10 Underrated Recent Detective TV Shows You Probably Missed

Detective and crime TV shows are always being produced, and while some make headlines, there are plenty that fly under the radar. However, that doesn’t mean these shows are any less compelling or lack the drive to capture audiences’ attention. While the crime procedural uses many of the elements of the detective series, there’s a central difference between them. Procedurals focus on a new crime every week, while most prestige detective shows look at an overarching narrative that takes many twists throughout a season. This creates further opportunities for character development and narrative turns.

Plenty of detective TV shows like Sherlock follow the story of a central investigator who’s tortured by their past but is also the best at what they do. However, the other characters who make up these dramas’ ensembles are equally important, as the mystery of who committed the crime and how they got away with it is what drives the plot forward. Underrated detective TV shows often spend ample time exploring their characters and make the viewer care deeply about what happens to all of them. Even if these shows only had one season, they still present fully-formed narratives.

10 Stumptown (2019–2020)

Cobie Smulders is a tough but fair PI in this Portland, Oregon-based series

Cobie Smulders stars in Stumptown as the PI Dex Parios, and though she’s best known for playing Robin on How I Met Your Mother, Smulders is unrecognizable in her role. Set up as a traditional crime-of-the-week police procedural, Stumptown grows more serialized as it progresses, with Dex’s development playing a central role. Smulders is joined by Jake Johnson, who plays Grey, Dex’s friend and the type of guy always getting himself into trouble. Their friendship plays a key role in how the overarching plot of the series unfolds.

Despite its short run, there’s a lot to recommend Stumptown, especially for audiences looking for a short but thrilling watch. Getting to know Dex and seeing her struggle is the biggest draw of the show. She must balance the responsibilities of her personal life with her growing attachment to her cases. Stumptown works because Dex is a flawed character who isn’t an all-knowing savant but a regular person with the grit, determination, and intelligence to take on the biggest criminals in town.

9 Ridley (2022–Present)

A British drama that unfolds slowly but deliberately

British police procedurals are some of the best within the genre, as heavyweights like Broachchurch and The Fall have revolutionized the detective series landscape. Ridley will likely join the ranks of these exciting projects, as the show is currently in its second season, and the stakes will be higher than ever. Adrian Dunbar plays the titular Alex Ridley, a retired Detective Inspector who is pulled back into the thick of an investigation. His protégé, Carol Farman (Bronagh Waugh), has now taken his place in the department.

Farman seeks Ridley’s help in a mystifying case that begins with the death of a farmer in town. The chemistry between Dunbar and Waugh is what propels the story forward, and their ability to handle the many twists and turns of the case keeps the audience rooting for them. Though Ridley has a slower pace than some of its contemporaries, the series has enough surprises that the viewer will never get bored.

8 The Sinner (2017–2021)

Each season of The Sinner exposes an even deeper, darker secret

It speaks to the quality of The Sinner that the series went on for as long as it did. Though it was initially imagined as a miniseries, The Sinner soon developed into a full-blown anthology TV show that features a new slate of incredible actors each season. Bill Pullman anchors each installment as Harry Ambrose, the detective investigating the improbable and devastating murders that the show revolves around. Highlights of the seasons include Jessica Biel, Matt Bomer, and Carrie Coon.

What makes The Sinner different from other crime TV shows is that the culprit of the crimes is often clear. It’s the journey to uncovering their motivations that become the thrust of the plot. Ambrose knows that only truly terrible things will drive innocent people to violence, and he attempts to uncover how deeply these conspiracies and secrets go within seemingly idyllic small towns. Each season sees the past weigh deeply on Ambrose as he encounters the worst of humanity.

7 Top Of The Lake (2013–2017)

Elisabeth Moss isn’t the only reason to watch this gripping drama

Elisabeth Moss has starred in many excellent TV series, from Mad Men to The Handmaid’s Tale, but her lesser-known show, Top of the Lake, deserves the same level of recognition. She plays Detective Robin Griffin, and though Griffin isn’t investigating a murder but a disappearance, the subject matter of Top of the Lake is still difficult. Dealing with issues of sexual violence, Top of the Lake is a heavy show, but it deals with these topics with empathy.

While Top of the Lake season 2 doesn’t quite live up to the tight narrative of season 1, it’s still an interesting continuation and explores the central characters even further. Gwendoline Christie joins the cast as Griffin in season 2, and her performance and dynamic with Moss is a significant part of the season’s success, as well as the introduction of Nicole Kidman. Set in New Zealand in season 1 and Australia in season 2, the show utilizes its setting well, juxtaposing beautiful visuals with tragic circumstances.

6 Sugar (2024–Present)

A Los Angeles-set noir series with an unexpected twist

Not only one of the best crime series but also one of the best sci-fi TV shows of 2024, Sugar has an unexpected twist that makes the series all the more compelling. Deeply in conversation with classic Hollywood film noir movies of the decades past, Sugar is stylistically gorgeous and isn’t afraid to be referential in its plotting and aesthetics. While Sugar would be an incredible watch without the genre-bending aspects of the story, they raise the stakes and put a ticking clock on Sugar’s investigation.

Colin Farrell is John Sugar, a PI who gets entangled in the disappearance of a young woman in a story similar to that of classics like Chinatown. Where Sugar season 2 will take John on his quest for justice and understanding the impulses of humanity is up in the air, as Sugar has been recently renewed for season 2 (via Variety). How the series will up the ante and include even more insight into Sugar’s past is sure to keep audiences guessing until the series’ conclusion.

5 A Good Girl’s Guide To Murder (2024–Present)

A small town is upended by a young woman’s murder, and a local teen wants to solve the case

Based on the novel of the same name by Holly Jackson, A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder encompasses the first installment of the series, which follows Pip as she attempts to uncover the mystery of a cold case that plagues her town. Played by Emma Myers, known for her role as Enid on Wednesday, Pip is a fiercely determined protagonist who, despite her age and lack of resources, will not be denied from getting to the bottom of a mysterious murder.

It’s quickly revealed that Pip has a personal connection to the case, as she feels responsible for the young woman’s death. While most of the town believes one story about the crime, Pip knows that there’s something deeper going on and soon learns awful truths about the people closest to her. As she delves further into the crime, Pip realizes the bitter cost of the truth and that she’s the kind of person who’s willing to pay it.

4 Monsieur Spade (2024)

Samuel Spade is brought back to the screen for a new type of case

The character Samuel Spade is the iconic detective created by the writer Dashiell Hammett in the 1930 novel, The Maltese Falcon. Though Humphrey Bogart is considered the definitive Spade thanks to his portrayal in the 1941 film, Clive Owen reinvents the investigator in Monsieur Spade, an exploration of what Spade might have become after the events of the novel. Set in the early 1960s, Spade is living in France, away from the action, when he gets sucked back into a case.

Monsieur Spade is an interesting continuation of the original version of Spade, which saw him as the archetypal noir detective who was always one step ahead. Older and more disillusioned, this Spade is a product of his time and doesn’t quite know where he fits into the changing world. This is a compelling backdrop for the murders that disrupt the idyllic countryside he’s inhabiting and makes for stronger character development next to the intriguing plot.

3 Presumed Innocent (2024)

Jake Gyllenhaal plays a complex and slippery protagonist whose motivations are impossible to pin down

Presumed Innocent is a different kind of detective show, as the series doesn’t focus on the investigator as the main character but the suspect. Jake Gyllenhaal plays Rusty Sabich, a lawyer who works as a prosecutor for the city of Chicago who’s accused of killing his colleague after it comes to light that they were having an affair. A remake of the original 1990 movie of the same name, both versions of Presumed Innocent draw inspiration from the 1987 by David E. Kelley.

The plot heats up as the investigators look into Rusty’s past and his marriage, while his colleagues and friends turn away from him, as they’re the people who will be pursuing the case in court. It’s a complex and interweaving story that makes the audience question if Rusty is the killer with every new episode. Whether or not the audience is on Rusty’s side, each character in the series must draw their own conclusions and decide if they want to trust him or see him tried in court.

2 Lady In The Lake (2024)

The many sides of a murder are shown through the eyes of two women

The ethics of investigation are called into question in The Lady in the Lake, the thriller series based on Laura Lippman’s novel of the same name. Moses Ingram plays Cleo Johnson, a woman who was murdered in 1960s Baltimore, and Natalie Portman plays Maddie Schwartz, a woman who grows frustrated with her life and leaves her family to investigate the murder of a young girl. Jumping between the women’s perspectives, The Lady in the Lake slowly intertwines their stories and shows the parallels between them.

Additionally, The Lady in the Lake explores how the media and police overlook and disregard crimes committed against marginalized groups, which is what happens to Cleo. Though Maddie becomes obsessed with getting to the bottom of the young girl and Cleo, she still operates within a position of privilege in the world and is using these crimes as a means to escape her unsatisfying life. With this strong social commentary and thrilling murder cases, The Lady in the Lake is a layered addition to the genre.

1 Three Pines (2022)

A kind detective pieces together the worst of humanity’s crimes while believing in goodness

Based on the novels by Louise Penny, Three Pines follows the many investigations of Chief Inspector Armand Gamache, who’s brought to life by Alfred Molina in the series. The series is set in the titular town of Three Pines, Quebec, which is wracked by murders that it falls to Armand to get to the bottom of. Three Pines is a callback to the detective stories of old and sees Armand slowly put together the pieces of the crimes similar to the classic murder mystery detectives his character was inspired by.

Molina was the perfect choice to play Armand Gamache, as he embodied the kindness and empathy that Armand brings to every case. Even in the face of violence and destruction, Armand is sure to find the silver lining and believe the best in the people around him. This is an important perspective, especially in a crime thriller, as the tough subject matter can weigh on the audience. However, his insight and intelligence are what makes Three Pines worth watching.