Best tv shows like Past Life
Last updated March 2024
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Plot Summary:
Past Life is an American crime drama television series which aired on Fox from February 9 to June 4, 2010. The series premiered on Tuesday, February 9 at 9:00 pm Eastern/8:00 pm Central. After the premiere, subsequent airings were broadcast on Thursdays beginning February 11, during the 9:00 pm Eastern/8:00 pm Central timeslot. The series was created by David Hudgins and inspired by the book The Reincarnationist, a crime thriller by M. J. Rose, whose main character, Josh Ryder, solves a 21st-century crime with memories and clues from his past life in ancient Rome. Although seven episodes were produced, the series was canceled after three episodes aired due to rapidly declining ratings. The network announced plans to air the remaining episodes on successive Friday nights from May 28 to June 4, 2010. On June 8, Fox announced that they would not air the final two episodes.
IMDB Rating: 5.3
IMDB Votes: 438
Genere: Crime, Drama, Mystery
Country: USA
Duration: 60 min
Plot tags: emotional, surreal, serious, suspenseful, psychological, captivating, detective, mind bending, offbeat, gloomy
Best tv shows and movies like Past Life (2010):
Similar in 87%
Cracked (2013)
Plot Summary:
The Psych Crimes Unit, a unique team of police detectives and mental health professionals, is tasked with solving bizarre and chilling crimes that cross the boundary between law enforcement and psychological disturbance.
IMDB Rating: 6.9
IMDB Votes: 2000
Genere: Crime, Drama, Mystery
Country: Canada
Duration: 60 min
Plot tags: realistic, suspenseful, psychological, tense, serious, detective, gloomy
Similar in 82%
False Accusation (2001)
Plot Summary:
A quiet spring morning a man leaves prison after spending most of his adult life there. The man is convicted of murder, not once but twice.
IMDB Rating: 6.3
IMDB Votes: 155
Genere: Crime, Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Country: Sweden, Norway
Duration: 172 min
Plot tags: serious, realistic, suspenseful, psychological, detective
Similar in 81%
Life on Mars (2008)
Plot Summary:
Life on Mars is a science fiction crime drama television series which originally aired on ABC from October 9, 2008 to April 1, 2009. It is an adaptation of the BAFTA-winning original UK series of the same name produced by the BBC. The series was co-produced by Kudos Film & Television, 20th Century Fox Television and ABC Studios. The series tells the story of New York City police detective Sam Tyler, who, after being struck by a car in 2008, regains consciousness in 1973. Fringing between multiple genres, including thriller, science fiction and police procedural, the series remained ambiguous regarding its central plot, with the character himself unsure about his situation. The series also starred Harvey Keitel, Jonathan Murphy, Michael Imperioli, and Gretchen Mol. Life on Mars garnered critical praise for its premise, acting, and depiction of the 1970s but suffered from a declining viewership after its premiere and a two-month hiatus. ABC announced on March 2, 2009 that it would not be ordering a second season. A DVD set of the complete series was released on September 29, 2009.
IMDB Rating: 7.5
IMDB Votes: 11000
Genere: Crime, Drama, Mystery, Sci-Fi
Country: USA
Duration: 60 min
Plot tags: tense, rough, serious, captivating, surreal, detective, futuristic, mysterious, allegory, mind bending
Similar in 87%
Ellery Queen (1975)
Plot Summary:
Ellery Queen is an American television detective mystery series based on the fictional character Ellery Queen. It aired on NBC during the 1975-76 television season and stars Jim Hutton as Ellery Queen, David Wayne as his father, Inspector Richard Queen, and Tom Reese as Sgt. Velie. Created by the writing/producing team of Richard Levinson and William Link, the title character "breaks" the fourth wall to ask the audience to consider their solution.
IMDB Rating: 8.3
IMDB Votes: 1000
Genere: Crime, Drama, Family, Mystery
Country: USA
Duration: 100 min
Plot tags: detective, clever, serious, realistic, suspenseful
Similar in 85%
Case Histories (2011)
Plot Summary:
Case Histories is a British drama television series based on the Jackson Brodie detective novels by Kate Atkinson. It stars Jason Isaacs as Jackson Brodie.
IMDB Rating: 7.9
IMDB Votes: 5000
Genere: Crime, Drama, Mystery
Country: UK
Duration: 60 min
Plot tags: detective, tense, touching, serious, suspenseful, crime drama, atmospheric, anime, hardboiled detective, realistic
Similar in 78%
Mike Hammer, Private Eye (1997)
Plot Summary:
Mike Hammer, Private Eye is an American syndicated television program based on the adventures of the fictitious private detective Mike Hammer, created by novelist Mickey Spillane. The show starred Stacy Keach and was seen as an attempt to revive the character he had played in Mickey Spillane's Mike Hammer and The New Mike Hammer - two moderately successful syndicated CBS series from the 1980s. Mike Hammer, Private Eye premiered on September 27, 1997. The show failed to gain a wide audience and, as a result, it was canceled after only one season. The final show of the series aired on June 14, 1998.
IMDB Rating: 7.2
IMDB Votes: 675
Genere: Crime, Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 60 min
Plot tags: detective, rough, serious, neo noir, realistic, suspenseful
Similar in 77%
Raines (2007)
Plot Summary:
Raines is a crime drama television series that ran from March 15, 2007 to April 27, 2007 on NBC in the United States. The show premiered as a mid-season replacement, as well as airing on CH in Canada, TV3 in Ireland, ITV3 in the UK, and on Network Ten in Australia. The series focused on Michael Raines, a 'mentally haunted' LAPD detective, who interacts with imaginary manifestations of dead crime victims in order to solve criminal cases. Raines must deal with his unique, unintentional method, as it causes problems with his co-workers and in his personal life. The first two episodes aired on Thursday nights at 10:00 PM Eastern Time during the time slot normally occupied by ER. The third episode aired eight days later, taking up its regular Friday at 9:00 PM time slot. On May 14, 2007, NBC announced its schedule for the 2007-2008 television season. Raines was left off this list, and was officially cancelled.
IMDB Rating: 7.6
IMDB Votes: 2000
Genere: Crime, Drama, Mystery
Country: USA
Duration: 45 min
Plot tags: psychological, serious, suspenseful, detective, offbeat, gloomy
Similar in 90%
Serangoon Road (2013)
Plot Summary:
1964-65. Singapore is a city at a crossroads. Political and racial tensions are at fever pitch as the British pull out, and a new nation is about to be born. The lights of Bugis Street have never burned so bright: bootleg copies of Motown songs boom out from street stalls; the Rolling Stones are in town along with tourists and American sailors fresh from Vietnam. They join British and Australian soldiers checking out the prostitutes and gambling dens en route to their own war in Borneo. This is the city of Sam Callaghan, Patricia Cheng, the CIA’s Conrad Harrison and the clients of the Cheng Detective Agency. The agency’s cases range from the usual (straying spouses and petty fraudsters) to events with international implications and complications. Sam’s contacts from his military days are useful - but they start to drag him back into a dark world that he would prefer to leave behind.
IMDB Rating: 6.9
IMDB Votes: 686
Genere: Crime, Drama, Mystery
Country: Singapore, Australia
Duration:
Plot tags: tense, noir, atmospheric, captivating, suspense, detective, serious, realistic, suspenseful, interesting
Similar in 81%
Missing (2003)
Plot Summary:
Missing is a Canadian-American crime drama television series based on the 1-800-WHERE-R-YOU book series by Meg Cabot. The series aired on the A network and W Network in Canada, and on Lifetime in the United States from August 2003 to February 2006.
IMDB Rating: 6.4
IMDB Votes: 1000
Genere: Crime, Drama, Mystery
Country: Canada, USA
Duration: 60 min
Plot tags: rough, serious, realistic, suspenseful, detective, crime drama
Similar in 75%
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 84%
Clarice (2021)
Plot Summary:
In 1993, six months after the events of The Silence of the Lambs, FBI Agent Clarice Starling returns to the field to pursue serial murderers and sexual predators while navigating the high stakes political world of Washington, D.C.
IMDB Rating: 6.6
IMDB Votes: 11000
Genere: Crime, Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 60 min
Plot tags: detective, captivating, suspense, suspenseful, psychological, crime thriller, psychological thriller, mystical
Similar in 81%
Wallander (2005)
Plot Summary:
Wallander is a Swedish television series adapted from Henning Mankell's Kurt Wallander novels and starring Krister Henriksson in the title role. The 1st series of 13 films was produced in 2005 and 2006, with one taken directly from a novel and the remainder with new storylines suggested by Mankell. The 2nd series of 13 films was shown between 2009 and 2010. The stories are set in Ystad near the southern tip of Sweden. The three films Before the Frost, Mastermind, and The Secret were premiered in cinemas, with the rest first released as direct-to-DVD movies. The first episode of the second series, Hämnden, was released in Swedish cinemas in January 2009; the rest of the series was made for television. The BBC aired all 26 episodes of the Swedish television versions on BBC Four. A third and final season, containing six 90 minute episodes, will air in 2013 with Charlotta Jonsson as Linda Wallander. The first episode, adapted from the novel The Troubled Man, was released in cinemas in January 2013.
IMDB Rating: 7.6
IMDB Votes: 6000
Genere: Crime, Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Country: Sweden, Germany, Denmark, Norway, Finland
Duration: 90 min
Plot tags: psychological, tense, detective, serious, realistic, suspenseful, captivating, suspense, bleak, gloomy
Similar in 78%
The Inspector Lynley Mysteries (2001)
Plot Summary:
Inspector Lynley TV Series.
IMDB Rating: 7.4
IMDB Votes: 6000
Genere: Crime, Drama, Mystery, Romance
Country: UK
Duration: 90 min
Plot tags: detective, serious, realistic, suspenseful, crime drama, tense, captivating, disturbing, dark, sincere
Similar in 82%
Inspector George Gently (2007)
Plot Summary:
Crime drama set in the 1960s about an old-school detective trying to come to terms with a time when the lines between the police and criminals have become blurred.
IMDB Rating: 8.1
IMDB Votes: 8000
Genere: Crime, Drama, Mystery
Country: UK, Ireland
Duration: 89 min
Plot tags: detective, serious, suspenseful, crime drama, clever, realistic, dark, period drama
Similar in 89%
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 78%
The Truth About the Harry Quebert Affair (2018)
Plot Summary:
A writer gets caught up in a murder investigation involving his mentor, an esteemed American author. Based on the book of the same name, by Joël Dicker.
IMDB Rating: 7.4
IMDB Votes: 7000
Genere: Crime, Drama, Mystery
Country: USA
Duration: 55 min
Plot tags: captivating, tense, serious, suspenseful, disturbing, suspense, psychological thriller, detective, meditative
Similar in 80%
CSI: Vegas (2021)
Plot Summary:
Facing an existential threat that could bring down the Crime Lab, a brilliant team of forensic investigators must welcome back old friends and deploy new techniques to preserve and serve justice in Sin City.
IMDB Rating: 7.4
IMDB Votes: 9000
Genere: Crime, Drama, Mystery
Country: USA
Duration: 60 min
Plot tags: tense, captivating, suspense, suspenseful, disturbing, psychological, detective
Similar in 77%
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 79%
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 82%
Blind Justice (2005)
Plot Summary:
Blind Justice is an American television series created by Steven Bochco about a blind New York City police detective. It was introduced mid-season in March 8, 2005 to fill the time slot left by Bochco's highly successful NYPD Blue, which had just aired its final episode after a 12-year run. The show ran for only one season, with 13 episodes broadcast.
IMDB Rating: 6.6
IMDB Votes: 465
Genere: Drama, Crime, Mystery
Country: USA
Duration: 60 min
Plot tags: suspenseful, rough, serious, realistic, detective
Similar in 87%
Agatha Christie's Marple (2004)
Plot Summary:
The show follows the adventures of Miss Jane Marple, an elderly spinster living in the quiet little village of St Mary Mead. During her many visits to friends and relatives in other villages, Miss Marple often stumbles upon mysterious murders which she helps solve. Although the police are sometimes reluctant to accept Miss Marple's help, her reputation and unparalleled powers of observation eventually win them over.
IMDB Rating: 7.8
IMDB Votes: 10000
Genere: Crime, Drama, Mystery
Country: UK, USA
Duration: 93 min
Plot tags: clever, serious, detective, realistic, suspenseful, tense, captivating, suspense, slasher, anthology
Similar in 81%
River (2015)
Plot Summary:
John River, a brilliant police officer whose genius and fault-line is the fragility of his mind - a man haunted by the murder victims whose cases he must lay to rest.
IMDB Rating: 8.0
IMDB Votes: 27000
Genere: Crime, Drama, Mystery
Country: UK
Duration: 60 min
Plot tags: serious, suspenseful, detective, crime drama, surprise ending, melancholic, atmospheric, enigmatic, tense, captivating
Similar in 81%
Criminal Minds: Beyond Borders (2016)
Plot Summary:
Criminal Minds: Beyond Borders is a drama about the specialized International Division of the FBI tasked with solving crimes and coming to the rescue of Americans who find themselves in danger while abroad.
IMDB Rating: 6.1
IMDB Votes: 6000
Genere: Crime, Drama, Mystery
Country: USA
Duration: 43 min
Plot tags: exciting, realistic, suspenseful, serious, captivating, suspense, psychological, intellectual, detective, psychological thriller
Similar in 85%
The Alienist (2018)
Plot Summary:
Crime reporter, John Moore, meets with psychologist, Dr. Laszlo Kreizler, to investigate a serial killer in New York during the late 19th century.
IMDB Rating: 7.7
IMDB Votes: 59000
Genere: Crime, Drama, Mystery
Country: USA
Duration: 60 min
Plot tags: exciting, tense, suspenseful, detective, costume drama, psychological thriller, suspense, captivating, psychological, atmospheric
Similar in 78%
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 77%
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 81%
Secrets and Lies (2015)
Plot Summary:
Detective Andrea Cornell is a tough, thorough Homicide Detective who leaves no stone unturned. Her unwavering dedication to her job makes her the most formidable opponent - or a highly valuable ally.
IMDB Rating: 7.6
IMDB Votes: 12000
Genere: Crime, Drama, Mystery
Country: USA
Duration: 43 min
Plot tags: serious, tense, suspenseful, captivating, realistic, detective, idiotic
Similar in 80%
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 84%
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%
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