In the last couple of years, Hollywood has always had a fascination with crime shows. There’s something about the concept of solving a crime and getting justice for a victim that appeals to just about anyone, which was probably why there was a huge rise in crime dramas shows in the 2000s. It also explains why the likes of CSI or Criminal Minds are constantly played on a loop to this day.
However, has anyone ever noticed that there are also some crime shows that don’t follow the usual procedural format. It's not necessarily a bad thing - in fact, some viewers prefer these shows more since there is a level of unpredictability and excitement. Just take a look at these examples for instance...
In The Dark
In The Dark is a relatively new series that revolves around Murphy Mason, a blind woman who believes her friend has been murdered and tries to solve the case herself. Perry Mattfeld was cast to play Murphy and she told CBS Los Angeles that playing a blind person had become a “learning experience.”
Luckily she had a strong team behind the scenes, including consultant Lorri Benson, whose life the show is loosely based on. Murphy has also stated that she has learned a lot through her co-star, Calle Walton, who is visually impaired in real life.
Hightown
In this tv series from Starz, Chicago Fire alum Monica Raymund plays Jackie Quiñones, a National Marine Fisheries Service agent who becomes determined to solve a murder. While speaking with Collider, Raymund explained that she was drawn to the project “because of all the layers, and because she [Jackie] was messy.”
Unlike the other law enforcement characters everyone has come to know over the years, the viewers also learned that Jackie as a woman dealing with serious problems of her own, which mostly comes in the form of alcohol addiction.
Big Sky
Big Sky is the newest series developed by Big Little Lies creator David E. Kelly for ABC. On the show, two private detectives Cody Hoyt and Cassie Dewell decide to work with Cody’s ex-wife to search for two sisters who were kidnapped by a truck driver in Montana.
The show stars Katheryn Winnick, Dedee Pfeiffer, and it did have Ryan Philippe too. However, viewers had been in shock when he was instantly killed off in the show’s premiere. Of his character's fate, Philippe told Entertainment Weekly that his agents gave him a “heads up” so he was more than prepared for the role.
Evil
Evil is a CBS show from The Good Wife and The Good Fight creators Robert King and Michelle King. The show centers on a psychologist who decides to team up with a Catholic priest-in-training to investigate some cases for the church.
The show deals with more than the typical exorcism cases that you have seen in movies over the years. Instead, they also deal with a serial killer and a violent child, among other things. The cast includes Westworld’s Katja Herbers as the psychologist and Luke Cage’s David Acosta as the priest.
The Pale Horse
Adaptation of an Agatha Christie novel of the same name, The Pale Horse centers on a man trying to figure out why his name was on a list found inside the shoe of a dead woman. In doing so, he crosses paths with three mysterious women who appear to be responsible for several deaths.
The show is created by Sarah Phelps and it marks her final Agatha Christie adaptation. While speaking with Deadline, Phelps explained, “I said I wanted to write a quintet and I’ve written a quintet.” If this is something that appeals to anyone then they will be glad to know that The Pale Horse is available on Amazon Prime Video.
Unbelievable
Unbelievable is a limited series on Netflix that focuses on the series of events that unfolds after a young woman gets accused of lying about rape. It’s an adaptation of the Pulitzer award-winning article, An Unbelievable Story of Rape, which was originally published back in 2015 by The Marshall Project and ProPublica and based on true events.
In the series, actress Kaitlyn Dever portrays Marie Adler who had been at the center of the article and also features Toni Collette and Merrit Wever.
Lucifer
Lucifer is a television series that brilliantly intertwines crime with fantasy. As the title suggests, the show centers on Lucifer, the fallen angel who has been miserable in hell for far too long. And so, he decides to come to Earth where he encounters homicide detective Chloe Decker.
They then decide to team up and solve crimes together. The show originally aired on FOX until the network decided to cancel it. Since then, it’s moved to Netflix where’s it has become one of the most popular shows to stream.
The Blacklist
The Blacklist is a long-running crime show on NBC that centers around James Spader’s Raymond Reddington, a master criminal that continues to spark the viewers interest season after season. Despite some of the terrible things he did, some fans have also found it hard to detest him altogether. In fact, when you rank Blacklist characters by likability, he is easily among the top three. Perhaps, this has something to do with the fact that Reddington has also had genuine concern for FBI profiler Elizabeth Keen, who is one of the best characters on the show.
The Outsider
Based on a novel by Stephen King of the same name, The Outsiders is a series that begins with an investigation into the murder of a young boy. Unlike your typical procedural drama, however, the viewers soon learn that there are supernatural forces at play and the investigation is anything but open and shut.
The limited series stars Ben Mendelsohn as the detective trying to solve the case. Meanwhile, actor Jason Bateman plays a coach to the kids’ baseball team who gets accused of murder. Aside from them, the cast also includes Jeremy Bobb and Bill Camp.
Sherlock
Marvel actor Benedict Cumberbatch stars as the titular character in this British crime series that is based on Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes novels. On the show, Cumberbatch’s Sherlock is a consultant for Scotland Yard. The character brings an unconventional approach to crime-solving, something that his flatmate, played by Martin Freeman, had to get used to early on.
The show hasn’t released a new season since it aired its fourth. However, there is talk of a possible of a fifth season. Fans just have to hope that Cumberbatch will agree to reprise his role.