The 2010s were a golden era for crime television. From the rise of Nordic Noir to the explosion of prestige streaming dramas, the decade gave us a staggering array of gripping, innovative, and unforgettable series. While it's impossible to include every great show—sorry, Boardwalk Empire, Ozark, and Unbelievable—we've selected the single best crime drama that premiered each year. These are the shows that defined the genre, pushed boundaries, and kept us glued to our screens.
2010: Sherlock (BBC)
Kicking off the decade with a bang, Sherlock reimagined Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's classic detective for the modern age. Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman brought electrifying chemistry to Holmes and Watson, solving impossibly complex cases while battling the sinister Jim Moriarty (Andrew Scott). With just 13 episodes across four seasons, the series packed more wit, tension, and adventure than most shows manage in ten times that length. It remains a benchmark for British crime drama and a masterclass in adaptation.
2011: The Bridge (SVT1/DR1)
The Nordic Noir wave crested with The Bridge, a hauntingly atmospheric thriller that forced Swedish and Danish detectives to collaborate after a body is found on the Øresund Bridge. Sofia Helin's Saga Norén—brilliant, socially awkward, and unforgettable—became an icon of the genre. The show tackled immigration, inequality, and political corruption with unflinching boldness, all while building a touching partnership between Saga and her Danish counterpart, Martin (Kim Bodnia). Its influence can still be felt in crime dramas today.
2012: Line of Duty (BBC)
Jed Mercurio's Line of Duty turned police corruption into edge-of-your-seat drama. Following AC-12, an anti-corruption unit, the series became famous for its marathon interrogation scenes—single-take psychological battles that could last 30 minutes. With a rotating cast of guest stars like Stephen Graham and Thandie Newton, and a central mystery around the elusive 'H,' the show set a new standard for realism and tension. Six seasons in, it's still going strong, with Season 7 expected in 2027.
2013: Hannibal (NBC)
Network television had never seen anything like Hannibal. Bryan Fuller's adaptation of Thomas Harris's novels was a fever dream of gothic horror, psychological depth, and jaw-dropping visual artistry. Hugh Dancy played FBI profiler Will Graham, whose empathy for killers draws him into the orbit of Dr. Hannibal Lecter (Mads Mikkelsen, in a career-defining performance). The show's first season alone established it as a daring, decadent masterpiece that pushed the boundaries of what crime TV could be.
2014: True Detective (HBO)
Though its later seasons varied in quality, the first season of True Detective remains a landmark. Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson starred as Louisiana detectives chasing a serial killer across 17 years. Creator Nic Pizzolatto wove philosophical musings, Southern Gothic atmosphere, and a non-linear narrative into a haunting, cinematic experience. The show proved that crime drama could be as ambitious as any prestige novel or film.
2015: Better Call Saul (AMC)
A prequel to Breaking Bad that somehow matched—and some argue surpassed—its predecessor, Better Call Saul followed Jimmy McGill's transformation into sleazy lawyer Saul Goodman. Bob Odenkirk delivered a tour de force performance, supported by Rhea Seehorn's Kim Wexler and Jonathan Banks's Mike Ehrmantraut. The show blended legal drama, crime thriller, and character study with exquisite pacing and emotional depth, earning its place as one of the decade's finest series.
2016: The Crown (Netflix) — Wait, That's Not Crime
Actually, for 2016, we're highlighting The Night Of (HBO). This miniseries, based on a British original, followed a Pakistani-American college student accused of murder after a night gone wrong. Riz Ahmed's raw performance and the show's unflinching look at the justice system made it a gripping, heartbreaking crime drama that resonated deeply in the era of #BlackLivesMatter and mass incarceration debates.
2017: Mindhunter (Netflix)
David Fincher brought his meticulous eye to the birth of criminal profiling in Mindhunter. Set in the late 1970s, the series followed FBI agents Holden Ford (Jonathan Groff) and Bill Tench (Holt McCallany) as they interviewed serial killers like Ed Kemper and Charles Manson. The show's chilling, dialogue-driven approach to crime investigation was unlike anything else on TV. Though it ended after two seasons, its influence on the true-crime boom is undeniable.
2018: Barry (HBO)
Bill Hader's dark comedy about a hitman who discovers acting was a revelation. Barry balanced laugh-out-loud humor with gut-wrenching violence and genuine pathos. Hader played Barry Berkman, a former Marine turned contract killer who stumbles into an acting class in Los Angeles and tries to leave his violent past behind. The show's tight plotting, brilliant performances (especially Henry Winkler as acting coach Gene Cousineau), and willingness to explore moral ambiguity made it an instant classic.
2019: Chernobyl (HBO)
While technically a historical disaster drama, Chernobyl is fundamentally a crime story about cover-ups, negligence, and the human cost of systemic failure. Craig Mazin's miniseries was a harrowing, meticulously researched account of the 1986 nuclear disaster. With stunning performances from Jared Harris, Stellan Skarsgård, and Emily Watson, it became the highest-rated IMDb series of all time and a sobering reminder of how lies can kill.
The 2010s proved that crime television could be smart, artistic, and deeply human. Whether you're in the mood for a classic whodunit, a psychological thriller, or a dark comedy, this decade had something for everyone. For more crime drama recommendations, check out our guide to Criminal Minds: Evolution or dive into Taylor Sheridan's Mayor of Kingstown.
