Kriti Mehrotra
‘Defending Jacob‘ is an American crime drama miniseries that is based on the novel of the same name by William Landay. Created and written by Mark Bomback and directed by Morten Tyldum, this series is an Apple TV+ original. Starring Chris Evans, Michelle Dockery, and Jaeden Martell, ‘Defending Jacob’ tells the story of Andy Barber, an assistant district attorney in Newton, Massachusetts, and his wife Laurie dealing with the accusations that their 14-year-old son, Jacob, is a murderer. When Ben Rifkin, Jacob’s classmate, is found stabbed to death in a park, Jacob becomes the prime suspect as he used to carry a knife to school, and his fingerprints are found on Rifkin’s clothes. Andy is torn between his duty to follow the law and the love he has for his son.
The series is nothing short of a roller-coaster ride with twists and suspense at every turn to keep the audience hooked. If you like crime dramas and are looking for more shows like ‘Defending Jacob,’ then here is a list of shows that you can add to your must-watch list. You’ll be able to watch most of these shows on Netflix, Hulu, Apple TV+ or Amazon Prime.
7. How to Get Away With Murder (2014-)
Peter Nowalk’s ‘How to Get Away With Murder‘ is one of the first shows that came to mind when we thought about crime drama. Starring Viola Davis, the series follows Annalise Keating, a law professor, and partner at a prestigious law firm as she gets caught up in a murder plot along with some of her students. Currently, the series is airing its sixth season, and each episode has kept us on the edge of our seats with intrigue as to what can possibly happen next.
6. Home Before Dark (2020-)
Created by Dana Fox and Dara Resnik, ‘Home Before Dark‘ is a series that is based on the life of child journalist Hilde Lysiak. The protagonist is a young girl that moves from Brooklyn to a small lakeside town that her father had left behind and subsequently unearths a cold case and long lost secrets that everyone in town had tried to bury. The series has been renewed for another season, and while we wait for that to come out, you can binge-watch all ten episodes of season one on Apple TV+ right now.
5. Peaky Blinders (2013-)
Set in Birmingham, England, in the 1920s, ‘Peaky Blinders‘ is a British period crime drama series that is created by Steven Knight. It follows the escapades of the Shelby crime family, led by Tommy Shelby, a decorated war veteran, post World War One. The fictional family in the series is actually loosely based on a real urban youth gang of the same name that was active from the 1890s to the early 20th century. With probably two more still to come, the series has premiered five seasons till now, all of which are available for us to watch on Netflix.
4. Luther (2010-2019)
Starring Idris Elba, ‘Luther‘ is another British crime drama series that has kept its fans hooked on it with its enticing narrative and storylines. Created and written by Neil Cross, the series follows the titular character, passionate and sometimes violent, Detective Chief Inspector John Luther, as he travels across England solving heinous murders. He even ends up befriending the psychopath and murderer, Alice Morgan, that he could not arrest due to lack of evidence, and together they go on to solve various cases. With dark themes and even darker characters, ‘Luther’ is a show that should be on everyone’s must-watch list.
3. Proven Innocent (2019)
‘Proven Innocent‘ tells the story of Madeline Scott and her fight to prove the innocence of wrongfully convicted people. Madeline, who herself, along with her brother, was convicted for a murder that they did not commit, now leads a criminal defense firm with the help of Easy Boudreau, the very lawyer who helped prove her innocence. Together they work hard to help exonerate convicts win back their freedom.
2. Sons of Anarchy (2008-2014)
With seven seasons, ‘Sons of Anarchy‘ is probably one of the most interesting crime TV series out there. Created by Kurt Sutter, the series follows the life of Jackson “Jax” Teller, as he tries to find a balance between being a dad and a member of a motorcycle gang. The gang is involved with gun-running, along with dangerous dealings with rival gangs, authorities, and even politicians. Themes like tragedy, loyalty, love, betrayal, and redemption are all depicted throughout the series.
1. The Sinner (2017-)
Based on the novel of the same name by German crime novelist Petra Hammesfahr, ‘The Sinner‘ is an anthology crime drama series. The series follows Detective Harry Ambrose as he investigates different murder cases each season and tries to uncover the truth behind why people commit such cruel and disturbing crimes. Since it is an anthology series, each season of the show brings us new storylines and characters, keeping it refreshing and exciting. The series is so popular that it has an “Average Tomatometer” of 95% on Rotten Tomatoes, so, if you haven’t watched it yet, we highly recommend that you do.
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