Americans watch television crime dramas because we are intrigued by issues involving crime, justice, and equality under the law.
Crime dramas storylines often depict a crime and viewers often follow the persons who try to solve the crime — and that makes such shows popular. It is the genre we binge-watch the most. Crime dramas — and its multitude of sub-genres such as mystery, comedy, and noir — are also often among the longest running shows of any television category. And few other television genres have created more spin-offs than crime dramas.
The latest television crime drama “For The People” is set to premiere on March 13 on ABC. Whether this program will have the staying power of “Law & Order” or “NCIS” remains to be seen. In recognition of the genre, 24/7 Wall St. has compiled the best and worst crime dramas of all time.
Click here to see best crime dramas of all time.
Click here to see worst crime dramas of all time.
Click here to see our detailed findings and methodology.
The best crime dramas:
25. Sons of Anarchy
Rating: 8.6/10
Original release: 2008
Starring: Charlie Hunnam, Katey Sagal, Mark Boone Junior
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24. Mindhunter
Rating: 8.6/10
Original release: 2017
Starring: Jonathan Groff, Holt McCallany, Anna Torv
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23. Big Little Lies
Rating: 8.6/10
Original release: 2017
Starring: Reese Witherspoon, Nicole Kidman, Shailene Woodley
22. Mr. Robot
Rating: 8.6/10
Original release: 2015
Starring: Rami Malek, Christian Slater, Portia Doubleday
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21. Justified
Rating: 8.6/10
Original release: 2010
Starring: Timothy Olyphant, Nick Searcy, Joelle Carter
20. Boardwalk Empire
Rating: 8.6/10
Original release: 2010
Starring: Steve Buscemi, Kelly Macdonald, Michael Shannon
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19. Hannibal
Rating: 8.6/10
Original release: 2013
Starring: Hugh Dancy, Mads Mikkelsen, Caroline Dhavernas
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18. The Punisher
Rating: 8.7/10
Original release: 2017
Starring: Jon Bernthal, Amber Rose Revah, Ebon Moss-Bachrach
17. Dexter
Rating: 8.7/10
Original release: 2006
Starring: Michael C. Hall, Jennifer Carpenter, David Zayas
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16. Better Call Saul
Rating: 8.7/10
Original release: 2015
Starring: Bob Odenkirk, Rhea Seehorn, Jonathan Banks
15. Daredevil
Rating: 8.7/10
Original release: 2015
Starring: Charlie Cox, Vincent D’Onofrio, Deborah Ann Woll
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14. Deadwood
Rating: 8.7/10
Original release: 2004
Starring: Timothy Olyphant, Ian McShane, Molly Parker
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13. The Shield
Rating: 8.7/10
Original release: 2002
Starring: Michael Chiklis, Catherine Dent, Walton Goggins
12. Making a Murderer
Rating: 8.7/10
Original release: 2015
Starring: Dolores Avery, Steven Avery, Ken Kratz
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11. Twin Peaks
Rating: 8.8/10
Original release: 1990
Starring: Kyle MacLachlan, Michael Ontkean, Mädchen Amick
10. Oz
Rating: 8.8/10
Original release: 1997
Starring: Ernie Hudson, J.K. Simmons, Lee Tergesen
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9. Forensic Files
Rating: 8.8/10
Original release: 1996
Starring: Peter Thomas, Skip Palenik, Tom Bevel
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8. Narcos
Rating: 8.9/10
Original release: 2015
Starring: Pedro Pascal, Wagner Moura, Boyd Holbrook
7. Homicide Hunter: Lt. Joe Kenda
Rating: 8.9/10
Original release: 2011
Starring: Josh Casaubon, Joe Kenda, Carl Marino
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6. Fargo
Rating: 9/10
Original release: 2014
Starring: Billy Bob Thornton, Martin Freeman, Allison Tolman
5. True Detective
Rating: 9/10
Original release: 2014
Starring: Vince Vaughn, Colin Farrell, Rachel McAdams
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4. Sherlock
Rating: 9.2/10
Original release: 2010
Starring: Benedict Cumberbatch, Martin Freeman, Una Stubbs
3. The Sopranos
Rating: 9.2/10
Original release: 1999
Starring: James Gandolfini, Lorraine Bracco, Edie Falco
2. The Wire
Rating: 9.3/10
Original release: 2002
Starring: Dominic West, Lance Reddick, Sonja Sohn
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1. Breaking Bad
Rating: 9.5/10
Original release: 2008
Starring: Bryan Cranston, Aaron Paul, Anna Gunn
The worst crime dramas:
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25. Law & Order: Trial by Jury
Rating: 6.4/10
Original release: 2005
Starring: Bebe Neuwirth, Amy Carlson, Kirk Acevedo
24. S.W.A.T.
Rating: 6.3/10
Original release: 2017
Starring: Kenny Johnson, Shemar Moore, Stephanie Sigman
23. 24: Legacy
Rating: 6.3/10
Original release: 2016
Starring: Corey Hawkins, Miranda Otto, Anna Diop
22. Power Rangers Wild Force
Rating: 6.3/10
Original release: 2002
Starring: Ricardo Medina Jr., Alyson Sullivan, Phillip Jeanmarie
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21. Criminal Minds: Beyond Borders
Rating: 6.1/10
Original release: 2016
Starring: Gary Sinise, Alana De La Garza, Daniel Henney
20. T.J. Hooker
Rating: 6.1/10
Original release: 1982
Starring: William Shatner, Heather Locklear, Adrian Zmed
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19. Femme Fatales
Rating: 6.1/10
Original release: 2011
Starring: Tanit Phoenix Copley, Princess Rene, Divine Goddess Jessica
18. The Haves and the Have Nots
Rating: 6.1/10
Original release: 2013
Starring: Tika Sumpter, John Schneider, Crystal R. Fox
17. Renegade
Rating: 6.1/10
Original release: 1992
Starring: Lorenzo Lamas, Branscombe Richmond, Kathleen Kinmont
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16. Blue Thunder
Rating: 6.1/10
Original release: 1984
Starring: James Farentino, Dana Carvey, Sandy McPeak
15. Training Day
Rating: 6/10
Original release: 2017
Starring: Bill Paxton, Justin Cornwell, Katrina Law
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14. Judge Judy
Rating: 6/10
Original release: 1996
Starring: Judy Sheindlin, Petri Hawkins-Byrd, Jerry Bishop
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13. Moonshiners
Rating: 5.9/10
Original release: 2011
Starring: Jeremy Schwartz, Josh Owens, Tim Smith
12. Rush Hour
Rating: 5.8/10
Original release: 2016
Starring: Justin Hires, Jon Foo, Aimee Garcia
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11. Pacific Blue
Rating: 5.7/10
Original release: 1996
Starring: Jim Davidson, Paula Trickey, Darlene Vogel
10. Stripperella
Rating: 5.7/10
Original release: 2003
Starring: Pamela Anderson, Tom Kenny, Maurice LaMarche
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9. Hunters
Rating: 5.6/10
Original release: 2016
Starring: Nathan Phillips, Britne Oldford, Mark Coles Smith
8. Walker, Texas Ranger
Rating: 5.5/10
Original release: 1993
Starring: Chuck Norris, Clarence Gilyard Jr., Sheree J. Wilson
7. Ironside
Rating: 5.5/10
Original release: 2013
Starring: Blair Underwood, Kenneth Choi, Brent Sexton
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6. CSI: Cyber
Rating: 5.4/10
Original release: 2015
Starring: Patricia Arquette, James Van Der Beek, Shad Moss
5. Dog the Bounty Hunter
Rating: 5.2/10
Original release: 2003
Starring: Duane ‘Dog’ Chapman, Leland Chapman, Beth Chapman
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4. True Justice
Rating: 4.8/10
Original release: 2010
Starring: Steven Seagal, Sarah Lind, William ‘Big Sleeps’ Stewart
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3. Charlie’s Angels
Rating: 4.4/10
Original release: 2011
Starring: Annie Ilonzeh, Daniel Alfredo Ojeda, Minka Kelly
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2. V.I.P.
Rating: 4.1/10
Original release: 1998
Starring: Pamela Anderson, Molly Culver, Shaun Baker
1. Amish Mafia
Rating: 3.1/10
Original release: 2012
Starring: Alvin, Esther, John
Crime dramas, along with Westerns and comedies, were well-represented in the first years of television. Film-noir crime dramas on film and later on television featuring cynical gumshoes depicted the seamier side of crime-solving and the corruption in the legal system.
Earlier crime dramas were courtroom stories such as “Perry Mason” starring Raymond Burr; tales about incorruptible law enforcement officers such as “The Untouchables” starring Robert Stack; and private detective titles such as “Peter Gunn” starring Craig Stevens and “77 Sunset Strip” starring Efrem Zimbalist Jr.
In the 1960s, crime dramas gave more roles to minorities and women in shows such as “MIssion: Impossible,” “Hawaii Five-0,” and “The Mod Squad,” the latter of which starred Peggy Lipton and Clarence Williams III.
More recent crime dramas such as “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation” have focused on gathering and understanding the forensic evidence involved in a crime.
“NCIS” and “Law & Order” are examples of long-running crime series that have spawned spin-offs. “NCIS” began its run in 2003 and has spun off the shows “NCIS: Los Angeles” and “NCIS: New Orleans.” The original “Law & Order” series, with its ominous two-tone sound effect that introduced each scene, ran for 20 years, concluding its run in 2010. The show had four spin-offs, including “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit,” which has been on the air since 1999.
Cable television channels have mined a rich vein of crime dramas. The HBO series “The Sopranos,” a crime drama about the tribulations of a New Jersey crime boss, ran for eight years. “Breaking Bad,” on every binge-watcher’s bucket list, appeared on AMC for five seasons. The series, about a high school chemistry teacher turned crystal meth maker, has been hailed by some television critics as the greatest of all time.
British detective series that have crossed the pond and landed on American public television have provided American viewers with a steadier, more nuanced pacing of the genre, with shows such as “Sherlock” with Benedict Cumberbatch in the title role, “Prime Suspect,” starring Helen Mirren, and “Luther” with Idris Elba.
Not all crime dramas have been well received by critics, even if they had a long run.
Two series starring Pamela Anderson, “V.I.P.” and “Stripperella,” are among the lesser lights on the crime drama list.
Two reboots of earlier series, “ Charlie’s Angels” and “Ironside,” failed to replicate the success of their predecessors.
“Law & Order: Trial by Jury” and “CSI: Cyber” were unsuccessful spin-offs of their progenitor.
Movie action heroes Chuck Norris and Steven Seagal shifted to the small screen, starring in the crime dramas “Walker, Texas Ranger” and “True Justice,” respectively. Neither gained favor from critics, but “Walker, Texas Ranger” found a sizable enough audience to last for eight seasons.
The depiction of the legal process in television is not without its critics. They say the treatment of suspects by law enforcement as shown on television can undercut faith in the legal system. They also say the speed with which cases are built based on evidence is exaggerated. Crime drama series have also been criticized for showing idealized as well as overly negative depictions of law enforcement officers, lawyers, and judges.
To determine the best and worst television crime dramas of all time, 24/7 Wall St. determined the average user rankings as listed on the Internet Movie Database. To be considered, each film had to have at least 1,000 IMDb user ratings and be classified as a crime show by IMDb. Television shows with more user ratings were ranked over those with less in cases of equal rankings.
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