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The Blacklist poster

Shows that feel likeThe Blacklist (2013–2023)

Raymond "Red" Reddington, one of the FBI's most wanted fugitives, surrenders in person at FBI Headquarters in Washington, D.C. He claims that he and the FBI have the same interests: bringing down dangerous criminals and terrorists. In the last two decades, he's made a list of criminals and terrorists that matter the most but the FBI cannot find because it does not know they exist. Reddington calls this "The Blacklist". Reddington will co-operate, but insists that he will speak only to Elizabeth Keen, a rookie FBI profiler.

If you loved The Blacklist, the closest series we have are Criminal Minds (2005), Elementary (2012) and White Collar (2009). All three share The Blacklist's contemplative and gritty feel, which is what we rank on before quality.

Seen the big three already? The under-the-radar pick below is The Chestnut Man (2021).

★ 7.9 IMDb ↗TMDB ↗10 seasons · NBCcreated by Jon Bokenkampcontemplativegrittytwisty
11 of 12 streaming nowNetflix · HBO Max · Amazon Prime Video
Stream it:Netflix ↗

If The Blacklist hit the spot, these will too

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

Monster-of-the-week manhunts

The difference: Straight 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.

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

A brilliant irregular embedded with the authorities

The difference: Recovering-addict 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.

White Collar poster
White Collar
2009–2014 · 6 seasons · USA Network
★ 8.2crime · drama · mysteryHulu

A charming criminal working with the FBI on his own terms

The difference: Lighter and much warmer, with a proper double act

In exchange for his freedom, charming con artist Neal Caffrey provides his expertise to help straight-man FBI agent Peter Burke catch elusive white-collar criminals.

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

Experts who see through everyone

The difference: Deception-science cases

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.

Slow Horses poster
Slow Horses
2022– · 6 seasons · Apple TV
★ 8.4crime · drama · mysteryApple TV+

A brilliant, insufferable boss running rejects

The difference: MI5 loser-spies wit

Follow a dysfunctional team of MI5 agents—and their obnoxious boss, the notorious Jackson Lamb—as they navigate the espionage world's smoke and mirrors to defend England from sinister forces.

Defending Jacob poster
Defending Jacob
2020 · 1 season · Apple TV
★ 7.7drama · mystery · crimeApple TV+

Families warped by criminal secrets

The difference: Parental legal drama

A family's lives are irreparably disrupted when the 14-year-old son is accused of murdering a fellow classmate.

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

FBI intrigue with serialized reveals

The difference: Recruit timeline puzzle

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.

The Outsider poster
The Outsider
2020 · 1 season · HBO
★ 7.6drama · mystery · crimeMax

Investigations bending toward the inexplicable

The difference: Supernatural King gloom

When an insidious supernatural force edges its way into a seemingly straightforward investigation into the gruesome murder of a young boy, it leads a seasoned cop and an unorthodox investigator to question everything they believe in.

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

Both keep coming back to the same thing: the investigation

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.

Mare of Easttown poster
Mare of Easttown
2021 · 1 season · HBO
★ 8.4drama · crime · mysteryMax

Damaged investigators and buried town secrets

The difference: Grounded prestige

A detective in a small Pennsylvania town investigates a local murder while trying to keep her life from falling apart.

Bates Motel poster
Bates Motel
2013–2017 · 5 seasons · A&E
★ 8.1drama · crime · mysteryPrime Video

Charm wrapped around something dangerous

The difference: Prequel character study

A "contemporary prequel" to the 1960 film Psycho, depicting the life of Norman Bates and his mother Norma prior to the events portrayed in Hitchcock's film, albeit in a different fictional town and in a modern setting. The series begins after the death of Norma's husband, when she purchases a motel located in a coastal Oregon town so she and Norman can start a new life.

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

Magnetic mentors with hidden agendas

The difference: Law-school soap

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.

In the mood for more contemplative?

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The best-reviewed series that share The Blacklist’s defining feeling.