Top Ten Best Crime Dramas

Criminal Minds

Criminal Minds is an American police procedural crime drama television series created by Jeff Davis. The show first aired in 2005 and became the original series in the Criminal Minds franchise. It follows a team of FBI profilers who analyze the country's most twisted criminal minds to anticipate their... read more

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.

NCIS

NCIS is an American action police procedural television series, revolving around a fictional team of special agents from the Naval Criminal Investigative Service. The show premiered in 2003 and has become one of the longest-running scripted primetime television series in the U.S. It has also spawned... read more

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.

Law & Order: Special Victims Unit

Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (often abbreviated to Law & Order: SVU or just SVU) is an American police procedural, legal, and crime drama television series set in New York City, where it is also primarily produced. The show premiered on NBC on September 20, 1999. It is the longest-running primetime... read more

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.

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!

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. It stars Nathan Fillion as mystery novelist Richard Castle and Stana Katic as NYPD detective... read more

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.

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. It stars Bryan Cranston as a chemistry teacher who turns to methamphetamine production after... read more

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

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.

Bones

Bones is an American crime procedural comedy-drama television series that aired on Fox in the United States from September 13, 2005, to March 28, 2017. It ran for twelve seasons with a total of 246 episodes. The series starred Emily Deschanel as Dr. Temperance Brennan and David Boreanaz as FBI Agent... read more

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.

CSI: Crime Scene Investigation

CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, also referred to as CSI and CSI: Las Vegas, is an American forensic crime drama television series. It aired on CBS from October 6, 2000, to September 27, 2015, and ran for 15 seasons. The show follows a team of crime scene investigators working for the Las Vegas Police... read more

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

Dexter

Dexter is an American crime drama television series that aired from 2006 to 2013. It is based on the novel "Darkly Dreaming Dexter" by Jeff Lindsay and follows Dexter Morgan, a forensic blood spatter analyst who is also a serial killer.... read more

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.

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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.

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The Lawyer

This is the only TV show I have watched in a long time. It is pretty gruesome but great.

CSI: NY

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.

CSI: Miami

Hawaii Five-0

Hawaii Five-0 is an American action police procedural television series that premiered on Monday, September 20, 2010, on CBS. It is a reboot of the original series that aired from 1968 to 1980. The reboot concluded after ten seasons on April 3, 2020.

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.

Law & Order

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

The Shield

Numb3rs

NCIS: Los Angeles

You've got to love the team. Those guys are just meant to be.

Sons of Anarchy

Sons of Anarchy is an American crime drama television series created by Kurt Sutter. It aired from 2008 to 2014 and centers on an outlaw motorcycle club operating in the fictional town of Charming, California. The show explores themes of family, loyalty, and power, and it developed a large and devoted... read more

Definitely Breaking Bad tier. The first 5 seasons were great, however, the last 2 were just decent. Don't believe the rumors of it being some sort of redneck reality show. It's better than shows like Criminal Minds and NCIS in the way that mortality for the main characters is real. Each episode is important, so it's different from them in that way.

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. It originally aired from June 2, 2002, to March 9, 2008... read more

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.

True Detective

True Detective is an American anthology crime drama television series created and written by Nic Pizzolatto. The series premiered on HBO in 2014 and features a new cast and storyline each season. It has received critical acclaim for its writing, acting, and cinematography.

The Blacklist

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