We put an excess of effort just scrolling through all the shows and not being able to commit to one for a longer time. As in relationships, commitment to a TV show is also a hard decision as the show could go on for a prolonged period. Additionally, you can’t miss out on the most astounding stuff out there. You will find the list of Top crime TV shows all the time on critic sites but you can’t always rely on them.
Don’t go with the Ratings
Some rely on the ratings of IMDB, Rotten Tomatoes etc. These ratings are never a clear indication of the quality of content as they are based on the biased user ratings.
If you are here, it means you love “Crime” like many of us do, because of the drama, intensity, plot twists, blood, and fire involved in this genre. Let’s jump straight the list of best crime TV shows of all time
5. Dexter
Dexter Morgan, a serial killer, has impeccable skills of killing and dumping the bodies without leaving any trace on the earth. He has a sister in the police and guess what? Dexter Morgan also works at the same station as a bloodstain pattern analyst.
Just by looking at the pattern of blood, he could say a lot more than many postmortems end up telling.
The Gist
Mostly shot in the hot city of Miami gives you chills in almost every episode as the story is so gripping and full of CRIME. Dexter tries everything to keep you on the edge of your seats and succeeds most of the time.
You would be praying for a serial killer/sociopath to escape and what do you get after showering so much love? The shitty ending of the show.
RATING
4. Narcos
The story is of the drug kingpin PABLO ESCOBAR who won’t stop saying “Hijueputa” which means “Son of Bitch” and make you google the meaning of this slang. It takes you through the ups and downs of the cartel without failing to amuse you at any point.
The Gist
The show is full of drugs, blood, nudity and whatnot.
It’s certainly a treat for someone who loves watching bloodshed and admires the history of cartels. It’s a true story of the increase in the reach of cocaine drug cartels all across the world and the struggle of the administration to take down “Pablo Escobar”.
Rating
3.The Sopranos
It’s the veteran in this list and will remain in the top spots for a foreseeable future. The story is based in New Jersey and New York where two mafias control the land, sky, and water of illegal happenings in the region.
Revolves around Italian Americans who are known to be criminals and maintain high standards in society. Anthony John Soprano Sr. usually referred to as Tony is boss of the family(family here means gang) who would kill you with bare hands and is depressed at the same time.
The Gist
The story starts with Tony, secretly consulting a psychiatrist due to the recent panic attacks while grilling meat.
It is directed in a way, you will fall in love with the character portrayed as an Alfa Male. Tony has the vibrance of fucking every woman he wants(happens in the show) despite an unhealthy physique.
Rating
2. Breaking Bad
The fans of “Breaking Bad” must be breaking balls as they want this wondrous crime drama to be the first on the list. This is the case because they haven’t watched the topper of the list. We will get to that!
The breaking of bad revolves around a Chemistry teacher who gets diagnosed with stage-3 lung cancer, surprisingly he never smoked in his life and is depressed due to the underachievement throughout his life. The story tells you about Walter White or Heisenberg who is an expert in producing crystallized methamphetamine; the purest anyone else has ever produced. He gets accompanied by Jese Pinkman, who was the student of Walter in school.
The Gist
Breaking bad is known for Heisenberg but also for the characters like Gus Fring, a respected drug boss and a philanthropist. Then there are known criminals like Tuco Salamanca, and Hector Salamanca who are dangerous and make you laugh with fear at times. Some characters like Skinny Pete and, Badger add the essence of naive humour to keep us involved.
The show is legendary due to the perfect portrayal of all the characters (The ones who get enough screen time). Every character complements the storyline and contributes to the plot building.
Rating
1. The Wire
The former police reporter David Simon has authored this masterclass. The show is based and made in the city of Baltimore which is full of illegal drug-related activities and cold-hearted murders, even children get involved in the rides.
The name is inspired by the continuous wiretapping of the phone calls of the drug dealers, both legally and illegally by the police department. The show offers you everything a Crime Drama could come up with.
The Gist
The lead character James Jimmy McNulty is a detective in the Baltimore Police Station. He believes, he is more talented than everyone else so he ignores the chain of command and works on his own. This lands him in trouble for not following the orders, even gets him suspended. Apart from that he is an alcoholic and fighting his ex-wife for the child support.
Then there is Stringer Bell, different from other drug lords. He goes for an economics class and, wants to launder money for legalizing the drug and other illegal empires.
This highly rated show is known for the flawless screenplay with every character getting the required screentime. Finding imperfection in the direction, storytelling will be perverse which makes “The Wire” the best Crime TV Show ever made.
Rating
Also See: BEST ANIME BINGE WATCH LIST OF ALL TIME: A BEGINNER’S GUIDE
Verdict on Crime TV shows of all Time
You can’t end up blowing any of these crime TV shows as they kept the audience entertained all the time. The list is exhaustive but, there are many other shows like
- The Night of
- Homeland
- Fargo
- Mindhunter
- Boardwalk Empire
- Peaky Blinders
- Prison Break
- Ozark
Once you have seen the top 5 crime shows of all time then go for the above-listed ones too.