My top crime TV shows

Crime TV shows, both fiction and non-fiction, have grown in popularity with more and more being produced for our viewing.

I love watching TV; getting invested in a programme and attached to the characters is a great way to escape from reality. And recently, I was thinking about the TV shows I really like to watch after a conversation with my family.

It turns out, a lot of people in my family actually watch similar shows. They mainly consist of medical dramas like Grey's Anatomy but crime dramas are also rather popular.

So I thought I'd share my top crime TV shows with you all and see if we have watched any of the same ones.

The Rookie

Credit: IMDB

The Rookie is a US crime show that consists of five seasons. It begins focusing on a rookie cop, John Nolan, who is older than most recruits. Whilst he's the protagonist in the first series, as the show develops, we get to see a group of central characters and their storylines.

This show is one of my favourites because it combines humour with the traditional aspects of a crime show. I recently watched the season finale of season five, and let me tell you, the way the show grips you and keeps you hooked throughout the episode is amazing.

Also, as a budding screenwriter myself, the different ways they portray episodes, for example, through police cameras, is intriguing.

Chicago PD

Credit: IMDB

Chicago PD is another American crime drama but it's part of the One Chicago universe. It is a spin-off from the show Chicago Fire and often has cross-over episodes with Chicago Fire as well as Chicago Med.

The show is centred around the Intelligence Unit within the Chicago Police Department, which is run by Hank Voight.

There are currently ten seasons of the show - the latest season finished quite recently. Each season has different storylines throughout with each episode centred around a specific case.

The reason I love this show is that it features the darker side of crime and how police officers are affected by what they see on the job and also what happens when they're threatened. I know it is fictional, but Chicago PD is a great piece of escapism if you love some drama, dark detective work and also a bit of romance.

Magnum P.I.

Credit: IMDB

Now for those of an older generation, you may be thinking of Magnum P.I. with Tom Selleck as Thomas Magnum. And whilst that is Magnum P.I., I'm talking about the 2018 reboot.

Magnum P.I. with Jay Hernandez and Perdita Weeks as Magnum and Higgins is one of the shows I love to watch because it is such a feel-good show that incorporates a more light-hearted take on investigating crimes - kind of like The Rookie.

I must admit, I haven't actually watched the first season. However, I have watched every one since because it is so good. Magnum P.I. is set in Hawaii, so you have the Hawaiian feel to the show with the ocean and sunny weather. And the key characters - Magnum, Higgins, Rick, TC, Gordy and Teuila - make the show what it is.

There is action, humour, romance, which I'm very happy is happening, and so much more in the show that is Magnum P.I.

NCIS: Los Angeles

Credit: IMDB

When it comes to the NCIS universe, there are many different versions of the show in many different cities within America. There is the standard NCIS: Naval Criminal Investigation Service, NCIS: Hawai'i, NCIS: New Orleans, and NCIS: Sydney, which is the new series that has yet to be released.

But my favourite version is NCIS: Los Angeles.

NCIS: Los Angeles has actually now finished completely, so if you don't like starting tv shows that have lots of seasons and are ongoing, now is the time to watch it.

It follows the story of the Office of Special Projects with the Naval Criminal Investigation Service. The main characters are G Callan and Sam Hanna, but over time we also get Kensi Blye, Marti Deeks, Hetty Lang and many more.

Sometimes NCIS: Los Angeles can be difficult to follow, but only because of the intricacies of the cases the team work. There are so many subplots that run throughout the entire show in addition to the general cases of each episode.

I feel that as the show goes on and you get to the later episodes, the humour and comedic element increases, which is one of the aspects of the show I really enjoy. Also, all the characters and their relationships are portrayed incredibly well.

MacGyver

Credit: IMDB

Much like Magnum P.I., the version of MacGyver that I love to watch is the reboot. The 2016-2021 version of the TV show stars Lucas Till, who was actually in Hannah Montana: The Movie, as well as Tristan Mays and George Eads.

Now, I've written about MacGyver before because the TV show has, in fact, been cancelled. There was a petition trying to get the show picked up again, but unfortunately, it remains cancelled.

And for me, that's a shame because I really enjoyed watching the show. Yes, it is centred around government agents saving the world and bringing people to justice, but it was also a fictional TV show that taught the audience a lot.

MacGyver, the character, has an incredible brain that is often the reason he's able to save the day - not brute force. So, the show taught people about science and brought humour and action together as well as onscreen friendships.

So these five TV shows are some of my favourite crime shows. There are plenty more out there to watch, I just haven't got round to them yet.

But if you have any recommendations for your own favourite crime shows, let me know in the comments below. And also let me know if you've seen any of the above and what you thought about them.

Until next time...