It’s Super Bowl Sunday, and you know what that means. You either watch the game, or you’re finding something else to check out. With the game being on NBC, there’s not even the option of the Winter Olympics instead! So, you’ll want to find TV crime dramas to check out instead of Super Bowl LX, and we certainly have you covered there.
The crime drama genre covers many styles. We’ve got something whether you want dark and gritty or something more of the Agatha Christie style of murder mystery. Here are five crime dramas to watch instead of the Super Bowl.
Cross
With Cross season 2 premiering on Wednesday, Feb. 11, now is the time to catch up on the show. The first season is available to stream on Prime Video, and it is a must. Whether you’ve read the books or not, you’ll love this adaptation.
The story isn’t based on one of the books. Instead, the characters are pulled into a new case — and not all the characters are as you would see in the books. The first season has Alex Cross dealing with the loss of his wife, while also trying to figure out who a serial killer is when he takes people of different genders, skin colors, and more — certainly not your average serial killer!
Cross is available to stream on Prime Video.
Murdoch Mysteries
Can you believe that Murdoch Mysteries season 19 will arrive on Acorn TV in March 2026? This is a show that was supposed to end with five seasons, but the show picked up steam, and it’s been a success ever since. And we are not complaining!
The show follows Inspector Murdoch, who is a man ahead of his time. He uses various techniques that are now used in modern-day detective work to help solve crimes. Of course, not everyone is on board with his inventions, and it leads to some issues with the other police officers.
Murdoch Mysteries is available to stream on Acorn TV.
The Copenhagen Test
If you want a modern-day spy thriller, then I urge you to turn your attention to The Copenhagen Test. The series follows a veteran who now works for the Intelligence Service. When he finds out that his eyes and ears have been hacked, he needs to find a way to protect himself and all the data that he has access to.
The government agency has worked out that he has been compromised. That leads to them figuring out a way to use him to their advantage, but when things start to take a dangerous turn, there are questions about whether it’s time to terminate him — permanently.
The Copenhagen Test is available to stream on Peacock.
Criminal Minds
Do you want something that will get you through Super Bowl LX and the Winter Olympics? You need something longer, a little like Murdoch Mysteries, and that means Criminal Minds. The series is packed with dark and gritty serial killers, and the revival gets even darker thanks to it being made for streaming!
The show follows the BAU, a team of profilers who help to get to the bottom of serial killers and how they work. They analyze the data to figure out who the suspect likely is and why they have started to kill — there is always a trigger — and then they can help the local law enforcement catch the killer. The first 15 seasons mostly followed a case-of-the-week format, with the revival having a season-long story mixed in.
Criminal Minds is available to stream on Paramount+.
Only Murders in the Building
How about something light and quirky? We’ve got you covered with that one, and it’s all about Only Murders in the Building. The show follows three people who live in the same New York City apartment building, and they all love true crime podcasts. When there happens to be a murder in their own building, they get together to create a podcast about it.
Over the course of five seasons, the trio have solved five murders. Some of them have happened within the building walls, while others just on the ground. Each time, they’ve worked together to figure out the clues and get to the answer before the cops. There is a sixth season planned, so now is a good time to get caught up!
Only Murders in the Building is available to stream on Hulu.