Best tv shows like Law & Order
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Plot Summary:
Law & Order is an American police procedural and legal drama television series, created by Dick Wolf and part of the Law & Order franchise. It originally aired on NBC and, in syndication, on various cable networks. Law & Order premiered on September 13, 1990, and completed its 20th and final season on May 24, 2010. At the time of its cancellation, Law & Order was the longest-running crime drama on American primetime television. After The Simpsons, both Law & Order and Gunsmoke tied for the second longest-running scripted American primetime series with ongoing characters.
IMDB Rating: 7.8
IMDB Votes: 43000
Genere: Crime, Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 45 min
Plot tags: detective, tense, realistic, rough, clever, serious, suspenseful, crime drama, dramatic, thrilling
Best tv shows and movies like Law & Order (1990):
Similar in 80%
Murder in the First (2014)
Plot Summary:
Murder in the First follows homicide detectives Terry English and Hildy Mulligan as they investigate a multitude of tragedies in San Francisco.
IMDB Rating: 7.2
IMDB Votes: 8000
Genere: Crime, Drama, Mystery
Country: USA
Duration: 42 min
Plot tags: exciting, detective, tense, suspense, suspenseful, sexy
Similar in 82%
Jake and the Fatman (1987)
Plot Summary:
Jake and the Fatman is a television crime drama starring William Conrad as prosecutor J. L. "Fatman" McCabe and Joe Penny as investigator Jake Styles. The series ran on CBS for five seasons from 1987 to 1992. Diagnosis: Murder was a spin-off of this series.
IMDB Rating: 6.4
IMDB Votes: 3000
Genere: Crime, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 120 min
Plot tags: detective, rough, serious, realistic, suspenseful
Similar in 78%
Murder One (1995)
Plot Summary:
Theodore 'Teddy' Hoffman is a highly-regarded defense attorney in a prestigious Los Angeles law firm. Having successfully defended the wealthy but suspicious Richard Cross in a much-publicised murder trial, he is now involved in the defense of Neil Avedon, a famous young actor who has been suffering from severe drug and alcohol problems - and has been charged with the murder for which Cross was acquitted.
IMDB Rating: 8.2
IMDB Votes: 2000
Genere: Crime, Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 60 min
Plot tags: suspenseful, exciting, detective, thrilling, sincere, serious, realistic, contemplative, vintage
Similar in 83%
City Homicide (2006)
Plot Summary:
City Homicide was an Australian television drama series that aired on the Seven Network between 27 August 2007 and 30 March 2011. The series was set on the Homicide floor of a metropolitan police headquarters in Melbourne. The main characters were six detectives, who solve the murder cases, and their three superior officers. City Homicide did not return in its regular format in 2011. A six-episode mini-series titled No Greater Honour was shown instead which marked the closing storyline of the series. The mini-series guest starred Claire Van Der Boom, Marcus Graham, John Howard, and Graeme Blundell.
IMDB Rating: 7.5
IMDB Votes: 2000
Genere: Crime, Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Country: Australia
Duration: 60 min
Plot tags: rough, realistic, suspenseful, exciting, serious, detective, crime drama, bleak, crying
Similar in 90%
Law & Order: Trial by Jury (2005)
Plot Summary:
Law & Order: Trial by Jury is an American television drama about criminal trials set in New York City. It was the third spin-off from the long-running Law & Order. The show's almost exclusive focus was on the criminal trial of the accused, showing both the prosecution's and defense's preparation for trial, as well as the trial itself. The series premiered on Thursday, March 3, 2005, and ended on January 21, 2006. Its regular time slot was Fridays 10/9 p.m. ET on NBC. The last episode aired on Court TV months after the series' cancellation.
IMDB Rating: 6.4
IMDB Votes: 1000
Genere: Crime, Drama, Mystery
Country: USA
Duration: 60 min
Plot tags: rough, suspenseful, thought provoking, realistic, serious, gloomy
Similar in 81%
Law & Order: UK (2009)
Plot Summary:
Adapted from the hit US series, Law & Order: UK follows a team of police detectives and prosecutors representing the public interest in the criminal justice system.
IMDB Rating: 7.7
IMDB Votes: 5000
Genere: Crime, Drama, Mystery
Country: UK
Duration: 46 min
Plot tags: serious, tense, rough, bleak, suspenseful, crime drama, detective, clever, realistic
Similar in 90%
Law & Order Los Angeles (2010)
Plot Summary:
Law & Order: LA, originally titled Law & Order: Los Angeles, is an American police procedural and legal drama television series set in Los Angeles, where it was produced. Created and produced by Dick Wolf and developed by Blake Masters, it premiered on NBC on September 29, 2010, as a spin-off of Wolf's successful crime drama Law & Order. The show received a full season pickup on October 18, 2010. On January 18, 2011, however, NBC announced that it was putting the series on hold indefinitely. According to a representative of the show, the scheduling change was not caused entirely by the recent cast shake-up. The network later announced a return date for the series, April 11, 2011; and the final episode scheduled for July 11, 2011. Law & Order: LA was canceled by NBC on May 13, 2011.
IMDB Rating: 6.7
IMDB Votes: 3000
Genere: Crime, Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 60 min
Plot tags: serious, tense, realistic, suspenseful, detective, crime drama, rough, bleak, gloomy
Similar in 81%
Motive (2013)
Plot Summary:
A cat-and-mouse series with a twist on the everyday whodunit, "Motive" centers on Angie Flynn, a detective on a backwards chase for clues to a killer that has already been revealed to viewers. The series, filmed in Vancouver, is an unconventional way to watch a crime unfold. Each episode begins by revealing to the audience, not only the victim, but the killer as well. The homicide detective then begins to piece together clues. How did they do it? How are the victim and killer connected? What's the motive? As the mystery unfolds, the audience navigates the twisted and complicated maze of each murder and solves the puzzle alongside Det. Flynn and her team.
IMDB Rating: 7.4
IMDB Votes: 6000
Genere: Crime, Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Country: Canada
Duration: 60 min
Plot tags: tense, serious, suspenseful, detective, realistic, captivating, suspense, disturbing, thrilling
Similar in 88%
Law & Order: Criminal Intent (2001)
Plot Summary:
The third installment of the “Law & Order” franchise takes viewers deep into the minds of its criminals while following the intense psychological approaches the Major Case Squad uses to solve its crimes.
IMDB Rating: 7.5
IMDB Votes: 27000
Genere: Crime, Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 60 min
Plot tags: detective, tense, clever, serious, realistic, suspenseful, cult classic, telenovela
Similar in 81%
Law & Order: Organized Crime (2021)
Plot Summary:
Detective Elliot Stabler returns to the NYPD to battle organized crime after a devastating personal loss. Stabler journeys to find absolution and rebuild his life, while leading a new elite task force that is taking apart the city’s most powerful criminal syndicates one by one.
IMDB Rating: 7.7
IMDB Votes: 9000
Genere: Crime, Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 42 min
Plot tags: psychological, tense, captivating, disturbing, detective, deep
Similar in 85%
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.
IMDB Rating: 8.7
IMDB Votes: 14000
Genere: Crime, Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 60 min
Plot tags: tense, realistic, detective, rough, serious, talky, neo noir, crime drama, thrilling, psychological
Similar in 77%
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 75%
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.
IMDB Rating: 8.5
IMDB Votes: 29000
Genere: Crime, Drama, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 42 min
Plot tags: detective, captivating, serious, rough, realistic, suspenseful, exciting, epic, anime, thrilling
Similar in 80%
Chicago P.D. (2014)
Plot Summary:
A riveting police drama about the men and women of the Chicago Police Department's District 21 who put it all on the line to serve and protect their community. District 21 is made up of two distinctly different groups: the uniformed cops who patrol the beat and go head-to-head with the city's street crimes and the Intelligence Unit that combats the city's major offenses - organized crime, drug trafficking, high profile murders and beyond.
IMDB Rating: 8.1
IMDB Votes: 43000
Genere: Action, Crime, Drama, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 43 min
Plot tags: exciting, tense, serious, suspenseful, detective, realistic, crime drama
Similar in 86%
Cold Case (2003)
Plot Summary:
The Philadelphia homicide squad's lone female detective finds her calling when she is assigned cases that have never been solved. Detective Lilly Rush combines her natural instincts with the updated technology available today to bring about justice for all the victims she can.
IMDB Rating: 7.6
IMDB Votes: 31000
Genere: Crime, Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 44 min
Plot tags: detective, atmospheric, serious, contemplative, realistic, tense, suspense, bleak, dramatic, grindhouse
Similar in 79%
CSI: Miami (2002)
Plot Summary:
CSI: Miami follows Crime Scene Investigators working for the Miami-Dade Police Department as they use physical evidence, similar to their Las Vegas counterparts, to solve grisly murders. The series mixes deduction, gritty subject matter, and character-driven drama in the same vein as the original series in the CSI franchise, except that the Miami CSIs are cops first, scientists second.
IMDB Rating: 6.4
IMDB Votes: 60000
Genere: Action, Crime, Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 43 min
Plot tags: serious, suspenseful, detective, rough, realistic, contemplative, crime drama, cliffhanger, exciting, grindhouse
Similar in 88%
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 90%
Major Crimes (2012)
Plot Summary:
Major Crimes explores how the American justice system approaches the art of the deals as law enforcement officers and prosecutors work together to score a conviction. Los Angeles Police Captain Sharon Raydor heads up a special squad within the LAPD that deals with high-profile or particularly sensitive crimes.
IMDB Rating: 7.7
IMDB Votes: 16000
Genere: Action, Crime, Drama, Mystery
Country: USA
Duration: 43 min
Plot tags: captivating, serious, realistic, detective, tense
Similar in 88%
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 87%
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.”.
IMDB Rating: 8.5
IMDB Votes: 81000
Genere: Crime, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 51 min
Plot tags: realistic, serious, exciting, detective, neo noir, tense, crime drama, mind blowing, crime thriller, gloomy
Similar in 84%
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.
IMDB Rating: 8.1
IMDB Votes: 163000
Genere: Crime, Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 43 min
Plot tags: serious, realistic, suspenseful, captivating, thrilling, psychological, intellectual, neo noir, suspense, dramatic
Similar in 88%
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.
IMDB Rating: 8.1
IMDB Votes: 31000
Genere: Crime, Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 60 min
Plot tags: rough, clever, tense, serious, captivating, realistic, suspenseful, thrilling, exciting, bloody
Similar in 80%
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 84%
JAG (1995)
Plot Summary:
JAG is an American legal drama television show with a distinct military theme, created by Donald P. Bellisario, and produced by Belisarius Productions in association with Paramount Network Television. The first season was co-produced with NBC Productions. Originally conceived as a Top Gun meets A Few Good Men, the pilot episode of JAG first aired on NBC on September 23, 1995; but the series was later canceled on May 22, 1996 after finishing 79th in the ratings, leaving one episode unaired. Rival network CBS picked up the series for a midseason replacement, beginning on January 3, 1997. CBS's decision to air JAG proved to be a good move, as JAG for several seasons climbed in the ratings and was on the air for nine additional seasons. JAG furthermore spawned the hit series NCIS, which in turn spun off another hit, NCIS: Los Angeles. In total, 227 episodes were produced over 10 seasons and JAG was during its 5th season seen in over 100 countries worldwide. JAG was so popular that it entered syndication early in 1999 and it is still regularly repeated.
IMDB Rating: 6.7
IMDB Votes: 20000
Genere: Action, Crime, Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 60 min
Plot tags: serious, realistic, suspenseful, tense, suspense, action adventure, thrilling, exciting, contemplative, telenovela
Similar in 75%
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (1999)
Plot Summary:
In the criminal justice system, sexually-based offenses are considered especially heinous. In New York City, the dedicated detectives who investigate these vicious felonies are members of an elite squad known as the Special Victims Unit. These are their stories.
IMDB Rating: 8.1
IMDB Votes: 119000
Genere: Crime, Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 60 min
Plot tags: detective, tense, clever, captivating, crime drama, grindhouse, rough, bleak, serious, realistic
Similar in 75%
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 78%
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 82%
The Killing (2011)
Plot Summary:
The Killing is an American crime drama television series based upon the Danish television series Forbrydelsen. Set in Seattle, Washington, the series follows the various murder investigations by homicide detectives Sarah Linden and Stephen Holder.
IMDB Rating: 8.3
IMDB Votes: 120000
Genere: Crime, Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Country: USA, Canada
Duration: 45 min
Plot tags: psychological, gloomy, neo noir, tense, serious, detective, suspenseful, atmospheric, realistic, dark
Similar in 81%
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.
IMDB Rating: 8.7
IMDB Votes: 86000
Genere: Crime, Drama, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 47 min
Plot tags: exciting, tense, rough, suspenseful, realistic, cynical, dramatic, detective, crime drama, serious
Similar in 84%
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