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CSI: NY poster

Shows that feel likeCSI: NY (2004–2013)

Follow the investigations of a team of NYPD forensic scientists and police officers identified as "Crime Scene Investigators".

If you loved CSI: NY, the closest series we have are Columbo (1971), The Killing (2011) and Elementary (2012). All three share CSI: NY'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 IMDb ↗TMDB ↗9 seasons · CBScreated by Ann Donahuegrittycontemplativetwisty
11 of 12 streaming nowNetflix · HBO Max · Amazon Prime Video

Not on subscription streaming right now. Rent or buy below.

If CSI: NY hit the spot, these will too

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

Common ground in both: detective and murder investigation

The difference: Made in the 1970s, in a different era of the craft

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.

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

The same preoccupation in both: detective

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.

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

Both rooted in New York City

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.

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

Two things both keep coming back to: crime investigation and police procedural

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.

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

Gritty where it counts, contemplative underneath

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.

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

One thread runs through both: murder investigation

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.

NCIS: Los Angeles poster
NCIS: Los Angeles
2009–2023 · 14 seasons · CBS
★ 6.8action & adventure · drama · crime

Both keep coming back to the same thing: spin off

The difference: Leans harder into action & adventure than CSI: NY does

The exploits of the Los Angeles–based Office of Special Projects (OSP), an elite division of the Naval Criminal Investigative Service that specializes in undercover assignments.

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

Crime built on twists, twice over

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 Chestnut Man poster
The Chestnut Man
2021–2026 · 2 seasons · Netflix
★ 7.6drama · crime · mysteryNetflix

Both lean on grit more than on drama

At a grisly murder scene sits a figurine made of chestnuts. From this creepy clue, two detectives hunt a killer linked to a politician's missing child.

Quantico poster
Quantico
2015–2018 · 3 seasons · ABC
★ 6.7crime · drama · mystery

Contemplative mystery in both cases

A diverse group of recruits has arrived at the FBI Quantico Base for training. They are the best, the brightest and the most vetted, so it seems impossible that one of them is suspected of masterminding the biggest attack on New York City since 9/11.

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

Common ground: police procedural

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.

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

Both are built on the same subject: homicide detective

The difference: Takes it somewhere less twisty than CSI: NY does

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.

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The best-reviewed series that share CSI: NY’s defining feeling.