7 Shows Like The Wire You Must See

Created by David Simon, ‘The Wire’ is a series that comprises of 60 episodes spanning over five seasons. Based in Baltimore, this crime drama follows Detective James McNulty and his team as they try their best to solve crimes and burn the relationship each crime institute has with the law enforcement agencies. Each season brings us a different institute but retains the previous characters and their storylines, making the show an exciting watch. Here’s a list of other detective shows that you can watch if you like ‘The Wire.’ You can find most of these on all major streaming services like Netflix, Amazon Prime Videos, Disney+ or Hulu.

7. Bosch (2014-)

Bosch Season 6 ‘Bosch‘ is an Amazon Studios Original police procedural drama that has kept its audiences hooked since its premiere in early 2014. Created by Michael Connelly, the first season of the show took inspiration from his novels, The Concrete Blonde, City of Bones, and Echo Park. The show has released six seasons over the years, all based on books penned by Michael Connelly, and has been renewed for its seventh and final season.

6. Luther (2010-2019)

This British psychological crime drama that went on for almost a decade is created and written by Neil Cross and stars Idris Elba. ‘Luther’ revolves around the titular character, a passionate and law-abiding Detective Chief Inspector John Luther, as he goes across England solving vicious and violent crimes. The series involves murders, psychopaths, and suspense, and although it ended after five seasons with no announcement of the sixth, rumors are that it could be continued in a movie form.

5. Broadchurch (2013-2017)

Set in the fictional English town of Dorset, ‘Broadchurch‘ is another British series that follows a couple of police detectives. Detective Inspector Alec Hardy and Detective Sergeant Ellie Miller must solve the murder of an 11-year-old boy and deal with the consequences of their investigation. The series is a trilogy that is impeccable in every way and is, therefore, a must-watch for everyone with an interest in police procedural dramas.

4. Criminal Minds (2005-2020)

With fifteen seasons, ‘Criminal Minds‘ is one of the longest standing police procedural dramas to ever been made. In this series, a group of criminal profilers working for the FBI solves crimes and bring justice to the perpetrators by using behavioral analysis tools. It shows us the story of how each of these individual works together as a team while tackling their own personal issues.

3. Cardinal (2017-)

‘Cardinal’ is a Canadian crime drama by CTV about homicide detective John Cardinal, who returns to his hometown after ten years to join the homicide brigade to investigate the death of a teenager with the help of his new partner Lisa Delorme. The series first premiered on January 25, 2017, in Canada and is an adaptation of Canadian novelist Giles Blunt’s crime novels about detectives John Cardinal and Lise Delorme in the fictional city of Algonquin Bay.

2. True Detective (2014-)

An American anthology crime drama series, ‘True Detective‘ follows police officers and detectives all over the United States as they come face to face with secrets about people surrounding them and about themselves as they solve criminal cases. With themes like murder, corruption, and kidnappings, this series captures the audience from the get-go and delivers spectacular content time after time.

1. Wisting (2019-)

‘Wisting‘ is a Norwegian police procedural drama that is based on books written by Norwegian crime fiction author, Jørn Lier Horst. The series follows William Wisting, a senior police detective, as he tries to solve an inhumane murder case in a small coastal town in Norway. The investigation even requires the involvement of the FBI as the main suspect is a serial killer wanted in the U.S. The series also depicts how Wisting has to defend himself against accusations that he had tampered with evidence in a previous case.