Best tv shows like Castle
Last updated March 2024
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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.
IMDB Rating: 8.1
IMDB Votes: 172000
Genere: Comedy, Crime, Drama, Mystery, Romance
Country: USA
Duration: 43 min
Plot tags: witty, realistic, detective, entertaining, crime drama, sensitive, thrilling, suspenseful, semi serious, humorous
Best tv shows and movies like Castle (2009):
Similar in 84%
Moonlighting (1985)
Plot Summary:
Moonlighting is an American television series that aired on ABC from March 3, 1985, to May 14, 1989. The network aired a total of 66 episodes. Starring Bruce Willis and Cybill Shepherd as private detectives, the show was a mixture of drama, comedy, and romance, and was considered to be one of the first successful and influential examples of comedy-drama, or "dramedy", emerging as a distinct television genre. The show's theme song was performed by jazz singer Al Jarreau and became a hit. The show is also credited with making Willis a star, while providing Shepherd with a critical success after a string of lackluster projects. In 1997, the episode "The Dream Sequence Always Rings Twice" was ranked #34 on TV Guide's 100 Greatest Episodes of All Time. In 2007, the series was listed as one of Time magazine's "100 Best TV Shows of All-Time." The relationship between David and Maddie was included in TV Guide's list of the best TV couples of all time.
IMDB Rating: 7.6
IMDB Votes: 23000
Genere: Comedy, Drama, Mystery, Romance
Country: USA
Duration: 3073 min
Plot tags: talky, detective, feel good, realistic, witty, semi serious, soap opera, hilarious, sentimental, humorous
Similar in 87%
Remington Steele (1982)
Plot Summary:
Remington Steele is an American television series co-created by Robert Butler and Michael Gleason. The series, starring Stephanie Zimbalist and Pierce Brosnan, was produced by MTM Enterprises and first broadcast on the NBC network from 1982 to 1987. The series blended the genres of romantic comedy, drama, and detective procedural. Remington Steele is best known for launching the career of Pierce Brosnan and for serving as a forerunner of the similar series Moonlighting. Remington Steele's premise is that Laura Holt, a licensed private detective played by Stephanie Zimbalist, opened a detective agency under her own name but found that potential clients refused to hire a woman, however qualified. To solve the problem, Laura invents a fictitious male superior whom she names Remington Steele. Through a series of events that unfold in the first episode, "License to Steele", Pierce Brosnan's character, a former thief and con man whose real name is never revealed, assumes the identity of Remington Steele. Behind the scenes, Laura remains firmly in charge.
IMDB Rating: 7.3
IMDB Votes: 10000
Genere: Action, Adventure, Comedy, Crime, Drama, Mystery, Romance, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 60 min
Plot tags: detective, soap opera, hilarious, humorous, realistic, suspenseful, witty, stylized, semi serious, neo noir
Similar in 82%
The Mysteries of Laura (2014)
Plot Summary:
Laura Diamond, a brilliant NYPD homicide detective balances her “Columbo” day job with a crazy family life that includes two unruly twin boys and a soon-to-be ex-husband — also a cop — who just can't seem to sign the divorce papers. Between cleaning up after her boys and cleaning up the streets, she’d be the first to admit she has her “hot mess” moments in this hilariously authentic look at what it really means to be a “working mom” today. Somehow, she makes it all work with the help of her sexy and understanding partner, and things becomes even more complicated when her husband, ironically, becomes her boss at the precinct. For Laura, every day is a high-wire balancing act.
IMDB Rating: 6.8
IMDB Votes: 10000
Genere: Comedy, Crime, Mystery
Country: USA
Duration: 42 min
Plot tags: humorous, semi serious, realistic, suspenseful, detective, captivating, hilarious
Similar in 85%
Murder, She Wrote (1984)
Plot Summary:
An unassuming mystery writer turned sleuth uses her professional insight to help solve real-life homicide cases.
IMDB Rating: 7.2
IMDB Votes: 28000
Genere: Crime, Drama, Mystery
Country: USA
Duration: 50 min
Plot tags: clever, detective, witty, thought provoking, thrilling, suspenseful, realistic, serious, iconic
Similar in 81%
Death in Paradise (2011)
Plot Summary:
Detective Inspector Richard Poole is transferred to Sainte Marie, an island in the Caribbean. Totally unsuited to the Caribbean way of life, Richard hates the sun, sea and sand and isn't used to the Sainte Marie style of policing. Working with the exotic Camille each week Richard investigates intricate and intriguing murders.
IMDB Rating: 7.8
IMDB Votes: 26000
Genere: Comedy, Crime, Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Country: UK, France
Duration: 60 min
Plot tags: realistic, captivating, stylized, semi serious, detective, crime drama, light, exciting, funny, dark
Similar in 75%
Rosemary & Thyme (2003)
Plot Summary:
Rosemary & Thyme is a British television mystery series starring Felicity Kendal and Pam Ferris as gardening detectives Rosemary Boxer and Laura Thyme. The show began on ITV in 2003. The third series ended in August 2007. The theme is murder mysteries in the setting of professional gardening jobs. It was created by Brian Eastman to entertain his wife, Christabel Albery, who is an avid gardener. The show was directed by Brian Farnham, Simon Langton, and Tom Clegg. Clive Exton, who helped create the show, contributed 10 of the 22 scripts.
IMDB Rating: 7.6
IMDB Votes: 5000
Genere: Crime, Drama, Mystery
Country: UK
Duration: 48 min
Plot tags: feel good, realistic, captivating, clever, detective, semi serious, crime drama, suspenseful
Similar in 90%
The Finder (2012)
Plot Summary:
Walter Sherman, an Iraq War veteran, has the extraordinary ability to help people find the unfindable.
IMDB Rating: 7.7
IMDB Votes: 17000
Genere: Comedy, Crime, Drama, Romance
Country: USA
Duration: 44 min
Plot tags: witty, exciting, realistic, detective, semi serious, crime drama, suspenseful
Similar in 86%
Crossing Jordan (2001)
Plot Summary:
Crossing Jordan is an American television crime/drama series that stars Jill Hennessy as Jordan Cavanaugh, M.D., a crime-solving forensic pathologist employed in the Massachusetts Office of the Chief Medical Examiner.
IMDB Rating: 7.0
IMDB Votes: 12000
Genere: Crime, Drama, Mystery
Country: USA
Duration: 60 min
Plot tags: detective, realistic, tense, clever, serious, medical drama, crime drama, captivating, suspenseful
Similar in 84%
Diagnosis Murder (1993)
Plot Summary:
Dr. Mark Sloan is a good-natured, offbeat physician who is called upon to solve murders.
IMDB Rating: 6.8
IMDB Votes: 8000
Genere: Crime, Drama, Mystery
Country: USA
Duration: 45 min
Plot tags: detective, serious, suspenseful, captivating, realistic, exciting, humorous, suspense, medical drama, thrilling
Similar in 83%
The Glades (2010)
Plot Summary:
This Crime series follows Matt Passmore as Jim, a Chicago cop who gets kicked off the force after being shot and wrongfully accused by his ex-captain of having an affair with his wife. After receiving his payout, Jim decides to moves to a small Florida town to join the state police.
IMDB Rating: 7.4
IMDB Votes: 15000
Genere: Action, Crime, Drama, Mystery
Country: USA
Duration: 60 min
Plot tags: exciting, stylized, detective, semi serious, cliffhanger, realistic, grindhouse, suspenseful
Similar in 83%
NYPD Blue (1993)
Plot Summary:
NYPD Blue is an American television police drama set in New York City, exploring the internal and external struggles of the fictional 15th precinct of Manhattan. Each episode typically intertwined several plots involving an ensemble cast. The show was created by Steven Bochco and David Milch and was inspired by Milch's relationship with Bill Clark, a former member of the New York City Police Department who eventually became one of the show's producers. The series was broadcast on the ABC network from its debut on September 21, 1993‚ and aired its final episode on March 1, 2005. It remains ABC's longest-running primetime one-hour drama series. In 1997, "True Confessions", written by Art Monterastelli and directed by Charles Haid was ranked #36 on TV Guide's 100 Greatest Episodes of All Time. In 2009, TV Guide ranked Hearts and Souls, Jimmy Smits' final episode written by Steven Bochco, David Milch, Bill Clark, and Nicholas Wootton and directed by Paris Barclay, #30 on TV Guide's 100 Greatest Episodes of All Time.
IMDB Rating: 7.7
IMDB Votes: 16000
Genere: Crime, Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 45 min
Plot tags: realistic, captivating, suspenseful, rough, serious, detective, erotic, sexy, thrilling, sentimental
Similar in 77%
CSI: NY (2004)
Plot Summary:
CSI: NY is an American police procedural television series that ran on CBS from September 22, 2004 to February 22, 2013 for a total of nine seasons and 197 original episodes. The show follows the investigations of a team of NYPD forensic scientists and police officers identified as "Crime Scene Investigators".
IMDB Rating: 6.9
IMDB Votes: 49000
Genere: Action, Crime, Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Country: USA, Canada
Duration: 43 min
Plot tags: suspenseful, detective, serious, psychological, crime drama, exciting, inspirational, relaxing, realistic, rough
Similar in 78%
The Closer (2005)
Plot Summary:
Deputy Police Chief Brenda Jean Johnson transfers from Atlanta to LA to head up a special unit of the LAPD that handles sensitive, high-profile murder cases. Johnson's quirky personality and hard-nosed approach often rubs her colleagues the wrong way, but her reputation as one of the world's best interrogator eventually wins over even her toughest critics.
IMDB Rating: 7.8
IMDB Votes: 28000
Genere: Crime, Drama, Mystery
Country: USA
Duration: 46 min
Plot tags: captivating, realistic, sincere, tense, serious, detective, suspense, inspirational, bloody, thrilling
Similar in 79%
Unforgettable (2011)
Plot Summary:
Former Syracuse, New York, police detective Carrie Wells has hyperthymesia, a rare medical condition that gives her the ability to visually remember everything. She reluctantly joins the New York City Police Department's Queens homicide unit after her former boyfriend and partner asks for help with solving a case. The move allows her to try to find out the one thing she has been unable to remember, which is what happened the day her sister was murdered.
IMDB Rating: 6.8
IMDB Votes: 21000
Genere: Crime, Drama, Mystery
Country: USA
Duration: 60 min
Plot tags: serious, suspenseful, detective, thrilling, tense, realistic, exciting
Similar in 85%
Life (2007)
Plot Summary:
Complex, offbeat Detective Charlie Crews returns to the force after serving time in prison for a crime he didn’t commit. Crews’ new lease on life has provided him with a Zen-like outlook, peace of mind and no need for vengeance, an attitude which can be challenging to maintain when someone he cares about is threatened — or when he is investigating the mystery surrounding the murder he was falsely accused of.
IMDB Rating: 8.3
IMDB Votes: 35000
Genere: Crime, Drama, Mystery
Country: USA
Duration: 45 min
Plot tags: realistic, serious, detective, tense, captivating, bleak, anime, smart, witty, suspenseful
Similar in 87%
Psych (2006)
Plot Summary:
Thanks to his police officer father's efforts, Shawn Spencer spent his childhood developing a keen eye for detail (and a lasting dislike of his dad). Years later, Shawn's frequent tips to the police lead to him being falsely accused of a crime he solved. Now, Shawn has no choice but to use his abilities to perpetuate his cover story: psychic crime-solving powers, all the while dragging his best friend, his dad, and the police along for the ride.
IMDB Rating: 8.4
IMDB Votes: 104000
Genere: Comedy, Crime, Mystery
Country: USA
Duration: 44 min
Plot tags: exciting, witty, detective, not serious, humorous, talky, realistic, intellectual, funny, offbeat
Similar in 78%
Perception (2012)
Plot Summary:
Dr. Daniel Pierce, a neuroscientist and professor, is recruited to help the federal government crack difficult cases. His intimate knowledge of human behavior and masterful understanding of the mind give him an extraordinary ability to read people, but his eccentric view of the world and less-than-stellar social skills can often interfere with his work.
IMDB Rating: 7.5
IMDB Votes: 23000
Genere: Crime, Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 42 min
Plot tags: exciting, mind bending, offbeat, intellectual, serious, detective, psychological, entertaining, dramatic, crime drama
Similar in 85%
White Collar (2009)
Plot Summary:
Neal Caffrey, a con man, forger and thief, is captured after a three-year game of cat and mouse with the FBI. With only months left serving a four-year sentence, he escapes to look for Kate, his girlfriend. Peter Burke, the FBI agent who initially captured Caffrey, finds and returns him to prison. This time, Caffrey proposes a deal with the FBI, as part of a work-release program. After some hesitation, Burke agrees, and thus begins this unconventional arrangement where Caffrey helps Burke apprehend white collar criminals.
IMDB Rating: 8.2
IMDB Votes: 139000
Genere: Comedy, Crime, Drama, Mystery
Country: USA
Duration: 40 min
Plot tags: exciting, captivating, light, serious, intellectual, entertaining, suspenseful, realistic, detective, thought provoking
Similar in 76%
Rizzoli & Isles (2010)
Plot Summary:
Perhaps their strikingly different personalities make the relationship between detective Jane Rizzoli and medical examiner Maura Isles so effective. Jane, the only female cop in Boston's homicide division, is tough, relentless and rarely lets her guard down, while the impeccably dressed Maura displays a sometimes icy temperament — she is, after all, more comfortable among the dead than the living. Together, the best friends have forged a quirky and supportive relationship; they drop the protective shield in each other's company, and combine their expertise to solve Boston's most complex cases.
IMDB Rating: 7.6
IMDB Votes: 37000
Genere: Crime, Drama, Mystery
Country: USA
Duration: 60 min
Plot tags: captivating, tense, realistic, detective, serious, crime drama, suspenseful
Similar in 77%
Body of Proof (2011)
Plot Summary:
Body of Proof is an American medical drama television series that ran on ABC from March 29, 2011 to May 28, 2013 and starred Dana Delany as medical examiner Dr. Megan Hunt. The series was created by Chris Murphey and produced by ABC Studios. The show was canceled by ABC after three seasons.
IMDB Rating: 7.1
IMDB Votes: 20000
Genere: Comedy, Crime, Drama, Mystery
Country: USA
Duration: 60 min
Plot tags: serious, captivating, suspenseful, realistic, detective, medical drama, witty, motivational
Similar in 81%
Monk (2002)
Plot Summary:
Adrian Monk was once a rising star with the San Francisco Police Department, legendary for using unconventional means to solve the department's most baffling cases. But after the tragic (and still unsolved) murder of his wife Trudy, he developed an extreme case of obsessive-compulsive disorder. Now working as a private consultant, Monk continues to investigate cases in the most unconventional ways.
IMDB Rating: 8.1
IMDB Votes: 82000
Genere: Comedy, Crime, Drama, Mystery
Country: USA
Duration: 44 min
Plot tags: witty, humorous, offbeat, detective, realistic, semi serious, intellectual, sitcom, slapstick, hilarious
Similar in 80%
Elementary (2012)
Plot Summary:
A modern-day drama about a crime-solving duo that cracks the NYPD's most impossible cases. Following his fall from grace in London and a stint in rehab, eccentric Sherlock escapes to Manhattan where his wealthy father forces him to live with his worst nightmare - a sober companion, Dr. Watson.
IMDB Rating: 7.9
IMDB Votes: 117000
Genere: Crime, Drama, Mystery
Country: USA
Duration: 60 min
Plot tags: witty, detective, talky, intellectual, suspenseful, serious, thought provoking, entertaining, sad, crime drama
Similar in 90%
NCIS (2003)
Plot Summary:
From murder and espionage to terrorism and stolen submarines, a team of special agents investigates any crime that has a shred of evidence connected to Navy and Marine Corps personnel, regardless of rank or position.
IMDB Rating: 7.8
IMDB Votes: 159000
Genere: Action, Crime, Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 60 min
Plot tags: captivating, exciting, serious, detective, crime drama, suspense, semi serious, tense, cliffhanger, thrilling
Similar in 84%
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (2000)
Plot Summary:
The series follows Las Vegas criminalists working for the Las Vegas Police Department as they use physical evidence to solve grisly murders in this unusually graphic drama, which has inspired a host of other cop-show "procedurals". The series mixes deduction, gritty subject matter and character-driven drama. The network later added spin-offs CSI: Miami and CSI: NY, which have both been cancelled after ten and nine seasons respectively.
IMDB Rating: 7.7
IMDB Votes: 88000
Genere: Crime, Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Country: USA, Canada
Duration: 60 min
Plot tags: serious, detective, psychological, suspenseful, rough, realistic, suspense, dramatic, exciting, funny
Similar in 84%
Bones (2005)
Plot Summary:
Dr. Temperance Brennan and her colleagues at the Jeffersonian's Medico-Legal Lab assist Special Agent Seeley Booth with murder investigations when the remains are so badly decomposed, burned or destroyed that the standard identification methods are useless.
IMDB Rating: 7.8
IMDB Votes: 172000
Genere: Crime, Drama, Mystery
Country: USA
Duration: 40 min
Plot tags: witty, suspenseful, intellectual, detective, realistic, semi serious, bloody, sitcom, hood, crime drama
Similar in 76%
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.
IMDB Rating: 8.1
IMDB Votes: 214000
Genere: Crime, Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 42 min
Plot tags: psychological, exciting, serious, rough, detective, intellectual, thrilling, psychological thriller, bloody, dramatic
Similar in 84%
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.
IMDB Rating: 8.0
IMDB Votes: 126000
Genere: Crime, Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 43 min
Plot tags: clever, psychological, serious, detective, suspenseful, realistic, thrilling, surprise ending, philosophical, intellectual
Similar in 86%
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.
IMDB Rating: 8.2
IMDB Votes: 197000
Genere: Crime, Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 43 min
Plot tags: exciting, serious, intellectual, suspenseful, suspense, thrilling, realistic, surprise ending, philosophical, clever
Similar in 76%
Forever (2014)
Plot Summary:
Doctor Henry Morgan, New York City’s star medical examiner, has a secret. He doesn't just study the dead to solve criminal cases, he does it to solve the mystery that has eluded him for 200 years—the answer to his own inexplicable immortality. This long life has given Henry remarkable observation skills which impresses his new partner, Detective Jo Martinez. Each week, a new case and their budding friendship will reveal layers of Henry’s long and colorful past. Only his best friend and confidant, Abe knows Henry’s secret.
IMDB Rating: 8.2
IMDB Votes: 61000
Genere: Crime, Drama, Fantasy, Mystery, Sci-Fi
Country: USA
Duration: 43 min
Plot tags: atmospheric, captivating, tense, serious, suspenseful, detective, exciting, sad, anime, smart
Similar in 85%
Sherlock (2010)
Plot Summary:
A modern update finds the famous sleuth and his doctor partner solving crime in 21st century London.
IMDB Rating: 9.1
IMDB Votes: 977000
Genere: Crime, Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Country: UK, USA
Duration: 88 min
Plot tags: clever, detective, witty, captivating, serious, exciting, mind bending, psychological, intellectual, suspenseful