Special Report

Best Detective Shows Ever Made

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The crime show genre, whether it involves police detectives or private eyes and/or the various non-official specialists who help them, is one of the most popular on television. Audiences love the suspense and intrigue of hard-working sleuths doggedly searching for clues to hunt down criminals and bring them to justice.

There have been hundreds of crime shows over the years, some much better than others. 

Some of these shows ran for well over a decade, while others became cult classics after just a few seasons on the air – or even less. (These are the best TV shows that were canceled after one season.)

To determine the 25 best shows ever made, 24/7 Tempo reviewed data from IMDb, an online movie and TV database owned by Amazon. Television shows with the “detective” keyword tag or “crime” genre label were ranked based on the average IMDb user rating and number of votes, as of July 2022.

Click here to see the best detective shows ever made

The best crime shows have redefined the genre, putting their own spin on what a detective show can be. Some are funny, some are dark and gritty, and some have psychologists, supernatural healers, and even murderers serving as detectives.

The shows on this list are not just good within the crime genre: Many have gone down as some of the most popular and well-reviewed programs in television history. (You’ll find a number of crime shows on our ranking of the 100 best TV dramas of all time.)

Courtesy of Fox Network

25. Lie to Me (2009-2011)
> IMDb rating: 8.0 / 10 (118,947 votes)
> Cast: Tim Roth, Kelli Williams, Brendan Hines, Monica Raymund

The show follows a group of deception experts who consult with the police to help them catch criminals by using applied psychology to interpret people’s behavior and involuntary body language.

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Courtesy of National Broadcasting Company

24. The Blacklist (2013-)
> IMDb rating: 8.0 / 10 (242,711 votes)
> Cast: James Spader, Megan Boone, Diego Klattenhoff, Ryan Eggold

“The Blacklist” follows a former Navy officer turned master criminal who surrenders to the FBI and begins helping them catch dangerous spies, mafia bosses, and terrorists.

Courtesy of Acorn Media Group

23. Inspector Lewis (2006-2015)
> IMDb rating: 8.1 / 10 (13,079 votes)
> Cast: Kevin Whately, Laurence Fox, Clare Holman, Rebecca Front

Inspector Robbie Lewis is a character from the popular Inspector Morse detective novels and their TV adaptation. Lewis is Morse’s partner in the books, but after the series ended, this new show was spun off, in which Lewis, now an inspector himself, leads a team solving crimes in Oxford, England.

Courtesy of Disney-ABC Domestic Television

22. How to Get Away with Murder (2014-2020)
> IMDb rating: 8.1 / 10 (148,675 votes)
> Cast: Viola Davis, Billy Brown, Jack Falahee, Aja Naomi King

Viola Davis, the first African-American to win a Tony, an Oscar, and an Emmy, stars in this popular series, which follows a brilliant defense lawyer and law professor and her students who become involved in a murder plot.

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Courtesy of CBS

21. The Mentalist (2008-2015)
> IMDb rating: 8.1 / 10 (181,924 votes)
> Cast: Simon Baker, Robin Tunney, Tim Kang, Owain Yeoman

“The Mentalist” features a former psychic who works as a consultant for the police. He helps law enforcement by using his observational skills to solve crimes.

Courtesy of American Broadcasting Company

20. Castle (2009-2016)
> IMDb rating: 8.1 / 10 (160,379 votes)
> Cast: Nathan Fillion, Stana Katic, Susan Sullivan, Jon Huertas

“Castle” is a crime drama with elements of comedy based in New York City. The titular character, mystery writer Richard Castle, shadows a homicide detective at work for research purposes, helping to solve crimes in the process.

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Courtesy of CBS

19. Criminal Minds (2005-2020)
> IMDb rating: 8.1 / 10 (192,736 votes)
> Cast: Matthew Gray Gubler, Kirsten Vangsness, A.J. Cook, Joe Mantegna

In this police procedural drama, a group of FBI agents who work as profilers investigate heinous crimes using behavioral analysis.

Courtesy of British Broadcasting Corporation

18. Jonathan Creek (1997-2016)
> IMDb rating: 8.2 / 10 (7,938 votes)
> Cast: Alan Davies, Caroline Quentin, Stuart Milligan, Julia Sawalha

“Jonathan Creek” is a British crime drama on the list about a stage magician who works with a journalist to solve supernatural mysteries using logical deduction.

Courtesy of Carlton International Media

17. Inspector Morse (1987-2000)
> IMDb rating: 8.2 / 10 (12,211 votes)
> Cast: John Thaw, Kevin Whately, James Grout, Peter Woodthorpe

The British crime drama is based on a series of novels by Colin Dexter. In each episode, music-loving Chief Inspector Morse solves intriguing cases with his partner, Detective Sergeant Robbie Lewis.

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Courtesy of Acorn TV

16. Murdoch Mysteries (2008-)
> IMDb rating: 8.2 / 10 (14,102 votes)
> Cast: Yannick Bisson, Hélène Joy, Thomas Craig, Jonny Harris

The Canadian drama series is based on the Detective Murdoch novels by Maureen Jennings. The titular character, William Murdoch, works as a police detective in Toronto in the late 19th and early 20th century and uses forensic techniques unheard of at the time.

Courtesy of Public Broadcasting Service

15. Unforgotten (2015-)
> IMDb rating: 8.3 / 10 (22,222 votes)
> Cast: Sanjeev Bhaskar, Jordan Long, Lewis Reeves, Nicola Walker

“Unforgotten” is a British crime drama about a team of London detectives who investigate mysteries, usually a long-unsolved missing persons case or a murder committed years, even decades, previously.

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Courtesy of American Movie Classics

14. The Killing (2011-2014)
> IMDb rating: 8.3 / 10 (110,199 votes)
> Cast: Mireille Enos, Joel Kinnaman, Billy Campbell, Liam James

Based on the Danish series “Forbrydelsen,” “The Killing” is a police procedural about the murder of a 17-year-old girl and the homicide detectives investigating it.

Courtesy of American Broadcasting Company

13. Pushing Daisies (2007-2009)
> IMDb rating: 8.4 / 10 (56,743 votes)
> Cast: Lee Pace, Anna Friel, Chi McBride, Jim Dale

“Pushing Daisies” is about a baker who has the ability to bring dead people back to life just by touching them. He uses this ability to help the police solve murder cases.

Courtesy of BBC America

12. Luther (2010-2019)
> IMDb rating: 8.4 / 10 (134,935 votes)
> Cast: Idris Elba, Dermot Crowley, Michael Smiley, Warren Brown

Idris Elba plays the titular “Luther,” a detective chief inspector who is one of the best criminal investigators, but who does not always play by the rules and is haunted by his tragic past.

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Courtesy of BBC America

11. Broadchurch (2013-2017)
> IMDb rating: 8.4 / 10 (110,783 votes)
> Cast: David Tennant, Olivia Colman, Jodie Whittaker, Andrew Buchan

“Broadchurch” follows the investigation of a young boy’s murder and the effects is has on the town and everyone in it.

Courtesy of A+E Networks

10. Cracker (1993-1996)
> IMDb rating: 8.5 / 10 (6,567 votes)
> Cast: Robbie Coltrane, Geraldine Somerville, Kieran O’Brien, Barbara Flynn

“Cracker” is a British crime drama about an arrogant and antisocial but also brilliant criminal psychologist who works as a consultant for the police.

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Courtesy of Amazon Instant Video

9. Bosch (2014-2021)
> IMDb rating: 8.5 / 10 (68,633 votes)
> Cast: Titus Welliver, Jamie Hector, Amy Aquino, Lance Reddick

In “Bosch,” an LAPD detective works to solve complicated cases while struggling with the stresses of the job.

Courtesy of Public Broadcasting Service

8. Poirot (1989-2013)
> IMDb rating: 8.6 / 10 (44,780 votes)
> Cast: David Suchet, Hugh Fraser, Philip Jackson, Pauline Moran

This British show is one of the most popular and successful on-screen depictions of Agatha Christie’s great fictional detective Hercule Poirot as he solves various crimes.

Courtesy of A+E Networks

7. The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes (1984-1985)
> IMDb rating: 8.7 / 10 (22,060 votes)
> Cast: Jeremy Brett, David Burke, Rosalie Williams, Eric Porter

“The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes” is one of the best-reviewed detective shows of all time, recounting the deductive triumphs of one of the greatest fictional sleuths ever.

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Courtesy of Sony Pictures Television

6. The Shield (2002-2008)
> IMDb rating: 8.7 / 10 (79,884 votes)
> Cast: Michael Chiklis, Jay Karnes, Michael Jace, CCH Pounder

A gritty portrayal of a corrupt police officer in Los Angeles, “The Shield” was an incredibly popular show for its seven-season run. Michael Chiklis won an Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series for his portrayal of Vic Mackey.

Courtesy of CBS

5. Dexter (2006-2013)
> IMDb rating: 8.7 / 10 (716,526 votes)
> Cast: Michael C. Hall, Jennifer Carpenter, David Zayas, James Remar

In “Dexter,” a serial killer channels his dark urges for good, pledging to only kill other murderers – all while hiding in plain sight as a member of the Miami Police Department. The show was recently rebooted for 2021, picking up 10 years after where the original show ended.

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Courtesy of FX Network

4. Fargo (2014-)
> IMDb rating: 8.9 / 10 (366,024 votes)
> Cast: Billy Bob Thornton, Martin Freeman, Allison Tolman, Colin Hanks, and others

“Fargo” is a dark anthology series in the same vein as the Coen Brothers film of the same name. It follows Midwestern crooks, cops, and the civilians who get caught in the middle of their schemes.

Courtesy of Home Box Office

3. True Detective (2014-2019)
> IMDb rating: 8.9 / 10 (554,675 votes)
> Cast: Vince Vaughn, Colin Farrell, Rachel McAdams, Taylor Kitsch, and others

“True Detective” is an anthology series that follows different heinous crimes and the police departments that investigate them. Over its run, it has featured A-list stars like Mahershala Ali, Matthew McConaughey, Rachel McAdams, and more.

Courtesy of Crackle

2. Sherlock (2010-2017)
> IMDb rating: 9.1 / 10 (903,099 votes)
> Cast: Benedict Cumberbatch, Martin Freeman, Una Stubbs, Rupert Graves

“Sherlock” is the BBC’s modern adaptation of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s famous detective series. It follows an eccentric but brilliant sleuth and his partner as they seek to solve the most difficult cases.

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Courtesy of Home Box Office

1. The Wire (2002-2008)
> IMDb rating: 9.3 / 10 (330,737 votes)
> Cast: Dominic West, Lance Reddick, Sonja Sohn, Wendell Pierce

With an IMDb user rating of 9.3/10, “The Wire” ranks as the best detective show in TV history. The HBO drama follows Baltimore detectives as well as the drug dealers they pursue.

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