Even though network TV is on hiatus due to the SAG strike, there’s one thing to count on: TV fare in late October gets thinner as even streamers prefer to wait for November for some major shows. That includes TV crime shows.
But that doesn’t mean there’s nothing to enjoy, as there are few items to check out. They include some docudramas, a Lifetime movie and an underrated Canadian cop show now available for a big binge.
Here are five TV crime shows to check out for Oct. 23-29 and still enjoy for viewers.
5 TV crime shows to check out this week
Get Gotti
For decades, John Gotti ruled the New York City mob scene like a real-life Godfather. The “Teflon Don” managed to deflect scores of investigations until, at last, in 1991, he was convicted of numerous charges and died in prison in 2002.
This new Netflix docuseries talks to FBI agents, prosecutors, and even members of Gotti’s gang to get the inside scoop on how one of Gotti’s most trusted advisors was the key to finally taking him down and why he remains such a fascinating figure in the New York City underworld.
Get Gotti premieres on Tuesday, Oct. 24 on Netflix.
The Sommerdahl Murders
Season 4 of the British drama arrives on Acorn TV with more complications for DCI Dan Sommerdahl. His wife has been distant and now wants a divorce and a new rival for her affections is his own best friend.
Despite all that, Sommerdahl and partner Detective Flemming Torp must handle crimes in their Danish town, ranging from college kids dying of a drug overdose to a racing scandal, even as Sommerdahl’s private life may be the biggest mystery of all.
The Sommerdahl Murders Season 4 premieres on Monday, Oct. 23 on Acorn TV.
The Devil on Trial
Right in time for Halloween comes this spooky Netflix docudrama. It explores the first and only time that demonic possession has been used as a legitimate defense in a U.S. murder trial. Accused of killing his landlord in 1981, Arne Johnson claimed he had been possessed by a demon in a case that made headlines.
Using news footage and reenactments with interviews with those involved, the docudrama looks at the strange case and the question if this was all a desperate defense or if Johnson was truly serious when he claimed “the Devil made me do it.”
The Devil on Trial is now streaming on Netflix.
Would You Kill For Me? The Mary Bailey Story
It’s another quirky Lifetime original movie based on a wild true story. At just 11 years old, Mary Elizabeth Bailey was coaxed into killing her abusive stepfather. The movie tells the story from the perspectives of Mary (Presley Allard), her mother Veronica (Olivia Scriven) and grandmother Ella (Melissa Joan Hart).
It tells the ups and downs of the women handling this abusive man and what drove Mary to commit the crime while questioning if her mother and grandmother were more to blame for it. It should be another gripping LIfetime movie to watch.
Would You Kill For Me? The Mary Bailey Story premieres on Saturday, Oct. 28 at 8/7c on Lifetime.
Rogue
An underrated series to watch on Tubi, this 2013-17 Canadian drama begins with Thandiwe Newton as a cop jarred when her young son is killed in a drive-by shooting. Convinced it was gang-related, she goes undercover in a mob and is soon in deadly danger.
The series takes more wild turns across its run, with Season 3 offering a shocking twist involving Newton’s character. It has a great cast, with Hawaii Five-O’s Meaghan Rath joining in its fourth season and some fantastic turns amid moody settings. All 50 episodes combine for a fun binge to while away the wait for new network fare.
Rogue Seasons 1-4 are now streaming on Tubi.
Don’t forget to let us know your favorite TV crime shows.