There is no definitive “best” list: popularity and quality are different measures. IMDb’s crime chart is “As determined by IMDb users,” making it a useful, changing popularity signal—not a critical verdict. This curated guide focuses on crime series first released in 2000 or later and helps you choose by storytelling style, from investigative procedurals to serialized portraits of criminal worlds.
How this list defines “best” and “popular”
IMDb publishes a chart of the “100 most popular crime TV shows,” determined by its users. It is one audience signal, not a census of every series and not a measure of artistic quality. The chart also includes shows that began before 2000, so the century boundary matters: a title belongs here only if its first release was in 2000 or later.
![Crime Of The Century [Blu-ray Audio]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51N1IdNfKFL._SL160_.jpg)
![Killers of the Flower Moon (The Criterion Collection) [Blu-ray]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51mVWS9Rg5L._SL160_.jpg)
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![The Silence of the Lambs (The Criterion Collection) [Blu-ray]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51g-xPTJeZL._SL160_.jpg)
The selections below are editorial recommendations based on lasting recognition, distinctive storytelling, and relevance to crime as a genre. They are not a verified ranking. Popularity shifts over time, and the available sources do not establish a comparable, century-wide audience figure for every show.
Crime series to choose from
Use the descriptions to find the kind of crime story you want: a case that develops over time, a procedural built around investigations, a view from inside criminal life, or a more heightened psychological drama. The order is for browsing, not a ranking.
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#1 Best Overall
For an expansive view of a city and its institutions
The Wire (2002) builds its crime story across Baltimore’s drug trade, police department, schools, politics, and media. Its scope and patient, institution-focused storytelling make it a strong choice if you want more than a single case or lead investigator. HBO Shop lists The Wire: The Complete Visual History, an illustrated companion with interviews and behind-the-scenes material for readers interested in the show’s creation and legacy.
For a serialized story centered on a criminal world
The Sopranos (1999) is often part of crime-TV conversations, but it premiered before the 21st-century cutoff and is excluded from this list. For a post-2000 alternative focused on a criminal organization, consider Boardwalk Empire (2010), a period drama about organized crime and political power during Prohibition.
Breaking Bad (2008) follows a teacher’s transformation into a methamphetamine producer, tracing the consequences of criminal choices across a tightly serialized arc. It suits viewers who want psychological escalation and character change rather than a rotating set of cases.
For investigators and ongoing cases
True Detective (2014) is an anthology crime drama: each season tells a distinct story, with investigations and characters changing between installments. Its emphasis on atmosphere and psychological tension makes it a fit for viewers who prefer a self-contained, season-long mystery to a conventional case-of-the-week format.
Rank #3
Line of Duty (2012) centers on an anti-corruption unit investigating misconduct inside the police. Its questioning-room confrontations and unfolding institutional mysteries make it a natural pick for viewers drawn to investigative detail and serialized suspense.
Mindhunter (2017) follows FBI agents developing criminal-profiling methods through interviews with imprisoned killers. It is a restrained, dialogue-driven psychological drama rather than an action-heavy procedural.
For a case-of-the-week rhythm
Criminal Minds (2005) follows an FBI behavioral-analysis team investigating cases, with a recurring ensemble and a procedural structure. It works well if you want episodes organized around individual investigations, alongside the team’s longer-running personal stories.
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (2000) puts forensic evidence and laboratory work at the center of its cases. Its premiere year qualifies it for the time period, and its procedural format makes it an accessible choice when you want a new investigation in most episodes.
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For heightened suspense and unusual cases
Dexter (2006) uses the perspective of a Miami forensic blood-spatter analyst who secretly kills murderers he believes escaped justice. Its dark, stylized premise is a better fit for viewers seeking a morally uneasy character thriller than a realistic police drama.
Sherlock (2010) relocates the classic detective to modern London. The series favors heightened mysteries and a charismatic investigator over procedural realism, offering a crime-adjacent option for viewers who want puzzle-solving and brisk, dramatic storytelling.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What recent viewing figures can—and cannot—tell you
Nielsen’s 2025 Emmy analysis covers viewing from June 1, 2024, through May 31, 2025, across broadcast, cable, and streaming. It reported just over 149 million viewing hours for Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story during that eligibility window. Nielsen describes the limited series as a highly dramatized telling of a real case, so it should not be treated as a strict true-crime documentary or as evidence of which scripted crime series are most popular across the century.
Nielsen also notes that true-crime documentaries often break into its weekly top 10 charts. That observation concerns recent viewing and documentary titles; it does not supply a like-for-like popularity ranking for crime dramas dating back to 2000.
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