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20 Best Australian Crime Shows, Ranked

From naturalistic police drama to criminal-led stories, prison series and real-event dramatizations, these 20 Australian crime shows offer very different ways into the genre.
Opened Runtime5 min Written byDocumentaryTube Team
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This is an editorial ranking, not an official industry list or a claim of critical consensus. The order weighs writing, performances, originality, consistency, cultural significance and how distinctly each series approaches crime. It includes police procedurals, legal and prison dramas, criminal-led stories and dramatizations of real events; it does not treat dramatization as documentary fact.

Crime dramas borrow from reality in different ways. As Blue Murder writer Ian David put it, “I can’t imagine any drama that doesn’t have some connection with reality, whether it’s Alice in Wonderland or Blue Murder,” in conversation with Peter Galvin for the NFSA’s Australian Screen collection on reality and TV crime. That connection does not make a scripted series a factual account.

20 Australian crime shows worth watching

  1. Blue Murder

    A landmark dramatization of crime and policing, valued here for its naturalistic approach. The NFSA’s Australian Screen collection contrasts its realism with the more stylized treatment of real events in Underbelly. As with any dramatization, selection and compression shape the story; it is not a documentary record. NFSA, Australian Screen.

  2. Mr Inbetween

    A criminal’s-eye view rather than a conventional police investigation: Screen Australia describes Ray Shoesmith as a hitman balancing criminal work with friendships, parental responsibilities and romance. Its dark humour and offbeat conversations make the premise unusually intimate. Screen Australia records Scott Ryan as writer and Nash Edgerton as director of the first series, completed in 2018. Screen Australia.

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  3. Underbelly (series 1)

    This organized-crime miniseries is a defining example of Australian crime drama built from real events, but it should be watched as dramatization, not documentary. The NFSA notes its stylized approach and that some police characters are fictional condensations. Screen Australia records 13 one-hour episodes and attributes to its synopsis the claim that the Melbourne conflict depicted cost 33 lives between 1995 and 2004; that is the synopsis’s framing, not an independently verified count here. The series received AFI and AWGIE awards in 2008. Screen Australia; NFSA, Australian Screen.

  4. Homicide

    A foundational police series in Australian television history. The NFSA identifies Homicide, which ran from 1964 to 1976, as Australia’s first cop show. Its place on this list reflects that historical significance as well as its importance to the evolving screen language of police stories. NFSA, Australian Screen.

  5. Wentworth

    A prison drama rather than a police procedural, and a present-day reimagining of Prisoner that begins with Bea’s early days in prison. Screen Australia’s guide records 100 episodes of 45 minutes and a completion year of 2019. Its sustained focus on prison life gives the crime genre a different institutional point of view. Screen Australia.

  6. Phoenix

    Part of the Australian crime-TV tradition the NFSA discusses in relation to changing approaches to realism and police storytelling. It earns a place for representing that tradition; the available source does not establish episode details or a specific account of its plot. NFSA, Australian Screen.

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  7. Wildside

    Another of the crime series the NFSA places in the history of Australian screen realism and police stories. Its inclusion recognizes that history, rather than asserting a documented critical consensus or a particular format not established by the cited source. NFSA, Australian Screen.

  8. Scales of Justice

    The NFSA includes this title in its account of changing representations of realism, policing and true-event drama. It is a useful choice for viewers interested in the genre’s development, though the cited collection does not supply a full episode guide or detailed plot summary. NFSA, Australian Screen.

  9. Mystery Road

    A contemporary crime-drama option listed in ABC iview’s crime-drama collection. The listing establishes it as a discovery option in that catalogue, not that it is available there indefinitely or outside Australia. ABC iview.

  10. Janet King

    Listed among ABC iview’s crime dramas, making it a useful starting point for viewers looking for another contemporary Australian crime title. The catalogue listing alone does not establish its current availability beyond the time of checking. ABC iview.

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  11. National Treasure

    ABC iview includes this title in its crime-drama collection. That catalogue placement supports its inclusion as a crime-drama pick, but does not by itself establish a more specific subgenre or long-term streaming rights. ABC iview.

  12. Scrublands

    Named in Stan’s Australian crime catalogue, which makes it one title to check if you are browsing that service’s crime selection. The catalogue is a dated snapshot, not a promise of availability in every region or at a later date. Stan.

  13. Black Snow

    Also listed in Stan’s Australian crime catalogue. Its placement there is evidence of catalogue inclusion at the time recorded, not a guarantee that it remains available or is licensed elsewhere. Stan.

  14. Jack Irish

    Stan’s Australian crime catalogue lists Jack Irish among its titles. It is a practical discovery lead for subscribers checking the service’s current catalogue; the listing is not evidence of worldwide availability. Stan.

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  15. Mystery Road: Origin

    Stan’s crime catalogue includes this title alongside Mystery Road. If you are choosing between the two, check the catalogue and title descriptions directly: the supplied catalogue record confirms inclusion, but not viewing order or a detailed comparison. Stan.

  16. The Gloaming

    Listed in Stan’s Australian crime catalogue. Its inclusion here is a recommendation to investigate as part of that service’s crime selection, not a claim about its precise tone, format or ongoing availability. Stan.

  17. Underbelly: Razor

    Stan’s catalogue lists multiple Underbelly installments, but the cited listing does not name each one in the supplied record. This entry is therefore best treated as a prompt to explore the franchise’s catalogued installments, not as a verified title-by-title account of their settings or historical accuracy. The NFSA’s distinction between stylized dramatization and naturalistic crime drama remains relevant when approaching the franchise. Stan; NFSA, Australian Screen.

  18. Underbelly: Badness

    Stan’s crime catalogue includes multiple installments of Underbelly, although the supplied listing does not individually identify them. This ranking entry reflects the franchise’s presence in the catalogue rather than a separately verified episode guide for this installment. Treat the series as scripted dramatization, not factual documentary. Stan; NFSA, Australian Screen.

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  19. Underbelly: Squizzy

    Stan lists multiple Underbelly installments, but the catalogue record supplied here does not identify the complete lineup. This entry points viewers toward the franchise as a whole; it should not be read as independent verification of this installment’s availability or historical particulars. Stan; NFSA, Australian Screen.

  20. Underbelly: The Golden Mile

    The supplied Stan catalogue record confirms multiple Underbelly installments but does not enumerate them, so this final place is a franchise-oriented pick rather than a verified title-level catalogue entry. As with the first series, the franchise is a dramatized treatment of crime, not documentary evidence. Stan; NFSA, Australian Screen.

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How to choose among them

  • For historical context: Start with Homicide, Scales of Justice, Phoenix or Wildside, which the NFSA discusses as part of the changing history of Australian crime television.
  • For a criminal protagonist: Try Mr Inbetween, whose central character’s criminal work sits alongside domestic and social responsibilities.
  • For a prison setting: Choose Wentworth, a modern reimagining of Prisoner.
  • For dramatized real crime: Consider Underbelly or Blue Murder, while keeping in mind that scripted adaptation is not documentary reporting.

Where to check availability in Australia

Streaming rights change, and the catalogue evidence here is limited to specific Australian listings. ABC iview’s crime-drama collection lists Mystery Road, Janet King and National Treasure. Stan’s Australian crime catalogue, marked updated September 18, 2026, lists Scrublands, Black Snow, Underbelly, Jack Irish, Mystery Road: Origin and The Gloaming, among other titles. Check the service directly before watching; neither listing establishes availability outside Australia or guarantees a title will remain in the catalogue. ABC iview crime dramas; Stan Australian crime TV.

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