Want to solve some mysteries? Here are the best mystery TV shows and where to stream them.
Who doesn’t love a good mystery, whether a classic Agatha Christie whodunit or a long-running TV series? Appealing to every viewer’s inner detective, mystery series have a way of challenging audiences with their taut central narratives, weaving together complex plotlines that encourage a degree of participation. Whether it’s unmasking a murderer or investigating potential alien encounters, these TV series have interacted with viewers on an intellectual and emotional basis, presenting mysteries that only grow more intriguing over time.
Twin Peaks
A mystery series that shocked, stupefied, and consistently terrified audiences across the globe in the 1990s, Twin Peaks has obtained a significant cult following in the decades since its release–its popularity eventually resulting in a film continuation and a long-belated third season. Weaving together multiple conflicting genres in each of its episodes, David Lynch and Mark Frost created their own self-contained universe with Twin Peaks. Evoking a melodramatic tone that lampooned soap operas one moment before transitioning into a surreal horror film the next, it’s a show unlike any other to ever air on television, before or since. Watch Twin Peaks on Paramount+ for Amazon Video.
Sherlock
Sherlock Holmes remains synonymous with the mystery genre for a reason. No matter his cinematic or TV incarnation, each TV show or movie bearing the character’s name has managed to construct engaging mysteries, from the Robert Downey Jr.-led action films to the BBC series starring Benedict Cumberbatch. Offering a contemporary take on Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s literary series, Sherlock transposes the famous Victorian detective to the modern age. Retaining the same signature mysteries first presented by Doyle over a century ago, Sherlock also adds a fresh spin on each of its classic stories, including updated versions of Dr. John Watson (Martin Freeman) and the “Napoleon of Crime,” James Moriarty (Andrew Scott). Watch Sherlock on Hulu.
True Detective
It’s nothing short of a tragedy anytime a promising TV series sees a major drop in quality after a phenomenal first season. Case in point with True Detective, the HBO anthology series with one of the most inconsistent track records in all of television. As disappointing as its later seasons are, though, the inaugural season of True Detective stands apart, dovetailing a remarkable cast with a moody Southern Gothic atmosphere as tonally similar to Lovecraft as it is to William Faulkner. Dark, gritty, and unforgettably strange, not even the overwhelming failures of True Detective’s second and fourth seasons can erase the esteem of the series’ debut mystery. Watch True Detective on Max.
Agatha Christie’s Poirot
With the notable exception of Sherlock Holmes, few names are as closely tied to the mystery genre quite as intrinsically as Agatha Christie. The skilled wordsmith who forever popularized the whodunit genre, Christie’s most famous stories revolve around her industrious Belgian detective, Hercule Poirot–the lead character in the eponymous British TV series, Agatha Christie’s Poirot. With David Suchet eloquently capturing the charisma, wit, and overarching intelligence of his literary counterpart, Poirot effortlessly adapts all of Christie’s most beloved stories for the small screen, including such classics as Death on the Nile and Murder on the Orient Express. Watch Poirot on BritBox.
Mare of Easttown
One of the best miniseries produced by HBO yet, one might describe Mare of Easttown as the hard-boiled equivalent to Twin Peaks (IE, instead of backwards-talking supernatural entities, there’s down-and-out drug addicts and washed-up high school basketball players). Relying on a talented cast of A-list actors–including Kate Winslet, Evan Peters, Guy Pearce, and Jean Smart–Mare of Easttown’s grittier tone allowed for a series of startling realism, ensuring a mystery as palpably suspenseful as Seven, Zodiac, or Gone Girl. Watch Mare of Easttown on Max.
The X-Files
Taking a page out of Rod Serling’s playbook, The X-Files somehow infused two genres in one, melding together the traditional police procedural drama with the heady atmosphere of a Twilight Zone mystery. The results gave way to one of the most iconic TV series of all time, kick-starting the “monster of the week” horror subgenre later adopted by Supernatural, Fringe, and Grimm. Drawing upon countless conspiracy theories related to alien abduction, ancient mythology, and ghoulish folk stories, The X-Files remains as universally beloved today as it had been in the early 1990s. Watch The X-Files on Hulu.
Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated
Don’t laugh–we’re serious. While certainly geared towards a younger audience demographic, Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated somehow managed to gauge viewers’ interest across a wide age margin. A fun and approachable mystery series that wasn’t afraid to veer towards surprisingly darker territory, Mystery Incorporated broke the rules when it came to traditional Scooby-Doo stories, maintaining a consistent continuity and strong character development from one season to the next. Interestingly, the series also took direct inspiration from numerous recognizable pop culture properties, parodying and referencing such horror films as Saw, A Nightmare on Elm Street, and The Silence of the Lambs in their weekly episodes. Watch Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated on Max and Netflix.
