If I had to name a genre I have seen the most shows from, it would have to be the procedural genre. A procedural show is one where a problem is introduced and solved within an episode, usually in a professional setting. Police procedurals are the most well known, but technically medical, firefighter and lawyer shows follow the same format.
They are also fun shows to catch on reruns, because besides the overarching drama of the show, each episode tells it's own little story. I have recently started using and collecting DVD's, and I found this genre of TV is perfect to own for a rewatch or to get a random season from the library to watch!
I want to make clear that this is simply a list of the shows I personally recommend. Some shows that I loved, didn't hold up as well as I thought (New Tricks, I will love you forever regardless) and some I just never got into, even though they are quality shows (Dexter, I'm sorry, you are loved. Just not by me!). This list is in no way comprehensive and I know tastes may vary.
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All right, with that disclaimer out of the way, let's get into our shows!
Category one: Cops and Detectives
Brooklyn Nine Nine
8 seasons, finished
Brooklyn Nine Nine is the only sitcom to make this list, and let me tell you: it deserves to be here. The comedy of this show has a lot of heart and the cast is just star studded! I thought this show would mostly be silly crimes and although those do happen, lots of episodes actually include a murder or other serious crime to solve. It's the perfect balance of upbeat comedy and action packed investigations. Another thing I have to mention is the character development of this show, which actually rivals drama procedurals. How they did all this with only 20 minute episodes? I have no clue.
The Mentalist
7 seasons, finished
Patrick Jane is a mentalist who used to pretend to be a psychic to earn money. After his wife's brutal murder, he decides to use his skills to solve murders with Detective Lisbon, while searching for his wife's killer. This show is a classic procedural. The cases are well written and the supporting characters create a lovely found family theme throughout the show. Jane is also, in my humble opinion, one of the most charming characters ever to grace my television screen. Every time he sneaks away from under Lisbon's strict eyes with a little plan, you just know you are going to be very entertained for the rest of the episode.
Rizzoli and Isles
7 seasons, finished
Everyone who knows me, knows about this show, that's how much I love it. Jane Rizzoli is a detective with the Boston police department, working together with Maura Isles, the medical examiner, to solve crimes. It's my favorite friendship on tv, the actors have brilliant chemistry. And the rest of the show is filled to the brim with comfort characters, from senior detective Korsak to Angela, Jane's nosy but caring mother. The show isn't all fun and games though, some of the storylines are quite heavy and especially the first couple of seasons can get quite dark. I know that is to be expected with a detective show, but I wanted to mention it anyway to be sure!
Lie to Me
3 seasons, canceled with a cliffhanger
This show ended with a cliffhanger and I still recommend it? Yes, that's how good this show is! The main character, Dr. Lightman is like a human lie detector, he can spot micro expressions which help him unearth information that people don't want to share with law enforcement. He creates a bit of a ragtag team to assist him and starts working on real criminal cases. All the characters are great and interesting and the cases and the way they investigate feels different than other procedurals to me. It's that unique feeling that makes me recommend it. Even though I am still saddened by the cancelation, I think it is still worth your time.
Criminal Minds
18 seasons, ongoing
Criminal Minds follows a group of FBI agents who use profiling to solve crimes. The fact that some people call this procedural their comfort show, despite the criminal cases being some of the most gruesome on tv, speaks to the charm of the cast of characters. From the highly intelligent yet social stunted Dr. Spencer Reid to the utterly delightful computer tech Penelope Garcia, the group of agents balance each other out in the best way possible. Their diverse views on the cases keep the show interesting for many, many seasons. The first 15 seasons follow the classic procedural format. Interestingly, the series rebranded into a 'one case per season' format from season 16 onward.
The Bletchley Circle
2 seasons, finished
During the second world war, many women worked at Bletchley Park to decode German messages. And what would these women do with those skills after the war has ended? Solve murders of course! The English post war setting and the concept of smart housewives escaping their lives to solve crimes makes for a super unique and fun show.
Lucifer
6 seasons, finished
I definitely needed a little convincing to give this show a chance, but I am so glad I did! The premise of the show (The devil comes to earth to run a nightclub but ends up assisting a local detective) is a little out there compared to most procedurals. But other than that it has all the hallmarks of a regular procedural! The way the cases are solved is unique due to the devil helping, which I found very fun. The character dynamics throughout the show are also very interesting, so I found this one ideal for keeping your attention when you watch multiple episodes in a row.
White Collar
6 seasons, finished
If you like the 'solving the case' storylines, but aren't too keen on the gore and violence most detectives deal with: this might be the perfect show for you! The show's main duo consists of strait-laced FBI white collar investigator Peter Burke and the conman he put behind bars, the extremely charming Neal Caffrey. Together with their team, they investigate art crimes, frauds and anything else that is white collar. And perhaps, Neal has got some things going on on the side, he is a conman after all! Together they really make a delightful duo and overall, the show is very wholesome and fun. Besides all the criminals, of course.
The Rookie
7 seasons, ongoing
John is 40 years old and has decided to make a big life change: he has joined the police. After months of schooling, he now joins the force as a 40 year old rookie agent. Even though the show starts out centered around John, the show actually has a very big cast of fantastic characters all with their own great arcs. Truly, it's rare that I care about this many characters within a single show. The cases are soapy, but interesting and the themes of friendship, family and love really level up the drama factor on the show! And since most the characters are cops, not detectives, you get quite some action too!
High Potential
2 seasons, ongoing
High Potential is the most recent in the genre of 'outsider helps detectives with their special skill', a genre I personally love and hope will never leave the TV landscape. The outsider in this show is Morgan, a highly intelligent person with high cognitive abilities. Because of this neurodivergence, Morgan has a hard time keeping a job, but when the police find out about her skills, she agrees to help them, if they help her solve the disappearance of the father of her first child. The balance between Morgan's home and work life is an interesting angle of the show and overall the cases are exactly what you can expect from a classic TV detective procedural.
Ludwig
1 season, ongoing
Although this show covers a case every episode, the overarching storyline is the star of the show for me. Ludwig isn't a detective, he is a puzzle maker. But when his twin brother goes missing, he goes undercover at the police station to see what is going on (under protest, Ludwig is quite the introvert, a man after my own heart!). Quickly, he realizes his puzzle skills are actually quite the asset, and he starts solving his brothers cases, while continuing his investigation together with his brothers family. This show may be the most British thing I have ever seen, with rainy car rides and corduroy galore. It's witty, occasionally a little dark but overall extremely charming. I cannot wait for season two!
Category two: Medical
Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman
6 seasons, open storylines wrapped up in a movie
Sorry, what is that? Just a picture of a young Jane Seymour and Joe Lando isn't enough to make you want to watch this show? Okay. Odd. But okay. Thankfully this show also has a great storyline. Dr. Quinn arrives at a small, dessert town to offer them medical care. However, she first has to convince them that she deserves their trust as a wealthy and above all female, doctor from the city. Byron Sully, local outdoorsman, is there to help. The combination of medical cases, dramatic relationships and the western lifestyle of the 1800's makes for tons of great, unique stories throughout this show. It is the first procedural I ever fell in love with and I still love it!
22 seasons, ongoing
Grey's Anatomy follows a group of interns at a hospital, trying to learn how to be doctors and, let's be honest, trying to date every single hot person they come across (patient, colleague or superior, it does not matter!). I personally think the cases and the way they are written to intersect with the characters lives is a very underrated part of the show. It does emotional storytelling very, very well! And if you are intimidated by the amount of seasons, don't worry, you can just stop watching when your favorite character leaves, becomes annoying or passes away. I have personally made it to season 19 (yes, quite the accomplishment, thank you very much), but most people quit at around season 10 or 11.
The Night Shift
4 seasons, ends with some open storylines
Doctor Callahan is straight out of the military and ready to pick up the night shift at San Antonio Memorial Hospital. The scars of his traumatic time in the military start showing immediately, but together with the rest of the doctors and nurses, there are lives to save. The military storylines running through the show sets it apart from the rest. I was slightly hesitant to add this show because it was cancelled with several storylines left unfinished, but I think the show is still an enjoyable binge watch overall, if you keep that in mind!
Code Black
3 seasons, finished
The first season of this show is some of the best medical fiction TV I've ever seen, only recently riveled by The Pitt. It perfectly conveys the high speed, high energy and deep stress of a severely understaffed ER. Angels Memorial Hospital constantly deals with Code Blacks: when the influx of patients it too much for the amount of staff and resources. Forcing the doctors and nurses to make hard decision quickly. The visuals of this show are something to write home about, they totally moved away from the pristine, white sets hospital shows usually have. The sets are crowded, grimy and cluttered, which I absolutely loved about this show!
The Resident
6 seasons, finished
In my opinion, The Resident especially shines in terms of interpersonal relationships between the characters. They all have their own story, their own baggage that they are bringing into work, and it's very interesting watching all of that play out. I also really love the character of Nic Nevin, a nurse practitioner at the hospital. Nurses hardly ever get the love they deserve in medical shows, and although the doctors are the main character here: Nic is one of the best characters, that really makes the show.
The Good Karma Hospital
4 seasons, finished
If you love medical storylines, but are kind of done with American hospital shows: let me introduce you to The Good Karma Hospital in South India. Ran by a British expat (played by Amanda Redman, whom I adore), the hospital is underfunded and always busy. Dr. Walker tries to escape her life in the UK by moving to work at the hospital, but quickly starts doubting the decision when the job is harder and generally just very different than she expected. The show has romance, beachy vibes and above all, really interesting medical cases you won't see in American centric hospital shows.
All Creatures Great and Small
6 seasons, ongoing
If we are talking about non-standard medical shows, may I introduce you to this historical, light hearted drama about a vet in the English countryside? This is perhaps the most wholesome show I have ever seen, I have even gotten my parents and grandparents into the show! Talk about a broad appeal! I absolutely love all the characters, the farms that we visit, the people from the village and of course all the animals we get to know. And even though it's cheesy at times, the show does not shy away from serious storylines regarding the first and second world war, animal abuse, complicated family relationships and other storylines you can expect from a well written drama!
The Pitt
1 season, ongoing
Are you disappointed when character drama takes you out of the intensity of the hospital, when you watch the average medical show? Then The Pitt is absolutely worth your time. This show is INTENSE. Every season covers a single shift: from start to finish. And I will admit, I expected a slow paced, documentary style show, which is why it took me a while to watch it. But boy was I wrong! Rarely does a show hold my attention like this one did. The storytelling is done masterfully and the big cast of interesting characters brings something special to every episode.
Category three: Firefighters
9-1-1
8 seasons, ongoing
If you asked me to describe this show by a single trope, it would be: found family. Everyone on the team has their own baggage affecting how they do their job as a firefighter and how they work together. And while the storylines are often outlandish (did you see the trailer for the most recent series? yes, you saw that right, the episode took place... in space), the interpersonal relationships of the cast of characters is what keeps this show grounded. It does not shy away from covering deeply emotional and vulnerable topics like abuse, post partum depression, exploring sexuality, romantic relationships, parenting, etc.
9-1-1: Lone Star
5 seasons, finished
Lone Star starts with a new captain building a firehouse from scratch after a big accident killed almost the entire original crew. It's a very fun way to get introduced to the characters and I actually found this show easier to get into than the original 9-1-1. It has a nice cast of diverse characters in terms of different religions, races and several members of the LGBTQI+ community. Which I felt really helped to make every character and their work as a firefighter interesting. And for the people who love medical storylines: the paramedics often get highlighted in this show!
Category four: Lawyers
The Lincoln Lawyer
3 seasons, ongoing
I often find lawyer shows depressing, but this show sprinkles in just enough hope and humanity for me to actually enjoy it! Main character Micky Haller is a recovering addict, who is trying to get his career back on track. There is a lovely cast of characters to help him and interesting cases for him to try. It's nothing revolutionary, but it's enjoyable, easy to watch television!
Matlock
2 seasons, ongoing
Now this show has only just started and I want to be careful not to spoil too much, so I'll keep things a little vague on this one. What I will say is that this show surprised and delighted me. Kathy Bates is fantastic in it and her co stars can actually keep up. The overarching storyline had me absolutely yearning for the next episode and I was super invested in the cases every episode. This is a lawyer procedural, but perhaps the most approachable one for people who don't generally like those types of shows (like me, lol!). There is mystery, tension but also heartwarming cases and cosy vibes.
As always, this list will be updated if I watch a show that I feel deserves to be on this list! And please share your own favorites and recommendations in the comments to help out other people looking for new stuff to watch!
Haven't found what you were looking for in this list? Here are a couple other ones I've written:
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