Crime never sleeps on television, and America knows a thing or two about how broken the system can be. Traditionally, crime shows followed a simple formula: a hero chases down a villain after a crime has been committed. These days, however, it's much harder to determine who's the hero and who's the bad guy — the two can often be the same person. As morality becomes murkier, so do the crimes themselves. What was once clearly illegal can now be hidden behind technicalities and exploited loopholes.
Over the years, the best crime shows have explored just how complicated and interconnected the justice system really is. They've examined how the decisions of society's higher-ups can create ripple effects that devastate ordinary people who simply happen to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. Rather than offering black-and-white conclusions on justice, these series expose the gray areas of power and the abuse of it. From police procedurals to drug kingpins in Albuquerque, here are the greatest American crime shows of all time, ranked.
7. 'Bosch' (2014–2021)
No case goes unsolved in Bosch, not even the cold ones. LAPD homicide detective Harry Bosch (Titus Welliver) is tough as nails. Unlike colleagues who chase high-profile cases for promotions and recognition, Bosch is in it for the work itself. On paper, he makes an excellent detective, often spending his evenings and weekends following paper trails and chasing down leads that others have long abandoned. But his obsession with the job is also his Achilles' heel, and it's rarely rewarded by law enforcement.
They say never idolize your heroes, and Harry is a perfect example. He's a cowboy cop prone to impulsive decisions and frequent clashes with his superiors. Yet he's also exactly the kind of person needed to expose a system with a habit of covering up its own mistakes and serving those in power. Although Bosch has ended, its legacy lives on through Bosch: Legacy, Ballard, and even The Lincoln Lawyer, proving just how influential the franchise has become within the American crime drama genre.
6. 'Boardwalk Empire' (2010–2014)
With a pilot episode directed by Martin Scorsese, Boardwalk Empire is the epitome of underground luxury and opulence hidden by the proper decorum of 1920s Atlantic City. At the center of this lavish underworld is Nucky Thompson (Steve Buscemi), the most powerful treasurer in town, whose influence stretches across both politics and organized crime. Boardwalk Empire follows Nucky as he switches between two identities: the public servant who presents himself as Atlantic City's savior and the political fixer who profits from Prohibition behind the scenes.
Politicians are no strangers to bending Prohibition laws to suit their own interests. It's fascinating to watch the charismatic Nucky, a man trusted by the working class, charm his way through dealings with fellow gangsters and corrupt officials alike. But Boardwalk Empire also does its homework. Part of the show's weight comes from its roots in real history. Inspired by Enoch L. Johnson and featuring notorious figures like Al Capone and Lucky Luciano, Boardwalk Empire is a crash course in American gangster history.
5. 'Mare of Easttown' (2021)
For the people of Mare of Easttown, Mare Sheehan (Kate Winslet) was once the local basketball star whose championship-winning shot made her the pride of the small town. These days, Mare is a detective who never stops working. But no amount of police work can hide the scars she's carried over the years. Following the suicide of her eldest son, she refuses to discuss his death and rejects professional help.
It's difficult to sympathize with Mare at times, and that's precisely the point. In an ideal world, people burdened by trauma would take meaningful steps toward healing. Mare, however, is trapped in a cycle of denial, grief, and self-destruction, which inevitably affects both her personal life and her work. When another young woman is found dead in the woods, the case becomes a wake-up call. Faced with a tragedy she can no longer ignore, Mare begins the messy, imperfect process of confronting her pain while pursuing the truth.
4. 'Better Call Saul' (2015–2022)
A good lawyer wins cases; a great lawyer knows how to win people over. Before he was Saul Goodman, he was better known as Jimmy McGill (Bob Odenkirk) in Better Call Saul, a struggling public defender working out of the back of a nail salon and desperately trying to step out of the shadow of his successful lawyer brother. Charismatic and resourceful, Jimmy has a knack for turning even the most hopeless situations to his advantage — which draws him deeper into Albuquerque's criminal underworld.
Whether it's the fast-paced nature of the proceedings or the dramatic cries of "Order in the court!", there's something incredibly addictive about watching courtroom battles — arguably even more so than the gang confrontations Saul faces later in the series. Winning a case requires a certain level of theatricality, and because Jimmy is an underdog with a mail-order law degree, there's nothing more satisfying than watching him outsmart pedigree lawyers. Much of that success comes from his sharp understanding of the law — or, more accurately, its loopholes.
For more on the best in crime drama, check out our ranking of Five Days: HBO's Overlooked Crime Miniseries That Deserves Your Attention and explore HBO's 'Task' Season 2 Shakes Up Crime Drama with All-Female Directors.
