Audiences love a good mystery so it makes sense that there are endless shows catering to the genre. Many of them rank among the most popular series of all time and are rewatched by fans constantly. But there are also a number of solid mystery shows that have been overlooked.
Some of these shows were big in their time only to be gradually forgotten since they went off the air. Other shows failed to gain much attention despite being great all along. But for fans of the mystery genre, these are some of the forgotten shows that deserve a second chance.
Agatha Christie's Poirot (1989-2013)
The recent murder-mystery Death on the Nile shows that the legendary literary detective Hercule Poirot is still a very popular character. But while the brilliant Belgian sleuth is well-known for his cinematic and literary adventures, his television series deserves just as much praise.
David Suchet steps into the title role in Poirot as he investigates complex crimes with his keen eye for detail and human behavior. With Agatha Christie's writing serving as the inspiration, it is a classic throwback mystery series for fans of those stories.
Burn Notice (2007-2013)
A big factor that can distinguish great mystery shows from the rest is how intriguing the setup is for the usual case-of-the-week structure. Burn Notice takes an interesting approach to the story of a spy named Michael Westen who is disavowed from his government. With few opportunities, he uses his skills to help out desperate people.
It is a lot of fun to see this main character with his back against the wall forced to take on one impossible job after another. As an added bonus, Bruce Campbell co-stars as Westen's partner.
Boomtown (2002-2003)
There are countless police procedurals out there so it takes a special kind of approach to feel like something fresh. That was the case with the short-lived ut excellent Boomtown. The series would focus on one crime in each episode and examine it from a variety of perspectives.
It was fascinating to see how the details and action would take on new meaning as it was seen through the eyes of detectives, civilian witnesses, politicians, and witnesses. Despite the clever concept and successful execution, Boomtown only lasted two seasons.
The Missing (2014-2016)
In the era of prestige television, there has been a shift from the case-of-the-week structure to shorter series exploring one case in a more in-depth way. Such was the case with The Missing, a small drama in which the first season dealt with the disappearance of a young boy.
The second season then tells a new missing person's case with the same detective, Julien Baptiste, investigating. Though the show earned acclaim for both seasons, it never caught on with a larger audience.
The Singing Detective (1986)
While many fans tune into these types of shows to see the mystery solved, some shows found other fun elements to balance the mystery story with. The Singing Detective was a short-lived series from the 1980s that added a musical twist to the genre.
The miniseries stars Michael Gambon as a mystery writer who is bedridden from a severe skin condition. While in a feverish state, his reality begins to meld with his imagination of the "singing detective" character he created for his novel.
Life On Mars (2006-2007)
The BBC show Life on Mars is another series that took a very high concept approach to the weekly mystery story. The show follows a police detective in modern times who is involved in a car accident and wakes up in 1973.
The time travel element is actually not even the most fun aspect of the show as it is mostly just about the fun and often hilarious characters who make up this cop team in the show. Together, they investigate cases in the 1970s and with 1970s tactics.
Mr. Mercedes (2017-2019)
There have been a number of adaptations of Stephen King's work but Mr. Mercedes is surely one of the most underrated. The show stars Brendan Gleeson as a retired detective who is drawn back into work in order to catch a ruthless serial killer.
The show is a creepy and grounded thriller that is elevated by Gleeson's terrific performance as the obsessed detective. Though it ran for three seasons, few people talk about how stellar the mystery show was from beginning to end.
Monk (2002-2009)
Though most of these shows take a rather serious approach to solve mysteries, Monk showed it could be done effectively while also maintaining a sense of humor. Tony Shalhoub stars as the titular private investigator who works alongside the police to solve murders while also dealing with his OCD.
The show ran for nine seasons and won multiple Emmy awards, but it has since been largely forgotten. However, it remains a fun and charming approach to the genre with a great lead character. It would make for a fitting revival series after all these years.
Moonlighting (1985-1989)
Before Bruce Willis became a movie star, he made a name for himself on the small screen with the inventive and entertaining Moonlighting. Willis starred as a smart aleck detective who runs a private investigator agency with a former model, played by Cybil Shepard.
As fun as the mysteries were each week, the chemistry between the two leads and their will-they-won't-they dynamic was equally as exciting. It was a sharp, clever and hilarious ride that ended too soon.
Terriers (2010)
When looking at the great shows of the 21st century that were canceled too soon, Terriers is often included on the list. The show follows a disgraced police detective who partners with a former criminal to take on small-time private detective jobs.
While not the most inventive premise around, the funny and intelligent writing made Terriers a lot of fun. The characters were likable, the cases were interesting and it looked like things were only going to get better before it was canceled after one season.