5 TV crime shows to watch this week (August 29-September 3, 2023)

As August comes to a close and Labor Day hits, there’s more time to catch up on some TV crime shows. With the networks still in limbo thanks to the strikes across Hollywood, it’s time to see what else can be offered on TV.

Thankfully, this week, PBS has a trio of British mystery shows to offer while a couple of big season premieres happen on other networks. There is something for everyone to watch.

Here are five TV crime shows to check out for the week of Aug. 29-Sept. 3rd and enjoy as fall comes around!

5 TV crime shows to check out this week

Professor T

The kick-off to a new night of mysteries on PBS, it’s the second season of the series best described as the British version of Monk. Ben Miller is back in the title role of the criminology professor with OCD and an overbearing mother who aids the police in solving crimes. Of course, he also drives the cops crazy with his antics, even as his brilliance helps crack cases.

Season 2 involves a murdered baker, a student set on fire, a drug war, and T insisting an “open and shut case” isn’t so open and shut. Expect more of the dark humor to spark this unique show.

Professor T Season 2 premieres on Sunday, Sept. 3 at 8/7c on PBS.

Unforgotten

It’s the return of one of the UK’s top mystery shows and with a dramatic new look. Following the shocking death of Nicola Walker’s Cassie Stuart in the Season 4 finale, Sinead Keenan debuts as her replacement, Jessica James. She obviously has a learning curve in winning the trust of the team, especially Sunny Khan (Sanjeev Bhaskar).

It’s not helped by the fact that James just discovered her husband cheating on her on her first day of work. The main mystery is discovering a body in a London home that once more ties seemingly unrelated folks together. The new face promises to spark this series in a bold new way.

Unforgotten Season 5 premieres on Sunday, Sept. 3 at 9/8c on PBS.

Van der Valk

The Amsterdam-set police drama is back with a new trio of two-part mysteries. Piet van der Valk (Marc Warren) and Lucienne Hassell (Maimie McCoy) investigate the murder of a jogger, a museum curator, and a possible occult-related death at a demon-summoning ritual.

Amid all that, we have two new cops joining the case while Piet’s old love interest is back. Expect more of the quirky banter of the cops sparking a new season of drama.

Van der Valk Season 3 premieres on Sunday, Sept. 3 at 10/9c on PBS

The Chelsea Detective

The second season of the quirky British crime series introduces new cop DS Layla Walsh (Vanessa Emme). She quickly learns to handle the strange antics of DI Max Arnold (Adrian Scarborough) as they work on a mystery involving a murdered art gallery owner.

From there, Arnold will work with other cops on other cases, continuing to explore the strange underpinnings of Chelsea with humor mixed in among the mysteries.

The Celesea Detective Season 2 premieres on Monday, Aug. 28, on Acorn TV.

Power Book IV: Force

The newest entry in Starz’s crime franchise has Tommy Egan (Joseph Sikora) rising up to be a top player in the Chicago drug world. Having survived a shootout that claimed his lieutenant, Tommy is out to prove himself and wage war for control of the Chicago drug trade.

To do that, Tommy sets off a conflict between two rival cartels so he can whittle down the competition. However, that also makes him new enemies alongside a federal task force targeting the city, and so Tommy has to use a lot of force to survive the coming battles.

Power Book IV: Force Season 2 premieres on Friday, Sept. 1 at 8/7c on Starz.

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