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Outbyte PC Repair FREERepair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Outbyte Driver Updater FREEScan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →If you miss Sherlock’s deductions, its eccentric lead, or the long-running Moriarty conflict, the best next show depends on which part you want back. Elementary is the closest modern Holmes retelling; The Mentalist offers a clever lead and an ongoing adversary; Poirot delivers self-contained whodunits; and Luther takes detective drama in a much darker direction. These ten picks span those different moods rather than pretending any one show duplicates the BBC series.
Which Sherlock-like show should you watch first?
| If you miss… | Start with… | Why it fits |
|---|---|---|
| Holmes in a modern setting | Elementary | A contemporary Sherlock Holmes adaptation with Joan Watson as an evolving partner. |
| A brilliant lead and a continuing nemesis | The Mentalist | Patrick Jane uses observation and manipulation, while the Red John mystery runs alongside weekly cases. |
| Self-contained, carefully structured mysteries | Poirot | Period whodunits with largely standalone stories and a more measured pace. |
| A darker, more intense detective | Luther | A morally conflicted lead and grittier crimes, with substantially more violence. |
| A supernatural twist | Lucifer | LAPD cases mix with fantasy, humor, and a charismatic lead. |
The list below draws on recommendations in a related JustWatch guide for India and additional options discussed by TechRadar in 2022. The exact ten picks on every similarly titled article cannot be confirmed, so these are recommendations selected by style, tone, setting, and story format—not a claim to reproduce another page’s list.
| # | Preview | Product | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
|
Sherlock: Seasons 1-4 & Abominable Bride Gift Set | $64.00 | Buy on Amazon |
| 2 |
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Sherlock: Season Four | $9.65 | Buy on Amazon |
| 3 |
![Sherlock Hound Complete TV Series [Blu-ray]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51ISJnV2sZL._SL160_.jpg)
|
Sherlock Hound Complete TV Series [Blu-ray] | $69.95 | Buy on Amazon |
| 4 |
![Sherlock - Series 1-2 [Blu-ray] [Region Free]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51934M999cL._SL160_.jpg)
|
Sherlock - Series 1-2 [Blu-ray] [Region Free] | $10.88 | Buy on Amazon |
| 5 |
![Sherlock: Season 1 [Blu-ray]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41rjAD-R3mL._SL160_.jpg)
|
Sherlock: Season 1 [Blu-ray] | $11.36 | Buy on Amazon |
Ten detective shows to try after Sherlock
1. Elementary
For the most direct return to Holmes, try Elementary. It reimagines Sherlock Holmes in 21st-century New York and gives Joan Watson a substantial role as his developing partner. Its character focus and more emotionally oriented approach distinguish it from the brisk, heightened style of BBC’s Sherlock, while its cases provide a procedural backbone and a longer-running story arc. TechRadar described it as a seven-season procedural with 154 episodes; that episode count is TechRadar’s figure, not a newly verified tally.
2. The Mentalist
Patrick Jane is not a consulting detective, but he shares Sherlock’s knack for reading people and noticing what others miss. A former psychic, he helps solve cases through observation and psychological manipulation. Most episodes center on a case of the week, while the continuing Red John storyline supplies the larger adversary thread that may appeal to viewers who enjoyed Moriarty’s shadow over Sherlock.
#1 Best Overall
3. Bones
Bones shifts the emphasis from one exceptional detective to forensic science and a working partnership. Forensic anthropologist Temperance Brennan and FBI agent Seeley Booth approach investigations from different angles, with their team dynamic and banter carrying as much weight as the cases. Choose it if the Watson-and-Sherlock relationship mattered as much to you as the deductions.
4. Shekhar Home
Shekhar Home takes inspiration from Arthur Conan Doyle’s plots and gives them a Bengali cultural setting. It is a useful choice if you want the familiar Holmes-world foundations reframed through a different cultural perspective rather than simply moved into another contemporary Western city.
Rank #2
5. Lucifer
In Lucifer, a charismatic supernatural figure becomes involved in LAPD investigations. The show blends crime cases with fantasy and humor, so it is a tonal departure from Sherlock rather than a straight deduction drama. Pick it for an eccentric central character and mysteries with a supernatural premise.
6. Murdoch Mysteries
Set in a period world, Murdoch Mysteries uses scientific investigation and a quieter, cozier approach to crime solving. It is a gentler alternative for viewers who enjoy the methodical side of detective stories but would rather avoid Luther’s intensity. A JustWatch India listing showed it unavailable to stream at its recorded check; that is not a statement about other countries or current availability.
7. Byomkesh Bakshi
Byomkesh Bakshi is a Bengali literary detective known as a truth-seeker. These mysteries are described as slower and more reflective, with moral complexity and the presence of his partner Ajit. It is a strong option if you want careful investigation and a culturally distinct perspective rather than rapid-fire modern spectacle. JustWatch’s India listing showed no streaming availability at its recorded check.
8. The Irregulars
The Irregulars moves the focus away from Holmes and onto the Baker Street street children who solve supernatural crimes. It reworks the familiar Holmes setting into an ensemble mystery with fantasy elements. JustWatch notes that it ran for one season, making it a short commitment for viewers open to a Holmes-world inversion.
Rank #4
- Pilot episode Sherlock: A Study in Pink
- Unlocking Sherlock The making of Sherlock uncovered
- Audio commentaries
9. Luther
John Luther is an intense, morally conflicted detective in a grittier crime drama. This is not the closest match for Sherlock’s poised deductions: the appeal is the lead’s force of personality and the darker atmosphere. The JustWatch guide explicitly warns that the series is violent and may be uncomfortable for younger viewers.
10. Poirot
For a change of pace, Agatha Christie’s Hercule Poirot offers structured whodunits and period detail. Its stories are largely self-contained and its pace more measured than Sherlock’s, so it works best when you want the satisfaction of following clues to a resolution rather than a season-spanning nemesis plot.
Best Value
- Blu-Ray
- BBC
- television series based on stories by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
More options if you have already seen the closest matches
TechRadar’s 2022 recommendations offer several alternatives with different kinds of investigators and mysteries:
- Wallander: a troubled detective story, for a more introspective crime drama.
- Strike: a London private investigator adaptation of Robert Galbraith’s novels.
- The Bridge: a Danish-Swedish joint investigation led by the unconventional detective Saga Norén.
- Veronica Mars: a young private investigator balances episodic cases with larger mysteries.
- No Offence: a Manchester police procedural with dark humor.
TechRadar also included Elementary, already featured above. Its streaming notes are from 2022 and cover the US, UK, and Australia; they should not be treated as current availability information.
Choose by tone, setting, and story format
- For Holmes himself: Elementary is a direct modern adaptation; Shekhar Home places Doyle-inspired plots in a Bengali context.
- For a brilliant, unconventional lead: Patrick Jane in The Mentalist uses observation and manipulation to solve cases.
- For a longer mystery arc: The Mentalist and Elementary combine individual cases with continuing storylines.
- For one mystery at a time: Poirot is the pick for largely self-contained whodunits.
- For a partner or team dynamic: try Elementary for Holmes and Watson, or Bones for Brennan and Booth.
- For a darker mood: choose Luther, keeping its violence in mind. For a gentler period setting, try Murdoch Mysteries.
- For a supernatural premise: Lucifer and The Irregulars mix crime with fantasy in very different ways.
Check streaming availability in your country
Streaming rights vary by country and change over time. The JustWatch guide is for India; its recorded checks date from late September and early October 2026. Its page-level snapshot listed titles across Netflix, JioHotstar, VI Movies and TV, and Amazon Prime Video, but those counts do not establish where any specific show is available today or which plan includes it. Search the title in a service guide for your own country before subscribing or choosing what to watch.
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