As humans, we constantly need to be reminded that ‘crime doesn’t pay’ or to see the human face on the other side of the fence. What better than a TV show to do just that! These top ten best crime TV shows have done just that throughout the ages.
Best Crime TV Shows
Law and Order
This is the longest-running American crime series from 1990 to 2010 on NBC. It was shot in New City and features both the investigation of a crime, the suspect’s arrest and prosecution from the District Attorney’s office. With over 1,000 hours of programming, this show has influenced police operations over the years.
NYPD Blue
This multi award winning series was created by Steven Bochno and David Milsch and aired on ABC Network from 1993 to 2005. Featuring over 261 episodes, it was, until 2016, ABC’s longest running primetime one hour drama series. It is notable for its realistic portrayal of the cast's personal and professional lives.
Sherlock Holmes
Produced by British television company Granada Television between 1984 and 1994, these series were adaptations of the short story collections by Arthur Conan Doyle. The series was broadcast on the ITV network in the UK. 9 series were released with a total of 42 episodes that covered 60 Holmes stories.
Bones
This crime procedural drama TV series featured on Fox from 2005 to 2017 and covered 246 episodes in twelve seasons. The series features a brilliant forensic anthropologist who handles cases referred by the FBI and can find out everything about a dead body by investigating its bones.
Dexter
Aired on Showtime/ CBS from 2006 to 2013, with reruns on CBS in 2008, this series is set in Miami and features a forensic technician specializing in blood spatter pattern analysis for the fictional Miami Metro Police Department who leads a secret parallel life as a vigilante serial killer.
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
Aired on CBS from 2000 to 2015, this American procedural forensics crime drama television series consists of 15 seasons featuring a dedicated group of forensic investigators at the Las Vegas Crime Lab work who work to solve often-grisly crimes in Sin City.
Criminal Minds
This TV series which aired on CBS from 2005, is another police procedural crime drama created and produced by Jeff Davis. It has run for 13 seasons and the 14th season is set to be aired in October this year. It features a special unit of the FBI, the behavioral Analysis Unit that tries to understand the mind of a criminal so as to anticipate their next moves.
Orange Is the New Black
This comedy-drama web TV series was based on Piper Kerman’s memoir, Orange is the New Black: My Year in a Women’s Prison. Produced by Tilted Productions in association with Lionsgate Television, the series was created by Jenji Kohan for Netflix in 2013 and is currently Netflix's most-watched original series. The series has been nominated and won numerous awards.
Brooklyn Nine-Nine
This police TV series created by Dan Goor and Michael Schur features five seasons aired on Fox from 2013 to May 2018. Produced as a single camera comedy, the show, which from May 2018 to date, airs on NBC is loved for its portrayal of serious issues with humor.
Breaking Bad
This crime drama series spanning five seasons, featured on AMC from 2008-2013 and profiles a man’s descent into the world of drug crime. Created by Vince Gilligan, the award winning series were in 2013 entered into the Guinness World Records as the most critically acclaimed show of all time.
