Best tv shows like Private Eye
Last updated March 2024
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Plot Summary:
Private Eye is an American crime drama that aired from September 13, 1987 until January 8, 1988.
IMDB Rating: 7.3
IMDB Votes: 166
Genere: Crime, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 60 min
Plot tags: detective
Best tv shows and movies like Private Eye (1987):
Similar in 77%
Smile Jenny, You're Dead (1974)
Plot Summary:
Harry Orwell has been retired from the force ever since he caught a bullet that lodged inoperably in his back. But that doesn’t mean the man called Harry O is out of the action. Moonlighting as a private sleuth, fighting off daily back pain and typically traveling by public bus instead of his own car (“It gives a man a chance to think”), he’s on the trail of the lowlife who murdered his pal’s son-in-law. It won’t be the only time the killer strikes before Harry closes in. David Janssen (The Fugitive) portrays dogged detective Harry in the telefilm that was the second of two pilots preceding his memorable Harry O series. Among the highlights: young Jodie Foster as Liberty, the wise-beyond-her-years homeless waif Harry befriends.
IMDB Rating: 6.7
IMDB Votes: 295
Genere: Crime, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 100 min
Plot tags: detective, tv series pilot
Similar in 75%
North Mission Road (2003)
Plot Summary:
North Mission Road is a documentary style show on truTV that details "unique and compelling" cases of the Los Angeles County Coroner Department. The name of the show is based on the road on which the office of the Los Angeles County Coroner is located.
IMDB Rating: 8.4
IMDB Votes: 64
Genere: Drama, Crime, Mystery
Country: USA
Duration: 30 min
Plot tags:
Similar in 75%
Bronk (1975)
Plot Summary:
Bronk is an American television series starring Jack Palance as Detective Lieutenant Alex Bronkov. The series is set in the fictional Ocean City, California. 24 episodes were aired from September 21, 1975 to March 28, 1976 on CBS. The series lasted only one season.
IMDB Rating: 6.8
IMDB Votes: 134
Genere: Crime, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 60 min
Plot tags: detective
Similar in 77%
Beverly Hills Buntz (1987)
Plot Summary:
Beverly Hills Buntz is a spinoff from Hill Street Blues. It aired on NBC during the 1987–88 season.
IMDB Rating: 6.5
IMDB Votes: 111
Genere: Comedy, Crime, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 30 min
Plot tags: detective, sitcom
Similar in 80%
Switch (1975)
Plot Summary:
Switch is an American action-adventure, tongue-in-cheek detective series starring Eddie Albert and Robert Wagner, who work as private eyes, for a deceptive sting operation. It was broadcast on the CBS network for three seasons between September 9, 1975 and August 20, 1978, bumping the Hawaii Five-O detective series to Friday nights.
IMDB Rating: 7.2
IMDB Votes: 463
Genere: Action, Crime, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 90 min
Plot tags: detective
Similar in 79%
Shroud for a Nightingale (1984)
Plot Summary:
British TV mini series.
IMDB Rating: 7.5
IMDB Votes: 379
Genere: Crime, Drama, Mystery
Country: UK
Duration: 50 min
Plot tags: detective
Similar in 78%
Cover Her Face (1985)
Plot Summary:
Chief Superintendent Adam Dalgliesh investigates the death of Alice Liddell who ran a home for unwed mothers. One of those residents is Sally Jupp who was a witness in a drugs smuggling and murder investigation in London. Sally works at the local manor house for the Maxies and it is apparent that eldest son Stephen has more than just a passing interest in her. The night after they announce their engagement, Sally is found strangled in her bed. The question is whether her death is related to the London investigation or a completely different reason altogether. Her engagement created a good deal of ill feeling among the Maxies and several guests in the house with any one of them having a motive to kill her.
IMDB Rating: 7.5
IMDB Votes: 360
Genere: Crime, Drama, Mystery
Country: UK
Duration: 291 min
Plot tags: detective
Similar in 82%
Most Wanted (1976)
Plot Summary:
Most Wanted is an American crime drama series shown on ABC from October 16, 1976 until August 20, 1977. It stars Robert Stack, Jo Ann Harris, Shelly Novack, and Hari Rhodes. This program marks the reunion of series star Stack with noted producer Quinn Martin, as the two had worked together previously on the legendary hit crime series The Untouchables. This is one of only three series from QM Productions not to have an announcer reading out or accompanying the opening credits.
IMDB Rating: 7.0
IMDB Votes: 84
Genere: Crime, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 60 min
Plot tags: detective
Similar in 81%
Night Heat (1985)
Plot Summary:
Night Heat is a Canadian police drama series, which aired on CTV from 1985 to 1991. The show also aired on CBS in the United States from 1987 to 1993 and was the first Canadian-produced drama series to air on an American network. CBS aired the series as part of CBS Late Night, a late night block of drama programming. The show starred Allan Royal as journalist Tom Kirkwood, who chronicled the nightly police beat of detectives Kevin O'Brien and Frank Giambone. The cast also included Susan Hogan, Wendy Crewson, Sean McCann, Louise Vallance, and Clark Johnson. Concurrent with her work on Night Heat, Vallance was starring in the children's series Zoobilee Zoo, playing a very different character. Night Heat has since aired in reruns on Showcase, TVtropolis and DejaView. A popular urban legend surrounds the filming of an episode featuring scenes set in New York City but filmed in Toronto. It is said that garbage was strewn around on the scene, to mimic New York's less clean appearance than Toronto. However, while the cast and crew were on a lunch break, a City of Toronto Sanitation official 'cleaned' the street, believing it to be genuinely dirty. This story has been associated with various films, but is thought most likely to have occurred during the filming of Night Heat, if at all..
IMDB Rating: 7.5
IMDB Votes: 413
Genere: Crime, Drama
Country: Canada, USA
Duration: 60 min
Plot tags: detective
Similar in 89%
Blacke's Magic (1986)
Plot Summary:
Blacke's Magic is an American crime drama series that aired on NBC from January to May 1986. The series stars Hal Linden as magician Alexander Blacke who, with some help from his con-man father Leonard, solves mysteries that get in the way of his performances. The series aired for a total of thirteen episodes and featured crimes that tested logic against seemingly magical crimes. The stories were not so much whodunits as "how-he-do-its," for Alex Blacke often had to turn detective to solve the mysteries.
IMDB Rating: 7.3
IMDB Votes: 137
Genere: Crime, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 60 min
Plot tags: detective
Similar in 90%
Missing Persons (1993)
Plot Summary:
Missing Persons is a short-lived American crime drama television series, set in Chicago. It followed a fictitious missing persons unit; each episode usually following the investigation into three or more cases. It ran on ABC from August 30, 1993 to February 17, 1994. It was produced by Gary Sherman Productions in association with Stephen J. Cannell Productions, and often used local Chicago-based actors, as well as occasional big-name guest stars such as Nina Foch, Eddie Bracken and Lois Smith. Semi-regulars included Ian Gomez, Irma P. Hall, Laura Cerón and Valerie Harper. Unlike most series from Cannell's company, he did not create or co-create this series.
IMDB Rating: 7.2
IMDB Votes: 73
Genere: Drama, Crime
Country: USA
Duration: 120 min
Plot tags: detective
Similar in 76%
Booker (1989)
Plot Summary:
Booker is an American crime drama series starring Richard Grieco that aired on the Fox Network from September 24, 1989 to May 6, 1990. The series is a spin-off of 21 Jump Street and the second installment of the 21 Jump Street series. The character of Dennis Booker was originally a recurring character on that police drama during its third season. The theme song for the series, "Hot in the City", was performed by Billy Idol.
IMDB Rating: 6.2
IMDB Votes: 971
Genere: Crime, Drama, Mystery
Country: USA
Duration: 60 min
Plot tags: detective, neo noir
Similar in 77%
Barnaby Jones (1973)
Plot Summary:
Barnaby Jones is a television detective series starring Buddy Ebsen and Lee Meriwether as father- and daughter-in-law who run a private detective firm in Los Angeles. The show ran on CBS from January 28, 1973 to April 3, 1980, beginning as a midseason replacement. William Conrad guest starred as Frank Cannon of Cannon on the first episode of Barnaby Jones, "Requiem for a Son" and the two series had a two-part crossover episode in 1975, "The Deadly Conspiracy".
IMDB Rating: 6.9
IMDB Votes: 3000
Genere: Crime, Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 60 min
Plot tags: detective
Similar in 86%
Cannon (1971)
Plot Summary:
Cannon is a CBS detective television series produced by Quinn Martin which aired from March 26, 1971 to March 3, 1976. The primary protagonist is the title character, private detective Frank Cannon, played by William Conrad. He also appeared on two episodes of Barnaby Jones. Cannon is the first Quinn Martin-produced series to be aired on a network other than ABC. A "revival" television film, The Return of Frank Cannon, was aired on November 1, 1980. In total, there were 124 episodes.
IMDB Rating: 6.8
IMDB Votes: 4000
Genere: Action, Crime, Drama, Mystery
Country: USA
Duration: 60 min
Plot tags: detective, surprise ending
Similar in 75%
Buddy Faro (1998)
Plot Summary:
Buddy Faro was the best private detective in the business, until he disappeared in 1978 after a case went bad. Twenty years later, he's brought back to Los Angeles by private detective Bob Jones and they reopen Buddy Faro Investigations.
IMDB Rating: 7.3
IMDB Votes: 115
Genere: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 60 min
Plot tags: detective, clever, humorous, realistic, suspenseful, stylized, semi serious
Similar in 89%
Matt Houston (1982)
Plot Summary:
Matt Houston is an American crime drama series that aired on ABC from 1982 to 1985. Created by Lawrence Gordon, the series was produced by Aaron Spelling.
IMDB Rating: 6.5
IMDB Votes: 1000
Genere: Crime, Drama, Mystery
Country: USA
Duration: 90 min
Plot tags: detective
Similar in 77%
Delvecchio (1976)
Plot Summary:
Dominick Delvecchio is an integrity-minded, honest police detective who works out of the Washington Heights division of the Los Angeles Police Department. When not screeching tires, rousting bad guys and trading quips with his burly partner Paul Shonski, Delvecchio can usually be found at his father Tomaso's barber shop or cracking the books studying for the bar exam, which he has already flunked more than once. His hard-nosed yet sympathetic boss is Lt. Macavan.
IMDB Rating: 6.6
IMDB Votes: 163
Genere: Drama, Crime
Country: USA
Duration: 60 min
Plot tags: detective, humorous, realistic, suspenseful, semi serious
Similar in 85%
The New Mike Hammer (1984)
Plot Summary:
Mickey Spillane's Mike Hammer, with Stacy Keach in the title role, is a television series that originally aired on CBS from January 28, 1984 to January 12, 1985. The series was 24 sixty minute episodes. The show follows the adventures of Mike Hammer, the fictitious private detective created by crime novelist Mickey Spillane, as he hunts down criminals on the mean streets of New York City.
IMDB Rating: 6.8
IMDB Votes: 1000
Genere: Crime, Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 60 min
Plot tags: detective
Similar in 87%
Vincent (2005)
Plot Summary:
Vincent is an ITV drama series. An initial series was made and aired in 2005 and starred Ray Winstone, in the title role, and Suranne Jones as two members of a team of private eyes hired by people to spy on their partners or indeed anyone else they need to keep tabs on. The four part series also starred Angel Coulby, Ian Puleston-Davies, Joe Absolom, Eva Pope and Philip Glenister. A second series was broadcast in the autumn of 2006.
IMDB Rating: 7.3
IMDB Votes: 905
Genere: Crime, Drama, Mystery
Country: UK
Duration: 90 min
Plot tags: tense, rough, serious, suspenseful, detective, crime drama, realistic
Similar in 83%
Stumptown (2019)
Plot Summary:
Dex Parios is a strong, assertive, and unapologetically sharp-witted Army veteran working as a P.I. in Portland, Oregon. With a complicated personal history and only herself to rely on, she solves other people’s messes with a blind eye toward her own.
IMDB Rating: 7.5
IMDB Votes: 13000
Genere: Crime, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 44 min
Plot tags: exciting, captivating, humorous, detective
Similar in 79%
Banacek (1972)
Plot Summary:
Banacek is an American detective TV series starring George Peppard that aired on the NBC network from 1972 to 1974. The series was part of the rotating NBC Wednesday Mystery Movie anthology. It alternated in its time slot with several other shows but was the only one to last beyond its first season.
IMDB Rating: 7.7
IMDB Votes: 2000
Genere: Crime, Drama, Mystery
Country: USA
Duration: 90 min
Plot tags: detective, serious, realistic, suspenseful
Similar in 81%
Lady Against the Odds (1992)
Plot Summary:
A private detective becomes involved in a new cast when her partner's guardian is murdered.
IMDB Rating: 5.4
IMDB Votes: 76
Genere: Crime, Drama, Mystery
Country: USA
Duration: 100 min
Plot tags: detective, rough, mind bending, serious, realistic, suspenseful
Similar in 75%
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%
Perry Mason (2020)
Plot Summary:
Set in 1932 Los Angeles, the series focuses on the origin story of famed defense lawyer Perry Mason. Living check-to-check as a low-rent private investigator, Mason is haunted by his wartime experiences in France and suffering the effects of a broken marriage. L.A. is booming while the rest of the country recovers from the Great Depression — but a kidnapping gone very wrong leads to Mason exposing a fractured city as he uncovers the truth of the crime.
IMDB Rating: 7.6
IMDB Votes: 28000
Genere: Crime, Drama, History
Country: USA
Duration: 60 min
Plot tags: detective, rough, serious, bleak, realistic, suspenseful, neo noir, historical drama, noir, confusing
Similar in 77%
Wicked City (2015)
Plot Summary:
“Wicked City” follows a unique case set in a noteworthy era of L.A. history, starting with a murder case from 1982 centered on the rock ’n’ roll, cocaine-infused revelry of the Sunset Strip. Alliances are formed to solve a serial murder case.
IMDB Rating: 6.5
IMDB Votes: 3000
Genere: Crime, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 42 min
Plot tags: erotic, captivating, suspense, tense, realistic, detective, period drama
Similar in 76%
Moon Over Miami (1993)
Plot Summary:
Moon Over Miami is a short-lived American comedy series that aired on ABC.
IMDB Rating: 7.6
IMDB Votes: 221
Genere: Crime, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 60 min
Plot tags: detective, humorous, serious, realistic, suspenseful
Similar in 90%
King & Maxwell (2013)
Plot Summary:
Sean King and Michelle Maxwell aren't your typical pair of private investigators. As discredited Secret Service agents, their unique skills often give them a leg up on suspects and conventional law enforcement. He's charming and always one step ahead of the game; she's a fearless force to be reckoned with. As a team, they're unstoppable.
IMDB Rating: 7.1
IMDB Votes: 4000
Genere: Crime, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 60 min
Plot tags: exciting, realistic, cliffhanger, captivating, tense, detective, serious, suspenseful
Similar in 76%
Low Winter Sun (2013)
Plot Summary:
Low Winter Sun is an American television drama series developed by Chris Mundy, starring Mark Strong and Lennie James. The series premiered on August 11, 2013, on AMC, with the first season consisting of ten episodes. It is based upon the 2006 British two-part miniseries of the same name.
IMDB Rating: 7.0
IMDB Votes: 6000
Genere: Crime, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 43 min
Plot tags: tense, rough, serious, suspenseful, detective, spooky, realistic, independent film
Similar in 90%
Bosch: Legacy (2022)
Plot Summary:
Bosch is now making a living as a private investigator two years after he quit the LAPD and finds himself working with one time enemy and top-notch attorney Honey “Money” Chandler. Meanwhile, Bosch's daughter Maddie is venturing into the world of the LAPD.
IMDB Rating: 8.5
IMDB Votes: 26000
Genere: Crime, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 50 min
Plot tags: tense, captivating, suspense, disturbing, detective
Similar in 87%
Blue Murder (2001)
Plot Summary:
Blue Murder is a Canadian crime drama television series, featuring stories that reflected the turbulence of urban life and the crimes that make headlines. The Blue Murder squad members were an elite group of big-city investigators out to solve some of the city's most complicated and riveting crimes.
IMDB Rating: 6.3
IMDB Votes: 144
Genere: Drama, Crime
Country: Canada
Duration: 60 min
Plot tags: detective, tense, captivating