes: 75000
Genere: Action, Drama, Fantasy, Thriller
Country: USA
Plot tags: vampire, supernatural ability, vampire human love, supernatural, monster, investigator, imaginary, heroes, good versus evil, hopes, righting the wronged, double life, vampire slayer, superhero, werewolf, kickass women, vampire hunter, occult, superpower, vampire vs vampire, afterlife, crime and punishment, amateur detective, love, witch
Dahmer - Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story (2022)
Plot Summary:
Across more than a decade, 17 teen boys and young men were murdered by convicted killer Jeffrey Dahmer. How did he evade arrest for so long?
Duration: 534 min
IMDB Rating: 7.9/10
IMDB Votes: 148000
Genere: Biography, Crime, Drama, Thriller
Country: USA
Plot tags: serial killer, murder, psychopath, homosexual, killer, true crime, maniac, violence, lgbt, brutality, homosexuality, homicidal maniac, serial murder, victim, alcoholism, danger, woman in danger, obsession, masked killer, characters killed one by one, killing spree, disguise, violent, pursuit, cannibal
Leverage (2008)
Plot Summary:
Leverage follows a five-person team: a thief, a grifter, a hacker, and a retrieval specialist, led by former insurance investigator Nathan Ford, who use their skills to fight corporate and governmental injustices inflicted on ordinary citizens
Duration: 42 min
IMDB Rating: 7.9/10
IMDB Votes: 54000
Genere: Crime, Mystery, Thriller
Country: USA
Plot tags: team, thief, hacker, outsmarting, mastermind, society, escapades, teamwork, hidden identity, unconventional method, investigator, partners in crime, surveillance, dishonesty, actress, insurance investigator, greed, hustler, investigation, criminal, female thief, gadget, strong female lead, expert, heist