Summary
- Shows like Criminal Minds have flooded television for decades, with psychological elements adding depth to crime-solving narratives.
- Spin-offs such as Criminal Minds: Beyond Borders and international settings provide fresh takes on the crime procedural genre.
- Series like Numb3rs and Lie To Me offer unique angles on crime-solving, focusing on mathematical equations and behavioral science.
Shows like Criminal Minds flooded broadcast television for the last two decades. Even before it premiered, police procedurals had been one of the most popular genres since the advent of television. While there were several hit cop shows on TV, from Columbo and Kojak to Miami Vice and Hill Street Blues, it seems the shows that started in the 1990s and continue to this day took things a step further than any that came before. These shows often pull stories from the headlines and feature just as many sad endings as exciting save-the-day finales.
Criminal Minds premiered in 2005 and followed the Behavioral Analysis Unit (BAU) as they profiled crimes and unknown subjects (called unsubs), triedimilar shows like, Criminal Misaved this didn't bother as much with police officers racing to catch criminals, and instead had the agents delve into the minds of the criminals and attempt to figure out who they were and why they were doing this to find a way to catch them before they could commit yet another crime. Now the series has ended, there are many other great shows like Criminal Minds.
Criminal Minds: Evolution Season 2 - Release Date, Cast, Story, Trailer & Everything We Know
After 15 successful seasons, Criminal Minds was revived as Criminal Minds: Evolution, and the beloved procedural is returning for a season 2.
15 Criminal Minds: Beyond Borders (2016-2017)
Takes The Criminal Minds Series International
But even though Criminal Minds: Beyond Borders wasn't nearly as famous as the original, only running for two seasons, it's still worth a watch for those who love shows like Criminal Minds.
It's rare for sequels and spin-off shows to live up to the original. This is true in everything from books to movies and, of course, television shows. But even though Criminal Minds: Beyond Borders wasn't nearly as famous as the original, only running for two seasons, it's still worth a watch for those who love shows like Criminal Minds. This particular spin-off takes on a similar premise, but it takes it a step further by stripping the show of borders and sending the characters on exciting hunts away from home.
The show follows an elite team of FBI agents from the International Response Team, led by Jack Garrett (Gary Sinise), who solve cases involving American citizens abroad. With Alana De La Garza as Clara Seger, a cultural anthropologist, and Daniel Henney as Special Ops Agent Matthew Simmons, the series incorporates international settings and diverse cultural challenges, bringing a fresh and global twist to the Criminal Minds franchise.
14 CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (2000-2015)
The Long-Running Series Won 6 Golden Globes
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
- Release Date
- October 6, 2000
- Cast
- William Petersen , Marg Helgenberger , George Eads , Eric Szmanda , Elisabeth Shue , Laurence Fishburne , Paul Guilfoyle
- Seasons
- 15
- Showrunner
- Anthony E. Zuiker
Certain shows manage to establish themselves as classics right off the bat. Criminal Minds did it to the extent of lasting for over a dozen seasons. But five years before the show reached screens, another one was garnering that classic and iconic status - CSI: Crime Scene Investigation. The show lasted an impressive fifteen years and was nominated for six Golden Globes. If clever crime mysteries are what a person likes about shows like Criminal Minds, especially those with over 300 episodes to satisfy their thirst for suspense, then CSI fits that description.
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation follows a team of forensic investigators in Las Vegas, led by Gil Grissom (William Petersen), as they unravel complex cases using cutting-edge forensic science. With a talented ensemble cast including Marg Helgenberger, George Eads, and Laurence Fishburne, the show redefined the crime procedural genre by focusing on the science behind solving crimes. Its success led to several spin-offs, such as CSI: Miami, CSI: NY, and the recent revival, CSI: Vegas. The original series remains a must-watch for fans of gripping procedural dramas, offering a compelling mix of intricate storytelling, memorable characters, and inventive scientific detective work.
13 Numb3rs (2005-2010)
The Complex Maths Equations To Solve Cases Sets Numb3rs Apart
Numb3rs
- Cast
- Rob Morrow , David Krumholtz , Judd Hirsch , Alimi Ballard , Sabrina Lloyd , Dylan Bruno , Diane Farr , Navi Rawat , Peter MacNicol
- Release Date
- January 23, 2005
- Seasons
- 6
- Creator(s)
- Nicolas Falacci , Cheryl Heuton
Numb3rs is one of the shows like Criminal Minds that many people seemed to miss when it aired between 2005 and 2010. Even though the series enjoyed mild success and ran for six seasons, it still doesn't receive the same attention as similar shows in the genre. If a viewer enjoys premises that involve outsiders with outstanding talents joining FBI investigations, then Numb3rs is for you. It follows a mathematician who uses mathematical equations to help the Bureau solve several crimes. It's like nothing seen before in the realm of police procedurals.
The series stars Rob Morrow as FBI Agent Don Eppes and David Krumholtz as his genius brother, Dr. Charlie Eppes, a mathematician who uses his expertise in mathematics to solve crimes. The unique premise of applying complex equations to criminal investigations set Numb3rs apart from other procedurals. The show blends mathematical theories with gripping crime-solving plots, offering viewers a fresh and intellectual twist on the genre.