Top Ten Best Crime Dramas

This is for all the crime dramas, both inside the courtroom and on the streets.
The Top Ten
1 Criminal Minds Criminal Minds is an American police procedural crime drama television series created by Jeff Davis, and is the original show in the Criminal Minds franchise.

Totally love this show, it's brilliant. Really love Spencer Reid. Matthew Gubler does a great job portraying this character. He's also very attractive.

I love the friendship between Derek and Penelope and think it is one of the best shows out there. I watched series one in the last two days and can't wait for the rest of them!

Best crime drama out there, by far!

I watched all seven seasons in two weeks and couldn't stop for a day. The last two weeks, I have been so obsessed with the show that I can't wait for it to come back on.

Amazing characters, awesome cases, and sometimes creepy serial killers.

2 NCIS NCIS is an American action police procedural television series, revolving around a fictional team of special agents from the Naval Criminal Investigative Service.

Great show! Love Mark Harmon playing Gibbs. He has that awesome combination of serious Marine and funny boss. Hopefully, Gibbs doesn't start thinking about retirement or resignation because that looks like where it's headed.

Best show, 10/10! Love this show!

Honestly, NCIS has the best combination of serious and funny! They have really interesting plots and a tight relationship among the characters. When one Special Agent dies, you're going to be like, "Noo, why?!"

I have a box set of most of the seasons. I recommend getting them.

3 The Mentalist

The Mentalist is a great show, and the enigma gets closer to resolution with each episode. The main character, Patrick Jane, is likable to the audience and introduces humor into the storylines.

The Mentalist, the scariest not scary guy I know, laugh out loud. Like anyone could kick his arse, but he could do way more than inflict physical pain with little to no effort.

Best show in history. Jane is the best character on all TV. I don't know why CBS is even considering canceling it. It's the most-watched show worldwide, so that means it's awesome!

4 Law and Order: Special Victim's Unit Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (often abbreviated to Law & Order: SVU or just SVU) is an American police procedural, legal, crime drama television series set in New York City, where it is also primarily produced.

It's a show that cares for all its characters: victims, killers, suspects, and detectives. None is fully bad or good. Everyone has their flaws and their bright sides.

There's not always a happy ending, and often there is a conflict between what's just and what's the least bad solution. Sometimes, innocent lives get destroyed by wrong accusations and mistakes.

However, it is not entirely pessimistic. Often, cases are successfully closed, and justice is served. Like in real life, there may or may not be a happy ending.

It's not like a regular crime drama. It's a varied and perfectly paced character study of the highest possible quality, with some of the greatest performances in recent history.

5 Breaking Bad Breaking Bad is an American crime drama television series created and produced by Vince Gilligan. The show originally aired on the AMC network for five seasons, from January 20, 2008, to September 29, 2013.

Seriously.

How is Breaking Bad not number 1? Or even on the list, for that matter?

6 Sherlock

This program makes you think and cleverly creates tension. I love the acting, and the script is intelligent. It should be higher up on the list as it draws you in with the life of Sherlock and Watson.

Seriously? 20?

Best show ever. Cumberbatch's Sherlock and Freeman's Watson could not have been better. The story is nail-biting, and every episode is creative.

Awesome adaptation of Doyle's work. Surely will get addicted to it.

7 Bones Bones is an American crime procedural comedy-drama television series that aired on Fox in the United States from September 13, 2005, until March 28, 2017. It has 246 episodes over twelve seasons.

Such a great show with a fantastic cast. The crimes are interesting, but the characters are the best part of the show. Plus, you get the comedy and chemistry of Boreanaz and Deschanel. So fun.

Bones is my favorite show ever. I love it because, unlike most crime dramas, it's about more than just dead people and catching them. It's got a twist with Booth and Brennan's relationship.

Really amazing show. The sexual tension between the lead characters is just awesome. Love its interesting plot with very realistic and nearly accurate science interpretation.

8 Castle Castle is an American crime-comedy-drama television series, which aired on ABC for a total of eight seasons from March 9, 2009 to May 16, 2016. The series is produced jointly by Beacon Pictures and ABC Studios.

Castle should be #1. This show is suspenseful, hilarious, and addictive. Each episode is just great. This show rocks.

It doesn't focus on one subject for too long. It has a balance. This is one of the best shows ever.

This show is good not only because of the suspense but because of the chemistry between the two protagonists.

Great choice of actors! Nice story overall.

Ric Castle is the best thing that ever happened to crime drama. I love just how hilarious he is. Ruggedly handsome too! Laugh out loud.

9 CSI: New York

The most favorite crime drama ever made. I liked this one better than the other CSI franchises, such as Miami and Las Vegas.

Just look at how Mac, Danny, Flack, and the others handle the cases! So awesome!

Best TV crime drama. Lightyears above The Mentalist, which I also like, and much better than the other CSIs.

This is my favorite show on TV. The acting on this show is just fantastic.

10 CSI: Miami
The Contenders
11 CSI: Crime Scene Investigation CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, also referred to as CSI and CSI: Las Vegas, is an American procedural forensics crime drama television series which ran on CBS from October 6, 2000 to September 27, 2015, spanning 15 seasons.

Should be number one, not number six. It is the most-watched TV show in the world.

12 Dexter

I LOVED Dexter! It's the best TV series in my opinion. I watched all eight seasons in three weeks, and two weeks later, I binge-watched it again! I will probably watch it again in six months or so.

The storyline is great, the writing is phenomenal, and you just feel the characters are part of your family! I miss it and wish they could do a sequel. The relationship between Dexter and his sister Deb is just great.

Dexter is one of the best crime dramas ever made. It truly deserves to be way higher on this list. It is a brilliant story, and Dexter, the main character played by Michael C. Hall, is maybe the best and most lovable serial killer TV has ever had.

13 The Wire The Wire is an American crime drama television series set and produced in Baltimore, Maryland. Created and primarily written by author and former police reporter David Simon, the series was broadcast by the cable network HBO in the United States.

A lot of these shows are fluff and something you can have in the background playing and not miss much. The Wire and Breaking Bad are story-driven from beginning to end. They should be top two.

If you're listing this here, I have to vote for it. It does have crime. It is a drama. Yet it's primarily so much more.

Among the greatest works of art in this media.

14 Person of Interest
15 Law and Order

Is this a joke? How is Law and Order not first?

16 White Collar

All the stuff for a good crime, drama, comedy TV series. Very entertaining. Full of suspense and humor with fast-paced scenes, smart talking, and clever twists of events.

I binge-watched the six seasons in a few days. Great, handsome, beautiful actors and actresses. Even after a few months, I still think about it... great show... actually binge-watched it again.

17 Blue Bloods

The family interaction makes this a phenomenal show, from what might otherwise be just another cop show. Tom Selleck is perfect for his role, now nearing the end of a wonderful career.

18 True Detective True Detective is an American anthology crime drama television series created and written by Nic Pizzolatto.
19 Crossing Jordan
20 Lucifer
21 Psych Psych is an American detective comedy-drama television series created by Steve Franks and broadcast on USA Network with syndicated reruns on ION Television.

One of my favorites. Shawn and Gus are hilarious.

22 Numbers
23 Law and Order: Criminal Intent
24 The Blacklist

A good movie. We need more family movies without a lot of drama. Just fun, fun, fun.

25 Hawaii Five-0 Hawaii Five-0 is an American action police procedural television series that premiered on Monday, September 20, 2010, on CBS.

At least in the top 10. Eight seasons and still exciting.

This should definitely be number one with NCIS: LA behind it. It's the most amazing show imaginable.

8Load More
PSearch List