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The Mentalist poster

Shows that feel likeThe Mentalist (2008–2015)

Patrick Jane, a former celebrity psychic medium, uses his razor sharp skills of observation and expertise at "reading" people to solve serious crimes with the California Bureau of Investigation.

If you loved The Mentalist, the closest series we have are Lie to Me (2009), NCIS (2003) and White Collar (2009). Most of the picks below share The Mentalist's playful and twisty feel, which is what we rank on before quality.

Seen the big three already? The under-the-radar pick below is The Alienist (2018).

★ 8.2 IMDb ↗TMDB ↗7 seasons · CBScreated by Bruno Hellerwittyplayfultwistycozy
11 of 12 streaming nowNetflix · HBO Max · Amazon Prime Video
Stream it:Hulu ↗

If The Mentalist hit the spot, these will too

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

Reading people as a superpower

The difference: Deception-science 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.

NCIS poster
NCIS
2003– · 24 seasons · CBS
★ 7.8crime · drama · action & adventureNetflixHulu

Both are built on the same subject: criminal investigation

The difference: Takes it somewhere less twisty than The Mentalist does

From murder and espionage to terrorism and stolen submarines, a team of special agents investigates any crime that has any connection to Navy and Marine Corps personnel, regardless of rank or position.

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

A charming rule-bender solving crimes on his own terms

The difference: Con-artist partnership

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.

Bones poster
Bones
2005–2017 · 12 seasons · FOX
★ 7.8crime · dramaPrime VideoHulu

Witty where it counts, playful underneath

The difference: Easier on the twists than The Mentalist

Dr. Temperance Brennan and her colleagues at the Jeffersonian's Medico-Legal Lab assist Special Agent Seeley Booth with murder investigations when the remains are so badly decomposed, burned or destroyed that the standard identification methods are useless.

Suits poster
Suits
2011–2019 · 9 seasons · USA Network
★ 8.4dramaNetflix

Cozy drama, and it commits to that

While running from a drug deal gone bad, Mike Ross, a brilliant young college-dropout, slips into a job interview with one of New York City's best legal closers, Harvey Specter. Tired of cookie-cutter law school grads, Harvey takes a gamble by hiring Mike on the spot after he recognizes his raw talent and photographic memory.

Psych poster
Psych
2006–2014 · 8 seasons · USA Network
★ 8.4drama · comedy · crimePrime VideoPeacock

A fake psychic charming a police department into using him

The difference: Broader comedy and a best-friend double act

Thanks to his police officer father's efforts, Shawn Spencer spent his childhood developing a keen eye for detail (and a lasting dislike of his dad). Years later, Shawn's frequent tips to the police lead to him being falsely accused of a crime he solved. Now, Shawn has no choice but to use his abilities to perpetuate his cover story: psychic crime-solving powers, all the while dragging his best friend, his dad, and the police along for the ride.

Schitt's Creek poster
Schitt's Creek
2015–2020 · 6 seasons · CBC Television
★ 8.5comedyMaxHulu

Crime built on wit, twice over

The difference: Leans harder into comedy than The Mentalist does

Formerly filthy rich video store magnate Johnny Rose, his soap star wife Moira, and their two kids, über-hipster son David and socialite daughter Alexis, suddenly find themselves broke and forced to live in Schitt's Creek, a small depressing town they once bought as a joke.

CSI: Crime Scene Investigation poster
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
2000–2015 · 15 seasons · CBS
★ 7.7crime · drama · mysteryHuluParamount+

Evidence-first case solving

The difference: Forensic flagship

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.

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

Unconventional methods scandalizing the establishment

The difference: Period procedural

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 Blacklist poster
The Blacklist
2013–2023 · 10 seasons · NBC
★ 7.9drama · crime · mysteryNetflix

A brilliant irregular running circles around the bureau

The difference: Villain-list engine

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.

Monk poster
Monk
2002–2009 · 8 seasons · USA Network
★ 8.1drama · comedy · crimePrime Video

A brilliant consultant whose gift comes with obvious damage

The difference: Gentler and sadder, with comedy doing the lifting

Adrian Monk was once a rising star with the San Francisco Police Department, legendary for using unconventional means to solve the department's most baffling cases. But after the tragic (and still unsolved) murder of his wife Trudy, he developed an extreme case of obsessive-compulsive disorder. Now working as a private consultant, Monk continues to investigate cases in the most unconventional ways.

Scream: The TV Series poster
Scream: The TV Series
2015–2019 · 3 seasons · MTV
★ 7drama · crime · mystery

A killer who leaves a signature and a personal message

The difference: Teen slasher, and no detective to enjoy

What starts as a YouTube video going viral, soon leads to problems for the teenagers of Lakewood and serves as the catalyst for a murder that opens up a window to the town's troubled past. Everyone has secrets. Everyone tells lies. Everyone is fair game.

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