Best American Crime TV Shows
This page is updated regularly. Subscribe, so you don't miss new recommendations. The list of "Best American Crime TV Shows" contains films with the following parameters. Style: realistic, suspenseful, serious, exciting, tense and captivating. Plot: investigation, criminal, police officer, murder, police, murder mystery, law enforcement, crime investigation, partners and police investigation. Genre: Crime, Drama and Mystery. Country: USA, UK and Canada.
Best American Crime TV Shows
TOP TV Shows: Bones (2005), Lie to Me (2009), Castle (2009), Psych (2006), Elementary (2012), Lucifer (2016), Blindspot (2015), Criminal Minds (2005), Breaking Bad (2008), Prison Break (2005), Body of Proof (2011), Life (2007), CSI: Vegas (2021), Homeland (2011), Sherlock (2010), Animal Kingdom (2016), The Killing (2011), Law & Order: Criminal Intent (2001), The Blacklist (2013), CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (2000).
List of Best TV Shows
164K
Genre: Comedy, Crime, Drama, Mystery, Romance
Country: USA
Duration: 40 min.
TV show
Story:
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 ...
Style:
witty, suspenseful, intellectual, realistic, semi serious ...
Audience:
teens
Plot:
investigation, fbi, partners, partners against crime, forensics, law enforcement, expert, crime investigation, scientist, killings, teamwork, police investigation ...
Time:
future, 2000s, 2010s, 21st century
Place:
washington d.c., usa
Is relevant ?
122K
Genre: Crime, Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 43 min.
TV show
Story:
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 ...
Style:
clever, psychological, serious, suspenseful, realistic ...
Audience:
teens
Plot:
investigation, psychology, talented, expert, deception, crime investigation, riddles and clues, outsmarting, human nature, sign language, lie, uncover truth ...
Time:
21st century
Place:
usa, washington d.c.
Is relevant ?
165K
Genre: Comedy, Crime, Drama, Mystery, Romance
Country: USA
Duration: 43 min.
TV show
Story:
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.
Style:
witty, realistic, entertaining, suspenseful, semi serious ...
Audience:
teens, boys' night
Plot:
writers, investigation, female detective, crime investigation, romancing partners, partners, homicide detective, police investigation, police detective, riddles and clues, resourceful, law enforcement ...
Time:
2010s, 2000s, 21st century
Place:
new york, usa
Is relevant ?
100K
Genre: Comedy, Crime, Mystery
Country: USA
Duration: 44 min.
TV show
Story:
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 ...
Style:
exciting, witty, talky, not serious, humorous ...
Audience:
boys' night, teens
Plot:
investigation, best friends, partners, private detective, buddies, friends, talented, intelligence, prodigy, friendship, who done it, law enforcement ...
Time:
future, 2010s, 2000s, 21st century
Place:
california, usa
Is relevant ?
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113K
Genre: Crime, Drama, Mystery
Country: USA
Duration: 60 min.
TV show
Story:
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 ...
Style:
witty, talky, suspenseful, serious, entertaining ...
Audience:
adult
Plot:
investigation, sherlock holmes, talented, female partner, unconventional method, prodigy, mastermind, partners, riddles and clues, private detective, resourceful, law enforcement ...
Time:
2010s, 21st century
Place:
new york, usa
Is relevant ?
331K
Genre: Crime, Drama, Fantasy
Country: USA
Duration: 42 min.
TV show
Story:
Bored and unhappy as the Lord of Hell, Lucifer Morningstar abandoned his throne and retired to Los Angeles, where he has teamed up with LAPD detective Chloe Decker to take down criminals. But the longer he's away from the underworld, the ...
Style:
captivating, entertaining, humorous, colourful, romantic ...
Audience:
teens, girls' night, chick flick, adult
Plot:
supernatural, devil, demon, immortality, immortal, lucifer, fallen angel, hell, homicide detective, murder investigation, female detective, police detective ...
Time:
20th century, 2020s, 2010s, 21st century
Place:
los angeles, usa
Is relevant ?
76K
Genre: Action, Crime, Drama, Mystery, Sci-Fi, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 42 min.
TV show
Story:
A vast international plot explodes when a beautiful Jane Doe is discovered naked in Times Square, completely covered in mysterious, intricate tattoos with no memory of who she is or how she got there. But there's one tattoo that is impossible ...
Style:
tense, realistic, exciting, art house, intellectual
Audience:
teens
Plot:
investigation, fbi, puzzle, memory loss, killings, strong female character, twists and turns, terrorist, tattoo, amnesia, secret organization, martial arts ...
Place:
new york
Is relevant ?
Genre: Crime, Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 42 min.
TV show
Story:
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 ...
Style:
psychological, exciting, serious, rough, dramatic ...
Audience:
teens, family outing
Plot:
fbi, investigation, serial killer, law enforcement, special agents, team, murder, forensics, profiler, investigator, intelligence, crime investigation ...
Time:
future, 2020s, 2000s, 2010s, 21st century
Place:
usa, virginia, seattle, new york, arizona
Is relevant ?
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1.9M
Genre: Crime, Drama, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 49 min.
TV show
Story:
When Walter White, a New Mexico chemistry teacher, is diagnosed with Stage III cancer and given a prognosis of only two years left to live, he becomes filled with a sense of fearlessness and an unrelenting desire to secure his family's ...
Style:
serious, captivating, tense, psychological, rough ...
Audience:
teens
Plot:
criminal, life turned upside down, family problems, peril, drug dealing, meth lab, drug lord, unlikely partners, master criminal, cancer, life is a bitch, ambition ...
Time:
2000s, 2010s, 21st century
Place:
new mexico, albuquerque new mexico, usa
Is relevant ?
546K
Genre: Action, Crime, Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Country: UK, USA
Duration: 44 min.
TV show
Story:
Due to a political conspiracy, an innocent man is sent to death row and his only hope is his brother, who makes it his mission to deliberately get himself sent to the same prison in order to break the both of them out, from the inside out.
Style:
exciting, tense, suspenseful, serious, realistic ...
Audience:
boys' night, teens
Plot:
prison, fugitives, determination, escape, prison life, conspiracy, confined, scheme, fbi, brother, self sacrifice, siblings relations ...
Time:
2010s, 2000s, 21st century
Place:
texas, california, usa
Is relevant ?
Genre: Comedy, Crime, Drama, Mystery
Country: USA
Duration: 60 min.
TV show
Story:
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 ...
Style:
captivating, serious, suspenseful, realistic, witty ...
Audience:
chick flick, boys' night, girls' night
Plot:
medical, investigation, forensics, who done it, murder investigation, law enforcement, bodies, unconventional method, talented, medical examiner, ambitious, female protagonist ...
Time:
future, 21st century
Place:
philadelphia, usa
Is relevant ?
34K
Genre: Crime, Drama, Mystery
Country: USA
Duration: 45 min.
TV show
Story:
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 ...
Style:
realistic, serious, tense, captivating, bleak ...
Plot:
investigation, ex convict, police detective, uncover truth, homicide detective, frame up, police investigation, murder, partners against crime, suspicion, who done it, law enforcement ...
Time:
21st century
Place:
usa, los angeles, california
Is relevant ?
Genre: Crime, Drama, Mystery
Country: USA
Duration: 60 min.
TV show
Story:
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.
Style:
tense, disturbing, suspenseful, captivating, psychological
Plot:
911, forensics, crime investigation, investigation, partners, partners against crime, suspense, organized crime, sleuth, fighting crime, social problems, police partner ...
Time:
2020s, 21st century
Is relevant ?
347K
Genre: Crime, Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 55 min.
TV show
Story:
CIA officer Carrie Mathison is tops in her field despite being bipolar, which makes her volatile and unpredictable. With the help of her long-time mentor Saul Berenson, Carrie fearlessly risks everything, including her personal well-being and even ...
Style:
serious, suspenseful, tense, captivating, political ...
Audience:
teens
Plot:
terrorism, espionage, cia, spy, investigation, treason, terrorist, bipolar disorder, government agency, national security, top secret, secret service ...
Time:
21st century
Place:
israel, langley virginia, usa, new york, america ...
Is relevant ?
941K
Genre: Crime, Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Country: UK, USA
Duration: 88 min.
TV show
Story:
A modern update finds the famous sleuth and his doctor partner solving crime in 21st century London.
Style:
clever, witty, captivating, serious, exciting ...
Audience:
teens
Plot:
sherlock holmes, investigation, murder mystery, mastermind, private detective, friendship, british, partners, mind game, riddles and clues, murder, talented ...
Time:
2010s, 21st century
Place:
london, england, scotland yard, europe
Is relevant ?
Genre: Crime, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 60 min.
TV show
Story:
The series centers on 17-year-old Joshua "J" Cody, who moves in with his freewheeling relatives in their Southern California beach town after his mother dies of a heroin overdose. Headed by boot-tough matriarch Janine "Smurf" ...
Style:
exciting, tense, captivating, erotic, sexy ...
Audience:
boys' night
Plot:
criminal, crime family, heist, dysfunctional family, gay brother, escapades, family conflict, brother brother relationship, twists and turns, friendship, antisocial personality disorder, boyfriend girlfriend relationship ...
Time:
2020s, 2010s, 21st century
Place:
usa, southern california, california
Is relevant ?
115K
Genre: Crime, Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Country: USA, Canada
Duration: 45 min.
TV show
Story:
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.
Style:
psychological, serious, gloomy, tense, neo noir ...
Plot:
murder investigation, police detective, strong female lead, multiple suspects, murder mystery, murder, police investigation, female protagonist, crime investigation, female detective, policewoman, strong female character ...
Time:
21st century
Place:
seattle, usa, washington d.c.
Is relevant ?
Genre: Crime, Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 60 min.
TV show
Story:
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.
Style:
serious, realistic, tense, suspenseful, clever
Audience:
kids
Plot:
law and order, lawyer, murder investigation, prosecutor, murder, workplace situations, power relations, mind game, partners, police, investigation, judiciary ...
Time:
21st century
Place:
new york, usa
Is relevant ?
Related movie lists
255K
Genre: Crime, Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 43 min.
TV show
Story:
Raymond "Red" Reddington, one of the FBI's most wanted fugitives, surrenders in person at FBI Headquarters in Washington, D.C. He claims that he and the FBI have the same interests: bringing down dangerous criminals and terrorists. In ...
Style:
exciting, tense, serious, captivating, clever ...
Audience:
boys' night, adult
Plot:
fbi, investigation, unlikely partners, master criminal, law enforcement, intrigue, partners, special agents, secret, mind game, killings, twists and turns ...
Time:
future, 2010s, 2020s, 21st century
Place:
usa, washington d.c.
Is relevant ?
Genre: Crime, Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Country: USA, Canada
Duration: 60 min.
TV show
Story:
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 ...
Style:
realistic, serious, psychological, suspenseful, rough ...
Audience:
teens, boys' night
Plot:
police, murder investigation, police procedural, scientist, forensics, investigator, workplace, expert, murder, teamwork, police investigation, police detective ...
Time:
future, 2010s, 2000s, 21st century
Place:
usa, las vegas, nevada
Is relevant ?
Genre: Action, Crime, Drama, Mystery, Sci-Fi, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 43 min.
TV show
Story:
Person of Interest follows former CIA paramilitary operative, John Reese, who is presumed dead and teams up with reclusive billionaire Finch to prevent violent crimes in New York City by initiating their own type of justice. With the special ...
Style:
exciting, captivating, serious, clever, heroic ...
Audience:
teens, boys' night
Plot:
artificial intelligence, surveillance, computer system, hi-tech, partners against crime, mysterious character, privacy invasion, hacker, characters in danger, fighting crime, computer genius, secret ...
Time:
2010s, 21st century
Place:
new york, usa
Is relevant ?
Genre: Crime, Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 44 min.
TV show
Story:
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 ...
Style:
touching, neo noir, witty, realistic, suspenseful ...
Audience:
teens, chick flick, teen drama
Plot:
investigation, private investigator, amateur detective, female detective, youth, student, teenage life, female protagonist, friendship, private detective, parents and children, spy ...
Time:
future, 2000s, 21st century
Place:
california, usa, southern california
Is relevant ?
48K
Genre: Crime, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 50 min.
TV show
Story:
James “Ghost” St. Patrick has it all: a beautiful wife, a gorgeous Manhattan penthouse, and the hottest, up-and-coming new nightclub in New York. His club, Truth, caters to the elite: the famous and infamous boldface names that run the city that ...
Style:
tense, serious, realistic, captivating, erotic ...
Plot:
nightlife, ambition, nightclub, drug dealing, businessman, double life, money laundering, organized crime, nightclub owner, sexual activity, drug lord, gangsters ...
Time:
21st century
Place:
new york, usa
Is relevant ?
Related movie lists
733K
Genre: Crime, Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 53 min.
TV show
Story:
Dexter is an American television drama series. The series centers on Dexter Morgan, a blood spatter pattern analyst for 'Miami Metro Police Department' who also leads a secret life as a serial killer, hunting down criminals who have ...
Style:
captivating, clever, serious, stylized, tense ...
Audience:
teens
Plot:
serial killer, right and wrong, hidden identity, double life, loner, crime investigation, police station, dark humor, dark secret, corpse, vigilantism, forensics ...
Time:
2010s, 2000s, 21st century
Place:
miami, canada, usa, florida
Is relevant ?
Genre: Crime, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 60 min.
TV show
Story:
Set in the sprawling mecca of the rich and famous, Ray Donovan does the dirty work for LA's top power players, and makes their problems disappear. His father's unexpected release from prison sets off a chain of events that shakes the ...
Style:
serious, captivating, clever, tense, stylized ...
Audience:
boys' night, adult
Plot:
hollywood, identity crisis, family secret, power relations, teamwork, blackmail, relatives, family feud, intrigue, family problems, expert, family relations ...
Time:
future, 21st century
Place:
usa, los angeles, california, new york
Is relevant ?
Genre: Action, Adventure, Crime
Country: USA
Duration: 43 min.
TV show
Story:
Thomas Magnum, a decorated former Navy SEAL who, upon returning home from Afghanistan, repurposes his military skills to become a private investigator in Hawaii taking jobs no one else will with the help of fellow vets T.C. Calvin and Rick Wright, ...
Style:
captivating, exciting, tense, intense, semi serious ...
Audience:
boys' night, chick flick
Plot:
private investigator, sleuth, partners against crime, war veteran, investigation, teamwork, crime investigation, best friends, vengeance, fighting crime, partners, forensics ...
Time:
21st century
Place:
hawaii, oceania
Is relevant ?
59K
Genre: Crime, Drama, Fantasy, Mystery, Sci-Fi
Country: USA
Duration: 43 min.
TV show
Story:
Doctor Henry Morgan, New York City’s star medical examiner, has a secret. He doesn't just study the dead to solve criminal cases, he does it to solve the mystery that has eluded him for 200 years—the answer to his own inexplicable ...
Style:
atmospheric, captivating, tense, serious, suspenseful ...
Audience:
teens
Plot:
immortality, supernatural, investigation, friendship, law enforcement, supernatural ability, immortal, murder investigation, female detective, friends, deduction, laboratory ...
Time:
18th century, 21st century
Place:
new york, usa
Is relevant ?
Genre: Action, Crime, Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 43 min.
TV show
Story:
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 ...
Style:
serious, suspenseful, realistic, rough, exciting ...
Audience:
teens, boys' night
Plot:
investigation, policewoman, forensics, murder, workplace situations, workplace, police, medical examiner, crime scene, police detective, law enforcement, riddles and clues ...
Time:
future, 2000s, 2010s, 21st century
Place:
miami, usa, florida
Is relevant ?
Genre: Crime, Drama, Mystery
Country: USA
Duration: 60 min.
TV show
Story:
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 ...
Style:
serious, suspenseful, exciting, tense, realistic
Plot:
police, photographic memory, female detective, police detective, policewoman, partners against crime, prodigy, murder investigation, police investigation, partners, law enforcement, fighting crime ...
Time:
21st century
Place:
usa, new york
Is relevant ?
188K
Genre: Crime, Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 43 min.
TV show
Story:
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.
Style:
exciting, intellectual, serious, suspenseful, realistic ...
Audience:
teens
Plot:
serial killer, investigation, partners against crime, fighting crime, partners, murder, police investigation, police, law enforcement, justice, talented, outsmarting ...
Time:
future, 2010s, 2000s, 21st century
Place:
california, usa
Is relevant ?
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