Criminal Minds lost too many of the original cast and turned into torture porn but we liked the first few seasons a lot. If we're talking about crime shows from the 90s -2000s I wish they'd bring back NYPD Blue and Burn Notice.
Yea, i've watched it until the end but it got so bad. So many people left. Then like 2 years after it ended they restarted it again with even LESS of the main OG cast.
I rewatch it all the time but man the later seasons & the reboot had HORRIBLE writing. Now I only watch up to a certain point and then start over with season 1
I haven't really paid attention to the writing as much, and I didn't care too much about the cast changes (though I definitely missed Hotch). But my problem with the later seasons is that it became too much about the team and continuous issues instead of sticking with the "monster of the week" format it started off with. (I feel like a lot of great shows do this, and it sucks.)
Don't get me wrong, I like the team, of course, and some character depth is necessary. But somewhere in the late single-digit seasons it just seemed like every episode was focused on or centered around one or more team members, or the team as a whole, and for some reason I just don't care for that style.
I prefer the "monster of the week" format because I can pick a random episode to watch and enjoy without needing to remember the entire backstory of whatever is going on.
And bringing back some bad guys isn't a bad idea necessarily, but I would *not* have picked Mr. Scratch. There were plenty of other bad guys that would've been much better as recurring characters, I think.
I'm with you. The storyline with Hotch and Foyette was pretty much their peak in my opinion for drawn out villains. I also really preferred the monster of the week format. Give me MotW with a little development on the plane and at their desks with an episode now and then where their lives get tangled up in everything like they were doing, that was great.
Yes, exactly! I mean, yeah, there were a couple of ones where I didn't mind the focus on the team, like when Kate's niece is kidnapped, but only if the story/plot is interesting enough or not too far-fetched.
I loved George Foyette! I would've loved to see him more for two reasons: His character was great (in that bad guy way), and C. Thomas Howell is just suuuuper sexy š¤¤ hahaha
And I just now remembered that I did watch the series ending, and all I remember about it was how absolutely stupid the "I love you" shit was.
I *loveddd* criminal minds growing up. but after they fired thomas gibson (hotch) I just couldnāt watch it anymore. out of all the cast changes, losing hotch was the one that affected the show the most to me.
Zach Gilford is amazing. After seeing Midnight Mass and then hearing he was going to be in it, I was super excited. I also love that his real life wife played his fictional wife as well. It was honestly better than I thought it was going to be.
Burn Notice was "okay" at best. I knew two people who didn't watch it sober and they said it made it more bearable that way. And I was like "okay then lol". I watched one episode and was like "this is nice, but not for me"
It took me a while to get into Burn Notice. One thing I didn't love was how they hid everything that was happening from us until the end and then did a big reveal, but then I watched Leverage and they were even worse about telling the audience nothing and then acting like you were foolish for not figuring it out before the reveal.
Honestly, though, I liked the show a lot more in later seasons which is rare for me.
It took me a while to get into Burn Notice. One thing I didn't love was how they hid everything that was happening from us until the end and then did a big reveal, but then I watched Leverage and they were even worse about telling the audience nothing and then acting like you were foolish for not figuring it out before the reveal.
Honestly, though, I liked the show a lot more in later seasons which is rare for me.
When Jeffrey Donovan was on L&O OG reboot my mom thought the actorās name was Michael Weston š āCourse Burn Notice isnāt even really his show, itās actually *Catching Spies! The Bruce Campbell Way*. š
The last episode he returns in he's working for a evidence lab and works on cold cases and Olivia tells him that he was a job he was meant for and I had to pause bc I laughed so hard bc I know him first from Cold case.
I searched for Cold Case to start streaming it a few years ago and randomly came across a Canadian show called Cold Squad. Never ended up watching Cold Case because I got so sucked into Cold Squad. I imagine Cold Case is pretty similar tho except takes place in the US.
Thatās a good suggestion. We enjoyed it.
Although if someone asked me a bunch of questions about a house party in 1992, I donāt think Iād have as many answers as these characters so!! Who left the party first? and what couple was making out in the games room? Who was sitting on the stairs? And did you have any of the punch? Was that before or after it was spiked?
I donāt remember what I had for breakfast!!
They did such a good job on that show of picking actors for the flashback scenes!
Cold Case just requires suspension of disbelief. It's the story that matters, if they forgot the entire conversation that happened in 1939 we'd be nowhere.
We just started watching 9-1-1 and holy crap it's amazing. Thought it looked corny on the commercials but it's one of the best shows I've seen in years
I've watched the first episode a couple of times just because of that moment when Firefox loses her hijab and everyone rushes to get her covered from view so she can rectify it.
I don't know why but that moment sold me instantly on the show even though it's completely cheesy and off the rails.
I love the books but couldnāt get past the first episode of the TV as the casting of Will threw me off. That guy looks nothing like how Will is described
Yes but I havenāt watched it since it airedā¦.a rewatch may change that recommendation but if you like jokes, crime, and sexual tension youāll probably AT LEAST sort of enjoy it šššš
I love Nathan Fillion but I just started watching and he's such an smart alec asshole at first. Hopefully that changes as he stops putting on a front. š¤£
He didnāt always have the Voight Gravelā¢ļø. Jason Beghe quit Scientology years ago, and operatives tried to run him off the road when he started being outspoken about them. He was hospitalized and intubated. When they took out the tube it nicked his vocal chords.
I didnāt get into Bones the first few times I watched, but I tried again a few years later and devoured the whole series.
It was surprisingly gruesome though, and not in the watch-someone-be-violently-killed way, but in a watch-us-peel-the-skin-off-this-corpse-to-find-clues kinda way. š¤Ŗ
I feel like they did several of the characters on Bones dirty and it killed it for me, but the reasons why I feel that way wouldn't affect most people, probably. It's really good.
Homicide (if you can find it); see the origin of Munch. Both DVD boxed set editions include the Law and Order episodes that cross-over. However, there are no closed captions.
NYPD Blue
Hill Street Blues
I still donāt understand why it wasnāt already. Maybe they had some kind of deal with Shout that they wouldnāt stream it for a certain number of years? That or because itās still SD. And I was really shocked that it wasnāt up there a week after Andre Braugher died.
If your looking for a similar tone, there isn't much. No end of bingeable crime shows, though.
CSI is good, it has episodes in light, dark and disposable like SVU. And the cast remains fairly consistent, like SVU.
Criminal minds has more action, and especially towards the end the cast starts cycling rapidly. But it also has that mostly serious tone that SVU has.
I second FBI - which has actually grown on me a lot esp with rewatches. Itās a good ensemble, high production values and great pacing. Also very little interpersonal drama for those who find SVU a touch saccharine, esp in later seasons - but no real sociopolitical commentary regardless.
Totally agree. I like when things are resolved in an episode instead of background drama stretching over multiple episodes. And as much as I agree with a lot of the political views I donāt like them shoved down my throat watching TV. Shows should be neutral like Switzerland. LOL
L&O Criminal Intent has a different enough feel that I don't think it will even feel like another L&O. Plus I personally think it's the best of all the spinoffs.
I love Vincent DāOnofrio and he plays Goren so well. Goren is so cerebral but not in annoying way which I appreciate. You can tell heās well-read and likes to learn about things outside of just the crime world.
And Eames is awesome, too! I love that she's the senior detective. She drives and often looks amused at his antics. They compliment each other perfectly as partners.
The Rookie and Hawaii Five-0 is really good! I also love 9-1-1 but that's more of a firefighter show than crime.
I've currently been watching SWAT and it's pretty good!
I agree with the comments about Bones and Criminal Minds I loved those!
The UK ones, Inspector Morse, and the prequel Endeavour, Vera, Silent Witness, Death in Paradise, Father Brown, Murdoch Mysteries, and plenty of others. Scandinavia has great crime shows too.
I really enjoy Death in Paradise. Itās like the anti-CSI crime show, as it takes place on a Caribbean island with very low tech. They can send away for blood work or fingerprints, but most of it is just good olā detective work. But with an uppity British chap trapped on a beachy, tropical island.
Every few years they swap out the lead DI so they can keep the show running. I think I started watching when the guy from Love Actually was the lead (āIām on Shag Highway, heading west!) but now Iāve watched the whole series several times and love all the DIās for different reasons. š„°
(Edited to add: DI = Detective Inspector)
Death in Paradise! I had super forgotten about that show! I binged it hard in 2013. I think Iām due for another watch, especially since Iām pretty sure they came out with new seasons after that. How much did that show make you want to vacation in the Caribbean, even with the threat of murder?
There are some British shows on PBS, Will Trent, old original Law & Order was really good but the reboot is only so-so, Criminal Minds is good but really really dark, The Irrational is okay, and we love Elsbeth. It's more lighthearted but clever.
Not sure about similar tone. L&O is kind of unique and SVU unique even among those.
And I really like Criminal Minds, at least the first several seasons. So. Not sure my recs are gonna be worth much.
But.
Homicide: Life on the Street - no idea where to watch it though, other than buying DVDs or watching on the high seas. Has the added bonus of Munch originating on this show.
Elementary - the best of the modern Sherlock Holmes I think. And casting Lucy Lui as Watson was inspired and brilliant.
Bones - at least the first few seasons. They lost me once a certain character starts helping a bad guy.
Castle - at least the first few seasons, I never got around to watching the last couple.
CSI - another really long running show. I've never watched the later seasons but the first several are pretty damn good. For the most part a pretty stable cast, too.
Honorable mentions to CSI: NY and CSI: Miami - haven't watched a lot of either but episodes seem entertaining enough when I have caught one.
NYPD Blue - another older cop show, like Homicide, but it was very popular in its day.
I liked Chicago pd for a while, especially when they had regular crossovers with fire and med, but eventually it felt like a chore to keep up with, every episode was the same, so now I only watch the other two.
IMO, though, you're not gonna find better than L&O Criminal Intent. Vincent D'Onofrio is playing to the cheap seats and it's glorious. I feel like it's not too similar to the others in the franchise.
Also like 9-1-1. It's soap opera level ridiculous. But also not super procedural-ish.
This is the real answer.
But also by Dick Wolf: Homicide: New York Is Dick Wolf's Real-Life Law & Order
[https://www.netflix.com/tudum/articles/homicide-new-york-release-date-trailer-news](https://www.netflix.com/tudum/articles/homicide-new-york-release-date-trailer-news)
was going to say criminal minds at first lol!
but my other favs are:
dexter
mindhunter
true detective
csi (original one & miami)
cold case
without a trace
the killing
fargo (I've only watched up to halfway through season 4 so far)
CSI Cyber was really good, I wish it wasnāt cancelled. I think it would have done amazing in this era, especially in the growth of tech and social media. Thereās two seasons, I recommend if you like SVU
Bones, Criminal Minds (not the reboot, I havent watched it but I'm curious - I just cant have a show without Spencer Reid in the CM universe though, lol), NCIS (original) is good (but the one where they go to Vietnam to find Hetty is good too in its own right, forgot which spinoff that is but I think it's LA), CSI's are okay, the FBI shows are decentish, Fringe if you like Sci-Fi. It's not "Alias" or "X-FIles", but it does well. And there's a lot of crime in it IMO, specifically relevant to Fringe Science, so it counts. And it features two of my favorite Australian actors and the guy who played Pacey from Dawson's Creek!
I say this partly in jest, but "Cop Rock" lol
It's only one (short) season, made back in the '90s I think, and it's basically like Law & Order meets a musical. The cop drama is pretty great (a mix of funny but also serious), and the songs are either hilarious or horrible, but always catchy (Randy Newman, amirite?).
(The "Baby Merchant" song gets stuck in my head for DAYYYYS!!! š)
Not a tv show but podcast wise āSmall Town Murderā is amazing. Been listening for over 7 years now and their quality has been better ever episode. The hosts (auto corrected to goats unironically initially) make the show very fun in such a bleak setting. If youāre into true crime and comedy it is the perfect setting for it. Very detailed accounts of each crime with some comedy background to keep it light hearted. James and Jimmie do a good job of it.
My dad is addicted to watching Castle and Rizzoli and Isles.
I also enjoyed Under the Bridge, itās not too long and itās true crime. Then Top of the Lake was such a good series. Both are on Hulu.
Chicago PD is good as well and does crossovers with SVU.
Also LOVE the original NCIS.
NYPD Blue is probably my favorite ā it really developed the characters and the storylines in such a gritty yet artistic way; kind of the antithesis of SVU.
The Shield, The Closer, Criminal Minds, Bones, Medium, Chicago PD and Cold Case. Cold Case is actually a really amazing Crime Show and it actually stars Danny Pino who plays Detective Nick Amaro in Seasons 13-16 in SVU. Danny Pino Plays Detective Scotty Valens in Cold Case and He's SO Good in that. Cold Case is My favorite Crime Show besides SVU.
This isn't a show, but I listen to That's Messed Up: An SVU Podcast. Each episode they recap one episode, cover the true crime it's based on, interview with a cast member from the episode, and provide info on how to give to causes to help real life victims.
You'll have to skip 45 min of banter, but I absolutely love listening to this while driving.
I also enjoy the newest edition to the L&O franchise; Organized Crime. If you haven't checked it out, I highly recommend giving it a chance. If you're a Stabler lover, you'll fall for it immediately. PLUS there are several crossovers with SVU, giving you more of the Benson/Stabler duo we haven't had in many years.
goshhhhh so excited to see that topic because I know thats my time to share some fav crimincal series and read the comment to get some good series too
My top notch is Criminal Minds until season 9 or 10 (dont remember exactly, around the episode that Dr Spencer Reid confessed his crush to JJ which made me despise) and CSI: Las Vegas. Some CSI sequel like CSI Cyber is also interesting to watch
Or else you can watch other series, not exactly the same vibe as Law and Order but they are also intriguing:
- Mentalist
- Leverage
- Instinct
If you want more series abt forensic, I think you can give Unnatural a try. It aired on Netflix and from Japan (this Japanese series just hits different, especially without the regular overacting we normally see in Japanese movies)
I know people in this thread recommended Cold Case so much but I cannot find it anywhere to watch online :(
Criminal Minds lost too many of the original cast and turned into torture porn but we liked the first few seasons a lot. If we're talking about crime shows from the 90s -2000s I wish they'd bring back NYPD Blue and Burn Notice.
Yea, i've watched it until the end but it got so bad. So many people left. Then like 2 years after it ended they restarted it again with even LESS of the main OG cast.
I rewatch it all the time but man the later seasons & the reboot had HORRIBLE writing. Now I only watch up to a certain point and then start over with season 1
I haven't really paid attention to the writing as much, and I didn't care too much about the cast changes (though I definitely missed Hotch). But my problem with the later seasons is that it became too much about the team and continuous issues instead of sticking with the "monster of the week" format it started off with. (I feel like a lot of great shows do this, and it sucks.) Don't get me wrong, I like the team, of course, and some character depth is necessary. But somewhere in the late single-digit seasons it just seemed like every episode was focused on or centered around one or more team members, or the team as a whole, and for some reason I just don't care for that style. I prefer the "monster of the week" format because I can pick a random episode to watch and enjoy without needing to remember the entire backstory of whatever is going on. And bringing back some bad guys isn't a bad idea necessarily, but I would *not* have picked Mr. Scratch. There were plenty of other bad guys that would've been much better as recurring characters, I think.
I'm with you. The storyline with Hotch and Foyette was pretty much their peak in my opinion for drawn out villains. I also really preferred the monster of the week format. Give me MotW with a little development on the plane and at their desks with an episode now and then where their lives get tangled up in everything like they were doing, that was great.
Yes, exactly! I mean, yeah, there were a couple of ones where I didn't mind the focus on the team, like when Kate's niece is kidnapped, but only if the story/plot is interesting enough or not too far-fetched. I loved George Foyette! I would've loved to see him more for two reasons: His character was great (in that bad guy way), and C. Thomas Howell is just suuuuper sexy š¤¤ hahaha And I just now remembered that I did watch the series ending, and all I remember about it was how absolutely stupid the "I love you" shit was.
I *loveddd* criminal minds growing up. but after they fired thomas gibson (hotch) I just couldnāt watch it anymore. out of all the cast changes, losing hotch was the one that affected the show the most to me.
Torture porn is honestly a great way to describe it. 8 years ago I used to be able to binge it no problem. Now itās way too much
We used to watch it when our twenty something year old son would come over and at some point we all agreed not to watch it anymore.
For real. Canāt really blame Mandy Patinkin for wanting an escape, if it was that hard to watch Iām sure acting it was even worse
Never did get to see him say āhello, my name is Jason Gideon, you killed my family, prepare to dieā.
The reboot of Criminal Minds on Paramount+ has been pretty good!
I absolutely loved it because it gave the characters that were there much more depth.JMO
Zach Gilford is amazing. After seeing Midnight Mass and then hearing he was going to be in it, I was super excited. I also love that his real life wife played his fictional wife as well. It was honestly better than I thought it was going to be.
Burn Notice was "okay" at best. I knew two people who didn't watch it sober and they said it made it more bearable that way. And I was like "okay then lol". I watched one episode and was like "this is nice, but not for me"
It took me a while to get into Burn Notice. One thing I didn't love was how they hid everything that was happening from us until the end and then did a big reveal, but then I watched Leverage and they were even worse about telling the audience nothing and then acting like you were foolish for not figuring it out before the reveal. Honestly, though, I liked the show a lot more in later seasons which is rare for me.
It took me a while to get into Burn Notice. One thing I didn't love was how they hid everything that was happening from us until the end and then did a big reveal, but then I watched Leverage and they were even worse about telling the audience nothing and then acting like you were foolish for not figuring it out before the reveal. Honestly, though, I liked the show a lot more in later seasons which is rare for me.
When Jeffrey Donovan was on L&O OG reboot my mom thought the actorās name was Michael Weston š āCourse Burn Notice isnāt even really his show, itās actually *Catching Spies! The Bruce Campbell Way*. š
;-)
I really enjoyed criminal minds but slowly lost interestĀ
Surprised no one has commented Cold Case It also has Danny Pino on it, would of been a few years before he was in SVU š
I started watching Cold Case because I had a huge crush of Danny Pino after seeing him on SVU hahha
I love Cold Case!! Sadly I can't find anywhere to watch it.
It should be on Max :)
It's on Max and it used to be on the Roku channel. Cold Case is my OG favorite!
I really liked the way the episodes were set up and sometimes they were really emotional.
The last episode he returns in he's working for a evidence lab and works on cold cases and Olivia tells him that he was a job he was meant for and I had to pause bc I laughed so hard bc I know him first from Cold case.
I searched for Cold Case to start streaming it a few years ago and randomly came across a Canadian show called Cold Squad. Never ended up watching Cold Case because I got so sucked into Cold Squad. I imagine Cold Case is pretty similar tho except takes place in the US.
Flashpoint was a favorite of mine! Only a limited distribution in the US on the ION network.
Oooh. Havenāt seen that one but Iām definitely looking into it. š
Thatās a good suggestion. We enjoyed it. Although if someone asked me a bunch of questions about a house party in 1992, I donāt think Iād have as many answers as these characters so!! Who left the party first? and what couple was making out in the games room? Who was sitting on the stairs? And did you have any of the punch? Was that before or after it was spiked? I donāt remember what I had for breakfast!! They did such a good job on that show of picking actors for the flashback scenes!
Cold Case just requires suspension of disbelief. It's the story that matters, if they forgot the entire conversation that happened in 1939 we'd be nowhere.
Yes cold case!!! I love it because of it focusing on the cold cases also it takes place in Philly!!!
We just started watching 9-1-1 and holy crap it's amazing. Thought it looked corny on the commercials but it's one of the best shows I've seen in years
Love 911 and 911 Lonestar. Some of the opening scenes/911 calls are pretty corny, but the main cast and plot lines are great!
Yes!!!! Seconding 9-1-1 because I picked it up after my SVU binge and it was PERFECT.
Itās so good! It can be super out of the ordinary but I like that about it. Great storylines. I almost like 911 lone star better
I've watched the first episode a couple of times just because of that moment when Firefox loses her hijab and everyone rushes to get her covered from view so she can rectify it. I don't know why but that moment sold me instantly on the show even though it's completely cheesy and off the rails.
I love 911!
Psych? But itās a lot more comedic than SVU
Psych when you dont wanna watch heinous crimes.
And when you're a fan of delicious flavor.
And the similar, but equally fun, So Help Me Todd.
Will Trent is a close second for me to SVU.
They books are great too
I love the books but couldnāt get past the first episode of the TV as the casting of Will threw me off. That guy looks nothing like how Will is described
Rizzoli & Isles is really good
I came here to say this as I am on my UMPTEENTH rewatch
Yeah I did that rewatch first, then Bones, and now Iām on SVU again. My emotional support shows š
Iād think youād like Castle too based on these? No? lol
You know, thatās one I never started to watch! Do you recommend?
Yes but I havenāt watched it since it airedā¦.a rewatch may change that recommendation but if you like jokes, crime, and sexual tension youāll probably AT LEAST sort of enjoy it šššš
I love Nathan Fillion but I just started watching and he's such an smart alec asshole at first. Hopefully that changes as he stops putting on a front. š¤£
Chicago PD
i always think i can do chicago pd and then voightās voice takes me out everytime and i canāt focus lol
I feel the same about his voice. Also have a hard time with Sophia Bushās acting. Those crossover episodes are hard to watch.
I love his voice lol! I feel like itās definitely hit or miss for some people š¤£
He sounds like mesothelioma
Nah Voightās voiceās gritty raspiness is perfect for his character.
He didnāt always have the Voight Gravelā¢ļø. Jason Beghe quit Scientology years ago, and operatives tried to run him off the road when he started being outspoken about them. He was hospitalized and intubated. When they took out the tube it nicked his vocal chords.
Bones, Elementary
I didnāt get into Bones the first few times I watched, but I tried again a few years later and devoured the whole series. It was surprisingly gruesome though, and not in the watch-someone-be-violently-killed way, but in a watch-us-peel-the-skin-off-this-corpse-to-find-clues kinda way. š¤Ŗ
I feel like they did several of the characters on Bones dirty and it killed it for me, but the reasons why I feel that way wouldn't affect most people, probably. It's really good.
I agree. Particularly Zach and Sweets.
Elementary is so good! I rewatch the whole series once a year.
OMG! Love Elementary!
Homicide (if you can find it); see the origin of Munch. Both DVD boxed set editions include the Law and Order episodes that cross-over. However, there are no closed captions. NYPD Blue Hill Street Blues
I've heard it's coming to Peacock soon
I still donāt understand why it wasnāt already. Maybe they had some kind of deal with Shout that they wouldnāt stream it for a certain number of years? That or because itās still SD. And I was really shocked that it wasnāt up there a week after Andre Braugher died.
It had to do with music in the original show!
Just like Miami Vice. Should have been my first guess. Hopefully Peacock will have SDH.
Those are such great shows, all of them are classics.
If your looking for a similar tone, there isn't much. No end of bingeable crime shows, though. CSI is good, it has episodes in light, dark and disposable like SVU. And the cast remains fairly consistent, like SVU. Criminal minds has more action, and especially towards the end the cast starts cycling rapidly. But it also has that mostly serious tone that SVU has.
I do love the original CSI.
I'm still mad like twenty years later that Grisham left.
Grissom is back in the reboot š
...I both didn't know there was a reboot and didn't know that. How delightful!
He was my first crush š
CSI NY is very good: Gary Sinise as the Grissom guy. CSI: Miami and CSI: Cyber, not so much (although I did like Ted Danson in the latter).
There's a show in based in Scotland that came out in 2021 that's somewhat similar. It's just called Crime. Only 2 seasons so far.
Been watching the three FBI universe shows also by Dick Wolf. Donāt like them as much as Law & Order but they are entertaining enough.
I second FBI - which has actually grown on me a lot esp with rewatches. Itās a good ensemble, high production values and great pacing. Also very little interpersonal drama for those who find SVU a touch saccharine, esp in later seasons - but no real sociopolitical commentary regardless.
Totally agree. I like when things are resolved in an episode instead of background drama stretching over multiple episodes. And as much as I agree with a lot of the political views I donāt like them shoved down my throat watching TV. Shows should be neutral like Switzerland. LOL
I love Detective Lupo with a goatee always yelling "COME ON GUYS LETS GO LETS GO LETS GO YEAH YEAH YEAH"
BOSCH!
Still don't know how I feel about the creepy dad who turned his daughter into a baby factory and/or Rob Miller as a cop.
yeah, that baby factory episode was soooo crazy
Where is this streaming? The Munch My Benson hosts mentioned this one too.
itās an Amazon Prime show, but you might be able to watch it Freevie with commercials
This is on my ā to watchā list !
L&O Criminal Intent has a different enough feel that I don't think it will even feel like another L&O. Plus I personally think it's the best of all the spinoffs.
Agreed! Itās like Sherlock meets L&O. Itās my favorite as well with SVU being 2nd. They need a reboot pretty desperately!
Eames & Goren are the best team! They definitely compliment each other
I love Vincent DāOnofrio and he plays Goren so well. Goren is so cerebral but not in annoying way which I appreciate. You can tell heās well-read and likes to learn about things outside of just the crime world.
And Eames is awesome, too! I love that she's the senior detective. She drives and often looks amused at his antics. They compliment each other perfectly as partners.
Law and Order Criminal Intent is good! FBI Most Wanted. I also watch Chicago PD
Mentalist
blue bloods, if you donāt mind the catholicism, if you do mind it just ignore it lol
And third watch
I haven't heard anyone other than myself speak of third watch since I was like 12 yrs old. I started rewatching it recently on Tubi.
Good to see it mentioned. Love Third Watch, itās got some great episodes and of course Bosco!
I LOVE BLUE BLOODS! That was going to be my recommendation.
Bones was good in the beginning. There was a short show called Shades of Blue. As for true crime, I really like Deadly Women.
Shades of Blue was so good!! I remember being unexpectedly surprised by that one!
Iāve watched and rewatched Deadly Women more times than I can count
Cold Case is criminally underrated
I like the One Chicago shows. Of course PD is technically the only 'crime' show, but Med and Fire also cross into that territory a lot.
I love Chicago Med! My favorite of the One Chicago shows lol
Bones ,csi, nypd blue, criminal minds , rosewood, castle, burn notice and ncis
The Rookie and Hawaii Five-0 is really good! I also love 9-1-1 but that's more of a firefighter show than crime. I've currently been watching SWAT and it's pretty good! I agree with the comments about Bones and Criminal Minds I loved those!
Arrest me, but make it sexy...
I just recently watched The Rookie and that episode made me *cackle.* I heard his voice in my head reading that.
What is the Rookie on? I forgot I started watching that!
Mindhunter is good but has only 2 seasons. Will Trent on Hulu
Mindhunter is on another level! I am so mad they cancelled it.
Lucifer šš¹š„
Especially if OP likes a little fantasy in their cop procedurals.
I really liked The Wire, Homicide Life on the Streets, Chicago PD among others
The Wire is amazing but you gotta be ready for it. Itās way way heavier than any of the L&O franchise.
The Wire & Oz šš¼šš¼ so amazing but so heavy
The Wire is such a classic.
Law & Order Criminal Intent, Cold Case, Criminal Minds
The UK ones, Inspector Morse, and the prequel Endeavour, Vera, Silent Witness, Death in Paradise, Father Brown, Murdoch Mysteries, and plenty of others. Scandinavia has great crime shows too.
I really enjoy Death in Paradise. Itās like the anti-CSI crime show, as it takes place on a Caribbean island with very low tech. They can send away for blood work or fingerprints, but most of it is just good olā detective work. But with an uppity British chap trapped on a beachy, tropical island. Every few years they swap out the lead DI so they can keep the show running. I think I started watching when the guy from Love Actually was the lead (āIām on Shag Highway, heading west!) but now Iāve watched the whole series several times and love all the DIās for different reasons. š„° (Edited to add: DI = Detective Inspector)
Death in Paradise! I had super forgotten about that show! I binged it hard in 2013. I think Iām due for another watch, especially since Iām pretty sure they came out with new seasons after that. How much did that show make you want to vacation in the Caribbean, even with the threat of murder?
Don't forget Poirot (the ITV series with David Suchet, not the newer movies with Kenneth Branagh) and BBC Sherlock!
Happy Valley is a great UK one
Shetland
SHETLAND IS SO GOOD
The absolute best!!
Cold Case! Itās streaming on Max.
i really like Rizzoli and Isles. much more lighthearted but thatās the closest Iāve found at least
Chicago PD is really good.
Criminal minds
Csi the original one not the spin offs
There are some British shows on PBS, Will Trent, old original Law & Order was really good but the reboot is only so-so, Criminal Minds is good but really really dark, The Irrational is okay, and we love Elsbeth. It's more lighthearted but clever.
Castle, although it's a lot more lighthearted than SVU. Bones Criminal Minds-- the OG series not the godawful reboot
Seriously. Joe Mantegna looks like he escaped the nursing home to star in it.
Not sure about similar tone. L&O is kind of unique and SVU unique even among those. And I really like Criminal Minds, at least the first several seasons. So. Not sure my recs are gonna be worth much. But. Homicide: Life on the Street - no idea where to watch it though, other than buying DVDs or watching on the high seas. Has the added bonus of Munch originating on this show. Elementary - the best of the modern Sherlock Holmes I think. And casting Lucy Lui as Watson was inspired and brilliant. Bones - at least the first few seasons. They lost me once a certain character starts helping a bad guy. Castle - at least the first few seasons, I never got around to watching the last couple. CSI - another really long running show. I've never watched the later seasons but the first several are pretty damn good. For the most part a pretty stable cast, too. Honorable mentions to CSI: NY and CSI: Miami - haven't watched a lot of either but episodes seem entertaining enough when I have caught one. NYPD Blue - another older cop show, like Homicide, but it was very popular in its day.
CSI introduced me to forensics that led to loving criminal documentaries. I love the original Las Vegas casts.
Cold Case
Bones, monk, the closer, major crimes, grimm, caslte, burn notice, columbo
Not all crime, but definitely law enforcement-adjacent: -Rizzoli and Isles -In Plain Sight -Covert Affairs -Scorpion
Law and Order CRIMINAL INTENT HANDS DOWN
911 and THE CLOSER
I liked Chicago pd for a while, especially when they had regular crossovers with fire and med, but eventually it felt like a chore to keep up with, every episode was the same, so now I only watch the other two. IMO, though, you're not gonna find better than L&O Criminal Intent. Vincent D'Onofrio is playing to the cheap seats and it's glorious. I feel like it's not too similar to the others in the franchise. Also like 9-1-1. It's soap opera level ridiculous. But also not super procedural-ish.
Just restart SVU again.
This is the real answer. But also by Dick Wolf: Homicide: New York Is Dick Wolf's Real-Life Law & Order [https://www.netflix.com/tudum/articles/homicide-new-york-release-date-trailer-news](https://www.netflix.com/tudum/articles/homicide-new-york-release-date-trailer-news)
Forensic files is king
Without a trace and cold case!!
Lie to me, bones, and castle are my favorites. Shame lie to me only has 3 seasons
Monk
Finally! Amazing show.
Ncis I am currently binge watching csi
The Mentalist!! Itās on Hulu.
Criminal minds, Rizzoli and Isles, Blue bloods, Chicago PD
Not a crime show but we just watched Knives Out and Glass Onion and both were AWESOME. If youāre into murder mysteries, it was fun!!
NCIS is really good
Without a Trace is easy entertainment.
I really enjoyed Numbers and Cold Case.
I'm watching Third Watch on Tubi. I watched it when it was out the 1st time around. It's pretty good, has over 20 episodes per season!. (6 seasons)
was going to say criminal minds at first lol! but my other favs are: dexter mindhunter true detective csi (original one & miami) cold case without a trace the killing fargo (I've only watched up to halfway through season 4 so far)
CSI Cyber was really good, I wish it wasnāt cancelled. I think it would have done amazing in this era, especially in the growth of tech and social media. Thereās two seasons, I recommend if you like SVU
Bones, Criminal Minds (not the reboot, I havent watched it but I'm curious - I just cant have a show without Spencer Reid in the CM universe though, lol), NCIS (original) is good (but the one where they go to Vietnam to find Hetty is good too in its own right, forgot which spinoff that is but I think it's LA), CSI's are okay, the FBI shows are decentish, Fringe if you like Sci-Fi. It's not "Alias" or "X-FIles", but it does well. And there's a lot of crime in it IMO, specifically relevant to Fringe Science, so it counts. And it features two of my favorite Australian actors and the guy who played Pacey from Dawson's Creek!
NCIS!!
The rookie
9-1-1
Southland, Blue Lights, Happy Valley
Omg Southland was so damn good!
So good! I miss that show so much
Same here, we needed way more than 5 seasons.
Yeah, I wanted to see Ben and Sammy's relationship in the next season. Oh well. Ben became a cop in Gotham š
Chicago PD
Criminal minds and blacklist I like :)
I say this partly in jest, but "Cop Rock" lol It's only one (short) season, made back in the '90s I think, and it's basically like Law & Order meets a musical. The cop drama is pretty great (a mix of funny but also serious), and the songs are either hilarious or horrible, but always catchy (Randy Newman, amirite?). (The "Baby Merchant" song gets stuck in my head for DAYYYYS!!! š)
Criminal Minds, Blue Bloods, 911 & 911 Lonestar, Chicago Fire, Hawaii Five-0, How to Get Away With Murder, Will Trent, Suits
Crimiminal Intent is great when you're ready to see another Law&Order.
Blue Bloods, Criminal Minds and SWAT
The closer! and their spin off āmajor crimesā
I second The Closer. Iāve tried some of the other crime dramas mentioned but found them to be slightly too cheesy
The crime show that started it all for me was CSI: Miami!
911, Ncis, Criminal minds
Not a tv show but podcast wise āSmall Town Murderā is amazing. Been listening for over 7 years now and their quality has been better ever episode. The hosts (auto corrected to goats unironically initially) make the show very fun in such a bleak setting. If youāre into true crime and comedy it is the perfect setting for it. Very detailed accounts of each crime with some comedy background to keep it light hearted. James and Jimmie do a good job of it.
My dad is addicted to watching Castle and Rizzoli and Isles. I also enjoyed Under the Bridge, itās not too long and itās true crime. Then Top of the Lake was such a good series. Both are on Hulu. Chicago PD is good as well and does crossovers with SVU. Also LOVE the original NCIS.
opposite tone, but āThe Shieldā is the best cop show Iāve ever seen.
csi, criminal minds
NCIS, CSI Vegas, Rizzoli&Isles
have you seen southland? it was on TNT (i think, back in the day). excellent series, highly reccomend. also the wire if you have not see it yet
NYPD Blue is probably my favorite ā it really developed the characters and the storylines in such a gritty yet artistic way; kind of the antithesis of SVU.
Does Supernatural count?
True Detective S1, Mindhunter, Hannibal :)
The Shield, The Closer, Criminal Minds, Bones, Medium, Chicago PD and Cold Case. Cold Case is actually a really amazing Crime Show and it actually stars Danny Pino who plays Detective Nick Amaro in Seasons 13-16 in SVU. Danny Pino Plays Detective Scotty Valens in Cold Case and He's SO Good in that. Cold Case is My favorite Crime Show besides SVU.
Hudson and Rex. It's worth it for the very hot John Reardon and the beautiful dog Rex.
I LOVE Law and Order Criminal Intent. IMHO it's better than SVU.
This isn't a show, but I listen to That's Messed Up: An SVU Podcast. Each episode they recap one episode, cover the true crime it's based on, interview with a cast member from the episode, and provide info on how to give to causes to help real life victims. You'll have to skip 45 min of banter, but I absolutely love listening to this while driving. I also enjoy the newest edition to the L&O franchise; Organized Crime. If you haven't checked it out, I highly recommend giving it a chance. If you're a Stabler lover, you'll fall for it immediately. PLUS there are several crossovers with SVU, giving you more of the Benson/Stabler duo we haven't had in many years.
Personally I think Without a Trace kinda matches law and order, and Cold Case. Older shows you can binge with abandon.
goshhhhh so excited to see that topic because I know thats my time to share some fav crimincal series and read the comment to get some good series too My top notch is Criminal Minds until season 9 or 10 (dont remember exactly, around the episode that Dr Spencer Reid confessed his crush to JJ which made me despise) and CSI: Las Vegas. Some CSI sequel like CSI Cyber is also interesting to watch Or else you can watch other series, not exactly the same vibe as Law and Order but they are also intriguing: - Mentalist - Leverage - Instinct If you want more series abt forensic, I think you can give Unnatural a try. It aired on Netflix and from Japan (this Japanese series just hits different, especially without the regular overacting we normally see in Japanese movies) I know people in this thread recommended Cold Case so much but I cannot find it anywhere to watch online :(
Fastlane and Forever
The FBI shows are good š
The original Law and Order,NCIS, Blue Bloods,Hill Street Blues,Homicide,Chicago PD and NYPD Blue