Best tv shows like Monk
Last updated March 2024
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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
Best tv shows and movies like Monk (2002):
Similar in 81%
Dirk Gently (2010)
Plot Summary:
Dirk Gently is a British comedy detective drama TV series based on characters from the Dirk Gently novels by Douglas Adams. The series was created by Howard Overman and stars Stephen Mangan as holistic detective Dirk Gently and Darren Boyd as his sidekick Richard MacDuff. Recurring actors include Helen Baxendale as MacDuff's girlfriend Susan Harmison, Jason Watkins as Dirk's nemesis DI Gilks and Lisa Jackson as Dirk's receptionist Janice Pearce. Unlike most detective series Dirk Gently features broadly comic touches and even some science fiction themes such as time travel and artificial intelligence. Dirk Gently operates his Holistic Detective Agency based on the "fundamental interconnectedness of all things", which relies on random chance methods to uncover connections between seemingly-unrelated cases. He claims that he follows the principles of quantum mechanics, and although the majority of his clients suspect he may be a conman he often produces surprising results. With the help of his assistant, Richard MacDuff, Dirk investigates a number of seemingly unrelated but interconnected cases. An hour-long pilot episode loosely based on plot elements from Adams' 1987 novel Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency was broadcast on BBC Four on 16 December 2010 and was watched by 1.1 million viewers. Critical reception was generally positive. A full series of three one-hour episodes was subsequently commissioned in March 2011 and was broadcast on BBC Four in March 2012. The series was the first continuing drama series produced for the digital channel.
IMDB Rating: 7.6
IMDB Votes: 3000
Genere: Comedy, Crime, Mystery, Sci-Fi
Country: UK
Duration: 58 min
Plot tags: detective, humorous, semi serious, captivating, exciting, touching, hilarious, offbeat, suspenseful, witty
Similar in 82%
Shakespeare & Hathaway: Private Investigators (2018)
Plot Summary:
Frank Hathaway, a hardboiled private investigator, and his rookie sidekick Lu Shakespeare form the unlikeliest of partnerships as they investigate the secrets of rural Warwickshire's residents.
IMDB Rating: 7.6
IMDB Votes: 6000
Genere: Comedy, Crime, Drama, Mystery
Country: UK
Duration: 45 min
Plot tags: feel good, captivating, ironic, witty, detective, crime drama, semi serious, tense, satirical, comedy drama
Similar in 76%
The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency (2008)
Plot Summary:
The adventures of Mma Ramotswe, a Motswana woman who starts Botswana's first female-owned detective agency.
IMDB Rating: 8.2
IMDB Votes: 4000
Genere: Comedy, Crime, Drama, Family, Mystery
Country: UK, USA, South Africa
Duration: 60 min
Plot tags: humorous, realistic, semi serious, detective, offbeat, clever
Similar in 90%
Nero Wolfe (2012)
Plot Summary:
Interesting modern actualization made by Italian broadcasting service (RAI) of immortal, well-known characters created by the genial American novelist Rex Stout.
IMDB Rating: 7.2
IMDB Votes: 201
Genere: Comedy, Crime, Mystery
Country: Italy
Duration: 100 min
Plot tags: detective, psychological, intellectual, captivating, witty, stylized, detective series
Similar in 83%
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 83%
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 85%
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 76%
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 83%
The Coroner (2015)
Plot Summary:
High-flying solicitor Jane Kennedy returns to the seaside town she left as a teenager to take up the post of coroner, becoming an advocate for the dead as she investigates sudden, violent or unexplained deaths.
IMDB Rating: 7.0
IMDB Votes: 2000
Genere: Comedy, Crime, Drama, Mystery
Country: UK
Duration: 45 min
Plot tags: detective, tense, captivating, psychological, realistic, crime drama, intellectual
Similar in 75%
Midsomer Murders (1997)
Plot Summary:
The peacefulness of the Midsomer community is shattered by violent crimes, suspects are placed under suspicion, and it is up to a veteran DCI and his young sergeant to calmly and diligently eliminate the innocent and ruthlessly pursue the guilty.
IMDB Rating: 7.9
IMDB Votes: 38000
Genere: Crime, Drama, Mystery
Country: UK
Duration: 90 min
Plot tags: atmospheric, detective, crime drama, realistic, serious, suspenseful, clever, dark, slasher, thrilling
Similar in 85%
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 86%
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 83%
Endeavour (2012)
Plot Summary:
The early days of a young Endeavour Morse, whose experiences as a detective constable with the Oxford City Police will ultimately shape his future.
IMDB Rating: 8.6
IMDB Votes: 32000
Genere: Crime, Drama, Mystery
Country: UK
Duration: 89 min
Plot tags: serious, detective, intellectual, realistic, atmospheric, crime drama, period piece, captivating, melancholic, costume drama
Similar in 90%
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 86%
Columbo (1971)
Plot Summary:
Columbo is a friendly, verbose, disheveled-looking police detective who is consistently underestimated by his suspects. Despite his unprepossessing appearance and apparent absentmindedness, he shrewdly solves all of his cases and secures all evidence needed for indictment. His formidable eye for detail and meticulously dedicated approach often become clear to the killer only late in the storyline.
IMDB Rating: 8.3
IMDB Votes: 40000
Genere: Crime, Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 100 min
Plot tags: clever, captivating, detective, suspenseful, serious, realistic, retro, witty, spiritual, anthology
Similar in 75%
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 82%
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.
IMDB Rating: 8.7
IMDB Votes: 13000
Genere: Crime, Drama, Mystery
Country: UK
Duration: 60 min
Plot tags: detective, gothic, spiritual, mind bending, serious, realistic, suspenseful, period drama
Similar in 78%
Agatha Christie's Poirot (1989)
Plot Summary:
From England to Egypt, accompanied by his elegant and trustworthy sidekicks, the intelligent yet eccentrically-refined Belgian detective Hercule Poirot pits his wits against a collection of first class deceptions.
IMDB Rating: 8.6
IMDB Votes: 50000
Genere: Crime, Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Country: UK
Duration: 100 min
Plot tags: clever, realistic, captivating, detective, serious, suspenseful, exciting, stylized, crime drama, spiritual
Similar in 80%
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 89%
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 90%
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 88%
Veronica Mars (2004)
Plot Summary:
The series is set in the fictional town of Neptune, California, and stars Kristen Bell as the title character, a student who progresses from high school to college while moonlighting as a private investigator under the tutelage of her detective father. In each episode, Veronica solves a different stand-alone case while working to solve a more complex mystery. The first two seasons of the series each had a season-long mystery arc, introduced in the first episode of the season and solved in the season finale. The third season took a different format, focusing on smaller mystery arcs that would last the course of several episodes.
IMDB Rating: 8.4
IMDB Votes: 77000
Genere: Crime, Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 44 min
Plot tags: touching, neo noir, detective, witty, offbeat, realistic, suspenseful, cliffhanger, exciting, tense
Similar in 88%
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.
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
Similar in 83%
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 87%
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 89%
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 83%
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 88%
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
Similar in 77%
House (2004)
Plot Summary:
Dr. Gregory House, a drug-addicted, unconventional, misanthropic medical genius, leads a team of diagnosticians at the fictional Princeton–Plainsboro Teaching Hospital in New Jersey.
IMDB Rating: 8.7
IMDB Votes: 497000
Genere: Drama, Mystery
Country: USA
Duration: 7788 min
Plot tags: medical drama, cynical, clever, emotional, witty, psychological, biting, captivating, serious, realistic