10 TV Shows Like Scarpetta That You Should Watch in the Future.
A gripping detective series starring Nicole Kidman? Honestly, who’s ever heard of such a thing? As a crime procedural, it’s more akin to S.W.A.T.: Lioness than Nine Perfect Strangers , but the era of Kidman dominance demands variety, so now we’re getting a series based on Patricia Cornwell’s long-running (29 books and counting) Kay Scarpetta series, about the eponymous medical examiner. She’s joined by Jamie Lee Curtis as her sister, Dorothy, and Bobby Cannavale as a forensic pathologist, a profession I’m definitely familiar with. Watch Scarpetta on Prime Video before checking out more gripping crime dramas.
Ballard (2025 – )
Based on another popular novel series by Michael Connelly (the series itself is a spin-off of a spin-off series , Bosch Primetime), Ballard tells the story of Detective Renee Ballard, head of the LAPD’s Cold Case Unit, played by Maggie Q. Ballard leads the LAPD’s Cold Case Unit, staffed by many volunteers, solving (sometimes) decades-old crimes and, throughout the first season, uncovering a network of corruption within the police department (if you can imagine that). Watch Ballard on Prime Video.
Murders in Åre (2025)
The Scandinavian police drama (or, if you prefer, Nordic noir) is a subgenre in its own right, so prevalent that the Disney+ series “Always Agatha There” featured an episode parodying it. Certainly, “The Åre Murders” (adapted from Viveca Sten’s novels) proves that the Swedes know what murder is. Straightforward, troubled (meaning, suspended) detective Hanna Ahlander (Karla Zen) leaves Stockholm to spend time with her sister in remote Åre. A missing person case brings her back to work, and she finds herself confronting local cop Daniel Lindskog, whom she’s hesitant to trust. Looking for a darkly beautiful landscape and ambiguous morals? Åre might be just the place for you.Watch “The Åre Murders” on Netflix .
When No One Sees Us (2025 – )
An original police thriller borrowed from Spain, When No One Sees Us tells the story of Cuban-American U.S. Army Special Agent Mariela Garriga ( Mission: Impossible – Time Attack ) and Spanish Civil Guard Sergeant Maribel Verdú ( Pan’s Labyrinth ), who struggle with a complicated family life. The two investigate a suspected suicide at an airbase during Holy Week. It’s another complex mystery, but the performances and emphasis on character over plot make it stand out. Watch When No One Sees Us on HBO Max .
Get Millie Black (2024)
Booker Prize-winning author Marlon James created and co-wrote this acclaimed miniseries, which explores themes of bias, discrimination, and colonialism in the context of a powerfully gripping missing person drama. After the death of the missing child she was searching for, Detective Millie-Jean Black (Tamara Lawrence) is forced to leave Scotland Yard and return home to Jamaica to join the local police force. She reunites with her sister, Hibiscus (China McQueen, who received a BAFTA nomination for her debut film role), before becoming embroiled in the case of a Black teenager who was apparently molested by a wealthy white family before her disappearance—a case that forces her to work with an arrogant colleague sent from London. The series was originally conceived as a miniseries, but there is talk of a sequel in the future. Watch Millie Black on HBO Max .
The Chestnut Man (2021 – )
Travel to sunny Copenhagen, where Naja Thulin (Danika Curcic) is tasked with investigating the murder and dismemberment of a young woman on a playground. Her best clue is a small chestnut figurine found nearby. When a politician’s daughter goes missing, this tiny chestnut figure helps connect the case to the murder of an entire family on a farm nearly forty years earlier. It’s been a while, but the series will soon return as “The Chestnut Man: Hide and Seek.”Watch “The Chestnut Man” on Netflix.
Prime Suspect (1991–2006)
A female Chief Inspector? What else will they come up with? Prime Suspect isn’t entirely about sexism in the workplace, but it arrived in an era when a female officer in London’s Metropolitan Police would have been extremely rare. Detective Chief Inspector Jane Tennison’s personal and professional struggles are inseparable from her work as a murder investigator, but she’s incredibly good at her job, and Helen Mirren’s iconic performance in the role has set a standard that many police dramas have followed, at least in part, since. Watch Prime Suspect on Peacock , Prime Video , and Tubi.
Deadlock (2023 – )
Not quite tonally, as it’s a comedy, but it operates in a similar genre sandbox, even as it upends crime drama clichés. It’s also a superb detective/crime procedural that doubles as a hilarious parody of the genre—in this case, the grim, dangerous world of shows like Broadchurch and its many imitators. In the Australian series, Kate Box plays Dulcie Collins, a meticulous senior sergeant in a fictional town who, when a body is discovered on the beach, is joined by Eddie Radcliffe (Madeleine Sami), a gruff, loud, and overly brazen detective brought in to investigate. The web of secrets and mysteries in the tiny Tasmanian town makes it all incredibly gripping, with the added bonus of frequent hilarity. Watch Deadlock on Prime Video .
Easttown Mare (2021)
Kate Winslet won an Emmy for her portrayal of the troubled Mare Sheehan, a local heroine in her high school days and a basketball champion whose reputation is rapidly fading in adulthood. As a police detective, she can’t solve the case of a missing girl, even when confronted with the recently murdered teenage mother—you probably won’t be surprised to learn that the cases are connected. A second season is rumored to be in development . Watch Mare of Easttown on HBO Max .
Bones (2005–2017)
This procedural, somewhat lighter in tone than Scarpetta , has given us an impressive 12 seasons of investigating crimes, both high-profile and dormant. Emily Deschanel plays Temperance Brennan, the titular “Bones,” a forensic anthropologist and crime novelist who is recruited by down-to-earth FBI Special Agent Booth (David Boreanaz) to assist him in investigating cases requiring expertise in human remains (which, fortunately, turns out to be almost every case). Watch Bones on Peacock , Prime Video , and Hulu.
Crossing Jordan (2001–2007)
After her mother’s murder, Massachusetts forensic pathologist Dr. Jordan Kavanagh (Jill Hennessy) becomes obsessed with solving violent crimes. The series combines elements of a thrilling crime drama with eccentric characters and relationships; it has a unique tone that seems unlikely to work, but mostly does. The stellar supporting cast includes Miguel Ferrer, Mahershala Ali, Kathryn Hahn, Lorraine Toussaint, and Jerry O’Connell. Watch “Crossing Jordan” on Peacock and Prime Video .