Binge-watching a crime drama on a Tuesday night after a long day at work sounds like a great way to spend your time. Crime drama shows are full of intrigue, suspense, and make you think you could have had a career in solving crimes. Sometimes the person you least expected is the killer, and you have to rely on your team through the tough cases.
Everyone has their preferred favorites. Maybe it's non stop reruns of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, a classic. Sometimes you wanna go old school and put on The Sopranos. IMDb has its own list of the top crime drama shows starting all the way back from the 1980s.
Hawaii Five-O (7.3)
Hawaii Five-O is a classic crime drama show that is still airing on television. What makes the show different from others is its setting. While other crime drama shows take place in New York or seemingly dreary cities, Hawaii Five-O takes place in warm and sunny Hawaii. The show aired in 2010 on CBS as a re-imaging from the original 1968 show.
The show's premise is based around a special DPS task force run by Navy Reserve Lieutenant Commander, Steve McGarrett (Alex O'Loughlin). Aided by Detective Danny Williams (Scott Caan) and other officers, they solve cases ranging from terrorism, kidnapping, murder, and robbery. The task force answers to the governor of Hawaii and have full immunity to carry out their job requirements.
Blindspot (7.4)
The NBC show, Blindspot has been running on four seasons since its premiere in 2015. It ranks at a 7.4 rating on the IMDb list. Unlike other crime drama shows, Blindspot takes an interesting twist with its main protagonist. Remi "Jane Doe" Briggs is found naked inside a travel bag in the middle of Times Square, New York.
To make things even more bizarre, she has no recollection of who she really is. She is found with mysterious tattoos adorning her whole body. In order to find out where she came from and who she is, they have to find the clues hidden in her tattoos. The show also starred actor Sullivan Stapleton as FBI special agent Kurt Weller.
Scandal (7.7)
With a 7.7 star rating, Scandal ranks in at number eight on the IMDb list. The American political thriller starres Kerry Washington as Olivia Pope. The show focuses on Pop's crisis management firm, Olivia Pope & Associated based in Washington, D.C. Politics can be tricky, and it's not always clean-cut, especially when it comes to secrets.
Pope comes to realize her clients aren't the only people harboring secrets. The show follows the scandalous events that take place in the political scene at the White House and her firm. The show follows Oliva, her staff, and the White House staff. The show is loosely based on former George H.W. Bush administration press aide Judy Smith.
NCIS (7.8)
It's no surprise NCIS lands near the top of the IMDb list with a 7.9 rating. NCIS is one of those shows alongside Criminal Minds and Law & Order: SVU that are easy to watch no matter where you start in the episode. The special agents of the Naval Criminal Investigative Services work strictly with Navy or Marine crimes from murder, kidnapping, and terrorism.
The Major Case Response Team of NCIS takes over the investigation. The team consists of Leroy Jethro Gibbs (Mark Harmon), Anthony DiNozzo (Michael Weatherly), Timothy McGee (Sean Murray) and Ziva David (Cote De Pablo). They are also aided by their medical examiners, Dr. Donald Mallard (David McCallum) and Dr. Jimmy Palmer (Brian Dietzen) and forensics specialist Abby Sciuto (Pauley Perrette).
Elementary (7.9)
Elementary premiered in 2012 and lasted for seven seasons. Its main starres include Lucy Liu as Dr.Joan Watson and Jonny Lee Miller as Sherlock Holmes. The show took the renowned tale of Sherlock Holmes and created something worth talking about.
If you can't quite remember where you've seen Miller before, here's a hint. He played a hacker in a film with Angelina Jolie. Elementary follows Holmes as he overcomes drug addiction. He becomes a consultant to the New York Police Department and is aided by his sober companion Watson. The show received some criticism due to its similarities to the BBC show Sherlock.
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (8)
The highly acclaimed crime drama series, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, is one of television's top shows to watch. The Special Victims Unit in Manhattan specializes in sexually related crimes and bringing the accused to justice. The show has been on air since 1999 and is in its 21st season. The show is a fan favorite with its main stars, including actor Ice-T as Odafin Tutuola and Mariska Hargitay as Olivia Benson.
The show has stayed true to its winning formula and has had fans hooked since its first episode. While beloved characters have left the show over the years, new characters have done a good job of filling the gap. Mariska Hargitay has been a part of the show since the beginning and has grown with the show's fanbase.
Criminal Minds (8.1)
Criminal Minds is on par with its addictive qualities just like Law & Order: SVU. The show is constantly airing reruns on CBS. The Behavioral Analysis Unit (B.A.U) at the FBI is a trained group of agents who specialize in studying the minds of criminals. They profile dangerous serial killers and heinous criminals in order to anticipate their next move.
The show aired its final season on January 8th, 2020 much to fans despair. Criminal Minds captured the hearts of its fans for 15 season with its main characters including Jason Gideon (Mandy Patinkin), Aaron Hotchner (Thomas Gibson), Derek Morgan (Shemar Moore), Spencer Reid (Matthew Gray Gubler), Jennifer "JJ" Jareau (A. J. Cook), and Penelope Garcia (Kirsten Vangsness).
The Good Wife (8.3)
A majority of crime drama fans rave about the CBS show The Good Wife starring Juliana Margulies as the shows mains star, Alicia Florrick. On IMDb, the show has an 8.3-star rating. After her husband, Peter, is sent to prison after political corruption and sex scandal goes public, she has to step up to the plate. Her husband was former Cook County, Illinois State Attorney, and left a bad reputation to their family name.
Alicia had to take control to provide for her children and return to work. She becomes a litigator after being a stay-at-home mother for the past 13 years. The show's creators got the concept for the show after witnessing a similar scandal, the Eliot Spitzer prostitution scandal. They also drew ideas from the scandal involving President Bill Clinton and North Carolina Senator John Edwards.
Hannibal (8.5)
Interestingly enough, the NBC show Hannibal hits number two on the list with an 8.5-star rating. While the show was canceled in 2015 after three seasons for low ratings, it was a fan favorite amongst some. The show received high praise for its visual style and for the acting skills of its main stars.
The show takes the classic story of Hannibal Lecter and takes it up to a new level. FBI profiler Will Graham (Hugh Dancy) is recruited to profile a serial killer in Minnesota. With the importance of the case weighing on his shoulders, he agrees to be supervised by a forensic psychiatrist, Dr. Hannibal Lecter (Mads Mikkelsen). Little did he know the threat was standing beside him the whole time.
The Sopranos (9.2)
The Sopranos became one of the most popular crime drama shows since it aired in 1999 and finished its run in 2007. The show still holds a high spot in people's list of favorite television shows when it comes to crime and mob-related themes. New Jersey mob boss Tony Soprano has a lot on his plate to handle.
Between his at-home life and his business life, it becomes too much for him to bear. He suffers a panic attack that leads him to seek professional therapy to help address his issues. Being a mob boss, he can't be as detailed in his line of work with his therapist. Tony Soprano has to find a balance between taking care of his family and his role as leader of a criminal organization.