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Published May 17, 2026, 5:54 PM EDT
Giulia Campora is a freelance journalist at the moment. Her longtime dream is to become an entertainment reporter and work for a digital or paper magazine in New York. She aims to give the most truthful news about celebrities, music, TV, and movies, with reviews and lists as well.
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Watching detective shows is always explosive, as it blends action, suspense, romance, and sometimes horror (the cases that end being gruesome) all in one. Furthermore, audiences always get emotionally attached to every detective present in a show. A grand example can be seen in longtime Criminal Minds and Law and Order, with both shows still having ongoing reboots and remakes after years of airing, such as Criminal Minds: Evolution, and Law and Order: Special Victims Unit.
But what makes a detective show so compelling to watch is the fact that there is a myriad of cases that writers can take inspiration from or create, which ensures that viewers tune in for a new episode each week. So, Collider has put together a compilation of titles that can be watched over and over (it's not a ranking), because they are simply too good not to rewatch. Without further ado, grab a notebook, some snacks, and begin binge-watching these detective shows.
10 'Murder, She Wrote' (1984-1996)
Image via CBSWatching reruns of this series as a kid, Murder, She Wrote was actually my first introduction to detective shows when I was a child, as it has been for many. This renowned series has been nominated for various Golden Globes and Emmy Awards throughout its entire 12-season run. Additionally, its lead actress has won four of the Golden Globes she was nominated for, and still holds the record for the most nominations for an actress ever. Despite the actress having passed away, there is an upcoming movie in the works, in which Jamie Lee Curtis takes the late actress' spot, releasing in 2027.
Murder, She Wrote tells the story of Jessica Fletcher (the iconic Angela Lansbury), an English teacher who is currently widowed but has become a bestselling mystery writer. Because of her deep intellect, she helps the police solve crimes while traveling or in her fictional town named Cabot Cove, Maine. This show is a comforting one for many, including myself, as Lansbury's witty and clever portrayal in this role has marked an important moment in our childhoods.
9 'A Good Girl's Guide To Murder' (2024-)
Image via NetflixThe newest Netflix adaptation of the young adult mystery book series of the same name, written by Holly Jackson, A Good Girl's Guide To Murder is a coming-of-age detective series that focuses on the story of Pippa "Pip" Fitz-Amobi (Wednesday's very own Enid, Emma Myers), a 17-year-old who chooses to pursue an investigation on an old, closed murder case for her school project. Specifically, it's the case of the murder of teenager Andie Bell (India Lillie Davis), who was allegedly killed five years ago by her boyfriend, Sal Singh (Rahul Pattni), who then died of suicide. But, according to Pip, the true killer wasn't Sal; it just never came to light. So, Pip, alongside Ravi Singh (Zain Iqbal), Sal's brother, tries to find out the truth. The writer of the books, Jackson, was also one of the creators who oversaw the production of this series attentively.
This show features the suspense of a classic detective show, as our heroine dives deeper into this case, and she ends up uncovering secrets about her fictional town, Little Kelton. This series' first season was wild to watch, as it brings viewers, who have not read the book, along every single one of Pip's steps to uncover the truth of this case. Myers and Iqbal's performances deliver in a way that will make you not get enough of these two on screen together. So if you haven't watched it yet, catch up as quickly as you can, because a second season will be released on May 27.
8 'IZombie' (2015-2019)
Image via the CWIZombie is a series that has a fun twist: the actual detective is a doctor, but turned into a zombie! This series is actually based on the DC Comics comic book series of the same name, written by Chris Roberson and Michael Allred, released under DC's entertainment publication, Vertigo imprint, from 2010 to 2012. This series, released in 2015, stars Rose McIver as Olivia Moore, nicknamed Liv by her friends, who was a medical resident at her university.
When Olivia attends a party, she ends up getting in the middle of a zombie frenzy invasion and actually becomes a zombie. Determined to have a normal life, she gets hired at a morgue to help out with her new diet. When she eats the brains of people, she gets their memories and unlocks clues as to how they were murdered in the first place. So, with the help of her new boss, she becomes a non-professional detective, solving cases in her town. This series is a fun and comedic take on zombies, which makes it feel lighthearted for the viewer to watch. It is such an underrated and great series!
7 'Lucifer' (2016-2021)
Image via NetflixThis fantasy detective series, Lucifer, is something that takes your attention from its action-packed pilot. It is considered to be an original take on the famous DC Comics character, which tells the story of Lucifer Morningstar (Tom Ellis), yes, the devil himself. As the original biblical story goes, Lucifer is sent to Hell after he rebelled against God. Here, it happens differently. This time, he ends up on Earth, Los Angeles specifically, seeking freedom, and even opens his own nightclub in the process, named Lux. As he lives a playboy life, one day someone gets shot in his nightclub, which makes him cross paths with the most beautiful girl he has ever seen, police officer Chloe Decker (Lauren German). After that, he becomes her crime consultant, beginning to solve cases together, with more secrets about Lucifer and Chloe's past being slowly uncovered, growing closer to one another as a result.
The first two seasons previously aired on Fox, but the series was canceled by the network right on the biggest cliffhanger. So, fans made lots of petitions on social media to save the series, and that got the attention of Netflix, which ended up renewing it for another four seasons, because of its huge popularity after being transferred to the streaming platform. Ellis and German's chemistry and phenomenal portrayals of their roles in this series will keep you hooked to the end.
6 'NCIS' (2003-)
Image via CBSOne of the longest detective shows out there, NCIS is specifically a police procedural series, which is a subcategory of detective shows. However, rather than previously focusing on military-involved/terrorism-type cases in its earlier seasons, it leans into dealing with crime cases later on, still in this year's action-packed season 23. This series has always been very beloved by the audience since its release in 2003, despite its cast changes throughout the years.
However, most of the series' spin-offs, like, for example, NCIS: Origins, have overshadowed their predecessor, but NCIS still holds ground on network television. NCIS, an acronym for Naval Criminal Investigative Service, was first led by Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs (Mark Harmon) till season 19. Since then, it has been led by FBI agent Alden Parker (Gary Cole). This series focuses specifically on the Major Case Response Team (MCRT), which is stationed in Washington, D.C.
5 'Law And Order: Special Victims Unit' (1999-)
Image via NBCLaw and Order: Special Victims Unit is a long-running, popular detective series. Most of its beloved original characters are still there, an example being its main leads, such as Special Agents Olivia Benson (Marisha Hargitay) and Elliot Stabler (Christopher Meloni). The series is now renewed for a 28th season.
Law and Order: Special Victims Unit, unlike its predecessor, has its team, the NYPD's Special Victims Unit, not focusing on murder cases, but on cases related to a sexual nature. That is what makes this spin-off very interesting and compelling enough to watch. Furthermore, the (still slow-burning) chemistry between Hargitay and Meloni, and the phenomenal performance from Hargitay in her role as Olivia, will keep you hooked enough for you to be able to catch up before the next season airs.
4 'CSI: New York' (2004-2013)
Image via Disney+CSI: New York, a spin-off of CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, is always a fond memory for me, because it's the second approach I had to crime dramas when I was around 12 years old, after Murder, She Wrote. I always used to sneak into my grandma's living room and watch a few reruns of this series, despite being a scaredy-cat, because this series fascinated me, easing me into loving this genre of TV, even today. However, this series has some differences from its predecessor, as it leans into focusing more on the dynamics between the team while solving crime cases in the gritty, dark city of New York, rather than the opposite, which happens in CSI: Crime Scene Investigation. Every character felt more realistic here than its predecessor and its third spin-off, CSI: Miami, so I related to it more as a viewer, while also appreciating the fundamental, yet usual, stereotypes of this genre.
CSI: New York tells the story of the Crime Scene Investigation team in New York, led by the phenomenal Detective Mac Taylor (Gary Sinise), who leads his team into solving crime cases by using advanced forensic science procedures. Sinise's performance is what kept me watching this show in the first place. And the cases were also fascinating, being able to draw viewers in easily till the end.
3 'White Collar' (2009-2014)
Image via USA NetworkAnother underrated detective series that deserves more attention. White Collar is one of Matt Bomer's first introductions to the industry! The way he portrays this role as Neil Caffrey (Bomer), a charming yet brilliant con-man, is one of the things that makes this series worth your time. Honorable mentions go to the late Willie Garson, who portrayed Neil's unlikely ally, Mozzie, and Hilarie Burton, who portrayed one of Neil's best love interests, Sara Ellis; she gave her character a flair and natural charm that no other female character had in this series.
White Collar tells the story of Neil (Bomer), who has been eluding the FBI for years, with agent Peter Burke (Tim DeCay) not being able to catch him. But one day, he finally did and was arrested. When he runs away from prison, Burke catches him again, but Caffrey proposes a deal: not go to prison and help the police catch other long-sought criminals like him instead. The dynamic between Bomer and DeCay is what ensures that this series will keep you hooked till its end.
2 'Detective Conan' (1996-)
Image via TMS EntertainmentOne of the longest-running animes, even more than One Piece, Detective Conan can definitely be considered a detective/mystery series to add to this compilation. This series has spawned over 29 very successful movies throughout the anime's run since 1996, with a 30th movie being released in 2027. The series' characters are well-written, so it's easy to get attached to them. And the plot? It's simply so addicting. However, the anime now spans over 1000+ episodes, but the cases are still interesting enough for you to watch them.
Detective Conan, created by Gosho Aoyama and Kazunari Kouchi, tells the story of Shinichi Kudo (voiced by Kappei Yamaguchi), a teenager still in high school, but dreaming of becoming a great detective like his idol, Sherlock Holmes. One day, while being at an amusement park with his best friend Ran Mouri (voiced by Wakana Yamazaki), he finds out there is a secret organization meeting and, because of his undying curiosity, he gets ambushed by them, as they inject him with a deadly poison. Fortunately, this poison doesn't kill him, but it shrinks him back to the age of eight years old. So, with the help of family friend Dr. Hiroshi Agasa (voiced by Kenichi Ogata), he assumes the identity of Conan Edogawa (voiced by Minami Takayama), going to live with Ran and her dad, the egotistical detective Kogoro Mouri (voiced by Akira Kamiya), till he finds the antidote to get back to his normal age, and solves the cases for Kogoro without him knowing. How? He comically puts him to sleep each time, with a stun-gun wristwatch, posing as Kogoro with a voice-changing bowtie, both given to him and created by Dr. Agasa. This show's world is infinite, so I suggest catching up as soon as possible, because you won't regret it, trust me.
1 'Criminal Minds' (2005-)
Image via CBSCriminal Minds is simply one of the best detective shows out there. I don't make the rules. Criminal Minds focuses on exploring the dark, twisted minds of the psychopaths and serial killers that live among us. The BAU team is led by Unit Chief Aaron Hotchner (Thomas Gibson), as they fight daily to bring these disturbing people to justice.
What Criminal Minds does differently from other crime shows out there is that the darkness of the reasons why killers do what they do traumatizes the team directly in each episode. Each case is brilliantly associated with what each member of the team is going through at the moment, making sure the team's bond and sense of familiarity with one another grow for the better each season. This is what the Criminal Minds: Evolution revival has lost after the end of its predecessor, in my opinion, but it is still pretty popular on Paramount+, now renewed for a 20th season.
Release Date September 22, 2005
Showrunner Erica Messer
Writers Bruce Zimmerman, Virgil Williams, Edward Allen Bernero, Janine Sherman Barrois, Chris Mundy, Simon Mirren, Debra J. Fisher, Kimberly A. Harrison, Jay Beattie, Dan Dworkin, Karen Maser, Oanh Ly, Stephanie Sengupta, Aaron Zelman, Kirsten Vangsness, Erica Meredith, Andi Bushell, Holly Harold, Alicia Kirk, Jeff Davis, Randy Huggins, Edward Napier, Jayne A. Archer, Chikodili Agwuna
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Kirsten Vangsness
Penelope Garcia
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English (US) ·