There have been a score of great crime shows on TV in 2025, but just how do the best of the year so far rank? We've taken a look to share our thoughts.
2025 has given crime show lovers scores of shows to choose from. The networks have fare such as Good Cop/Bad Cop and The Hunting Party. The various streamers are all supplying original fare with more coming from England, France and other nations. That makes it hard to figure out which truly are the best, even with more shows coming.
So far, these are how the 10 best new crime shows of 2025 rank to remind you how much volume fans have to choose from.
10. MobLand
Tom Hardy. Pierce Brosnan. Helen Mirren. Any drama with those three as stars is automatically a must-watch, and this Paramount+ series has it in spades. Hardy is the fixer for a powerful London crime family with Brosnan and Mirren as the bosses. Their conflict with a rival family soon erupts into brutal warfare and some truly dark exploits.
The story may seem clichéd, yet it contains some powerful action and does not hold back on the brutality. It’s watching the three leads work together that makes this show so addictive, as Brosnan and Mirren chew the scenery with relish. The power plays between the mobs are quite compelling and the finale sets up what looks like an even better second season. The star power pulls you in while the drama keeps you watching this surprise success.
9. Smoke
This Apple TV+ show has a typical setup. A young detective and an experienced arson investigator work together hunting who’s behind a batch of serial arsonists in the Pacific Northwest. But the first episode has a shocking twist that changes the entire series into a dark cat-and-mouse game, backed by the superb performances of Taron Egerton and Jurnee Smollett.
Living up to its title, the series is a slow burn, escalating from fires to murder and the dynamic between the partners shifting as it goes on. It becomes more of a psychological study with the finale proving the delusions of one major character. It proves Dennis Lehane can work as much mystery drama for television as he has in his numerous novels.
8. Sherlock & Daughter
A new take on fiction’s most famous detective is always welcome. Who would have thought The CW would be the place for it? David Thewlis is marvellous as Holmes in Sherlock & Daughter, capturing the character’s genius, arrogance, and drive, made more dangerous trying to rescue a kidnapped Watson and Mrs. Hudson.
Blu Hunt matches him as Amelia, Holmes’s supposed daughter, who has the same eye for detail. The overall story arc is well plotted out with lots of twists and turns before a good finale. Hopefully, The CW gives this show another season to continue a fresh version of Holmes on screen.
7. Art Detectives
Every now and then, a crime show comes along that shakes up the formula a bit. On paper, Art Detectives is the standard story of an experienced cop and his younger female partner investigating forgery, theft, money laundering and the occasional murder. The twist? All the crimes are somehow connected to antique art.
The series excels in delving into the history of art, often with in-depth tangents about how they’re more valuable than people think. Stephen Moyer and Nina Singh are an outstanding pair with clever touches like Moyer’s father being a notorious forger. It’s another gem in the British TV show library worth a watch.
6. Death Valley
This delightful British mystery show has a setup perfect for a U.S. adaptation. Gwyneth Keyworth plays an eager young detective who was inspired to be a detective by a fictional TV show. When she discovers that the show's star (Timothy Spall) is involved in a case, she talks him into becoming her partner in crime-solving.
Death Valley rests on the astonishing chemistry of its leads, with Spall having a ball as the actor who has some unique insights into people, while Keyworth is smart on mysteries but horrible at dealing with others. Throw in some clever mysteries and humor, and it’s an excellent addition to the British mystery genre to be a good hit.
5. The Residence
It can’t be a year without an entry in “great shows Netflix canceled too soon” lists. In this case, it’s this saga unfolding like a novel when a murder occurs in the White House during a state dinner. What could be fodder for drama instead has great humor, especially the lead investigator, the quirky Cordelia Cupp (Uzo Aduba), who seems more interested in bird-watching than solving the crime.
The framing device of a Congressional hearing may be distracting at first, but it adds to the twists in every episode of The Resident, laced with wicked humor. The extended season finale brings it all together, and while it's a shame it won’t continue, at least we got a fun series that makes for a great mystery binge.
4. Code of Silence
One of the most acclaimed new shows of the year, this outstanding British drama has a new spin on the “civilian aiding cops in crimes” motif. Allison Woods (Rose Ayling-Ellis) is a deaf woman recruited by the police to use her lip-reading skills in cases. When one goes badly, Allison goes undercover on her own to stop a robbery gang.
Code of Silence is remarkable in taking the aspects of a deaf heroine seriously (Alying-Ellis is deaf in real life) and how Allison isn’t some perfect heroine. She constantly makes mistakes and is in over her head while falling for a gang member. The finale brings it to a great close and sets up a coming second season, so it’s a good time to latch onto this series.
3. Dexter: Resurrection
The title of this series is twofold. Not only is it a return of Michael C. Hall’s Dexter Morgan, but a return to glory of the entire franchise. After the infamously bad final seasons of Dexter and the now-canceled New Blood and Original Sin spinoffs, it was easy to doubt this Showtime series. Instead, the show brought back the serial killer hunting other killers as exactly the antihero fans loved.
Moving the show to New York was a masterstroke, giving it a fresh energy that invigorated Hall’s performance. It was helped by a stellar cast of enemies played by Peter Dinklage, David Dastmalchian, Krysten Ritter and some familiar faces linked to the past. It all combined into an awesome return to form that’s the best Dexter in over a decade.
2. Dept. Q
This surprise Netflix hit is a traditional idea: A troublesome cop is reassigned to what’s meant to be a dead-end job only to uncover a larger mystery. This show has a fun dynamic thanks to the lead, Matthew Goode, whose troubled and sardonic cop makes for a watchable hero. He has a good supporting cast around him and a very intriguing mystery to investigate.
Dept. Q is excellent, balancing the various storylines and some truly surprising twists abounding. That includes a thrilling conclusion, and thankfully, Netflix is giving it a second season to build its reputation. This could end up being among the best crime dramas next year as well, and a great watch.
1. Adolescence
An absolute sensation since it premiered in March, Adolescence has landed on numerous lists of the ten best shows of 2025 so far and may still be there at year’s end. The story itself is gripping as a young boy is accused of killing a classmate, with the episodes exploring the investigation, the family coping with their son being a monster, and a psychiatrist trying to understand it all.
Of course, what makes the show stand out is how each of the four episodes is filmed as one long single take. It’s enthralling to watch and gives each episode a “you are there” feel that other shows lack. It’s remarkable television at its best and deserving of every accolade for the most emotional crime drama in ages.