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CSI: Crime Scene Investigation poster

Shows that feel likeCSI: Crime Scene Investigation (2000–2015)

A Las Vegas team of forensic investigators are trained to solve criminal cases by scouring the crime scene, collecting irrefutable evidence and finding the missing pieces that solve the mystery.

If you loved CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, the closest series we have are Columbo (1971), Lie to Me (2009) and The Killing (2011). All three share CSI: Crime Scene Investigation's gritty and contemplative feel, which is what we rank on before quality.

Seen the big three already? The under-the-radar pick below is Law & Order (1990).

★ 7.7 IMDb ↗TMDB ↗15 seasons · CBScreated by Ann Donahuegrittycontemplativetwisty
12 of 12 streaming nowNetflix · HBO Max · Amazon Prime Video
Buy seasons:Amazon see price ↗Apple TV$14.99 buyCSI: The Complete Series · Apple price as of 2026-09-06

If CSI: Crime Scene Investigation hit the spot, these will too

Columbo poster
Columbo
1971–2003 · 10 seasons · ABC
★ 8.3crime · drama · mysteryPrime VideoPeacock

The original methodical case-closer

The difference: Inverted-mystery charm

Columbo is a friendly, verbose, disheveled-looking police detective who is consistently underestimated by his suspects. Despite his unprepossessing appearance and apparent absentmindedness, he shrewdly solves all of his cases and secures all evidence needed for indictment. His formidable eye for detail and meticulously dedicated approach often become clear to the killer only late in the storyline.

Lie to Me poster
Lie to Me
2009–2011 · 3 seasons · FOX
★ 8crime · drama · mysteryHulu

Science reading the crime scene and the face

The difference: Behavioral gimmick

The world's leading deception researcher, Dr. Cal Lightman, studies facial expression, body language and tone of voice to determine when a person is lying and why, which helps law enforcement and government agencies uncover the truth. But his skills also make it easier for him to deceive others.

The Killing poster
The Killing
2011–2014 · 4 seasons · AMC
★ 8.3drama · crime · mysteryHulu

Evidence trails under gray skies

The difference: Serialized single case

The Killing is an American crime drama television series based upon the Danish television series Forbrydelsen. Set in Seattle, Washington, the series follows the various murder investigations by homicide detectives Sarah Linden and Stephen Holder.

Criminal Minds poster
Criminal Minds
2005– · 19 seasons · CBS
★ 8.1crime · drama · mysteryPrime VideoHulu

Evidence versus psychology as the way in

The difference: Profiler focus

An elite team of FBI profilers analyze the country's most twisted criminal minds, anticipating their next moves before they strike again. The Behavioral Analysis Unit's most experienced agent is David Rossi, a founding member of the BAU who returns to help the team solve new cases.

Elementary poster
Elementary
2012–2019 · 7 seasons · CBS
★ 7.9drama · mystery · crimePrime VideoHulu

Deductive craft applied case by case

The difference: Character-driven Holmes

A modern-day drama about a crime-solving duo that cracks the NYPD's most impossible cases. Following his fall from grace in London and a stint in rehab, eccentric Sherlock escapes to Manhattan where his wealthy father forces him to live with his worst nightmare - a sober companion, Dr. Watson.

The Alienist poster
The Alienist
2018–2020 · 2 seasons · TNT
★ 7.7drama · crime · mystery

Forensics before anyone believed in it

The difference: 1896 period grime

New York, 1896. Police commissioner Theodore Roosevelt brings together criminal psychologist Dr. Laszlo Kreizler, newspaper illustrator John Moore and secretary Sara Howard to investigate several murders of male prostitutes.

Castle poster
Castle
2009–2016 · 8 seasons · ABC
★ 8.1drama · crimePrime VideoHulu

A weekly case cracked by a team who like working together

The difference: Banter-forward, with a writer tagging along

After a serial killer imitates the plots of his novels, successful mystery novelist Richard "Rick" Castle receives permission from the Mayor of New York City to tag along with an NYPD homicide investigation team for research purposes.

Bosch poster
Bosch
2015–2021 · 7 seasons · Prime Video
★ 8.5mystery · drama · crimePrime Video

Methodical police work carried by professionals who take it seriously

The difference: One detective, serialised, and much more sombre

Harry Bosch, an LAPD homicide detective, stands trial for the fatal shooting of a serial murder suspect. A cold case involving the remains of a missing boy forces Bosch to confront his past. As daring recruit Julia Brasher catches his eye and departmental politics heat up, Bosch will pursue justice at all costs.

Law & Order poster
Law & Order
1990– · 26 seasons · NBC
★ 7.8crime · dramaNetflixHulu

Common ground in both: police and homicide detective

The difference: Less twisty, more its own thing

In cases ripped from the headlines, police investigate serious and often deadly crimes, weighing the evidence and questioning the suspects until someone is taken into custody. The district attorney's office then builds a case to convict the perpetrator by proving the person guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. Working together, these expert teams navigate all sides of the complex criminal justice system to make New York a safer place.

The Night Of poster
The Night Of
2016 · 1 season · HBO
★ 8.4crime · drama · mysteryMax

One thread runs through both: murder investigation

After a night of partying with a female stranger, a man wakes up to find her stabbed to death and is charged with her murder.

The Undoing poster
The Undoing
2020 · 1 season · HBO
★ 7.4drama · crime · mysteryMax

Common ground: murder investigation

The difference: Made in the 2020s, in a different era of the craft

Grace and Jonathan Fraser are living the only lives they ever wanted. Overnight a chasm opens in their lives: a violent death and a chain of terrible revelations. Left behind in the wake of a spreading and very public disaster, Grace must dismantle one life and create another for her child and her family.

Luther poster
Luther
2010–2019 · 5 seasons · BBC One
★ 8.4crime · drama · mysteryMaxHulu

Investigators reading a scene for what the killer wanted them to see

The difference: British, bleak, and about the detective falling apart

A dark psychological crime drama starring Idris Elba as Luther, a man struggling with his own terrible demons, who might be as dangerous as the depraved murderers he hunts.

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The best-reviewed series that share CSI: Crime Scene Investigation’s defining feeling.