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Law & Order poster

Shows that feel likeLaw & Order (1990–)

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.

If you loved Law & Order, the closest series we have are Chicago P.D. (2014), American Crime Story (2016) and Castle (2009). All three share Law & Order'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 Justified (2010).

★ 7.8 IMDb ↗TMDB ↗26 seasons · NBCcreated by Dick Wolfgrittycontemplative
11 of 12 streaming nowHBO Max · Amazon Prime Video · Hulu

If Law & Order hit the spot, these will too

Chicago P.D. poster
Chicago P.D.
2014– · 14 seasons · NBC
★ 8.1crime · dramaPrime VideoPeacock

Dick Wolf working the same nerve twice

The difference: 24 years apart, and the 2010s show

A riveting police drama about the men and women of the Chicago Police Department's District 21 who put it all on the line to serve and protect their community. District 21 is made up of two distinctly different groups: the uniformed cops who patrol the beat and go head-to-head with the city's street crimes and the Intelligence Unit that combats the city's major offenses - organized crime, drug trafficking, high profile murders and beyond.

American Crime Story poster
American Crime Story
2016–2021 · 3 seasons · FX
★ 8.4crime · dramaHulu

Common ground in both: police and lawyer

An anthology series centered around some of history's most famous criminal investigations.

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

Both rooted in New York City

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.

FBI poster
FBI
2018– · 9 seasons · CBS
★ 7.1crime · action & adventure · dramaParamount+

Dick Wolf directing both, with the same fingerprints on each

The difference: Leans harder into action & adventure than Law & Order does

The New York office of the FBI brings to bear all their talents, intellect and technical expertise on major cases in order to keep their city and the country safe.

CSI: NY poster
CSI: NY
2004–2013 · 9 seasons · CBS
★ 7crime · drama · mystery

Both are working the same pair: homicide detective, crime investigation

The difference: Sits closer to mystery than Law & Order does

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

Dexter: New Blood poster
Dexter: New Blood
2021–2022 · 1 season · Showtime
★ 8drama · crimeParamount+

Common ground: police

10 years after Dexter went missing in the eye of Hurricane Laura, we find him living under an assumed name in the small town of Iron Lake, New York. Dexter may be embracing his new life, but in the wake of unexpected events in this close-knit community, his Dark Passenger beckons.

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Power
2014–2020 · 6 seasons · STARZ
★ 8.1crime · dramaHuluStarz

The same mix in both: grit, then stillness

A successful New York entrepreneur lives a double life as the head of a drug empire that serves only the rich and influential, all while wanting to escape the underworld and keep his family safe.

Blue Bloods poster
Blue Bloods
2010–2024 · 14 seasons · CBS
★ 7.7crime · dramaPrime VideoParamount+

Crime with a pulse of grit, in both cases

A drama about a multi-generational family of cops dedicated to New York City law enforcement. Frank Reagan is the New York Police Commissioner and heads both the police force and the Reagan brood. He runs his department as diplomatically as he runs his family, even when dealing with the politics that plagued his unapologetically bold father, Henry, during his stint as Chief.

Justified poster
Justified
2010–2015 · 6 seasons · FX
★ 8.6crime · dramaHulu

Both lean on stillness more than on drama

A character drama based on the 2001 Elmore Leonard short story "Fire in the Hole." Leonard's tale centers around U.S. Marshal Raylan Givens of Kentucky, a quiet but strong-willed official of the law. The tale covers his high-stakes job, as well as his strained relationships with his ex-wife and father.

How to Get Away with Murder poster
How to Get Away with Murder
2014–2020 · 6 seasons · ABC
★ 8.1crime · drama · mysteryHulu

Both keep coming back to the same thing: legal drama

A sexy, suspense-driven legal thriller about a group of ambitious law students and their brilliant, mysterious criminal defense professor. They become entangled in a murder plot and will shake the entire university and change the course of their lives.

Deadwood poster
Deadwood
2004–2006 · 3 seasons · HBO
★ 8.6western · crime · dramaMax

Crime built on grit, twice over

The story of the early days of Deadwood, South Dakota; woven around actual historic events with most of the main characters based on real people. Deadwood starts as a gold mining camp and gradually turns from a lawless wild-west community into an organized wild-west civilized town. The story focuses on the real-life characters Seth Bullock and Al Swearengen.

El Chema poster
El Chema
2016–2017 · 2 seasons · Telemundo
★ 6.9crime · dramaPeacock

Contemplative drama in both cases

Follow one man's epic journey as he transforms from wily underage drug smuggler to one of the world's most infamous cartel leaders.

In the mood for more gritty?

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The best-reviewed series that share Law & Order’s defining feeling.