List Rules Vote up the best shows that depict crime and law enforcement that are currently airing new episodes on TV or a streaming service.
Television fans love TV crime shows for so many reasons. Crime and criminal shows come in so many shapes and sizes that it can be hard to nail down which one is really the best. Sometimes they're funny, sometimes they're romantic, and sometimes they're pure dramas. Crime shows often include the best TV policemen and detectives, memorable characters with strong problem solving skills. Best of all though, they give us a look at crime from all different angles.
On Orange is the New Black, you see the perspective of inmates, The Good Wife shows the legal side of it all, Jessica Jones proves that just because you have super powers doesn't mean that crime is easy, and Criminal Minds takes fans inside the minds of the worst of the worst.
Some of the best crime series have already come and gone. Shows like The Mentalist and White Collar have ended and great older crime TV shows like The Sopranos and Murder, She Wrote have long since passed into crime show history. Along the way, viewers have also been subjected to some truly awful crime shows. Luckily, right now, there are plenty of great crime shows to choose from. Whether you like your investigations with a touch of humor or with heaps of suspense, there's something for everyone nowadays when it comes to crime dramas on TV.
Check out this list of the top crime shows currently on TV in 2018 and upvote the series you think are the greatest.
list ordered by
1
601 241
Criminal MindsShemar Moore, Matthew Gray Gubler, Thomas Gibson Criminal Minds is an American police-procedural television program that premiered September 22, 2005, on CBS. The series follows a team of profilers from the FBI's Behavioral Analysis Unit based ...more
2
424 222
SherlockBenedict Cumberbatch, Martin Freeman, Una Stubbs Sherlock is a British television crime drama that presents a contemporary adaptation of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes detective stories. Created by Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss, it ...more
3
429 215
Law & Order: Special Victims UnitMariska Hargitay, Christopher Meloni, Ice-T Law & Order: Special Victims Unit is an American police procedural, legal, crime drama television series set in New York City, where it is also primarily produced. In the style of the ...more
4
398 205
NCISMark Harmon, Michael Weatherly, Pauley Perrette NCIS is an American police procedural drama television series, revolving around a fictional team of special agents from the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, which conducts investigations ...more
5
330 197
The BlacklistJames Spader, Megan Boone, Diego Klattenhoff The Blacklist is an American crime drama television series that premiered on NBC on September 23, 2013. Raymond "Red" Reddington, a former U.S Navy officer turned high-profile ...more
6
179 94
MindhunterJonathan Groff, Holt McCallany, Anna Torv Mindhunter (Netflix, 2017) is an American drama series based on the book written by Mark Olshaker and John E. Douglas. Set in 1979, the series revolves around two FBI agents (Jonathan Groff and ...more
7
264 175
ElementaryJonny Lee Miller, Lucy Liu, Aidan Quinn Elementary is an American drama series that presents a contemporary update of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's character Sherlock Holmes. The series was created by Robert Doherty and stars Jonny Lee ...more
8
345 257
How to Get Away with MurderViola Davis, Billy Brown, Alfred Enoch This television show is an American drama television series created by Peter Nowalk. A law professor (Viola Davis) at a prestigious Philadelphia university and five of her students become ...more
9
256 185
Blue BloodsDonnie Wahlberg, Bridget Moynahan, Will Estes Blue Bloods is an American police procedural drama series shown on CBS in the United States and Canada and on Sky Atlantic in the United Kingdom. The series is filmed on location in New York ...more
10
221 151
Chicago P.D.Jason Beghe, Jon Seda, Sophia Bush Chicago P.D. (NBC, 2014) is an American police procedural drama television series created by Dick Wolf and Matt Olmstead. The show follows the Chicago Police Department uniformed cops who patrol ...more
11
239 180
Hawaii Five-0Leonard Freeman, Alex Kurtzman, Peter M. Lenkov Hawaii Five-0 is an American police procedural drama television series and a remake of the original 1968–80 television series. The series is produced by K/O Paper Products and 101st Street ...more
12
226 175
NCIS: Los AngelesChris O'Donnell, Daniela Ruah, Barrett Foa NCIS: Los Angeles is an American television series combining elements of the military drama and police procedural genres, which premiered on the CBS network on September 22, 2009. NCIS: Los ...more
13
112 66
SWATShemar Moore, Stephanie Sigman, Alex Russell S.W.A.T. (CBS, 2017) is an American drama series based on the 1975 series of the same name. Locally born and bred S.W.A.T. lieutenant Hondo Harrelson (Shemar Moore) is torn between loyalty to ...more
14
153 109
Gabby Gellerman added SupernaturalJared Padalecki, Jensen Ackles, Katie Cassidy Supernatural (The CW, 2005) is an American fantasy horror television series created by Eric Kripke. Two brothers, Sam (Jared Padalecki) and Dean Winchester (Jensen Ackles), follow their father's ...more
15
213 190
GothamBen McKenzie, Donal Logue, David Mazouz Gotham (Fox, 2014) is an American drama television series developed by Bruno Heller, based on the DC Comics characters from the Batman franchise. The story behind Detective James Gordon's (Ben ...more
16
186 195
Jessica JonesKrysten Ritter, Mike Colter, Rachael Taylor Jessica Jones (Netflix, 2015) is an American web television series created by Melissa Rosenberg, based on the Marvel Comics character. Following the tragic end of her brief superhero career, ...more
17
147 153
bigcraig added FargoBilly Bob Thornton, Allison Tolman, Colin Hanks Fargo (FX, 2014) is an American black comedy drama anthology television series created by Noah Hawley, and inspired by the 1996 film. Various chronicles of deception, intrigue and wrong doings ...more
18
158 160
LutherIdris Elba, Warren Brown, Dermot Crowley Luther is a British drama series starring Idris Elba as the eponymous character DCI John Luther. Written by Neil Cross, the first series, comprising six one-hour long episodes, premiered on 4 ...more
19
78 66
InstinctAlan Cumming, Bojana Novakovic, Daniel Ings Instinct (CBS, 2018) is an American police procedural and drama television series created by Michael Rauch, based on James Patterson's Murder Games. A former CIA agent (Alan Cumming) who has ...more
20
159 164
SuitsGabriel Macht, Patrick J. Adams, Meghan Markle Suits is a USA Network legal drama created by Aaron Korsh that stars Patrick J. Adams as Michael "Mike" Ross and Gabriel Macht as Harvey Specter. The first episode debuted on June 23, ...more
21
185 209
Orange Is the New BlackTaylor Schilling, Danielle Brooks, Taryn Manning Orange Is the New Black is an American comedy-drama series created by Jenji Kohan and first released on Netflix on July 11, 2013. The series, produced by Tilted Productions in association with ...more
22
74 71
Ray DonovanLiev Schreiber, Paula Malcomson, Eddie Marsan Ray Donovan is an American television drama series created by Ann Biderman for Showtime. The twelve-episode first season premiered on June 30, 2013. The pilot episode broke records of ...more
23
78 84
carlybobarly added OzarkJason Bateman, Laura Linney, Sofia Hublitz Ozark (Netflix, 2017) is an American crimeozark drama series created by Bill Dubuque. Financial planner Marty Byrde (Jason Bateman) must suddenly relocate his family (Laura Linney) from Chicago ...more
24
143 167
HomelandClaire Danes, Mandy Patinkin, Rupert Friend Homeland is an American political thriller television series developed by Howard Gordon and Alex Gansa based on the Israeli series Hatufim, which was created by Gideon Raff. The series stars ...more
25
76 80
Luke Albright added BoschTitus Welliver, Jamie Hector, Amy Aquino Bosch (Amazon Video, 2014) is an American police procedural web television series created by Michael Connelly. An LAPD homicide detective (Titus Welliver) works to solve the murder of a ...more
26
19 10
Killing EveSandra Oh, Jodie Comer, Fiona Shaw Killing Eve (BBC America, 2018) is a British drama television series developed by Phoebe Waller-Bridge, based on the novels by Luke Jennings. Eve Polastri (Sandra Oh), a desk-bound MI5 Officer, ...more
27
16 10
For the PeopleBritt Robertson, Jasmin Savoy Brown, Ben Rappaport For the People (ABC, 2018) is an American legal drama created by Paul William Davies. In the Southern District of New York (SDNY) Federal Court,” brand new lawyers working for both the defense ...more
28
3 0
FBIMissy Peregrym, Jeremy Sisto, Zeeko Zaki F.B.I. (CBS, 2018) is an American drama television series created by Dick Wolf. The inner workings of the New York office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
29
1 0
American Crime StorySterling K. Brown, Kenneth Choi, Christian Clemenson American Crime Story (FX, 2016) is an American true crime anthology television series developed by Scott Alexander and Larry Karaszewski. The first season, The People v. O. J. Simpson, presents ...more
30
1 0
The RookieNathan Fillion, Afton Williamson, Eric Winter The Rookie (ABC, 2018) is an American crime drama television series created by Alexi Hawley, based on true events. With dreams of being a police officer for the Los Angeles Police Department, ...more
31
1 1
MarcellaAnna Friel, Nicholas Pinnock, Ray Panthaki Marcella is a British crime noir detective series produced, written and directed by Hans Rosenfeldt. Former London detective Marcella Backland is devastated when her husband leaves her and their ...more
32
47 70
Siersha 2 added Happy ValleySarah Lancashire, Steve Pemberton, Siobhan Finneran Happy Valley (BBC One, 2014) is a British crime drama television series created by Sally Wainwright. Catherine Cawood (Sarah Lancashire) is the sergeant on duty when flustered and nervous ...more
not on the list? add item #33
List Rules: Vote up the best shows that depict crime and law enforcement that are currently airing new episodes on TV or a streaming service.
