One of the worst feelings as a TV fan is when you get invested in a series, only to learn later that it’s never coming back. It happens every year without fail to something someone’s watching and there’s been some big TV cancellations already this year. While sometimes the networks and streamers pull the plug at the right time for some shows, let’s talk about the ones people are still sour about, one of which I think is the indisputable bummer.

I'm Not Actually Talking About Pushing Daisies, Though Fans Are Still Sad

While perusing Reddit, I noticed a discussion on the TV shows that got away. Since this topic is near and dear to my own heart, I obviously clicked through and noticed one popular show fans got behind was an ABC comedy that was on for two seasons from 2007 to 2009. It was created by Bryan Fuller, who has since made other popular shows like Hannibal and Star Trek: Discovery.

Yes, fans are still upset about the loss of Pushing Daisies.

• “I got so mad when they cancelled Pushing Daisies. They were setting up so many interesting plot lines that just got dropped because the show got cancelled. I will forever be bitter about it.” - @chicken_lover
• “It was the writer strike that killed it it makes me so sad I just didn't rewatch of it from beginning to end and I still love it so very dearly I wish they could have completed the series.” - @mockturtle22

Pushing Daisies is a “forensic fairy tale” about a guy (Lee Pace) who can bring dead things back to life with his touch. It was critically acclaimed and won seven Emmys. Lucky for fans, Fuller recently said he’s actually working on a Season 3, so it might not always be on this list. At least a girl can hope.

There Are Lots Of Other Shows Fans Are Salty About, Including Happy Endings

Another one TV fans are passionate about is ABC’s sitcom, Happy Endings, which ran for three seasons from 2011 to 2013. Not unlike Friends or New Girl, it’s about six best friends in their late 20s/early thirties as they navigate life and relationships. Unlike Friends or New Girl, fans feel it was kicked off the air way too soon.

• "There's not many shows that have the talent involved and the chemistry that Happy Endings had. Everyone worked well with each other, even the odd pairings." @braumbles
• "That first season is so good everyone is perfect." - @whytypehour
• "They could have easily done 7-8 seasons. Very few sitcoms had chemistry like that. You're totally right about the odd pairings working. There was no Chandler-Phoebe's in that friend group." @Whackedjob

If you missed out on this sitcom, it’s streaming for those with a Hulu subscription.

Which Brings Me To Mindhunter

Netflix has earned a reputation of cancelling a lot of shows too soon, but one that fans stop talking about seven years later. David Fincher’s Mindhunter series was universally beloved when it came out and got two seasons, but a third season never happened reportedly because it was too expensive to produce and didn’t draw a big enough crowd for those with a Netflix subscription.

• “Mindhunter. Bring it back Netflix and Fincher you cowards” - @jayseagaming
• “If I ever win the PowerBall and become a billionaire overnight I'm gonna a) sit perfectly still for thirty six hours b) follow the exact instructions from that famous reddit comment and then c) call David Fincher and say "hey finish Mindhunter, I gotchu"” - @j8sadm632b

These are all great picks, but I think there’s one that’s especially frustrating. Let’s talk about it.

And The Winner Is… Freaks And Geeks

Freaks And Geeks got cancelled for a number of reasons, but looking back, it’s absolutely wild that we missed out on more than one season of a coming-of-age show from Judd Apatow starring Linda Cardellini, Seth Rogen, Jason Segel, James Franco and Busy Philipps. It's untimely end has left fans like @pantstoaknifefight2 with a lot of questions.

It only ran for 18 episodes from 1999 to 2000, and people aren’t happy… still. The comments section was, in fact, full of comments like this from @plane-tie6392 and more:

Can you imagine if we had seen these actors grow up together in these roles before becoming as big as they are now? It feels like a crime that never happened, and Rogen once rightfully called out the guy who pulled the plug. The short-lived show is currently on Amazon Prime, Paramount+ and Pluto TV.

Is there anything better than a great pilot episode that grabs you instantly? The 2025 and 2026 TV schedules saw a few new shows like this. Pluribus might have the perfect first episode, because it does what all the best do: no slow burn, no “it gets good in Season 2.” Just an immediate, undeniable pull. And recently, fans have been swapping examples of classic TV shows that nailed that feeling from the start. After looking through the responses, I have to admit, the most popular answer is absolutely the right one.

The Post That Sparked The Debate

Over on Reddit, a thread asking “What TV show hooked you instantly from episode 1?” quickly took off, racking up nearly 12 thousand responses. While there were plenty of great picks, one show dominated the conversation by a mile: HBO's groundbreaking miniseries Chernobyl.

The thread itself is pretty simple, but the answers say a lot about what viewers value. It’s not just about spectacle. It’s about tone, tension, and that feeling that you’re watching something special from the very first scene. While dozens of shows came up, one name kept rising to the top over and over again.

Chernobyl dominated the conversation for sure, but it definitely wasn’t the only show getting love. The thread turned into a full-on celebration of great pilots across genres. Here are some of the standouts:

• True Detective
• Mindhunter
• Lost
• The X-Files
• Arrested Development
• The Boys
• Severance
• The Good Place
• Derry Girls

It’s a great mix of comedy, drama, and genre storytelling, but again, none of them quite matched the universal agreement around Chernobyl.

Why Chernobyl Worked So Well

It’s easy to see why so many people pointed to the drama built around the devastating 1980s nuclear disaster. The show didn’t just hook viewers by capturing the scale of the tragedy; it genuinely stunned them.

Chernobyl doesn’t ease you in, but instead, drops you straight into dread. From the opening moments, you know exactly what kind of story you’re getting, and it never lets up. The tone is relentless, but not in a way that feels exhausting.

Part of what makes it so effective is how grounded it feels. There’s no sensationalism or over-the-top drama, just a slow, creeping realization of how bad things really are.

One criticism that came up when the show first aired was that the characters speak mostly in English, using their natural accents instead of Russian. That might pull some viewers out of it, but it also speaks to what the series is trying to do. It's by no means a documentary on the Chernobyl disaster, but by keeping the language accessible, it opens the story up to a wider audience and helps ensure that more people can engage with and learn from a mostly accurate depiction of what happened.

And then there’s the structure. The show doesn’t rely on twists to keep you engaged. You already know the outcome. Instead, it builds tension through details, through process, through watching people try and fail to contain something that’s already out of control. That’s what makes it so gripping from episode one. It trusts the audience to lean in.

At the end of the day, a great pilot or first episode of a miniseries has to answer one simple question: “Do I need to keep watching?” Chernobyl answers the question and makes it feel like you don’t have a choice. Judging by how many people are still talking about it years later, it’s safe to say that first episode did exactly what it needed to do.

The groundbreaking miniseries, Chernobyl, is streaming with an HBO Max subscription.

Every once in a while, the Twitter film community decides to wake up and choose violence. This time, the target is David Fincher and, as someone who still hasn’t forgiven Netflix for leaving Mindhunter in limbo, I feel personally attacked. A recent post on X has gone somewhat viral, racking up more than two million views and well over 23,000 likes, all because it dares to suggest that Fincher “fell off so bad.” That’s the actual phrasing--crying emojis and all--and the Mindhunter fan in me is absolutely outraged.

Film Twitter Says David Fincher Fell Off

The tweet, shared by X user @mistonvinyl, includes a screenshot of Fincher’s films listed by release date, starting with the wonderfully creepy thriller flick Zodiac and running through the, at the time, buzzy Netflix's The Killer, capped off with the upcoming The Adventures of Cliff Booth. The caption reads, “this is wicked work man… he fell off so bad,” as if this is some kind of universally accepted truth and not an invitation for chaos.

In the time since it went up, the post spread and has been quote-tweeted into oblivion. Also, it's somehow seemingly convinced a sizable chunk of the internet that one of the most meticulous directors of the last 25 years suddenly forgot how to make movies.

Here’s the thing. Even if you weren’t in love with The Killer, which got three out of five-star review, calling it proof of a creative downfall feels wildly off-base. The Michael Fassbender-led film earned generally positive reviews, with plenty of critics praising its icy tone, procedural patience and very Fincher-specific commitment to detail. Was it everyone’s favorite? No. Was it some embarrassing misfire? Also, no. Disliking a movie is not the same thing as a director “falling off,” no matter how many likes the tweet gets.

And then there’s the Hollywood historical picture, Mank, which this narrative conveniently glosses over. That movie picked up 10 Academy Award nominations at the 2021 Oscars, including Best Picture and Best Director. You don’t accidentally stumble into that kind of recognition while allegedly losing your touch. You can argue about whether Mank connected emotionally, but from a craft standpoint, it was Fincher doing exactly what he’s always done: obsessing over form, tone, and historical texture in a way very few filmmakers even attempt.

But where are Fincher fans on this take? Well, the replies are all over the place.

The Replies Might Be Even Wilder Than The Fincher Tweet

Once the post started circulating, other X users wasted no time jumping in, and the replies paint a much messier picture than the original claim:

• @Vinod_r108: “Literally not one of these is bad, so I’m confused about what you’re trying to argue.”
• @LeahRayAFC: “Normalise explaining who the tweet is referring to.”
• @kuuroishi: “Omg.. what happened to him.
• @Lil_Luna_IRL: “I really hope that at the peak of my career, I won't experience this decline. I just want to keep on getting better.”
• @cristinafoxtv: “That run is still insane though.”
• @teroteroter: "I remember when people pretended Mank was good - and the entire dialogue was cobbled together from scathing one liners from celeb bios. Nobody talks like that because every line was a zinger from some book."
• @brownsamwell: "Mank Forever"
• @LifeWithAnnaS: “That run was insane though, hard to top.”

That last point is really the key. David Fincher’s early and mid-career run set the bar absurdly high. Not matching Zodiac or The Social Network every single time isn’t the same thing as falling off. It’s just what happens when expectations get unrealistic for a director who continuously makes strong work.

The internet loves a clean rise-and-fall narrative, especially when it fits neatly into a screenshot. But zoom out, and this take doesn’t hold up. Fincher is still making deliberate, controlled, technically sharp projects on his own terms. And, if Mindhunter ever returns, which I have serious doubts about, this whole conversation is going to look even more ridiculous in hindsight.

Mindhunter, from producer and director David Fincher, was a brilliant show that you can watch with a Netflix subscription, which sadly only got two seasons to tell the fictionalized story of the creation of the FBI’s Behavioral Science Unit. The real-life unit is charged with investigating serial killers, among other roles.

The show stars Holt McCallany as Bill Tench and Jonathan Groff as Holden Ford, two fictional FBI agents who interview incarcerated killers like Charles Manson, David Berkowitz, and Ed Kemper, among others. Sadly, the show got caught up in a bunch of behind-the-scenes business-related drama that led to it being one of many Netflix shows that were canceled too soon. It’s time to bring it back!

It’s The Perfect Time For The Show To Return

Two of the most popular shows on streaming right now are Monster: The Ed Gein Story on Netflix and Devil In Diguise: John Wayne Gacy on Peacock, so it's clear the public has an appetite to watch fictionalized shows about real-life serial killers, which Mindhunter was. In fact, it’s that latter show that inspired this story. John Wayne Gacy was actually interviewed by the agent who Tench is loosely based on, Robert K. Ressler. It’s an interview you can see much of with a Peacock subscription in the docuseries John Wayne Gacy: Devil In Diguise. That docuseries is what the new drama is based on.

The most interesting aspect of Mindhunter was the kind of interviews we see in that docuseries, and Gacy would be perfect for a Season 3 subject. There are some other notorious serial killers who never appeared in the show, too. Ted Bundy, who was the subject of the Netflix movie called Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile, starring Zac Efron as the killer, would be another fascinating subject. Ryan Murphy’s Monster series debuted in 2022 to great acclaim (and some well-deserved criticism as well) with a season about Jeffrey Dahmer, showing again just how much these horrifying subjects fascinate us.

There May Be A Little Hope For A Return

Netflix bringing back Mindhunter is complicated, I get it. The show was, by all accounts, very expensive to produce and, at least according to Fincher, didn’t attract enough viewers to justify Season 3. I’m not going to pretend to know all the behind-the-scenes ins and outs of the show; that’s between the show's producers, which include Charlize Theron in addition to Fincher, and Netflix. I do hope they can set aside their fiscal differences and find a way to film a third season.

Recently, there was a glimmer of hope. Holt McCallany was quoted as saying that he spoke with Fincher this year, and he indicated that there could still be another season. There are even writers working on potential scripts for Fincher’s approval, according to the actor. This is an exciting development, and I am one of many who hope it leads to at least one more season of the fantastic, yet terrifying, Netflix original.

Sometimes, you watch a show like The Wire and later discover that despite being almost universally acclaimed and often considered one of the best–if not the best–shows of all time, it never won an Emmy of any kind. How in the world does that happen? The classic, available to stream on HBO Max, is hardly alone with the dubious distinction of being a great show with no Emmys. This is a list dedicated to shows just like The Wire.

It's worth noting that we're talking about Primetime Emmys here, not Creative Arts Emmys. Some of these shows have won the latter.

Parks And Recreation

For seven seasons, Parks and Recreation made fans laugh on NBC. With an all-star cast that included Amy Poehler, Chris Pratt, Aubry Plaza, Nick Offerman, Aziz Ansari, and Rob Lowe, the show was one of the top-rated sitcoms of its era. Still, it never managed to win an Emmy, somehow, despite eight nominations.

Chappelle’s Show

Although it only ran on Comedy Central for three seasons, Chappelle’s Show took the world by storm, and you could argue it changed sketch shows forever. There are still countless memes based on the jokes on the show, and people still quote it all the time. It was nominated for two Emmys, but didn't win either.

Better Call Saul

There may not be a show on the list of Emmy snubs that gets its fans fired up about that fact more than fans of Better Call Saul. In six seasons, the critically acclaimed show, which was beloved by fans, was nominated for 30 Emmys, including multiple times for Outstanding Drama, but never won one. It's one of the most egregious examples of a true prestige show that didn't run on HBO on this list.

Star Trek

It's well known that Star Trek wasn't the most popular show when it first aired in the mid-'60s. Still, it's kind of crazy that the groundbreaking show was nominated for 13 Emmys during its brief three-season run, but never won one. Getting shut out for an Emmy certainly hasn't dampened the show's cultural influence or its popularity.

Yellowstone

One of the more recent shows on this list, Yellowstone, wrapped up its very successful run in late 2024 without winning an Emmy. The show has always been somewhat politically divisive, but you can't deny that it's a really great show. During its five-season run, the Kevin Costner-led show was never even nominated for a Primetime Emmy. Costner did win a Golden Globe, though.

Good Times

One of the most groundbreaking sitcoms of all time, Good Times, was probably a little too radical for the Emmys. The show wasn't just funny, it was also heartwarming and poignant. IT still couldn't win an Emmy, and that's not "dy-no-mite!"

Blue Bloods

Tom Selleck is an Emmy winner. He won for Best Lead in a Drama in 1984 for his legendary character Thomas Magnum in Magnum P.I. He was never even nominated for his equally legendary role as Frank Reagan in Blue Bloods. In fact, Blue Bloods never won an Emmy of any kind despite 14 great seasons and legions of fans, who are still upset the show was canceled.

Grace And Frankie

Legends Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin starred in Grace and Frankie for seven wonderful seasons that you can watch with a Netflix subscription. Netflix is no stranger to winning Emmys, but this excellent never won one. Both Fonda and Tomlin were nominated multiple times, coming away empty each time. That's okay, they are still two of the greatest of all time.

Enlightened

A decade before Mike White kept the nation in suspense with his White Lotus series on HBO, he created Enlightened, starring Laura Dern. It's a completely unappreciated show that deserved more Emmy love than it ever got.

Veronica Mars

Kristen Bell became a hero to millions when she starred as the detective Veronica Mars in the show of the same name. It's a show that is famous for its die-hard fan support, but that support didn't translate to Emmy Awards, sadly.

My So-Called Life

Of all the shows on this list, My So-Called Life is the easiest to understand why it didn't win an Emmy. Despite being a show that helped launch the careers of stars Claire Danes and Jared Leto, the show only lasted 19 episodes and only really found its fanbase after the show was canceled.

Empire

Terrence Howard and Taraji P. Henson led an all-star cast in the music industry drama Empire, which despite critical acclaim and running for six seasons, the show was never bestowed with an Emmy. Howard and Henson alone should have more multiple awards, if you ask fans. Henson was nominated twice, at least, but that doesn't make up for not winning any.

The Wire

There is no small contingent of people who will argue that not only was The Wire the best show on TV when it first ran in the early '00s, but it's the best television show of all time. For five seasons, the show suffered from poor ratings, but in the years since, it's found its fanbase and more. In fact, despite all the praise it receives today, it was only ever nominated twice. Clay Davis might have something to say about that.

The Good Place

Kristen Bell and Ted Danson starred in The Good Place. It's a show that struggled to find an audience for reasons that are hard to pinpoint. It's a really funny show, and it was unique in its premise and its humor. That might be why it never managed to win an Emmy, despite certainly being deserving of some.

Narcos

Netflix's Narcos is a fantastic example of a truly great peak-era TV show that somehow got snubbed by the Emmys. There was a lot of competition, sure, but Narcos was a step above many of those shows. Wagner Moura's performance as Pablo Escobar should've won every award there was, and Pedro Pascal was fantastic as well. Maybe the content scared the voters off, or that the show was bilingual, but no matter what, it should have won something.

The Leftovers

HBO dominated prestige TV in the early 2000s with shows like The Sopranos, Game of Thrones, Six Feet Under, and The Leftovers. Unlike the previous two, the latter never won an Emmy. It seemed like it would be the next show in line to collect all the Emmys like the other shows on the network, but alas, it wasn't to be, and they were left behind.

The Brady Bunch

Okay, okay, this one is a bit of a stretch to wonder why it never won an Emmy, but come on, who doesn't love The Brady Bunch? Multiple generations have grown up watching the show now, and there isn't a person in America who isn't aware of this classic family sitcom. It's a perfect example of critics and Emmy voters disagreeing with viewers.

The Comeback

Of all the shows that former cast members of Friends have starred in over the years, maybe the most underappreciated is The Comeback starring Lisa Kudrow. It wasn't an immediate hit when it hit HBO in 2005 for 13 episodes, but it proved enduring, and it returned for a second season in 2014. Don't call it a comeback...

Newhart

The '80s classic Newhart, starring Bob Newhart, features one of the greatest finales in television history. It was also nominated for an astounding 25 Emmys. It never won, though. It's almost too ridiculous to believe that a show this good and with this many nominations never won one. Adding insult to injury, Bob Newhart's first hit sitcom, The Bob Newhart Show, never won one, either.

Parenthood

NBC's Parenthood, which was very loosely based on the 1989 movie starring Steve Martin, was a bit of a surprise hit on the Peacock Network. The show, like the movie, had just the right combination of laughs and tear-jerking moments, and it did so successfully for six seasons. Despite having all the ingredients of a multiple Emmy-winning show, it was completely shut out. In fact, it was only nominated for one, and that was a guest star (Josh Ritter).

NCIS

For decades, NCIS ruled the ratings. Despite more than 20 seasons on the air, the show has never won an Emmy. It's one of the most popular shows ever, yet it's only ever been nominated for three Emmys, total. Wild.

Hannibal

Horror shows, like horror movies, often have a difficult time show business' biggest awards, and Hannibal is no exception. Despite being a fantastic (and really scary) show, it never won an Emmy.

Oz

One of the earliest examples of prestige TV is Oz. The show is one of the hardest-hitting, raw shows in TV history, with an amazing cast. It was probably a little ahead of its time, however, as it really never got the accolades it deserved when it was on the air. That includes never winning an Emmy.

Leave It To Beaver

We had to include this one. Leave It To Beaver is a show that basically invented and defined the family sitcom, and yet it never got the appreciation it deserved from the Emmys. The awards were still pretty new when the show was on the air, but it was incredibly popular, yet ignored by the Emmys.

Supernatural

Few shows in television history have a fan base as dedicated as Supernatural. For 15 seasons, the show kept them coming back for more, through casting changes, and even a network change, the fans kept showing their love. The Emmys never did, sadly.

Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt

The quirkiness and enduring humor of Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt would seemingly be enough to win at least one Emmy. Ellie Kemper's performance as Schmidt herself was also certainly good enough to win one. Alas, over three seasons and a remarkable twenty nominations, it won none.

New Girl

146 episodes. Seven seasons. Zero Emmys. Such is the fate of New Girl. Zooey Deschanel played the titular new girl, and even though she was widely praised for her comedic performance, she didn't win an Emmy, nor did the show. It was nominated five times, including Deschanel once for Lead Actress, but walked away empty-handed.

Mindhunter

It's a crying shame that Mindhunter only ran for two seasons. It's a prime example of Netflix canceled without a proper ending. While fans are still holding hope that the show could be revived one day, for now, we'll have to live with just the two excellent seasons. Despite how good those seasons are, they didn't win any Emmys.

Sons Of Anarchy

While many might say that Sons of Anarchy never deserved to win an Emmy, that's not fair. The show had some tremendous moments, like Opie's death, and frankly, the finale. It's one show that actually ended really well. For 92 episodes over seven seasons, we laughed, cried, and bled with SAMCRO, but the show never grabbed voters, it seems. It did receive a few Creative Arts Emmy nominations, but it was never nominated for a Primetime Emmy.

Bates Motel

As horror shows go, Bates Motel is among the best ever. For five seasons, the show scared the pants off fans, but it seems to have never scared the Emmy voters into getting an award. Vera Farmiga was nominated a couple of times, but alas, walked away without a win.

It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia

It's hard to fathom just how popular and enduring It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia is. It first aired way back in 2015. Now, the stars own football teams in England. It's just crazy, but not as crazy as how the gang has never won even one Emmy.

Gilmore Girls

One of the most enduringly popular shows on this list, Gilmore Girls is still as popular as ever with its fans, despite being off the air for more than 15 years. Fans still keep on the lookout for shows with the Gilmore Girls cast members, but none of those stars won an Emmy for the show. In fact, the show was completely shut out, just like the rest of the shows on this list.

For the past five or so years, one of the biggest mysteries in the streaming world has to do with Mindhunter and if the binge-worthy Netflix show will ever return. You may recall that Netflix put the third season on hold back in late 2019, just months after David Fincher’s series about the FBI’s Behavioral Science Unit completed its second season. After years of one disheartening update after another, fans got a glimmer of hope in June 2025 when one of the franchise’s stars gave a promising update.

However, I’d be shocked if new episodes of Mindhunter ever became available for those with a Netflix subscription. I usually lean on the more optimistic side of the spectrum, and this great true crime series is one of my all-time favorites, but I have to listen to my gut here. Here's why I'm not so positive about it coming back...

Holt McCallany Has Said There's A Chance Mindhunter Comes Back As Three Movies

In June 2025, Mindhunter star Holt McCallany told CBR that he had a meeting with David Fincher somewhat recently. The legendary filmmaker and de facto showrunner for the beloved Netflix series gave him hope that the story might get finished a few years after Netflix officially pulled the plug.

Would it be a new season to wrap up the story for McCallany’s Bill Tench, Jonathan Groff’s Holden Ford and Anna Torv’s Wendy Carr after fans were left waiting six years ago? Well, not necessarily. Instead, the actor explained that Fincher’s vision would be three two-hour movies. McCallany didn’t sound overly optimistic about the venture, as Fincher would still have to like and sign off on any scripts moving forward.

But Even So, There Are So Many Factors Involved With Bringing It Back

I want more Mindhunter as much as the next guy, but there are so many factors involved to make this work, and that’s where my optimism goes out the window. Even if someone is writing the scripts for the three rumored movies, Fincher still has to sign off on them. With the director being attached to that Once Upon a Time in Hollywood spinoff about Brad Pitt’s Cliff Booth over at Netflix, it sounds like the acclaimed filmmaker is going to have his hands full for quite some time.

Then you have all the actors and their increasingly busy schedules to think about, which further complicates things. However, the biggest obstacle is the fact that I’m not entirely sure if Netflix really wants to pursue more Mindhunter at this point. You'd think that if the streamer were into more of the show, we would have had more episodes already. But hey, I could be wrong here.

Don't Get Me Wrong, I'll Be There Day One For More Mindhunter

Who knows, maybe Mindhunter will come back in the form of three movies, and we’ll finally get to wrap up the story for the FBI’s Behavioral Science Unit and all those real-life serial killers. If that day does come, and I’m totally wrong about being convinced we’ll never see the show’s return, I’ll be there on day one to watch whatever form it takes. I’m just not going to hold my breath.

Regardless of what happens, I’m just glad that Mindhunter exists and continues to be one of the best crime shows of the 21st century, and perhaps even in the history of TV.

The streaming wars have been going for years now, and showing no signs of slowing down. Those with a Netflix subscription were treated to David Fincher's gripping crime drama Mindhunter, although there was disappointment when the third season never came to fruition. But actor Holt McCallany recently offered hope that the story might finally continue. Let's break it all down.

While Netflix claimed Mindhunter was too expensive to give a third season, there are still dedicated fans who want to see the acclaimed series finally return to the small screen. Fans have been bummed for years since Mindhunter was put on hold back in 2019, but in a conversation with CBR offered hope that more content might be coming. As he shared with the outlet:

Do you hear that sound? It's the Mindhunter fandom collectively holding their breaths that these movies will happen over on Netflix. After all, the story and performances of the series were endlessly captivating, and the show ended too soon as a result of Netflix's penchant for cancellations. Seriously, some of my favorite shows have gotten the cut too early includingThe OA, Human Resources, and Girls5Eva.

The high budget of Mindhunter might be surprising for those who watched the show. Because while Fincher is a legendary filmmaker, most of the series focused on characters at a desk talking to each other. It didn't have the large cast, big production, of special effects from other titles like Stranger Things.

Of course, Holt McCallany's comments about the possible Mindhunter movies is far from an official confirmation that they're happening. But Netflix has done this type of move before for cancelled projects. Sense8 was given a finale movie after fans complained about it being dropped after such a huge Season 2 cliffhanger. While it's been years since Mindhunter was dropped, it would definitely make headlines if Fincher's two movies were actually green lit.

While there's no guarantee that the Mindhunter finale(s) will actually be produced, the fact that scripts are actively being worked on by David Fincher is a thrilling, albeit unexpected, update. If Netflix ultimately decides not to move forward with these movies, perhaps the Gone Girl filmmaker will be able to shop the idea to other streamers. A number of titles have pivoted from one streamer to another in this way over the years, so it's not exactly unheard of.

The first two seasons of Mindhunter are streaming now on Netlfix. While no new episodes are on the 2025 TV premiere schedule, hopefully we get an update about those potential movies soon.

Nothing is ever guaranteed in life, especially if you’re part of the entertainment industry. That truth still doesn’t change the fact that in the case of series cancelations, there have been a lot of would-be Netflix subscription drivers that ended without a proper conclusion. In the spirit of that fact, try not to get too upset about this rundown of streaming series that found themselves axed without either a happy, sad, or any ending at all!

Kaos

The best-laid plans of even the Gods can find themselves disrupted, as seen with the now cliffhanger ending for Kaos. With the finale showing us Zeus (Jeff Goldblum) seemingly mortal and kicked out of his own throne, various plot threads seemed to be set into motion for a potentially brutal Season 2. Alas, it didn’t take long after Season 1’s premiere for Kaos’ cancellation announcement to strike like a bolt out of the blue.

Resident Evil

Oh, those poor Wesker clones (Lance Reddick). As if Resident Evil’s Season 1 ending didn’t already have enough open-ended heartbreak, that singular season was all fans ended up getting out of this split narrative. Considering that expertly placed Ada Wong tease, and the fact that there’s still a lot of stuff we don’t know about between 2022 and 2036, every time this cancellation is brought up it stings like it did upon first learning the news.

1899

Thanks to the cancellation of 1899, this sci-fi mystery taught us how Netflix’s “28 Day Rule” could have been the law of the land that cut down so many shows in their prime. Of course, that decision also left viewers hanging on perhaps one of the craziest endings you could cancel a show with: a 100-year time jump, and the revelation that this period drama was actually a high-tech simulation.

Gentefied

The end of Gentefied’s two-season run was a mixed bag, as Casimiro (Joaquín Cosío) was allowed to stay in the US, but Chris (Carlos Santos) took off for Mexico to pursue his future. Though the season’s story was wrapped, all of the Morales family had relationships put into play by creators Marvin Lemus & Linda Yvette Chávez. There were still places to go, which left this end of the road feeling more like a fork into uncertainty.

I Am Not Okay With This

What’s worse than a cliffhanger ending that gives ominous hope to a young girl with telekinesis (Sophia Lillis)? Try being greenlit for a second season, only to have it taken away - much as I Am Not Okay With This did. Originally we would have seen more of Sydney’s journey after an eventful and deadly prom. But according to creator Jonathan Entwistle’s Season 2 revelation, unexpectedly expensive COVID protocols ended the production.

The OA

The untimely 2019 cancellation of The OA left creator/series star Brit Marling feeling quite emotional, and rightfully so. Only airing for two seasons, this bonkers drama series spanned genres and had more story to go before it could finish. Much to Netflix’s chagrin, the following for this series was so intense that it proceeded to carry out the tradition of adding demands to revive the project under any and all new social media announcements from the streamer.

Sense8

Depending on who you talk to Sense8’s series finale “special” is the end of the road, and it was planned to be just that. However, series co-creators Lily Wachowski and J. Michael Straczynski have mentioned numerous times that there were notes and possible scripts for a Season 3. MoviePilot even shared Strazynski’s comments on some plot beats that were in the works for such a continuation.

Mindhunter

Cancellations are typically a swift affair, especially in the realm of Netflix. However, director/Mindhunter collaborator David Fincher is anything but typical - and so are the projects he attaches himself to. With the two-season run concluding in 2019, it wasn’t until early 2023 that Fincher confirmed Mindhunter Season 3 wasn’t happening. As this case finally closed, it was the predictable crossroads of budgetary woes and viewership numbers that were the culprits all along.

The Midnight Club

Oh Mike Flanagan, if only The Midnight Club hadn’t been taken away so early in its run. Adapting the works of author Christopher Pike, the horror series was cut down after only a season of twists and turns. Ever prepared, Flanagan had plans for The Midnight Club Season 2 story, and one could guess that fans return to these revelations every now and then, if only to reunite with those dearly departed friends.

Santa Clarita Diet

If you’re going to leave the airwaves, it’s usually a good idea to do it with a bang. Of course, when the unexpected ending to the Drew Barrymore-starring Santa Clarita Diet dropped at the end of Season 3, that wasn’t exactly the plan. As we saw Joel (Timothy Olyphant) going through a potential conversion to the world of the undead, the perceived lack of a definitive answer will only bother you if you haven’t made up your mind on what it means.

Space Force

Going into Space Force’s two-season run, you would have probably guessed that the journey to return to the moon would have been the first arc to suffer from a surprise cancellation. But considering that was achieved in the first season, that wasn’t the problem this Steve Carell ensemble comedy left on the table. Instead, the end of Season 2 saw an asteroid heading towards Earth as a potential Season 3 menace - still waiting for its day in the sun.

Archive 81

Some fans of Archive 81 probably wish they could travel back in time to the day the intriguing horror drama premiered, if only to boost the ratings. A web of intrigue was being woven, and with some decent viewing numbers too. Sadly, that finale where Mamoudou Athie’s Dan was thrown back in time a couple of decades was never resolved, as Netflix gave this promising nightmare the axe.

GLOW

GLOW has to be one of the most frustrating cancellations on the books in the modern era of streaming originals. Allison Brie, Betty Gilpin, and the rest of the cast were actually given a fourth and final season to tie things up. Unfortunately, as the series even went into production on what was supposed to be a proper sendoff, the COVID-19 pandemic shut everything down. Talk about a heel turn.

Shadow And Bone

Author Leigh Bardugo’s Grishaverse was poised to become a new television universe in the Netflix library. As Shadow and Bone opened the door with two seasons based on the lore of this universe, a spinoff named Six of Crows was given the green light to go before cameras. Sadly, both shows were canceled in the wake of the 2023 strikes from the WGA and SAG-AFTRA; leaving devoted followers to hound social media with pleas for a reversal of fortune.

Inside Job

It’s crazy that the term “un-renewal” now exists in the entertainment industry. It used to be you were either “renewed” or “canceled.” The animated comedy Inside Job found itself becoming a Schrodinger’s Cat of sorts in that respect, which coincidentally mirrored the plot of its final episode. Just as Reagan (Lizzy Caplan) was promoted to throw her off the trail of The Shadow Board’s real plans, a mid-season renewal for Season 2 turned into…well, you know.

The Chair

While Sandra Oh delivered plenty of barbs and ethical moments through her ten seasons on Grey’s Anatomy, she only had one season to do so on the dark comedy The Chair. Even with her character losing the titular position, there was plenty of room for future kerfluffles involving academia and cancel culture. Also, any show that gives a snarky Holland Taylor power deserves at least one more season to let her wield it.

One Day At A Time

The story of Netflix’s One Day at a Time reboot is complicated, but with a pleasantly bittersweet ending. Three seasons of the Latinx revival of producer Norman Lear’s legendary sitcom ran on Netflix, only for the series to be canceled. A reprieve by the Pop Network gave the project new life for a fourth season…which then found itself cut short/canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. At least the series’ final episodes do live on, as Variety reported a table read in late 2024 kinda drew things to a close.

The Society

Whether you're in West Ham or New Ham, the ending to the singular season of The Society left everyone with more questions than answers. An odd combination of life, death, and dogs sent viewers into the cancellation void, as the cancellation axe was swung after Season 1. Maybe future seasons just shifted into another dimension once the series was canceled?

Spinning Out

Picture this: you start watching Spinning Out with no intention of getting invested. But by the time you’ve finished all 10 episodes, you find yourself rooting for Kat (Kaya Scodelario) and her family to overcome the dramas they’ve been working through. And then, to add insult to traumatic flashback injury, you never get to see if Kat overcomes said trauma by performing her Sectionals routine! Curse you, 28-Day Rule; you played us like a fool!

Julie And The Phantoms

Pop music and the unfinished business of the afterlife was sweet music to the ears of folks hooked on Julie and the Phantoms. Just as Julie (Madison Reyes) and her literally spirited band seemed to be on the way to stardom, as well as lifting a nasty curse, a last-minute possession created a complicated cliffhanger. Which is where the show was canceled, leaving this one-season wonder with plenty of unfinished business.

Neo Yokio

Anime comedy Neo Yokio has a history as weird as its delightfully colorful plotline. Boasting the voices of Jaden Smith, Susan Sarandon, and Jude Law, this series was originally supposed to run on Fox. Netflix swooped in with a last-minute save to air what was produced, which kind of explains how this fusion of futuristic anime and a Wes Anderson film was technically left hanging. And we’re not kidding about that second influence, especially with Jason Schwartzman being part of the voice cast.

The Get Down

Not even Netflix's seemingly deep pockets were immune to Baz Luhrmann's excesses. A journey into the evolving music scene of ‘70s New York, it was once the platform’s most expensive series produced upon its 2016 debut. The Get Down found itself canceled too soon, but at least it ended on a high note.

Warrior Nun

Technically Warrior Nun was given a slight reprieve, thanks to the greenlighting of a trilogy of films to continue the story of Ava Silva (Alba Baptista) and her order. However, that’s not thanks to Netflix, as the platform gave creator Simon Barry’s adaptation of Ben Dunn’s comic only two seasons. Not even Rotten Tomatoes could save this series from getting the axe, with the time and place of its resurrection being a complete mystery.

Lockwood & Co.

What would you do if someone you knew was holding a massive secret, and just as they were about to reveal it to you…they stopped? Congratulations, you now know how viewers of Lockwood & Co. felt when it was canceled after a single, eight-episode season. For comparison, author Jonathan Stroud’s literary source series consisted of five books; which makes cutting this cord a bit harsher when you think about it.

That ‘90s Show

Legacy-quels don’t always work, no matter how deeply the nostalgia is felt. That ‘90s Show felt like a no-brainer, as fans still love That ‘70s Show’s original charms to bits. Two seasons, a ton of ‘90s references, and yes one cliffhanger later, the lights have gone out once more in Wisconsin. And now we’ll never know if Red (Kurtwood Smith) and Kitty (Debra Jo Rupp) will have their granddaughter on a more long-term basis.

Black Summer

Black Summer’s two-season prequel to Z Nation is kind of a glass-half-full/half-empty situation. While some say the plot was satisfactorily tied up, others feel that the personal stories of its survivors were where we were left hanging. So score a victory for canon, but a crushing defeat for character-driven story.

Daybreak

What good is a bonkers post-apocalypse where your girlfriend is the surprise big bad if it isn’t allowed to play out? Sure, that’s a very specific question, but it’s one that Daybreak put squarely into the minds of viewers who took its colorful, wacked-out ride. Maybe they should have spared Matthew Broderick after all.

Jupiter’s Legacy

Netflix’s acquisition of comic creator Mark Millar’s company Millarworld sparked the announcement of a rather ambitious slate of adaptations. However, the man who gave us the Kingsman comics has only yielded three Netflix series from that deal, with Jupiter’s Legacy being the potential explanation for why progress seems to have ground to a halt. The messy production of the first season led to this tale’s demise, with a lot of those other projects currently MIA.

Daredevil

While Disney+’s Echo and Daredevil: Born Again have continued the story laid out by Netflix’s initial three-season adventure, there’s still a bit of a gap to address. But if we’re really going to call this show out for a cliffhanger that wasn’t fully resolved, consider how that final round of episodes teased Bullseye, before fading away into the ether.

The Brothers Sun

What’s crazier than fighting for control of the family mafia? The answer: not knowing what happens next! As The Brothers Sun concluded, Charles (Justin Chien) and his mother Eileen (Michelle Yeoh) were set to assume control of the Jade Dragons, while brother Bruce (Sam Song Li) went back to being the silly, goofy person he was before learning all these secrets. Plot wise, it’s tied up! Otherwise, what kind of ending is that?!

Dead Boy Detectives

There were some plans being drafted for the future of Netflix’s Dead Boy Detectives adaptation. Which would make total sense, seeing as it connects to the platform’s wildly successful Sandman universe. Alas, just as the second season of that other Neil Gaiman seems to be in jeopardy, these spirited sleuths have solved their last case.

Cursed

Could all of those arrows really have taken out Nimue (Katherine Langford), the Lady of the Lake from Arthurian legend? Well, considering Cursed was cancelled before it could even try to answer that query, we’re going to say…what do you think?

There have been a lot of movies over the years that feature famous actors playing real-life cops in the stories they are telling. Just as there are movies with real-life gangsters, the movies about the cops are equally interesting, and often the same movies feature versions of real cops and real robbers, like The Untouchables, Catch Me If You Can, and Donnie Brasco. Here is our list of movies that feature portrayals of real police officers and law enforcement officials.

Frank Serpico - Serpico

Frank Serpico, played by Al Pacino in the movie Serpico, was famous in the 1970s for bringing down important, but corrupt, members of the New York City Police Department. The movie, like the real-life story is harrowing and incredible. Pacino is perfect as the real-life Serpico.

Eliot Ness - The Untouchables

It's more than fair to say that director Brian de Palma's masterpiece The Untouchables plays pretty fast and loose with the actual historical facts surrounding Eliot Ness and his crew taking down Al Capone in Chicago during Prohibition. the broadest of the strokes are true, in that Ness and Capone were real people and Ness was partly responsible for nabbing Capone, but otherwise, it's just a really great work of fiction. In the movie, Ness is played by Kevin Costner.

Javier Peña - Narcos

Like most TV shows and movies, Narcos isn't 100% true to real life, but it gets most of the story correct, some of the real-life cops are condensed down into just a few characters, like Javier Peña, played by Pedro Pascal. Peña was actually one of the cops in on the investigation and chase for Pablo Escobar, but in the show, he's a combination of more than one DEA agent.

Melvin Purvis - Public Enemies

Melvin Purvis was an FBI agent who was famous in his day for bringing the likes of Pretty Boy Floyd and John Dillinger to justice, or, at least to their death, as the movie portrays. In the movie Public Enemies, he is played by Christian Bale.

Jimmy "Popeye" Doyle - The French Connection

Jimmy "Popeye" Doyle (Gene Hackman) in The French Connection seems almost too over the top to be based on a real guy, but he was. The real guy who helped take down the French drug smuggling ring was named Eddie Egan. He was on the job in the NYPD for 16 years before he caught the acting bug after appearing in a small role in the French Connection.

Bill Tench - Mindhunter

Mindhunter is one of those Netflix shows that most people believe got canceled way too quickly. The show tells the story of the first FBI agents to dive headfirst into understanding the minds of serial killers and the formation of the Behavioral Studies Unit at the FBI. Robert Ressler, who the character Bill Tench (Holt McCallany) is based on, was one of those agents.

Wyatt Earp - Tombstone

It's hard to think of Wyatt Earp being. 1. a bad guy and 2., a police officer. But he was kind of both. He was definitely a sheriff in Tombstone, as he is shown to be in the movie of the same name, played by Kurt Russell. He wasn't strictly a "good guy" in real life and there is plenty of evidence that he and his brothers were just as much "a gang" as the Cowboys and they were all looking to make more money in town.

Joseph D. Pistone - Donnie Brasco

Joe Pistone must have cajones of steel to do what he did in real life. If you don't know who he is, check Donnie Brasco, which tells his story pretty accurately. Played by Johnny Depp in the movie, Pistone went so deep undercover that he almost became a made member of the Bonanno crime family.

Frank Hamer - The Highwaymen

Frank Hamer, who was played by Kevin Costner in The Highwaymen was a legendary Texas Ranger who was primarily responsible for hunting down and eventually killing the notorious Bonnie & Clyde. In the 1967 movie Bonnie and Clyde starring Warren Betty and Faye Dunaway, Hamer was played by actor Denver Pyle.

Dave Toschi - Zodiac

In regards to 20th-century lawmen, there is no more famous one than San Francisco detective Dave Toschi. Toschi played a large part in the fruitless hunt for the Zodiac killer, as portrayed in Zodiac, where he was played by Mark Ruffalo. He was also supposedly the basis for the fictional detectives Frank Bullitt, Steve McQueen's character in Bullitt, and Harry Calahan in the Dirty Harry franchise.

Carl Hanratty - Catch Me If You Can

Tom Hanks' character in Catch Me If You Can was based on a real FBI agent named Joeseph O'Shea. O'Shea worked on a number of notable cases during his time at the Bureau, most famously the Frank Abagnale case as portrayed in the movie.

John McLoughlin - World Trade Center

There were tragically only 20 people pulled out of the collapsed World Trade Center in the days after the 9/11 attacks in 2001. Port Authority police officer John McLoughlin was one of the last. He was trapped for 22 hours under the rumble and his fellow first responders worked non-stop to free him. It's an incredible story and Nicolas Cage's portrayal of McLoughlin in World Trade Center has all the emotion you would expect.

J. Edgar Hoover - J. Edgar

Leonardo DiCaprio is great at playing eccentrics from Jay Gatsby in The Great Gatsby to Howard Hughes in The Aviator, to the legendary (and controversial) former director of the FBI J. Edgar Hoover in J. Edgar. It's a different kind of movie about a LEO for a very different kind of LEO than the cop on the beat, but it's a great movie and as always DiCaprio puts on an excellent performance of the enigmatic FBI boss.

Eliot Ness - The Untouchables TV Series

While Kevin Costner may have played the most famous version of Eliot Ness in The Untouchables, he was the first. In the late '50s/early '60s Robert Stack, later of Unsolved Mysteries fame, played a very fictionalized version of the legendary Fed on The Untouchables TV show. It wasn't about Ness napping Al Capone, it was more a standard police procedural with Ness and his crew chasing down the criminal of the week, often high-profile ones from the 1930s when the show was set.

LAPD Gangster Squad - Gangster Squad

2013's Gangster Squad is a decent movie with some great performances about a crew of LAPD detectives who form a...well... gangster squad to take down legendary mobster Mickey Cohen (played by Sean Penn in the movie) in Los Angeles in 1949. Most of the characters, like John O'Mara (Josh Brolin), are loosely based on real members of the squad and it even features a scene with Josh Pence playing a rookie on the squad, Darryl Gates, who would find infamy later as the Chief of Police in LA during the Rodney King beating and subsequent riots.

Holden Ford - Mindhunter

John E. Douglas was one of the FBI agents who helped start the now-legendary Behavioral Science Unit. The excellent show MIndhunter, a show Netflix canceled way too soon) features a fictional version of Douglas named Holden Ford, played by Jonathan Groff.

Pat Garrett - Pat Garrett And Billy the Kid

Like most of the best Westerns in film history, Pat Garrett And Billy the Kid isn't really the true story of the legendary lawman Pat Garrett (James Coburn) tracking down the outlaw Billy The Kid. Take into account the film's director, Sam Peckinpah, and what you get is a wildly entertaining, but hardly factual account. It's such a crazy movie though, it's worth mentioning on this list.

Mark Fuhrman - The People v. O. J. Simpson: American Crime Story

One of the biggest villains in many peoples' eyes in the O.J. Simpson murder trial was LAPD detective Mark Fuhrman. He was seen as dirty and racist (for good reason) and he became a lightning rod during the long trial that gripped the nation's attention in 1995. In the incredible FX mini-series, The People v. O. J. Simpson: American Crime Story, Furman is played by Steven Pasquale.

Dan White - Milk

Josh Brolin's performance as murderer Dan White in Milk is fantastic. White was not a cop when he murdered Harvey Milk (Sean Penn in the movie), he was a former cop and the performance is so good, that it deserves inclusion on this list.

Television is a valued and iconic part of the pop culture landscape and continues to create viral and memorable moments. That includes TV mistakes, whether they be poor writing or a flub that's noticed by the public. And there are 32 TV mistakes off the top of my head that stand out, spanning scripted, reality, and live television. Let's break it all down.

To be clear, this isn't a list of solely continuity errors or viral newscaster flubs. Instead, it's combining both of these categories, as well as narrative issues that have continued to plague the reputation of popular TV shows. And some of them just happen to be the most memorable TV moment from that particular show. In no specific order here is the list. Although a spoiler alert is in play for the scripted shows.

Warren Beatty And Faye Dunaway's Oscars Flub

The biggest story to come out of the 2017 Academy Awards ceremony was that presenters Faye Dunaway and Warren Betty accidentally named La La Land the Best Picture winner when it was actually Barry Jenkins' Moonlight. It was a truly wild to end the night and was one of the most memorable moments to come out of the star-studded event in modern memory. That is, until the infamous Will Smith slap incident.

Jeff Varner Outs Zeke, Survivor 

Survivor is one of the best reality shows of all time and has remained wildly popular in the decades since it first premiered. The show is endlessly captivating because every season is different, and is influenced by the unique cast of characters. Unfortunately, the social experiment got ugly in Season 34, when Jeff Varner outed Zeke Smith as transgender in an attempt to prove that he was untrustworthy. 

Kathie Lee Forgets Martin Short's Wife Had Died

Kathie Lee Gifford has a long career on TV, and had her own hour of The Today Show for years on NBC. While she and Hota Kotb had plenty of fans, there were some noticeable missteps along the way. Chief among them was an interview with Martin Short, where Kathie Lee referred to his late wife and seemingly forgot she had actually passed away two years earlier. It's wildly awkward, although the Only Murders in the Building star handled it with grace.

Dany Burns King's Landing, Game Of Thrones

Throughout Game of Thrones' run on TV, Emilia Clarke's Daenerys Targaryen was one of the show's primary heroes. Fans were thrilled when she finally appeared in Westeros to take the Iron Throne, and were shocked and disappointed when she suddenly decided to burn King's Landing down, killing thousands of innocent people. And fans have been complaining about this plot choice, and how quickly she went mad, for years. 

Asking the Models To Change Races, America's Next Top Model

America's Next Top Model ran for many years, and had a number of controversial challenges that haven't aged very well. Chief among them was back in Cycle 4, where models were asked to portray another race for a photo shoot. Before the term "cultural appropriation" was known, this was a wild challenge that seriously gives the ick... and happens to be one of the most iconic reality TV moments. 

The Faithful Trusting Cirie, The Traitors

The first season of The Traitors US was a big experiment, with the show's second season helping to make it a wildly successful Emmy-winning hit. Season 1 featured a mix of celebrities and normal folks, including Survivor legend Cirie Fields. Unfortunately, her allies seemingly didn't know her reputation, and completely trusted her and allowed her to easily win and take the money in the end. And the reunion was super awkward. 

Miss Teen South Carolina's Map Question

Every so often a beauty pageant will go viral, usually for all the wrong reasons. There are few as iconic as Miss Teen South Carolina Caitlin Upton's interview answer from back in 2007. She's asked why young Americans can't locate the country on a map, and has a stream-of-consciousness answer that's iconic in its word salad-ness. 

Netflix Canceling Mindhunter

After the streaming wars began, it became clear that services were producing way too much original content. Netflix has canceled a number of beloved shows, but few have caused as much of a stir as Mindhunter. David Fincher's drama was a gripping story, but Netflix won't let Fincher continue with Season 3. 

Anne Hathway And James Franco Hosting The Oscars

Finding the right host for ceremonies like the Academy Awards is easier said than done, and there have been some stinkers over the years. Back in 2011 James Franco and Anne Hathaway hosted together, and it was an extremely awkward viewing experience. While the Les Miserables actress was seemingly trying to make it as perfect as can be, that stood in juxtaposition to Franco's laid-back stance.

Separating Lorelai And Rory, Gilmore Girls

Gilmore Girls ran for seven seasons and continues to have staying power thanks to new audiences streaming the show (and its reboot) on Netflix. However, Season 6 remains controversial for fans because Lorelai and Rory aren't on speaking terms throughout much of it. And that served as an example of a time when Lorelai was the worst.

Season 2, Heroes

The first season of Heroes was a huge success for NBC, offering a unique take on a superhero story. Unfortunately, the 2007–08 Writers Guild of America strike happened during Season 2, resulting in a disappointing and shorter installment. While the show would continue it never reached its former glory, and many characters and plot lines from Season 2 were abandoned altogether.

Fonzie Jumps The Shark, Happy Days

This moment changed the TV world forever and inspired a new pop culture for the masses. While "jumping the shark" is a phrase used to describe a TV show that goes off the wall, it's something that actually happened during Happy Days' run. Talk about a mistake. 

Killing Off McDreamy, Grey's Anatomy

Grey's Anatomy is one of the longest-running shows of all time and many of the OG fans (as well as the original cast) have dropped off as a result. While it was tough to continue the show without Sandra Oh's Cristina Yang, eventually the show had to write off Patrick Dempsey's Derek Shepherd... by tragically killing him. And for many the show hasn't been the same since. 

The Grape Stomping Lady

Journalist Melissa Sander became instantly recognizable thanks to a news blunder she was involved in which became one of YouTube's earliest viral videos. In it, she's stomping on grapes, and suddenly falls and gets the wind knocked out of her. The noises she makes and the instant karma of the video have helped it remain iconic through the years. 

Ralph Bohner, WandaVision

WandaVision was wildly popular upon its release on Disney+, especially as we were in the midst of isolating due to the pandemic. Fans were shocked when X-Men star Evan Peters showed up as "Pietro", since Quicksilver was played by Aaron Taylor-Johnson in the MCU. In the end, this was all a gag, with his character Ralph Bohner being perhaps the show's only misstep. 

Lisa Barlow's Hot Mic, The Real Housewives Of Salt Lake City

Throughout the many years of The Real Housewives franchise, there have been a few notable hot mic moments. But the most iconic came from RHOSLC's Lisa Barlow, where she went off on a wild rant about Meredith Marks behind closed doors. Unfortunately, her mic was very much still on.

Ashlee Simpson's Performance, SNL

Ashlee Simpson was a popular reality TV star and recording artist in the early aughts, and eventually, she was offered a chance to perform on Saturday Night Live. But Simpson got caught lip-syncing, and that viral moment has continued to haunt her in the years since this infamous performance.  

Robert Durst's Bathroom Confession, The Jinx

True crime documentaries are super popular, and The Jinx is one of the best true crime shows on streaming. In the Season 1 finale, after denying having killed anyone, subject Robert Durst went to the bathroom with a hot mic on, where he seemingly confessed to "killing them all." 

Flash Sideways, Lost

Lost was super popular during its run on the air, although there's been some debate about how its quality dipped in later years. While the show often used flashbacks to offer context on the characters, the final season featured the controversial flash sideways, imagining a world where Oceanic 815 never crashed. The controversial Lost finale explained this, but not before fans got frustrated.

Killing Tara Offscreen, True Blood

Most shows struggle to stick the landing during their final season, and HBO's True Blood is in a long line of shows with controversial finales. But perhaps the biggest mistake the show made was killing Rutina Wesley's character Tara (who had been there from the very beginning) offscreen. Fans hoped she survived for some of the season before it was clear she was never coming back.

Jennifer Hudson's Early Elimination, American Idol 

While Jennifer Hudson is known as one of the biggest success stories to come out of American Idol, she didn't go as far as folks might assume. She actually got seventh place in Season 3 of Idol, before eventually becoming a celebrated recording artist and actress. Talk about a mistake.

Turok-Han Power Levels, Buffy The Vampire Slayer

Season 7 of Buffy the Vampire Slayer introduced a new type of blood-drinking villain: the Turok-Han aka Uber Vamps. In their first appearances they're shown to be way more powerful than regular vampires, with even Buffy struggling to take one on. But by Buffy's series finale, even regular humans like Giles and Wood are able to fight them off, as well as the newly activated Potentials.

Will Smith's Oscars Slap

The most memorable thing to come out of the Oscars for years has to be when Will Smith slapped Chris Rock on stage, in a moment that continues to follow his career. The Academy and the network have both caught flak for how they handled this, and how Smith was able to accept the Best Actor Oscar so shortly after the onscreen assault. 

Valentina Asks To Keep Her Mask On, RuPaul's Drag Race

Season 9 of Drag Race was a memorable one, and contestant Valentina quickly became a fan favorite. But her most memorable moment was definitely a flub, where she asked to keep her mask on during a lip sync against Nina Bo'nina Brown. Ru insists that she take it off, and it soon becomes clear Valentina simply doesn't know the lyrics to her song. 

The Infamous Starbucks Cup, Game Of Thrones

HBO's Game of Thrones was a sensation when it was on the air, even if the final season left something to be desired. But it also went viral for unique reasons, such as the GOT error where a Starbucks cup was visible in Westeros. Oops. 

Various Stand-Ins, Friends

Friends ran for a whopping ten seasons, which saw a ton of acclaim come to its star-studded cast. Scheduling was likely a bit of a puzzle at the height of its popularity, which is why fans have spotted several scenes where actors' stand-ins are visible. Hey, it was before we were filming in HD. 

The Demogorgon, Stranger Things

Stranger Things is arguably the most popular original show to come out of Netflix since its inception. But that doesn't mean it's perfect, especially related to the use of Dungeons & Dragons lore. Because in Season 1 while the cast references the Demogorgon and even has a figure for the creature, it actually wouldn't be available in the year 1983. Given how passionate D&D fans are, the folks at Netflix probably should have seen this coming. 

Maggie's Picture, The Simpsons

Even animated shows could have some goofs, and The Simpsons isn't excluded from this. During the Sixth Season episode "And Maggie Makes Three" we see Marge and Homer talk about her being pregnant with the titular baby. But despite her not being born yet, we can see a photo of Maggie on the wall. 

Bin Ladin Reference, Breaking Bad

Breaking Bad is considered one of the best TV dramas ever, and continues to be a re-watchable show. But it's not without error, especially when it referenced Osama Bin Laden's 2011 death, despite it only being around 2007 in the show. 

Erica Hahn's Story, Grey's Anatomy

Throughout its long run on the air, we've seen plenty of characters come and go on Grey's Anatomy. But few characters got the shaft as bad as Brooke Smith's Erica Hahn aka one of the most iconic LGBTQ+ Grey's characters. Shortly after dating Callie and giving a gorgeous monologue about realizing she was gay, she was promptly written off the show in favor of Arizona Robbins. 

Rose's Education Level, The Golden Girls

The Golden Girls is one of the best sitcoms of all time, and has truly aged like fine wine. However, there were some discrepancies throughout its run, particularly when it comes to the education level of Betty White's Rose. In some episodes, she claims to be the valedictorian of her high school, while in others it's said she dropped out and instead got a GED. 

Josh's Age, Boy Meets World

Boy Meets World is an iconic piece of '90s culture, one that many millennial fans grew up on. But there were a few head-scratchers/mistakes in the comedy, especially related to the age of Cory's younger brother Josh. One season he's a baby, and then he mysteriously ages to about 5 years old without anyone acknowledging how.

While one’s mileage may vary when it does to each season as a whole, HBO’s True Detective is undoubtedly one of TV’s most talked about shows when it’s airing, and that first season with Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson will likely forever be viewed as a Peak TV gem. With the fourth season, subtitled Night Country, having resolved its Alaska-set murders early in 2024 ahead of the Season 5 renewal, the wait is on to see where showrunner Issa López takes the dark and occult-ish series next. 

But that doesn’t mean TV audiences have to completely miss out on intense murder mysteries, attention-grabbing investigators, and all the string-covered suspect boards one can handle. Here are more than a dozen TV shows that are like True Detective enough to warrant watching an episode or two to test the waters.

Fargo

When it comes to brainy and quirky anthology series that keep audiences on their toes, True Detective shares common ground with the film-to-TV transition of Noah Hawley’s Fargo. And I don’t mean the snowy ground seen in the FX drama’s midwestern settings. Of course, Fargo works on a slightly different wavelength than the hyper-serious HBO series, incorporating far more dark and offbeat comedy into its crime-filled plots, while also utilizing star-studded ensemble casts, as opposed to focusing so squarely on a central pair of detectives. Not to mention featuring flashbacks that go back further into the past than the timeline shifts in T.D.

Stream Fargo Seasons 1-5 on Hulu.

The Missing

The two-season series The Missing, as well as the Tchéky Karyo-starring spinoff Baptiste, take a step back from murder investigations to focus on cases involving missing children, and are thus that much more emotionally charged in such ways. With James Nesbitt and Frances O’Connor leading the first, and David Morrissey and Keeley Hawes taking over for Season 2, The Missing is as gripping and shocking as it is disturbing, and tells slightly more personal stories than the HBO Emmy winner. That said, it would be amazing if Tchéky Karyo’s crime solver Baptiste was somehow able to crossover into the True Detective-verse. 

Stream The Missing Seasons 1-2 on Starz.

The Outsider

Stephen King miniseries used to be a TV mainstay, but recent years have given way to longer limited series that better suit the loquacious author’s storytelling. HBO delivered a doozy with The Outsider, based on King’s 2018 novel. Starring Ben Mendehlson, Mare Winningham and Paddy Considine, among others, The Outsider runs largely parallel to True Detective’s more occult-embracing nature, in that this horror tale actually does go full-on into supernatural territory, rather than keeping its most bonkers moments steeped in mystery. It only helps that it was created by novelist Richard Price, with the also esteemed author Dennis Lehane as part of the writing staff. 

Stream The Outsider’s lone season on Max.

Only Murders In The Building

Not everything about figuring out homicides has to be 100% dour and depraved, and Only Murders in the Building is easily one of the breeziest whodunnits imaginable, led by the comedic talents of stars Steve Martin, Martin Short and Selena Gomez, with a slew of other actors making their way through the Arconia apartment building that seems to attract corpses like a magnet. (What other shows here can boast guest stars like Sting, Shirley MacLaine and Mel Brooks?) The resolutions to Only Murders’ investigations aren’t quite as vital for the narrative’s sense of worth in the way it goes with True Detective, given all the comedy. But the plethora of clues, red herrings and gotcha moments definitely spice things up.

Stream Only Murders in the Building Seasons 1-3 on Hulu.

Dexter

One of TV”s marquee serial killer TV shows, at least for most of its TV run, Showtime’s Dexter takes a different approach to corpse-filled investigations in the sense that its main character, as portrayed with self-narrating stoicism by Michael C. Hall, is both a respected Miami police officer (with an expertise in blood spatter) and a vigilante of sorts. Dexter Morgan is no angel in any respect as he attempts to rid the city of evil murderers and villains the only way he knows how: by murdering them himself. Though the show initially wrapped with one of the worst final seasons and series finales of all time, Hall’s Dark Passenger was redeemed in part by the one-and-done revival season Dexter: New Blood. 

Stream Dexter Seasons 1-8 and the New Blood revival on Paramount+.

Mindhunter

Based on the 1995 book of the same name written by John Douglas and Mark Olshaker, Mindhunter shares a similarly studious approach to investigations with True Detective, albeit while focusing on cases that actually happened in real life. With acclaimed filmmaker David Fincher as one of its creative forces, Mindhunter centers on a trio of brainiacs in FBI agents Holden Ford (Jonathan Groff) and Bill Trench (Holt McCallany) and psychology professor Wendy Carr (Anna Torv), with such killers as Cameron Britton’s Ed Kemper, Jack Erdie’s Richard Speck and Oliver Cooper’s David Berkowitz among the many killers whose infamous crimes were showcased. Unfortunately, while HBO has kept the door open for more of its mystery thriller after each season, Netflix won’t foot the bill for Mindhunter Season 3.

Stream Mindhunter Seasons 1-2 on Netflix.

Sherlock

Anyone aiming to watch a gripping mystery would be remiss to skip over the most famous detective who’s ever existed (at least in a fictional sense): Sherlock Holmes. While a countless number of series, specials and films have been crafted over the years, arguably the crown jewel belongs to Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss’ Sherlock, with Benedict Cumberbatch as the titular brainiac and Martin Freeman as his equally adept sidekick Watson. To date, four three-part (three-case) seasons have aired, and though hopes for a fifth season have gone unheeded so far, fans will no doubt continue hoping for a return to 221B Baker Street. 

Stream Sherlock Seasons 1-4 on BritBox.

Mare Of Easttown

Obviously not all of HBO’s prestige mystery dramas are the exact same, but viewers can take assured comfort in knowing that most are of an equal level of quality. Such as it goes with the single season of Mare of Easttown, with Kate Winslet earning an Emmy as the titular Pennsylvania detective who tries to keep her personal and professional life afloat after the death of her son, while investigating the questionable murder of a young local woman. With excellent performances from co-stars like Jean Smart, Evan Peters and Julianne Nicholson, Mare of Easttown digs into the mindsets that creep through smaller communities, taking a more localized approach to the murder-mystery genre.

Stream Mare of Easttown’s lone season on Max.

The Woman In The Wall

A flip from the usual investigative narrative, The Woman in the Wall features Ruth Wilson as Lorna Brady, an Irish woman whose life is upended after she finds another woman’s dead body inside her home. In trying to figure out what happened, the show travels back in time to Lorna’s past, where some of her sleepwalking-sparking traumas took place, specifically how it all relates to the country’s notorious Magdalene “laundries,” which were essentially prison-esque workhouses for impoverished females and sex workers. Its dark and brooding nature, mixed with the mysteries and timeline shifts, make it a great watch for True Detective fans.

Stream The Woman in the Wall on Paramount+ with Showtime.

Broadchurch

Those Brits really know how to turn on the emotionally debilitating plot points when putting together its mystery-driven crime dramas, and Broadchurch is no exception. Starring the always excellent duo of David Tennant and Olivia Colman as its core detectives, the series revolves around the death of an 11-year-old boy, and the negative effects it has on the surrounding community, in part due to all the media attention. Though the second season’s court case and third season’s rape investigation are solid enough, it’s that first season’s heavy whodunnit tale that feels the most like a True Detective installment.

Stream Broadchurch on Plex (as well as on Tubi and PBS Passport).

The Afterparty

One of the most intriguingly crafted murder-mysteries is easily Apple TV+’s genre-hopping comedy The Afterparty, co-created by the superb duo of Phil Lord and Chris Miller of LEGO Movie and Clone High royalty. Across its two seasons — led by stars Tiffany Haddish, Sam Richardson and Zoë Chao — The Afterparty centered on deadly events that took place after a high school reunion (Season 1) and after a billionaire’s wedding (Season 2). Unlike True Detective, this show features wacky comedy, musical moments, animation, themed episodes and more unique details, while also still managing to deliver pulp-style murders and explanations. 

Stream The Afterparty Seasons 1-2 on Apple TV+.

Twin Peaks

It’s rather impossible to voice the words “kinda weird murder mystery” without immediately thinking about David Lynch and Mark Frost’s seminal and relatively short-lived phenomenon Twin Peaks. Like True Detective, the Kyle McLachlan-starring drama gets a lot of its personality from its setting, the Pacific Northwest, and the details surrounding the main case. For Twin Peaks, the core mystery surrounded the death of Laura Palmer, portrayed by Sheryl Lee, but tied back into deeper and darker characters and events that I’m sure True Detective’s Tuttle family would voluntarily get mixed up in. Though the network-forced resolution midway through Season 2 doomed its initial network run, this twisted universe returned anew 26 years later for Showtime’s Twin Peaks: The Return.

Stream Twin Peaks Seasons 1-2 and Twin Peaks: The Return on Paramount+

From Fight Club to Zodiac, Gone Girl to The Killer, having the name "David Fincher" attached to a project makes it seemingly guaranteed for success, but the filmmaker claims that hasn't always been the case.

Fincher's acclaimed-but-cancelled Netflix series Mindhunter, on which he acted as a director and executive producer, is a notable example, with fans hoping for a Season 3 of the psychological crime thriller being disappointed to learn that Fincher was putting the series on hold while he pursued other projects, like the Herman J. Mankiewicz biopic Mank. 

That indefinite "hold" ended up being permanent cancellation, with the streamer citing the show's high budget. Netflix gave Fincher a proposition: either reduce costs or "make it more pop," i.e. broaden the show's audience appeal. He refused, a move that he recently told France's Première Magazine stemmed from a reaction he once received to that famously shocking ending (no spoilers here!) of his classic 1995 thriller, Se7en. Per an English translation courtesy X user @FincherAnalyst, Fincher said:

Just as the movie subverted both audience and genre expectations with Se7en's notoriously brutal ending, Fincher cites Mindhunter as a more of a "risk" to make than his other Netflix thriller series, the politically minded House of Cards, which starred Kevin Spacey and Robin Wright and ran for six seasons on the streaming platform. 

The expense, for one, was an issue on Mindhunter, but the drama was also darker and, yes, weirder than more straightforward procedurals like CSI and Criminal Minds, the director claimed: 

So, alas, we won't get to see more tension-filled criminal profiling from Mindhunter's Holden Ford (Jonathan Groff), Bill Tench (Holt McCallany) and Wendy Carr (Anna Torv) at the FBI's Behavioral Science Unit. But at least Fincher is sticking to his guns and not compromising his creativity. 

You can stream the tremendous two seasons of Mindhunter with a Netflix subscription, and if you want to revisit that grizzly finale of Se7en, the Fincher favorite is available to watch with a Max subscription. 

Criminal Minds was a ratings hit for CBS during its 15-year tenure, with audiences tuning in for the grisly crimes committed by the unsubs and the interpersonal relationships of the FBI’s behavior analysts trying to track them down. Criminal Minds was canceled after 15 seasons in 2020 but brought back as Minds: Evolution (available to stream with a Paramount+ subscription) in 2022 to continue the story, with several members of the cast reprising their roles. 

The series is still going strong on streaming, too, with Season 17 set to start filming in January 2024, so while we wait for Emily Prentiss (Paget Brewster), Joe Mantegna’s David Rossi and the rest of the BAUs to get back to work, here are some other shows like Criminal Minds that you might want to check out, along with information about how you can watch them. 

The Killing 

Based on a Danish crime drama, The Killing ran on AMC from 2011 to 2013, with a fourth season getting picked up by Netflix in 2014. The series follows murder investigations by homicide detectives Sarah Linden (Mireille Enos) and Stephen Holder (Joel Kinnaman).

Why The Killing Is Like Criminal Minds: Because Linden and Holder are focused on one overarching case at a time, The Killing is a slower burn than fans of the BAU group might be used to. However, the AMC series captures a similar darkness and sense of danger that penetrates the lives of the people working the case, which is something that might appeal to Criminal Minds fans.

Stream The Killing on Hulu. 

Mindhunter

Mindhunter follows FBI agents Holden Ford (Jonathan Groff) and Bill Tench (Holt McCallany) and psychologist Wendy Carr (Anna Torv), who launch a project to research the minds of imprisoned serial killers through interviews, in hopes of understanding how their brains work and using that knowledge to solve other cases.

Why Mindhunter Is Like Criminal Minds: This series from David Fincher is a dramatization of how the Behavioral Analysis Unit (or Behavioral Science Unit) was actually created, with bone-chilling cases based on real events that go toe-to-toe with any of the fictional murders from Criminal Minds in terms of the monsters they’re dealing with.

Stream Mindhunter on Netflix. 

Criminal Minds: Suspect Behavior And Criminal Minds: Beyond Borders 

In 2011, CBS launched a spinoff of the police drama, Criminal Minds: Suspect Behavior, which follows a BAU team in San Francisco. The series stars Forest Whitaker and Janeane Garofalo, with Richard Schiff playing the FBI director, but despite its juggernaut of a cast, Suspect Behavior was canceled after one season

In 2016, a second spinoff, Criminal Minds: Beyond Borders was launched, with Gary Sinise and Alana de la Garza starring as members of the FBI’s International Response Team, which solves cases involving Americans on foreign soil. Despite being regarded as the rare spinoff that’s as good as its original, Beyond Borders lasted only two seasons on CBS.

Why Suspect Behavior And Beyond Borders Are Like Criminal Minds: The spinoffs’ change in location gives viewers a twist on the original, but anybody who needs more FBI crime-solving action can definitely find it here.

Buy Criminal Minds: Suspect Behavior On Amazon Prime.
Buy Criminal Minds: Beyond Borders On Amazon Prime. 

Law & Order: Special Victims Unit

The first spinoff of NBC’s Law & Order, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit focuses on the faction of the NYPD that investigates and prosecutes sexually oriented crimes, as well as child abuse, human trafficking and domestic violence. The series premiered in 1999 starring Christopher Meloni as Elliot Stabler and Mariska Hargitay as Olivia Benson, and is heading into its 25th season on NBC.

Why Law & Order: SVU Is Like Criminal Minds: These procedurals both tackle some pretty intense subject matter, with the agents in the respective series having to figure out how to live without the depravity they see at work bringing them down.

Stream Law & Order: SVU on Hulu.
Stream Law & Order: SVU on Peacock. 

Hannibal

Set before the events of Silence of the Lambs, NBC’s Hannibal features FBI profiler Will Graham (Hugh Dancy) working with forensic psychiatrist Hannibal Lector (Mads Mikkelsen) on a serial killer investigation. An interesting bond forms between the killer/cannibal and the man who solves murders by envisioning that he committed them. Hannibal premiered in 2013 and ran for three seasons. 

Why Hannibal Is Like Criminal Minds: The members of the BAU have to put themselves inside the minds of the unsubs they’re trying to catch, and no two characters on television embody that practice better than Will Graham and Hannibal Lector.

Stream Hannibal on AMC+.
Stream Hannibal on Shudder. 

Teen Wolf

Teen Wolf, a reimagining of the 1985 Michael J. Fox movie, premiered in 2011, starring Tyler Posey as Scott McCall. Scott is bitten by a werewolf, becoming one himself, and on top of balancing this complication with being a high-schooler, he also has to defend his town from other supernatural creatures. The series ran for six seasons on MTV.

Why Teen Wolf Is Like Criminal Minds: While there may not be many similarities between these shows’ plots or formats, they both come from the creative mind of Jeff Davis. Davis was inspired to do Teen Wolf because of his love for horror, and his reimagining is a drama, rather than a comedy like the films. The darker themes, violence and gore are reminiscent of Davis’ work on Criminal Minds.

Stream Teen Wolf on Hulu. 

Dexter

To his colleagues at the Miami Police Department, Dexter Morgan (Michael C. Hall) is a quiet but friendly blood spatter expert. What they don’t know, though, is that in his off time, Dexter tracks down murderers and enacts vigilante justice as a way of satisfying the “dark passenger” that compels him to kill. Dexter ran on Showtime from 2006 to 2013 and was brought back for the 10-episode limited series Dexter: New Blood in 2021.

Why Dexter Is Like Criminal Minds: Dexter Morgan is what happens if you combine the BAU agents with the unsubs. You get the crime-solving, the fascinating blood analysis and the grisly murders, all in one sociopathic package. 

Stream Dexter on Showtime.
Stream Dexter on Paramount+. 

Cold Case 

Cold Case, another CBS police procedural, premiered in 2003 and ran for seven seasons, as viewers followed Philadelphia homicide detective Lilly Rush (Kathryn Morris) on her work involving investigations that are no longer being pursued by the police department.

How Cold Case Is Like Criminal Minds: The format between the two CBS series are similar, often tackling one case per episode, and both feature some pretty heinous crimes. The big difference, however, is that there’s not often hope of saving anyone on Cold Case.

Stream Cold Case on Max. 

Without A Trace

On Without a Trace, which aired on CBS from 2002 to 2009, the agents in the FBI’s Missing Persons Unit — including Anthony LaPaglia’s Jack Malone and Poppy Montgomery’s Samantha Spade — attempt to track down missing people, usually under tight time constraints.

How Without A Trace Is Like Criminal MInds: The Missing Persons Unit is another faction of the FBI, but whereas the BAU is searching for the criminals, the characters on Without a Trace are trying to track down the victims. Basically these shows are two sides of the same coin.

Buy Without a Trace on Amazon Prime. 

NCIS

NCIS is headed into its 21st season on CBS, having debuted in 2003. Mark Harmon starred as Leroy Jethro Gibbs until he exited the series in 2022. NCIS focuses on the primary law-enforcement agency of the U.S. Navy, with its team investigating criminal activity involving that branch of the military as well as the Marine Corps. 

How NCIS Is Like Criminal Minds: For those who like the crime-solving aspect and procedural format of Criminal Minds without all the gritty content, NCIS might be just what you’re looking for. It still has an element of mystery, characters to root for and comedic moments, but doesn’t delve as much into killers’ psyches.

Stream NCIS on Paramount+.
Stream NCIS on Netflix. 

CSI: Crime Scene Investigation

Debuting back in 2000 and airing for 15 seasons on CBS, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation follows the Las Vegas Police Department’s team as they use physical evidence to solve murders. This flagship series has spawned multiple spinoffs. 

Why CSI: Crime Scene Investigation Is Like Criminal Minds: When it comes to crime procedurals, few TV series are as iconic as CSI. This show has the intriguing mysteries, the suspense and the longevity that people love about Criminal Minds. 

Stream CSI: Crime Scene Investigation on Hulu.
Stream CSI: Crime Scene Investigation on Paramount+. 

Scorpion

Running for four seasons on CBS from 2014 to 2018, Scorpion stars Elyes Gabel as Walter O'Brien, whose colleagues are the last line of defense against technological threats around the world. The team works with the Department of Homeland Security, so while they might not be getting hands-on with the grisly murders, it’s fascinating in a different way to see how they neutralize the global threats. 

Why Scorpion Is Like Criminal Minds: Anyone who was a fan of Matthew Gray Gubler’s Spencer Reid on Criminal Minds should enjoy Scorpion’s group of socially awkward geniuses.

Stream Scorpion on Paramount+. 

There are plenty of crime procedurals out there if you need a change of pace from Criminal Minds, and hopefully this list helps you focus in on what to watch based on what you like about the longtime series. When you’re ready to dip back into Criminal Minds, however, all 16 seasons are available on Paramount+, while the first 15 seasons can also be streamed with a Hulu subscription. 

In a world that is surrounded by some of the best television shows ever, from the best programs on Netflix to the best series on Max, there have been plenty that have won Outstanding Drama, Comedy or Limited or Anthology Series at the Primetime Emmy Awards. A few I could think of are Game of Thrones, The Sopranos, Breaking Bad, Ted Lasso, Modern Family and many more. 

There are also so many shows that have never won any of these awards. Despite their impressive reputations or stellar casts, these 32 shows have never won Best Series in any category at the Emmys. Prepare to have your mind blown.

This Is Us 

This Is Us was a famous NBC show known for its brilliant storytelling and episodes that always found a way to make you cry. It was led by a brilliant This Is Us cast which included Sterling K. Brown (who won an Emmy for this show), Milo Ventimiglia and more. Somehow, the series never won Outstanding Drama at the Emmys. What's even worse is Mandy Moore never won an Emmy for her portrayal of the matriarch of the Pearson family. That, in itself, is a sin. 

Shameless

Yes, I know that in the later years of Shameless, the episodes didn't feel the same without Emmy Rossum as part of the fearless Shameless cast. However, the first few seasons of the dramedy became some of the best television at the time – and one of the best Showtime shows. And still, it never won Outstanding Comedy. 

Enlightened 

Enlightened only ran for two seasons, but they were full of great acting, a fun story, and so much more. Plus, it was led by the legend Laura Dern. The series, however, was never nominated for Outstanding Comedy. The only nomination that came through was for Dern, and she didn't win. 

The Walking Dead

Say what you want about The Walking Dead, but as someone who watched all eleven seasons of the show, those first five were excellent television. The only praise this show ever got in the Emmy world was for its visual and practical effects on the zombies – but the acting and the show as a whole? It went completely over the heads of those who chose the nominations. 

Dickinson 

Dickinson was one of the best Apple TV+ original shows. I fully believe this series was never nominated for Outstanding Comedy because it flew under the radar at first as one of the streaming platforms' first series. Hailee Steinfeld at least should have garnered a nomination, but there was no love for this series. 

Parks And Recreation

You're probably shocked to see this on the list, but Parks and Recreation never won a single Emmy Award. The show was top-rated and well-known for its talented Parks and Recreation cast, but not even Amy Poehler won the Emmy for her lead performance in the show. And the series, while nominated twice for Outstanding Comedy, never won.  

Dexter

I still believe Dexter is worth rewatching despite its later seasons being less than stellar. But the first four seasons of Dexter are classic TV. The plot twists are great, the acting is fantastic, and the backstory behind the serial killer is one of the best in Showtime history. While the series was nominated for Outstanding Drama Series several times, it never won. 

The Wire

I know. The Wire is one of the best shows in HBO history and television in general. And yet, somehow, the series never won any Emmy awards. It was never even nominated for Outstanding Drama. The only praise the Television Academy ever gave it was in the form of its writing – which was excellent, understandably – but come on, only that? 

The Brady Bunch

This sitcom from the 1970s is considered one of the most well-known and created several spinoffs. It also spawned one of the best-known TV catchphrases ever ("Marcia, Marcia, Marcia"), yet somehow, this series was never nominated for Outstanding Comedy -- or a single other Emmy award.

Peaky Blinders

Peaky Blinders has gained a lot more popularity over the last few years thanks to the growing stardom of Cillian Murphy from the Oppenheimer cast, but this show was one of the best the BBC had to offer. It featured several other major stars too, like Anya Taylor-Joy, Tom Hardy, Sam Claflin, and many more, and it was a fantastic story. But it was never nominated for a single Primetime Emmy Award. I'm upset even writing that down. 

Doctor Who

Doctor Who is one of those shows that has ebbed and flowed in quality. Some doctors have been great, others have been forgettable. But you can't deny the impact this series has had and the stories it tells with its most excellent doctors. And yet, Doctor Who has never been recognized in terms of acting, writing, or anything at the Emmys. The only nomination it ever got was for Outstanding Derivative Interactive Program in 2020.  

Better Call Saul

When Better Call Saul was confirmed after Breaking Bad, many believed it would never live up to its predecessor. Still, the prequel series about Saul Goodman was almost as good as the original – and to some, it's even better. But while Better Call Saul was nominated several times for Outstanding Drama, it has never won. 

Hannibal

Hannibal was a tremendous psychological horror-thriller that aired for three seasons and told stories that would blow the minds of anyone who watched it. It was scary and psychological and everything you could want – but it was never nominated for Outstanding Drama Series. 

New Girl

I loved New Girl and will rewatch it over and over again, but it seems like the Emmys forgot about the popular sitcom series after its first season. New Girl was only nominated for a few awards in 2012, not even for Outstanding Comedy Series. After that, it wasn't nominated again. 

Parenthood 

Parenthood lasted six seasons and had some of the best writing about modern-day family life. It is a more dramedy version of Modern Family. But the only person who ever got recognition for the show at the Emmys was Jason Ritter, and that was for a guest appearance on the series. 

Chuck

Starring Zachary Levi, Chuck was the spy drama that everyone enjoyed when it first came out in 2007, and it lasted for five seasons. But despite the show's fun nature and entertaining stories, it was never nominated for Outstanding Comedy. Its stunt work did receive some praise, though. 

The Good Place

This one surprised me when I found out, but The Good Place and The Good Place cast have never won an Emmy award. The show was nominated for 14, including Outstanding Comedy Series, but aside from that, it has never actually won an award. Considering the love this show got, that's very shocking – almost as much as the twist in Season 1. 

Narcos

Narcos was one of those crime drama TV shows that took the world by storm and has only gained more popularity over the last several years, especially with Pedro Pascal's rise to fame. But the series, which told the story of Pablo Escobar, was only ever nominated for Creative Arts Emmy Awards, and never for Outstanding Drama. 

Chappelle's Show

Dave Chappelle is hands down one of the most influential voices in comedy and sketch television. Chappelle's Show is an excellent example of that, showcasing the comedian in some of the funniest sketches of the 21st century. However, the series was never nominated for Outstanding Comedy. It was, however, nominated for Outstanding Variety, Music or Comedy Series but didn't win. 

The Flight Attendant 

Kaley Cuoco is known for her role in the Big Bang Theory cast, but it's a sin that people don't talk about her incredible performance in The Flight Attendant more. And while she and the show were nominated for Outstanding Comedy Series, it never won. 

Daredevil

Daredevil was one of the best Marvel TV shows on Netflix, lasting for three seasons and telling authentic superhero stories that didn't seem as intense as aliens invading from the galaxy. Instead, it was a much more grounded show with excellent battle sequences. But despite its popularity, Daredevil was never nominated for Outstanding Drama Series. Maybe Daredevil: Born Again will earn that privilege – only time will tell. 

Married…With Children

Married…with Children was one of the best sitcoms of the late 1980s to 1990s, lasting ten years and eleven seasons, and it brought up one of the best-known names in comedic television, Ed O'Neill. But this series, despite its long run, never won a single Emmy Award. Talk about the definition of snub. 

Station Eleven

Station Eleven was a miniseries that came out of Max (previously HBO Max), an adaptation of the novel of the same name by Emily St. John Mandel, and was one of the best post-apocalyptic TV shows out there. However, while the miniseries received praise, it was not nominated for Outstanding Limited or Anthology Series.

WandaVision

There was a rumor that WandaVision would be a multi-season series, but it was put into the Emmys as Outstanding Limited or Anthology Series. Of all the MCU shows on Disney+, the show was a huge hit but didn't win at the Emmys. 

The Leftovers

The Leftovers was an excellent supernatural series that showed what would happen when 2% of the world's population suddenly vanished without a trace. The series was popular and featured a fascinating story. But the show was never nominated for Outstanding Drama Series. 

Perry Mason

Perry Mason is an HBO series people adored, but it didn't live as long as it should have, because it was canceled by Max after Season 2. On top of that sad news, it hasn't been nominated for Outstanding Drama at all. The only people who have received praise are Matthew Rhys and John Lithgow, both of whom have only been nominated and not won.

Star Trek

While the Star Trek franchise has gone on for many years, the original Star Trek series (the one that pioneered and started it all) was never nominated for a single Emmy Award. This show, which meant so much to so many people, didn't even get to compete in this prestigious awards competition. But no matter – we'll always live long and prosper without an Emmy win. 

Jane The Virgin

I know it's rare for some of the best CW shows to get nominated for Primetime Emmys, but Jane the Virgin should have been a contender. The series features an original idea, bold storytelling, and the impressive Jane the Virgin cast. And yet, the Emmys never gave it the praise it deserved. In fact, only the narrator was nominated. 

BoJack Horseman

There are some excellent adult animated shows on Netflix, and BoJack Horseman stands out as one of them. The series is a realistic telling of what it's like to fall out of the spotlight in Hollywood and what can happen to people. Despite its acclaim, the series was never nominated for Outstanding Comedy at the Emmys. It did get two nominations for Outstanding Animated Program, but it deserved Comedy. 

Buffy The Vampire Slayer

I could not think of a better example of a show that deserved way more Emmy love than Buffy the Vampire Slayer in its earlier seasons. The show, led by Sarah Michelle Gellar, is a staple in supernatural television. However, it has yet to receive a nomination for Outstanding Drama Series.

Oz

Oz is considered one of the best TV shows ever, taking place in a men's prison and following the stories of prisoners over six seasons. However, despite its reputation and impact on TV, it was never nominated for Outstanding Drama. The only actor who was nominated in the series was Charles S. Dutton for a guest appearance on the show. 

Mindhunter

Mindhunter, starring Jonathan Groff, was an excellent TV show on Netflix from director David Fincher, and everyone was sad when Season 3 was confirmed never. The series was fantastic and featured storytelling unlike any other. But despite its fresh tales and incredible acting, Mindhunter was never nominated for Outstanding Drama. It's such a shame. 

Even more TV shows have never won these types of Emmys, but these are just some of the first that come to mind. But now, I know I need to rewatch some of these to give them the love they deserve – or have fun showing them to others—time for a binge-fest. 

Mindhunter was one of the best crime thrillers on television in the past ten years, so it's absolutely crushing to hear that there's no chance of Season 3 ever happening at Netflix. Famed director and executive producer David Fincher's recent comments suggest there's someone to point a finger at for this, and now I'm furious at almost everyone involved. 

David Fincher recently gave an interview for the French outlet Le Journal du Dimanche and officially put to bed why Mindhunter won't be returning for Season 3. The director explained the situation and noted that he had no ill will toward Netflix after "parting ways" (via TVLine):

David Fincher might be fine with the fact that Netflix couldn't justify the budget for another season of Mindhunter, but I certainly am not. Granted, I may be a journalist with no accurate idea of the cost of the average Mindhunter season vs. viewership, but knowing all of that doesn't get me any closer to seeing Holden, Bill, and Wendy back in the basement of Quantico interviewing some of the most dangerous serial killers in America! 

I can't be entirely mad at just Netflix, however, as I know there are plenty of true crime fans out there who apparently didn't check out Mindhunter with their Netflix subscriptions at a high enough rate to justify the streaming service bringing it back for Season 3. There haven't been many shows like it to hit television since, so it feels like we've truly failed a unicorn of a series. 

I think it's also fair to say that even David Fincher deserves a bit of blame here as well, as he signaled in past interviews Mindhunter's downfall was in part due to the inability to agree on a budget for the season. Fincher, who has been busy on other projects, told Vulture that Netflix asked to do Season 3 on a reduced budget, but the director pushed back, asserting he couldn't do it for any less than he did in Season 2. So, when I say I'm furious at almost everyone, I kind of mean it. I can't be mad at Jonathan Groff, though, as the actor managed to keep fans' hopes alive for a renewal when all hope seemed lost. 

At the same time, the reason behind Mindhunter's effective cancellation also feels like white noise at a time when streaming services are drastically dialing back their outputs of expensive streaming shows and even removing previous originals entirely. Even if the series would've survived to Season 3, it's hard to imagine it could've gone on much longer without becoming the massive mainstream success that it seemingly wasn't.

The good news is that Mindhunter Seasons 1 and 2 are still available to stream on Netflix, and it's totally worth binging even if the series ended well before it should have. Cameron Britton's performance as Ed Kemper alone is worth the time spent watching, so anyone who missed out should certainly give it a look. 

If you’re looking for engaging shows about serial killers or in-depth documentaries about notorious cold cases, then stick around and check out our breakdown of the best true crime shows you can stream right now. Over the years, the best streaming services have offered massive collections of documentaries, limited series, and specials about the likes of O.J. Simpson, JonBenét Ramsey, and countless cult groups that have captured the attention and hearts of viewers around the world.

Everyone with a Netflix subscription, those with a Peacock Premium subscription, and subscribers of other popular streaming platforms probably know this by now, but keeping track of them all is no easy task. Well, we’re here to solve the case and provide some of the best options for true crime fans whether they have a Max subscription or a Hulu subscription and many others.

American Murder: Gabby Petito (2025)

The Director: Julia Willoughby Nason, Michael Ggasparro

Number Of Episodes: 3

What It’s About: Released more than three years after Gabby Petito went missing and was later found dead, this three-part docuseries pieces together her final days and everything that followed.

Why It’s One Of The Best True Crime Shows: American Murder: Gabby Petito is an exhaustive and engaging true crime docuseries that doesn’t hold back. Though you’ll be left with some unanswered questions, this series does help make sense of the tragic death of a young woman in the prime of her life.

• Stream American Murder: Gabby Petito on Netflix.

American Manhunt: O.J. Simpson (2025)

The Director: Floyd Ross

Number Of Episodes: 4

What It’s About: A four-part docuseries investigating the O.J. Simpson murder trial with in-depth interviews with the defense attorneys who helped him get acquitted, the prosecutors who attempted to put him behind bars, and others closely connected to the case.

Why It’s One Of The Best True Crime Shows: Few documentaries about O.J. Simpson come close to the scope and scale of the latest addition to the American Manhunt collection. With hours of interviews, footage, and revelations, there’s so much to explore with this one.

• Stream American Manhunt: O.J. Simpson on Netflix.

The Curious Case Of… (2025)

The Executive Producers: Alexander Block, Eric Evangelista, Shannon Evangelista

Number Of Episodes: 6

What It’s About: Featuring six unique stories about everything from doomsday cat cults to people faking their own deaths for personal gain to funeral home cons, The Curious Case Of… explores the worst and weirdest humanity has to offer.

Why It’s One Of The Best True Crime Shows: Each story in this fascinating, and at times terrifying docuseries, is unlike anything you’ve probably seen before.

• Stream The Curious Case Of… on Max.

Sasquatch (2021)

The Director: Joshua Rofé

Number Of Episodes: 3

What It’s About: Decades after three people were murdered on a California cannabis farm, investigative journalist David Holthouse explores the claims by locals that it was Bigfoot who committed the unsolved homicides. But as he digs, Holthouse learns more about the history of mysterious crimes in the region known as the “Emerald Triangle.”

Why It’s One Of The Best True Crime Shows: Though the docuseries can feel a bit too much at times, Sasquatch is an intense and engaging chronicle of a series of crimes that defy logic and reason.

• Stream Sasquatch on Hulu.

The 1990s: The Deadliest Decade (2018)

The Director: Bill Kerr

Number Of Episodes: 10

What It’s About: The 1990s: The Deadliest Decade spends 10 episodes exploring some of the most heinous and lesser-known crimes that rock the final decade of the 20th century.

Why It’s One Of The Best True Crime Shows: If you’re looking for a true crime show that dives into crimes you have never heard about, then The 1990s: The Deadliest Decade is going to do the trick. Murder, violence, terrorist attacks, and more are on full display here.

• Stream The 1990s: The Deadliest Decade on Hulu.

The Kings Of Tupelo: A Southern Crime Saga (2024)

The Director: Bill Kerr

Number Of Episodes: 3

What It’s About: Upon discovering a severed head in a hospital refrigerator, a janitor and Elvis impersonator finds himself going on a wild, dangerous, and unbelievable journey.

Why It’s One Of The Best True Crime Shows: With its over-the-top characters, intense story, and shocking crimes, The Kings of Tupelo: A Southern Crime Saga is one of those “stranger than fiction” true crime tales you won’t be able to stop watching.

• Stream The Kings of Tupelo: A Southern Crime Saga on Netflix.

Cold Case: Who Killed JonBenét Ramsey (2024)

The Director: Joe Berlinger

Number Of Episodes: 3

What It’s About: Nearly 30 years after the unsolved murder of 6-year-old JonBenét Ramsey, family and investigators continue to search for answers as to what happened to the child beauty queen on December 26, 1996.

Why It’s One Of The Best True Crime Shows: Directed by Joe Berlinger, who previously helmed The Ted Bundy Tapes, the latest docuseries about the murder of JonBenét Ramsey is one of the most in-depth and engaging so far. Facts, theories, and fascinating interviews with family, friends, and investigators make this a must-watch, which is proven by the docuseries’ solid run on Netflix.

• Stream Cold Case: Who Killed JonBenét Ramsey on Netflix.

Richard Ramirez: The Night Stalker Tapes (2024)

The Director: Amy Goodman Kass

Number Of Episodes: 2

What It’s About: A combination of never-before-seen recordings of Richard Ramirez and new interviews with his family is used to explore the “Night Stalker,” his crimes, his past, and how he became a pop culture phenomenon despite the heinous nature of his crimes.

Why It’s One Of The Best True Crime Shows: There are so many documentaries and shows about Richard Ramirez, but a lot of those just focus on the crimes and the hunt to track him down. While Amy Goodman Kass’ two-parter does that as well, this in-depth look into the serial killer’s life and legacy goes above and beyond retracing his steps.

• Stream Richard Ramirez: The Night Stalker Tapes on Peacock.

Making Manson (2024)

The Director: Bille Mintz

Number Of Episodes: 3

What It’s About: Charles Manson was a larger-than-life character of 20th-century true crime, and the new Peacock documentary series, Making Manson, offers an unparalleled look into the crimes, upbringing, and psyche of the infamous cult leader.

Why It’s One Of The Best True Crime Shows: Manson, and his role in orchestrating the violent murder spree carried out by his family in the summer of ‘69, is something that’s been discussed time and time again. So, why watch another documentary about him? Well, Bille Mintz’s three-part series, which includes interviews from near the end of his life, digs beneath the crimes and focuses more on what made him the way he was and why he had such a violent worldview.

• Stream Making Manson on Peacock.

This Is The Zodiac Speaking (2024)

The Director: Ari Mark, Phil Lott

Number Of Episodes: 3

What It’s About: Arthur Leigh Miller, though never charged, is long believed to have been the Zodiac. More than 50 years after the notorious serial killer’s reign of terror ended, new clues in the case, and Miller’s possible ties to it, are explored in great detail.

Why It’s One Of The Best True Crime Shows: The Zodiac case is one of the most well-known yet mysterious true crime stories in American history. This enthralling documentary does a tremendous job of sharing that story and new details about the prime suspect.

• Stream This Is The Zodiac Speaking on Netflix

It’s Florida, Man (2024)

The Creators: Mark Herwick, Jeff Tomsic

Number Of Episodes: 6

What It’s About: Real-life stories from Florida are brought to life in extravagant fashion while being reenacted by actors and comedians like Anna Faris, Sam Richardson, Ego Nwodim, and Randall Park.

Why It’s One Of The Best True Crime Shows: Fans of the “Florida Man” trope will love It’s Florida, Man with its hilarious yet real-life stories of love, heartbreak, and some terrible decisions made by enterprising criminals in the Sunshine State.

• Stream It’s Florida, Man on Max

Monsters: The Lyle And Erik Menendez Story (2024)

The Creator: Ryan Murphy

Number Of Episodes: 9

What It’s About: After being put on trial for viciously murdering their parents, brothers Lyle and Erik Menendez argued that they acted out of fear for their lives after years of alleged physical, emotional, and sexual abuse.

Why It’s One Of The Best True Crime Shows: Much like Ryan Murphy’s Dahmer series two years earlier, Monsters: The Lyle And Erik Menendez Story goes beyond the headlines and court transcripts in an attempt to make sense of one of the biggest crimes of the ‘90s.

• Stream Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story on Netflix

Escape At Dannemora (2018)

The Director: Ben Stiller

Number Of Episodes: 8

What It’s About: A prison official forms a relationship with two inmates, which results in one of the most daring prison escapes of the 21st century.

Why It’s One Of The Best True Crime Shows: First released back in 2018, Escape at Dannemora found new life on Netflix in November 2024, and for good reason. This engaging, emotional, and intense prison story has incredible talent on both sides of the camera.

• Stream Escape at Dannemora on Netflix

Cult Massacre: One Day In Jonestown (2024)

The Director: Marian Mohamed

Number Of Episodes: 3

What It’s About: A three-part documentary chronicling the life, death, and legacy of Jim Jones and his Peoples Temple religious movement. From the humble beginnings to the largest mass suicide of all time, the full story is told in graphic detail.

Why It’s One Of The Best True Crime Shows: This engaging series gives new meaning to the quote hanging above Jones’ chair at Jonestown: “Those who do not remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” With interviews of survivors and their families, plus archival footage, this is worth the watch.

• Stream Cult Massacre: One Day in Jonestown on Hulu

Baby Reindeer (2024)

The Director: Weronika Tofilska, Josephine Bornebusch

Number Of Episodes: 7

What It’s About: Based on star Richard Gadd’s autobiographical one-man show (though the names have been changed), the series follows a London bartender (played by Gadd) as he meets a lonely yet seemingly normal patron (played by Jessica Gunning), only for the woman to begin stalking and harassing him.

Why It’s One Of The Best True Crime Shows: Tied together in the manner of psychological thrillers and dark comedies, the series creates an unnerving experience that’s also impossible to turn off.

• Stream Baby Reindeer on Netflix

Under The Bridge (2024)

The Creator: Quinn Shephard

Number Of Episodes: 8

What It’s About: Told through the eyes of police officer Cam Bentland (Lily Gladstone) and writer Rebecca Godfrey (Riley Keough), Under The Bridge examines the stories and lives of the teenage girls accused of carrying out an unspeakable murder as everyone attempts to bring an end to the devastating episode.

Why It’s One Of The Best True Crime Shows: Critics called the series “compelling” upon its release and had great things to say about Gladstone and Keough’s performances throughout its eight-episode run. Taking notes from the source material written by Godfrey two decades before her own passing, Under the Bridge is a brilliant adaptation.

• Stream Under the Bridge on Hulu

BuzzFeed Unsolved: True Crime (2016 - 2021)

The Director: Ryan Bergara, Shane Madej

Number Of Episodes: 66

What It’s About: Former BuzzFeed hosts Ryan Bergara and Shane Madej break down mysteries like the murder of JonBenét Ramsey, the Collar Bomb Bank Robbery, and dozens of others.

Why It’s One Of The Best True Crime Shows: Both informative and entertaining at times, BuzzFeed Unsolved: True Crime is a great way to learn a lot about all kinds of mysterious cases in a short amount of time.

• Stream BuzzFeed Unsolved: True Crime on Hulu

Mastermind: To Think Like A Killer (2024)

The Director: Abby Fuller

Number Of Episodes: 3

What It’s About: Dr. Ann Burgess’ story, as well as some of the high-profile killers she studied, are told in great detail in the 2024 Hulu original, Mastermind: To Think Like a Killer, a fascinating three-part docuseries.

Why It’s One Of The Best True Crime Shows:

From her days as a nurse to her time helping build up the FBI’s profiling strategies to being a prominent figure in the Menendez Brothers’ murder trial, Abby Fuller’s documentary is a great addition to the true crime collection and one that may even change your perspective on certain crimes.

• Stream Mastermind: To Think Like A Killer on Hulu

Quiet On The Set: The Dark Side Of Kids TV (2024)

The Director: Mary Robertson, Emma Schwartz

Number Of Episodes: 5

What It’s About: The series dives into various allegations brought against former high-ranking executives like Dan Schneider, who was ousted from Nickelodeon in 2018, and how alleged abuse impacted countless child actors and crews working on shows like All That, Drake and Josh, and The Amanda Show.

Why It’s One Of The Best True Crime Shows: Though hard to stomach at times, Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV is an engaging and eye-opening dive into the shady world of TV in the 1990s and early 2000s.

• Stream Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV on Max

The Jinx: The Life And Deaths Of Robert Durst (2015)

The Director: Andrew Jarecki

Number Of Episodes: 12

What It’s About: Released in 2015, The Jinx: The Life and Deaths of Robert Durst dove into the life, legacy, crimes, and mysteries involving the late real estate magnate.

Why It’s One Of The Best True Crime Shows: A docuseries that’s hard to turn off, The Jinx will leave you guessing at every turn as you try to determine the how and why of these violent murders.

• Stream The Jinx: The Life and Deaths of Robert Durst on Max

Dark Side Of The Ring (2019 - Present)

The Director: Jason Eisener

Number Of Episodes: 50

What It’s About: The biggest, baddest, and most notorious figures and incidents, both well-known and overlooked, from the world of professional wrestling are explored in great detail.

Why It’s One Of The Best True Crime Shows: Part history lesson and part true crime documentary, Dark Side of the Ring sheds light on and breaks down tales that are so intense and seem so far-fetched that you’d think they were all part of some elaborate wrestling program.

• Stream Dark Side of the Ring on Hulu

McMillions (2020)

The Director: James Lee Hernandez, Brian Lazarte

Number Of Episodes: 6

What It’s About: McMillions turns its focus to the McDonald’s Monopoly fraud scandal and the wild ride investigators went on to get to the bottom of the story.

Why It’s One Of The Best True Crime Shows: Expect to learn a lot about the scandal and all involved parties, as the documentary series throws so much information at you before everything is said and done.

• Stream McMillions on Max

Telemarketers (2023) 

The Director: Adam Bhala Lough, Sam Lipman-Stern

Number Of Episodes: 3

What It’s About: The basic gist of the series goes like this: two former coworkers go on a years-long campaign to expose the telemarketing industry that the documentary claims scammed people out of money in the name of charity.

Why It’s One Of The Best True Crime Shows: It’s not as sinister or dramatic as some of the other shows on this list, but make no mistake, there’s some messed up stuff going on here. With a story that gets crazier as it goes on, an all-time documentary personality in Pat Pespas, and outstanding (albeit at times accidental) journalism, this is a must-watch.

• Stream Telemarketers on Max

A Friend Of The Family (2022)

The Creator: Nick Antosca

Number Of Episodes: 9

What It’s About: The 2022 limited series tells the hard-to-believe story of Robert Berchtold (Jake Lacy), a man who kidnapped and abused Jan Broberg (Hendrix Yancey and McKenna Grace) on two different occasions in the mid 1970s.

Why It’s One Of The Best True Crime Shows: A Peacock original worth checking out, A Friend of the Family is an engrossing, terrifying, and at times maddening, true crime drama series based on the Abducted in Plain Sight documentary.

• Stream A Friend of the Family on Peacock

Waco: American Apocalypse (2023)

The Director: Tiller Russell

Number Of Episodes: 3

What It’s About: A three-part docuseries breaking down practically every aspect of the 51-day standoff between the Branch Davidians and the FBI and ATF.

Why It’s One Of The Best True Crime Shows:

Through extensive interviews with surviving Branch Davidians and federal agents who participated in the weeks-long siege, the documentary offers a tremendous amount of insight into the showdown that directly and indirectly led to the biggest news stories of the final years of the 20th century.

• Stream Waco: American Apocalypse on Netflix

Mindhunter (2017 - 2019)

The Creator: Joe Penhall

Number Of Episodes: 19

What It’s About: FBI special agents Holden Ford (Jonathan Groff) and Bill Tench (Holt McCallany), as well as psychologist Wendy Carr (Anna Torv), try to revolutionize the science of criminal profiling.

Why It’s One Of The Best True Crime Shows: In addition to the main arc and various plots that it spawned, the show also featured portrayals of notorious serial killers like Charles Manson, Elmer Wayne Henley Jr., the BTK Killer, and most notably, Edmund Kemper.

• Stream Mindhunter on Netflix

Making A Murderer (2015 - 2018) 

The Director: Laura Ricciardi, Moira Demos

Number Of Episodes: 20

What It’s About: Told over the course of multiple years, this 20-part docuseries dives into the life of Steven Avery, who was wrongly convicted of sexual assault and attempted murder (for which he spent 18 years in prison) only to be convicted of murder a few years after his release.

Why It’s One Of The Best True Crime Shows: A major conversation starter and hot-topic item on the internet over the years, Making a Murderer remains one of the most complex and confounding additions to the true crime genre.

• Stream Making a Murderer on Netflix

Who Killed Robert Wone? (2023)

The Director: Jared P. Scott

Number Of Episodes: 2

What It’s About: Four men go to bed in a house one August 2006 night, only for one of them to be stabbed to death an hour later. A decades-long investigation and attempt at closure follows.

Why It’s One Of The Best True Crime Shows: In a chat with CinemaBlend before the series’ debut, director Jared P. Scott revealed there were “a number of bizarre, perplexing, and baffling pieces” to the story that he felt made it worth telling. And, without giving too much away, know that this one goes in a number of different directions.

• Stream Who Killed Robert Wone? on Peacock

Untold: The Girlfriend Who Didn’t Exist (2022)

The Director: Tony Vainuku, Ryan Duffy

Number Of Episodes: 2

What It’s About: This two-part documentary recounts one of the biggest sports stories from the past decade-and-a-half: Notre Dame linebacker Manti Te’o announcing the death of his longtime girlfriend only to discover he was being catfished all along.

Why It’s One Of The Best True Crime Shows: If anything, The Girlfriend Who Didn’t Exist adds a great deal of context to the sports scandal and helps make a case for Te’o being a victim instead of the butt of all kinds of jokes and ridicule.

• Stream Untold: The Girlfriend Who Didn’t Exist on Netflix

Dahmer - Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story (2022)

The Creator: Ryan Murphy

Number Of Episodes: 10

What It’s About: Dahmer - Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story examines how Dahmer became one of the most notorious serial killers in American history and how his actions did irreparable damage to those in his community for more than a decade.

Why It’s One Of The Best True Crime Shows: Though controversial at the time of its release, this 10-part drama series does an incredible job of showing the utter devastation of Dahmer’s crimes and questions how something like this could go on for so long with no one in power doing anything about it.

• Stream Dahmer - Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story on Netflix

I’ll Be Gone In The Dark (2020)

The Director: Liz Garbus, Elizabeth Wolff, Myles Kane, Josh Koury

Number Of Episodes: 7

What It’s About: I’ll Be Gone in the Dark is one-part breakdown of the 50 sexual assaults and 10 murders committed by the Golden State Killer (also known as the East Area Rapist, Original Night Stalker, and EARONS) and one-part exploration of the late true crime writer Michelle McNamara’s years-long crusade to identify the heinous criminal and finally bring him to justice for crimes he committed nearly 50 years ago.

Why It’s One Of The Best True Crime Shows: Few true crime documentaries have as much heart and emotion as I’ll Be Gone in the Dark. This sprawling series not only chronicles the attempts to nab the Golden State Killer but also serves as a personal exploration of how McNamara put her heart and soul into her award-winning book of the same name.

• Stream I’ll Be Gone in the Dark on Max

O.J.: Made In America (2016)

The Director: Ezra Edelman

Number Of Episodes: 5

What It’s About: A sprawling five-part (or 467-minute) deep dive into the life, career, and legacy of O.J. Simpson and how he went from one of the most successful athletes of the 20th century to public enemy number one.

Why It’s One Of The Best True Crime Shows: One of the top docuseries detailing the “Crime of the Century” and what led to it, O.J.: Made in America also dissects American culture and how key moments from the 20th century ultimately led to Simpson being acquitted.

• Stream O.J.: Made In America on ESPN+

Unsolved Mysteries (2020)

The Creator: John Cosgrove, Terry Dunn Meurer

Number Of Episodes: 30

What It’s About: The iconic television series was rebooted in 2020 with dozens of stories about missing persons, cold cases, supposed alien visitors, and even tales of the paranormal.

Why It’s One Of The Best True Crime Shows: Few series on Netflix come close to the scope and scale of Unsolved Mysteries. There is a little something for everyone, especially for fans of true crime cases that leave you guessing at every turn.

• Stream Unsolved Mysteries on Netflix

The thing about true crime shows is that there is always going to be another documentary, docuseries, or drama series down the road that will grab our attention with tales so unbelievable that we just can’t look away.

Many of the people who in the cast of Mission: Impossible 7, a.k.a. Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part One, will be back the following year for Mission: Impossible 8, a.k.a. Dead Reckoning Part Two. However, a new casting has come in for someone who won’t be present in the former, but will cross paths with Tom Cruise’s Ethan Hunt in the latter. Mindhunter star Holt McCallany has joined Mission: Impossible 8 for what sounds like a significant role.

Mindhunter fans know Holt McCallany for playing FBI agent Bill Tench during the two seasons that streamed to Netflix subscribers between 2017 and 2019. McCallany’s other credits include movies like Alien 3, Alpha Dog, Gangster Squad, Wrath of Man and Nightmare Alley, and other TV shows like CSI: Miami, Blue Bloods and 61st Street. Deadline is now sharing that McCallany will appear in Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part Two as Secretary of Defense Bernstein.

Much like Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part One, plot details are being kept a closely guarded secret for the eighth Mission: Impossible movie. Sure, the first Mission: Impossible 7 trailer provided a little context for the beginning of what’s expected to be the end of Tom Cruise’s run as Ethan Hunt, but without having seen that movie, we’re far from learning what we should expect from Dead Reckoning Part Two. That said, with Holt McCallany playing the U.S. Secretary of Defense, there’s a good chance we’ll see him interacting with Ethan at some point, although as has happened time and time again in this spy franchise, just because Bernstein holds a powerful government position doesn’t mean he’s on our protagonist’s side.

Among the other people fresh to the Mission: Impossible franchise who appear with Holt McCallany in Dead Reckoning Part Two are Hayley Atwell as the mysterious Grace, Esai Morales as one of the villains, Shea Whighan as Jasper Briggs and Pom Klementieff in an undisclosed role. Turning to the familiar faces, Ethan Hunt will be joined once again by Ving Rhames’ Luther Stickell, Simon Pegg’s Benji Dunn, Rebecca Ferguson’s Ilsa Faust, Vanessa Kirby’s Alanna Mitsopolis and Henry Czerny’s Eugene Kittridge. As he’s been doing since Rogue Nation, Christopher McQuarrie carried out writing and directing duties on both of the upcoming Mission: Impossible movies, with Dead Reckoning Part Two still currently in principal photography.

Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part Two comes out on June 28, 2024, and Part One will proceed it on July 14, 2023. There aren’t a lot of other 2024 releases to keep track of yet, but you’re welcome to look through the 2023 release schedule to see the movies coming our way next year. For those of you who like Holt McCallany’s work as Lieutenant Brannigan in 61st Street, the AMC series will return for a second season sometime next year as well.

After the Netflix original Mindhunter went on an indefinite hiatus, fans lamented the loss of the hit crime series. Showrunner David Fincher expressed a desire to explore other ventures. But, after the release of The Matrix Resurrections, star Jonathan Groff has confirmed that the hope for a third season is alive and well - and yes, it has something to do with the Chicago Bulls. 

While Jonathan Groff’s most recent project may have been a villainous turn in The Matrix Resurrections, one of his most memorable roles is, inevitably, FBI agent Holden Ford on Mindhunter. After two seasons, the criminal drama was shelved and producer David Fincher released the black and white film, Mank. While fans and critics alike were devastated by Mindhunter’s soft cancellation, Jonathan Groff has a slightly different outlook. He told The Hollywood Reporter: 

While Mindhunter and The Last Dance-era Chicago Bulls may not have a lot in common at first glance, both were overseen by respective industry giants. It’s impossible to divorce David Fincher’s influence from Mindhunter - not that one would want to. Without his direction and expertise, it’s entirely possible that Mindhunter would never have become such a sensation. Many shows and movies have degenerated after the original visionary departed, and it’s unlikely that fans would want to watch a third season of Mindhunter that didn’t live up to the show’s exemplary reputation. Thanks to Game of Thrones, fans know how a lackluster final season can depreciate the value of an entire series. 

And though David Fincher may not have signed on for a third season of Mindhunter, it’s clear that the cast is suitably enamored with the Oscar winner. In fact, according to Jonathan Groff, his fellow actors would be more than happy to return for another installment if David Fincher was behind the wheel. He said: 

While a third season of Mindhunter is still up in the air, fans can rest assured that, were it to ever materialize, it would be produced by the same team that originally made such a brilliant series. 

The first two seasons of Mindhunter are available to stream on Netflix. The Matrix Resurrections is now playing in theaters everywhere and is available to stream on HBO Max. 

CinemaBlend participates in affiliate programs with various companies. We may earn a commission when you click on or make purchases via links.

There is no way to get around it, there are an insane number of great Netflix TV shows, with something for literally everyone (at least everyone who loves critically acclaimed series from a myriad of genres). Keeping track of them all, however, is a task that is easier said than done.

From entertaining and enchanting sci-fi adventure stories like Stranger Things, to hilarious and disturbing dark comedies like Dead to Me, the library of originals keeps growing by the year, so much so that sometimes we find ourselves forgetting about all the awesome movies on Netflix, which, as we should remember, was what brought us all to the streamer way back when. But, before we get too sidetracked, let’s break down the best original Netflix shows. There’s a lot, so buckle up…

Stranger Things (2016 - Present)

Whether you’re obsessed with all things ‘80s (the culture, the style, Dungeons & Dragons), a longtime horror-hound, or simply someone who loves superbly written television, Stranger Things is right for you. As we look toward the show’s highly anticipated return with Stranger Things Season 4, now is the perfect time to go back and see how it all started for Eleven, Hopper (and how he ended up in Russia), and the rest of the residents of Hawkins, Indiana, and all their adventures.

Stream Stranger Things on Netflix.

The Queen’s Gambit (2020)

The 2020 limited series The Queen’s Gambit is hands down one of the best shows, not only on Netflix, but anywhere to come out in the past few years. From Beth Harmon’s (Anya Taylor-Joy) days learning to play chess in the basement of an orphanage to becoming the top player in the world by the show’s fulfilling ending, there isn’t a dull moment. Hell, you don’t even have to love the game of chess (or know anything about it) to get wrapped up in this binge-worthy drama.

Stream The Queen’s Gambit on Netflix.

The Crown (2016 - Present)

There is a reason (multiple reasons, actually) why The Crown is one of the best shows on television right now, but for the sake of brevity we’ll only dive into a couple of them here. First, the cast (which has taken home acting awards in each of its four seasons), no matter who’s playing whom, has been amazing from the beginning and only continues to get better with each iteration of the royal family. Then you have Peter Morgan’s attention to detail and dedication to treating his subjects with respect but also not holding back his portrayal of Queen Elizabeth II and the world around her. Add those together with the music and the show’s ability to make the audience care about every single character and you have a recipe for greatness.

Stream The Crown on Netflix.

Bridgerton (2020 - Present)

There are still plenty of questions after the whirlwind that was the first season of Bridgerton, but the scandalous Netflix period drama, with its fair share of sex, drama, and sexy drama did breathe new life into the genre upon its release in late 2020. With its outstanding ensemble cast that is as talented as it is diverse, the incorporation of modern songs into England’s Regency era, and all those fanciful costumes, there are plenty of reasons why Bridgerton grabbed a hold of its audience and never let go.

Stream Bridgerton on Netflix.

Mindhunter (2017 - 2019?)

Who knows if we’ll ever get to see Mindhunter Season 3, but let’s not dwell on things like that right now. Instead, let’s look back on the two amazing seasons David Fincher gave us in his drama about the formation of the FBI’s criminal psychology department led by Holden Ford (Jonathan Groff), Bill Tench (Holt McCallany), and Wendy Carr (Anna Torv). From engaging personal dramas involving the central cast to all those great interviews with the likes of Ed Kemper (Cameron Britton) to the dramatization of the Atlanta Child Murders, this show has (had?) it all.

Stream Mindhunter on Netflix.

Ozark (2017 - Present)

The Netflix family crime drama Ozark is one of the TV shows ending in 2021, with its fourth and final season being split up into two parts. This just means you have a little more time to rewatch the Primetime Emmy Award-winning series or start it for the first time before the final chapter. Anchored by a cast that includes Jason Bateman, Laura Linney, and Julia Garner as people embroiled in criminal enterprises, Ozark is dark, twisted, and no surprise here, a rather enjoyable experience.

Stream Ozark on Netflix.

Dear White People (2017 - Present)

Anytime an Ivy League university claims to be “post-racial,” you know it is going to be anything but, and the characters in Dear White People, the long-running Netflix dramedy know that all too well. Based on the 2014 film of the same name, the show doesn’t hold back in its handling of issues such as race, class, and social justice in this gripping and biting critique of the modern educational system. With enough humor to balance out some of the more dramatic elements, Dear White People will have you on an emotional roller coaster throughout.

Stream Dear White People on Netflix.

Russian Doll (2019 - Present)

We’re currently living in the golden age of time loop stories, and the Netflix series Russian Doll is proof of that. The show follows Nadia (Natasha Lyonne, who also co-created the show with Leslye Headland and Amy Poehler), a woman who keeps dying and reliving her 36th birthday party as she attempts to make sense of the madness around her. With clever writing, direction, and performances from its central cast, Russian Doll sinks its teeth into its premise from the first scene and doesn’t let go until the season finale. Don’t worry, there’s more on the way.

Stream Russian Doll on Netflix.

The Umbrella Academy (2019 - Present)

Fans of quirky superhero adventure stories will surely love The Umbrella Academy, the Netflix original series about a group of estranged siblings with some truly amazing powers who are brought together by their father’s death and end up banding together to save the world. There is already a great deal of speculation surrounding Season 3, so why not go back and start it again so you’re more than ready when The Umbrella Academy makes its eventual return.

Stream The Umbrella Academy on Netflix.

GLOW (2017 - 2019)

One of the Netflix cancellations fans were most upset to see go, GLOW was truly something special. One part history lesson about one of the most notorious promotions in the ‘80s and one part drama about a struggling actress finding a place for herself in the world, the wrestling-based Netflix comedy was a slobberknocker of a good time. The wrestling, writing, acting, and general feel of the show were all top notch, and it’s a bummer that we’ll never get a proper conclusion for the glorious ladies of wrestling.

Stream GLOW on Netflix.

Dead To Me (2019 - Present)

Dead to Me Season 3 will the end of the road for this dark comedy about two California women with one hell of a way of bonding, but at least Liz Feldman’s series starring Christina Applegate and Linda Cardellini will be going out on its own terms. Over the course of the show’s first two seasons, we watched as Jen Harding (Applegate) and Judy Hale (Cardellini) met in a grief support group and form a rather unique bond, considering their situations. Cleverly written and brilliantly acted, this refreshing take on the grieving process is shockingly fun to watch.

Stream Dead To Me on Netflix.

Daredevil (2015 - 2018)

Long before Disney+ came around and starting launching a slew of Marvel TV shows, Netflix produced several series centering on some of the comic book publisher’s more grounded characters. The first of the bunch, Daredevil, landed in 2015 and brought a level of grit and believability to the genre and introduced its fair share of memorable characters (and spinoffs) along the way. Even though the show was cancelled after only three seasons, it’s still one of the best superhero options on Netflix.

Stream Daredevil on Netflix.

Santa Clarita Diet (2017 - 2019)

Zombie shows typically focus more on the horror elements than any humor, but Santa Clarita Diet isn’t your traditional show about the undead; hell, it’s not even a traditional comedy. Despite that, the horror-comedy starring Drew Barrymore as a suburban real estate agent with an appetite for human flesh and Timothy Olyphant as her husband stuck in the middle of the whole mess, was one of the most clever spins on the genre during it’s three-season run on Netflix.

Stream Santa Clarita Diet on Netflix.

Lupin (2021 - Present)

There have been countless adaptations of the classic French thief Arsène Lupin over the years, but the most recent take, Lupin, is honestly one of the best and most inventive of the bunch. Set in modern-day France, the Netflix crime thriller follows Assane Diop (Omar Sy), a man on a mission to get back at a wealthy and well-established family for an injustice they inflicted against his father. With more adventures on the way, now’s the perfect time to check out the first five chapters of the remarkable title.

Stream Lupin on Netflix.

Unbelievable (2019)

Based on the real-life story of a sexual assault victim and the local authorities who didn’t buy her story, 2019’s Unbelievable is a riveting, if not maddening, drama following a young woman in her darkest moments. One of the best true crime series streaming on Netflix, Unbelievable is a truly remarkable piece of television and should be revisited for its lessons just as much, if not more than the drama that unfolds over the course of its narrative.

Stream Unbelievable on Netflix.

Master Of None (2015 - Present)

One of the best shows you can binge over a single weekend, Master of None is honestly one of the best titles on Netflix. Created by star Aziz Ansari and Alan Yang, the show’s two seasons (with more on the way) make for some of the best television in recent memory, including the iconic episode “Thanksgiving” which earned Ansari and co-writer/co-star Lena Waithe a Primetime Emmy in 2017. Seriously, go back and watch that Season 2 barn burner of an episode.

Stream Master Of None on Netflix.

Black Mirror (2011 - 2019)

Being one of the few shows to be praised by Stephen King should be enough to sell anyone on Black Mirror, but some could use more convincing. The long-running anthology horror/sci-fi series literally has something for everyone. From episodes that play out like unused Twilight Zone episodes to those that seem like twisted versions of Star Trek, each installment is amazing in its own, unique way. The show also served as a launching pad for some of today’s biggest stars.

Stream Black Mirror on Netflix.

The Narcos Franchise (2015 - Present)

The gritty crime dramas Narcos and Narcos: Mexico are sprawling shows set in Colombia and Mexico, respectively, and follow some of television and history’s most notorious drug-lords. Fans of series like Breaking Bad and movies like Sicario will feel right at home with the franchise’s unapologetic approach to the subject matter.

Stream Narcos on Netflix.

Stream Narcos: Mexico on Netflix.

The Haunting Franchise (2018 - 2020)

Mike Flanagan has been making a strong case for being one of the greatest horror minds of all time with Doctor Sleep and his two Netflix supernatural stories The Haunting of Hill House and The Haunting of Bly Manor. Both of these two horror shows gave fans of the genre some of the best scares and family drama in recent memory, making everyone more than excited to see where Flanagan’s career goes from here.

Stream The Haunting Of Hill House on Netflix.

Stream The Haunting Of Bly Manor on Netflix

BoJack Horseman (2014 - 2020)

Netflix has had its fair share of hits in the world of adult animation, but few compare to the Raphael Bob-Waksberg’s BoJack Horseman and its story about a humanoid horse (Will Arnett) who, despite being one of the biggest sitcom stars of all time, struggles to find a steady gig and his way in life all these years later. Who would have ever thought a cartoon about a self-loathing horse would be this much fun (or so heavy)?

Stream BoJack Horseman on Netflix.

Easy (2016 - 2020)

Created by writer/director Joe Swanberg, Easy was an anthology series focusing on a diverse cast of characters in and around the greater Chicago area. Over the course of three seasons, the oftentimes hilarious, but always real, show touched on some of life’s most delicate topics and situations, as told by an all-star cast that included everyone from Dave Franco to Aubrey Plaza. Anyone familiar with Swanberg’s previous work (Drinking Buddies, Happy Christmas) knows what to expect here.

Stream Easy on Netflix.

Orange Is The New Black (2013 - 2019)

One of the first big Netflix originals, Orange is the New Black broke a lot of ground for the streaming service and its push for original content upon its release in 2013. Over the years, the dramedy about life in a women’s prison introduced the world to some of TV’s most iconic characters and voices, including Laverne Cox, who stole every scene with her portrayal of Sophia Burset.

Stream Orange Is The New Black on Netflix.

This was just around 20 of the best Netflix original shows you can stream right now and there are plenty more where that came from. With countless other series premiering in 2021, it is only a matter of time before we have make even more additions to this list.

I think it's safe to say that the multi-talented Jonathan Groff won over a lot more all-aged fans with his roles in popular projects such as the Frozen films and the epic musical Hamilton than he did with his hyper-dark role on Netflix's serial killer drama Mindhunter. Groff is returning to the streaming service for his next big TV project, but it won't be for Mindhunter Season 3, much to the dismay of fans. Rather, Groff is joining New Girl and Watchmen stars for the family-friendly limited series Lost Ollie.

Inspired by the children's book Ollie's Odyssey from author William Joyce, Lost Ollie will be a live-action/animated hybrid series about a lost toy (Jonathan Groff) in the midst of an epic journey in search of his owner, and also about a boy named Billy (Kesler Talbot) who lost not just his homemade stuffed rabbit, but also his best friend. The quest to reunite will put both Ollie and Billy in all kinds of dangerous situations, but I can't help but feel like everyone will pull through. That said, the show will consist of four 45-minute episodes, which implies things might be far more dramatic than happy-go-lucky with each installment's passing.

While the behind-the-scenes talent on Lost Ollie is also superb – more on that lower – let's talk about all the big names that will be joining Jonathan Groff. On the toy side of things, we have the Grammy-winning Mary J. Blige (Power Book II: Ghost) as a raggedy but fearless teddy bear named Rosy that befriends Ollie, while Watchmen's Tim Blake Nelson is set to voice a chivalrous and helpful old clown doll named Zozo.

On the human side, Lost Ollie will have Jane the Virgin vet Gina Rodriguez playing Billy's loving and inspirational mother Sharon, affectionately known as Momma. On the flip side, Jurassic World's Jake Johnson will play Billy's father James, a.k.a. Daddy, whose good intentions for Billy are sometimes upended by being overworked and stressed. And then there's Kesler Talbot as Billy, a creative young boy who aims to retrieve the beloved toy his mother made for him. This sounds like it has Brave Little Toaster vibes, and I am all about courageous, size-appropriate objects.

Interestingly, this is a cast that is already well familiar with Netflix TV projects. (As King George himself sang, "You'll be back.") Mentioned previously, Jonathan Groff headed up the first two seasons of David Fincher's Mindhunter, while Gina Rodriguez is the voice of the titular criminal in Carmen Sandiego and Jake Johnson lent his expletive-spewing skills for the adult-animated comedy Hoops. Meanwhile, Mary J. Blige was part of the first season of The Umbrella Academy, and Tim Blake Nelson starred in the docu-drama Wormwood some years back. Only Kesler Talbot hasn't worked with the streaming service before, but that'll change with Lost Ollie.

Bringing Lost Ollie to life will be creator, writer and executive producer Shannon Tindle, an artist and designer who worked on such projects as Coraline and Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends, and who also penned the story for Laika's Kubo and the Two Strings. The director all four episodes will be Peter Ramsey, who worked with Jake Johnson in the absolutely stellar Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, and Stranger Things' Shawn Levy will be executive producing along with colleague Josh Barry. Another major creative plus for Lost Ollie is that Lucasfilm's Industrial Lights & Magic studio will be handling the character designs and animation.

So while it's not another season of Mindhunter for Jonathan Groff, and also isn't another Frozen film or another Lin-Manuel Miranda musical, Lost Ollie sounds like it could be an exciting and emotional project right up there with some of Disney's most memorable projects in recent years. And if Ollie, Rosy and Zozo end up crossing paths with a toaster, a lamp, a vacuum, an electric blanket and a radio, it will be the greatest crossover in human history. Or perhaps something slightly less hyperbolic.

Lost Ollie doesn't yet have a release date set on Netflix, and it might be a while before that happens, given how long it usually takes live-action/animated hybrids to come together. But here's hoping we haven't all outgrown our favorite toys by the time it gets released.

CinemaBlend participates in affiliate programs with various companies. We may earn a commission when you click on or make purchases via links.

The Little Things, the latest in a long line of serial killer movies that not only focus on the crimes but the detectives who sacrifice relationships and their sanity, was released in late January 2021, and by now, a lot of us have blown through the gritty drama and want more from the comprehensive genre. But with so many serial killer thrillers out there ranging from the good, the bad, and the ugly, deciding on one or a few such movies (hello, killer marathon) is no easy task considering there are thousands of over-the-top murder fests for every The Silence of the Lambs.

Below is a list of 12 movies and shows that share one or more similarities with The Little Things. From down-on-their-luck detectives with bruised egos and tarnished reputations to charismatic suspects that seem so guilty you want to send them to the electric chair, each of these titles — movies like Zodiac and shows like Luther — are some of the best cinema and television have to offer.

But before we get started, it should be made abundantly clear that there are some serious spoilers for The Little Things peppered throughout this piece. You have been warned.

The Silence Of The Lambs (Showtime)

Jonathan Demme’s 1991 horror thriller The Silence or the Lambs remains in a class of its own 30 years after the film gave the world to Anthony Hopkins’ chilling portrayal of psychiatrist-turned-cannibal Dr. Hannibal Lector. But Dr. Lector and his descriptions of his acts of cannibalism aren’t the only things that make this such a revered classic; there is Jodie Foster’s Clarice Starling (a character now with a show of her own), the FBI’s manhunt of Buffalo Bill, and the serial killer and kidnapper played by Ted Levine, whose performance is just as captivating yet menacing decades later.

Stream it on Showtime here.

Seven (HBO Max)

Before Joe “Deke” Deacon (Denzel Washington) and Jim Baxter (Rami Malek) found themselves becoming part of a series of vicious murders we had William Somerset (Morgan Freeman) and David Mills (Brad Pitt) doing something frighteningly similar in David Fincher’s Seven (stylized as Se7en) as they searched for a killer who used the seven deadly sins as his calling card. And although both movies end up with a similar outcome, Seven provides some closure (no happy ending, I’m afraid) while not sacrificing all ambiguity, creating an instant classic still talked about today.

Stream it on HBO Max here.

Zodiac (Amazon)

Twelve years after David Fincher released Seven he gave the world his version of one of the most infamous unsolved cases in United States history with Zodiac. As various characters played by Mark Ruffalo, Robert Downey Jr., and Jake Gyllenhaal all try to uncover the identity of the serial killer who used the San Fransisco Bay area as his personal playground, they end up losing a part of themselves in the process as they become obsessed with the case. Throughout the visually striking and emotionally compelling film, the detectives and journalists played by the star-studded cast are convinced they have their man yet can never outright prove his involvement, leaving the case cold and their lives upended.

Stream it on Amazon here.

Luther (HBO Max)

Luther, the British psychological crime drama starring Idris Elba as embattled yet methodical detective John Luther is one of the most fascinating and fulfilling additions to the actor’s resumé, which is saying a lot. Throughout the series, when not dealing with Ruth Wilson’s Alice Morgan, Luther often finds himself tracking down various serial killers with each having an effect on the detective’s mental state while also digging up pieces of his past. And much like Denzel Washington’s Joe Deacon in The Little Things, Luther’s past isn’t the cleanest, nor is his reputation, but this doesn’t stop him from solving the case in his unique way.

Stream it on HBO Max here.

Funny Games (HBO Max)

Michael Haneke’s 1997 Austrian thriller Funny Games (which he later remade in 2007) is not really a serial killer story following detectives as they hunt for a vicious perp. In fact, this shockingly violent and oftentimes repulsive movie does not feature a legendary cop with a checked past but instead focuses on the seemingly random murder of a wealthy family by two normal-looking, clean cut young men, who as the title implies, want to play some games. Far from funny, this psychological frenzy is filled with just as much fear and tension as the final act of The Little Things but just throughout its entire 109-minute runtime.

Stream it on HBO Max here.

Monster (Tubi)

Patty Jenkins’ 2003 biographical crime drama Monster features an Oscar-winning performance by Charlize Theron in her portrayal of American serial killer Aileen Wuornos, who was convicted and executed for murdering six people in the early 1990s. Much like with Jared Leto’s portrayal of Albert Sparma in The Little Things, it’s impossible to take your eyes off the screen whenever Theron’s version of Wuornos is in a scene. The way she transformed herself to not only look like the convicted killer but also become her is a testament to her acting ability.

Stream it on Tubi here.

Mindhunter (Netflix)

The Netflix crime series Mindhunter (which may or may not return for Season 3) from executive producer David Fincher is a masterclass not only in storytelling but in historical representations of some of America’s most notable and infamous killers. With unique personalities like Holden Ford (Jonathan Groff), the FBI agent trying to understand the personalities of convicted murderers like Ed Kemper (Cameron Britton), Richard Speck (Jack Erdie), and even Charles Manson (Damon Herriman), this riveting and tasking exploration of the criminal mind is one of the best shows on television.

Stream it on Netflix here.

American Psycho (Hulu)

Okay, American Psycho, Mary Harron’s 2000 adaptation of Bret Easton Ellis' book of the same name isn’t so much dramatic as it is oddly funny, but don’t let the tone of this excessively violent slasher with sharpened teeth let you think this isn’t one of the best serial killer movies out there. Christian Bale’s performance as Patrick Bateman, an investment banker by day and bloodthirsty killer by night (or at least in his head) remains one of the best of his career for more reasons than just having one hell of a morning routine, business card, or habit of returning videotapes. Plus, American Psycho also has one the top three scenes involving Jared Leto being bludgeoned.

Stream it on Hulu here.

Insomnia (HBO Max)

Another film that’s not really about a serial killer (though there is an odd yet charismatic murderer) but is still too good to pass up is Christopher Nolan’s Insomnia. This 2002 remake of the 1997 Norwegian thriller of the same name features Al Pacino as a prolific yet troubled detective sent to Alaska to track down Robin Williams’ offbeat and demented killer after the body of a teenage girl is found. Like in The Little Things, this tense drama spends a large portion of its runtime touching on the past transgressions of Pacino’s Will Dormer and how they continue to impact his reputation and loosening grip on reality.

Stream it on HBO Max here.

Copycat (Starz)

A serial killer movie that doesn’t seem to get as much recognition as others in the genre is Jon Amiel’s 1995 crime drama Copycat. Featuring Sigourney Weaver as criminal psychologist Helen Hudson, Holly Hunter as Inspector Mary Jane Monahan, and Harry Connick Jr. as convicted killer Daryll Lee Cullum, this intense and oft-forgotten thriller centers on the traumatized doctor and detective as they attempt to solve a series of copycat killings before another victim is claimed.

Stream it on Starz here.

Prisoners (Hulu)

Denis Villeneuve’s 2013 tense drama Prisoners doesn’t deal with a serial killer and a long list of murdered victims but instead focuses on the way a detective played by Jack Gyllenhaal and enraged father played by Hugh Jackman handle a missing person’s case when the latter’s daughter is abducted. Watching Jackman’s Keller Dover abandon all sense of morality as he hunts down and tortures the man (Paul Dano) he is believes to be responsible. Blinded by his rage and ego, Keller, like certain characters in The Little Things, is so sure of himself he fails to look at other suspects, with near-disastrous results.

Stream it on Hulu here.

True Detective (HBO Max)

And then there is the HBO anthology series True Detective (specifically the show’s first season), which follows two Louisiana police detectives played by Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson as they spend decades attempting to solve a case involving the murder of young women, the abduction of children, and some of the most evil and corrupt characters ever written. Over the course of the narrative, the two detectives break the cardinal rule of police work: they become part of the case. Once again focusing less on the crimes and more on their fallout, True Detective remains one of the best examples of television’s new golden age.

Stream it on HBO Max here.

Each of the above titles have a least one thing in common with The Little Things and writer/director John Lee Hancock’s depiction of detectives obsessed with solving a case. But this is just the beginning of the list of great serial killer (and crime in general) films you can watch streaming. With shows like The Fall and movies like Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile out in the wild, there are dozens more that should be taken in at one point or another.

Jonathan Groff has a good-guy persona that usually translates well to his characters. Because even when he’s playing a character with a dark side, you still find yourself liking him. Groff even does this with mad King George III in Hamilton. The musical’s version of King George III is a little off his rockers, but you still kind of like the guy. This is all due to Groff’s natural likability.

Jonathan Groff has brought his likability and earnestness to many of his projects. Whether trying to destroy a glee club, hanging out with reindeer, or hunting killers, Groff makes his characters endearing and enjoyable to watch. Let’s take a look at some of Jonathan Groff’s major movie and TV projects and where you can stream them.

Hamilton - Disney+

Hamilton is the hit Broadway musical written by Lin-Manuel Miranda. Through rap, show tunes, pop, and R&B music, it tells the story of founding father Alexander Hamilton. Groff appeared in the original Broadway production as King George III. He was the ruler of the United Kingdom when America won the American Revolutionary War.

Groff gets to play a wacky and crazy version of King George III, making him one of the comedic reliefs in Hamilton. It’s a playful part for Groff that allows him to show off his vocal talents and comedic timing.

Stream Hamilton on Disney+ here.

Glee - Netflix

Glee is a Fox series that aired from 2009 to 2015. It was produced by Ryan Murphy and starred Lea Michele, Matthew Morrison, Cory Monteith, Amber Riley, Chris Colfer, Naya Rivera, and Darren Criss. It followed the New Directions glee club at McKinley High School as they dealt with typical teen issues, all while singing songs and preparing for competitions.

Jonathan Groff had a recurring role in Glee’s first season as Rachel (Lea Michele)’s love interest and leader of rival group Vocal Adrenaline. He then had guest appearances throughout the show and plays a major role in Glee’s final season.

Stream Glee on Netflix here.

Looking - HBO Max

Looking was an HBO original series that aired from 2014 to 2016. It followed the lives of gay men living in San Francisco. Looking’s cast included Frankie J. Alvarez, Murray Bartlett, Lauren Weedman, Russell Tovey, and Raul Castillo.

Jonathan Groff played Patrick. In the first season, Patrick found himself in a love triangle with business savvy Kevin (Russell Tovey), who was in a relationship, and free-spirited Richie (Raul Castillo). Much of the first two seasons involved Patrick being drawn to both men but for different reasons. He also dealt with family issues and friendships. Looking is one of those underrated shows that didn’t get enough attention while it was on the air, but hopefully finds an audience through streaming. HBO thankfully gave Looking a made-for-tv movie to tie up all loose ends.

Stream Looking the TV show and movie on HBO Max (show) (movie)

The Frozen Series-Disney+

Frozen is Disney’s animated film about sisters Anna (Kristen Bell) and Elsa (Idina Menzel). Elsa becomes the Queen of Arendelle, but when her ice powers become too much for her to control, she heads off on her own. Her sister Anna sets off to find her.

Kristoff (Jonathan Groff) accompanied by his trusty reindeer Sven, helps Anna on her journey. The two fall in love, despite him being a bit of a fixer-upper. The Frozen gang return for a sequel, and other short films. Kristoff is the right amount of odd and endearing, which makes him a perfect match for Anna. Frozen II fans also were treated to some smooth Groff singing with “Lost in the Woods.”

Stream Frozen and Frozen II here (1, 2)

Mindhunter - Netflix

Joe Penhall, Charlize Theron, and David Fincher executive produce Mindhunter. Mindhunter follows FBI agents Holden Ford (Jonathan Groff) and Bill Tench (Holt McCallany) as they try to get inside the minds of murderers to develop murderer profiles.

Groff is the main character along with McCallany. Groff’s Holden is a bit more fascinated with what makes a serial killer tick than Tench. In many ways, his fascination and curiosity about them make the audience more invested in the mind of a serial killer. Groff has had lead roles before but this is one of his few serious drama ones, especially as the main protagonist.

Stream Mindhunter on Netflix here.

The Normal Heart - HBO Max

The Normal Heart is an HBO Original movie about gay men during the 1980s and the HIV-AIDS crisis. Mark Ruffalo is the main character, Ned Weeks. Ned is passionate about trying to stop the spread of HIV and saving gay men from dying. Ryan Murphy directed The Normal Heart and the cast includes Julia Roberts, Taylor Kitsch, Jim Parson, Matt Bomer, and Jonathan Groff.

Groff plays Craig, Bruce (Taylor Kitsch)’s boyfriend and a close friend of Ned. Groff’s part is small but a vital one in it helps set up the high stakes and severity of these men’s situation. The Normal Heart is a powerful film that leaves you devastated and angry, mainly due to the cast’s moving performances, and because of the movie's real-life inspirations.

Stream The Normal Heart on HBO Max here.

Boss - Starz

Boss is a Starz original series that stars Kelsey Grammer as Tom Kane, a fictional mayor of Chicago. Kane is corrupt and all-powerful but faces his own mortality when he’s diagnosed with Lewy body dementia. The cast of Boss includes Connie Nielsen, Hannah Ware, Jeff Hephner, and Kathleen Robertson.

Jonathan Groff is introduced in Boss in Season 2, and appears in ten episodes before it was canceled. Groff’s character Ian Todd starts the series as Kane’s assistant but quickly shows himself as an ambitious character trying to work his way up. He also forms a close bond with Kane’s daughter Emma (Hannah Ware), but keeps a major secret that doesn’t get to play out because of the series’ cancellation. Ian is a bit corrupt like Kane, but still has some humanity to him. It would have been interesting to see Ian in Season 3 with the big reveal at the end of Season 2 to watch how that storyline played out, and see Groff add more layers to this character.

Stream Boss on Starz here.

The Conspirator - Youtube

The Conspirator is directed by Robert Redford and stars an all-star cast lead by James McAvoy and Robin Wright. The Conspirator cast also includes Tom Wilkinson, Alexis Bledel, and Justin Long. The film follows the events after the assassination of Abraham Lincoln, including the trial to prosecute men and a woman accused of conspiring to kill Lincoln along with John Wilkes Booth.

Groff has a small role in The Conspirator, playing Louis J. Weichmann, a man who stayed with the accused Mary (Wright). Weichmann testifies against Mary and her missing son, but her lawyer Frederick Aiken (McAvoy) turns the tables on him, making him look guilty as well. It’s a small role for Groff, but the film is full of talented actors and Groff naturally fits into a period piece like The Conspirator.

Stream The Conspirator on Youtube here.

Taking Woodstock (Peacock)

Taking Woodstock is the story of Elliot Tiber (Demetri Martin) and how he and his town help save the Woodstock concert. The first half of Taking Woodstock focuses on Tiber and his village trying to get everything ready for the concert, and the second half focuses on Tiber’s experience during it and how it helps him grow. The Taking Woodstock cast includes Martin, Imelda Staunton, Jonathan Groff, Eugene Levy, and Liev Schreiber.

Groff plays co-creator and Woodstock organizer Michael Lang. It’s a supporting role for Groff, but his character is very interesting when compared to some of Groff’s other characters. He often plays a straight-laced, slightly nerdy or type-A character but Lang doesn’t fall into that category at all. It’s a nice departure from Groff’s character norms and it fits him well, even the long curly wig works.

Stream Taking Woodstock on Peacock here.

C.O.G (Tubi)

Jonathan Groff stars as David (who tells everyone that his name is Samuel). He takes a job as an apple picker to gain real-life experience after getting his Master’s Degree. C.O.G tells the story of the jobs David takes while on his journey, the people he meets, and coming to terms with his own identity. C.O.G’s cast includes Denis O’Hare, Casey Wilson, Corey Stoll, and Troian Bellisario.

C.O.G is based on an essay by David Sedaris that appears in his book Naked. Groff is the main character in C.O.G, so the film really relies on him to fail or succeed. Groff gives a strong performance as he makes David a sympathetic and frustrating character simultaneously. You understand David’s inner turmoil but you also know he can be a real jerk at times.

Stream C.O.G on Tubi here.

Jonathan Groff will appear alongside Keanu Reeves and Carrie Anne Moss, and many other new cast members in The Matrix 4. Groff’s will also team up with Kristen Bell again for a musical called Molly and the Moon. We can’t wait to see Groff in The Matrix 4 and Molly and the Moon, but for now, this list should provide plenty of Groff content.

Mindhunter brought a new kind of serial killer thriller to Netflix back in 2017, and the series won acclaim with critics and viewers alike. The second season released in 2019, and fans have been waiting ever since for news of progress on a third season rather than more delays. Now, Mindhunter executive producer and director David Fincher has some bad news for viewers who have been holding out for a Season 3 renewal.

David Fincher addressed the future of Mindhunter in an interview with Vulture, and his comments suggest that the serial killer thriller is dead. When asked if Mindhunter is done as far as he's concerned, Fincher said:

David Fincher's black-and-white feature film Mank has been attributed as the cause of delays on more Mindhunter for a while now, and now Fincher apparently feels that there's not a future for Mindhunter. Netflix has handed down a lot of surprising cancellations recently, including some shows that had already been renewed, and the cost of Mindhunter evidently wouldn't have been justified by the size of the audience. The same kind of cost/viewer ratio is reportedly what led to GLOW's cancellation.

The end of Mindhunter after two seasons means that the previous vision for five seasons won't come to fruition, which at the very least means that fans won't get to see where Mindhunter was going with the glimpses of the BTK Killer. Famous serial killer John Wayne Gacy, who was known for dressing as a clown to gain access to commit crimes, was a candidate for the big killer of the third season following a Season 2 Easter Egg.

The news that Mindhunter is probably done is disappointing, but not altogether shocking. Stars Jonathan Groff, Holt McCallany, and Anna Torv were released from their contracts with the thriller in January 2020, with Netflix releasing a statement (via TVLine) about David Fincher's unavailability, saying that they "felt it wasn’t fair to the actors to hold them from seeking other work while he was exploring new work of his own."

David Fincher has said that he was "pretty exhausted" after working on Mindhunter Season 2, which also isn't too surprising. He worked as executive producer and co-showrunner of a show that was incredibly intense, and he directed seven of the show's 19 episodes. The semi-good news is that Season 2 ended on less of an immediate cliffhanger than Season 1 did, although there is definitely a lack of closure now that no Season 3 is apparently on the way.

If you're in the mood to rewatch Mindhunter, you can find the first and now only two seasons of the thriller streaming on Netflix. There are also plenty of other true crime series worth streaming on Netflix, if the mood strikes you! For more viewing options on the streamer in the coming weeks, check out our 2020 Netflix premiere schedule. If streaming isn't always your style, you can find some additional options on our 2020 fall TV premiere guide.

Having directed acclaimed films like Zodiac, The Social Network and Gone Girl, David Fincher has solidified himself as one of the most skilled filmmakers in all of Hollywood. So it’s easy to understand why cinephiles are eagerly awaiting the release of his latest film, Mank. While we’re still holding out for a trailer for the Netflix film (which essentially delayed a new season of Mindhunter), we now have a few sweet images from the Citizen Kane-centric biopic.

The first images from David Fincher’s Mank are truly a sight to behold. The shots from the period piece reveal a number of the film’s stars, such as Gary Oldman’s Herman Mankiewicz, Amanda Seyfried’s Marion Davies and Lilly Collins’ Rita Alexander. Seyfried shared the photos on Instagram, and you can check them out below:

When looking at these images, words like “gorgeous” and “perfect” come to mind. It looks like David Fincher went all in on the 1940s aesthetic, and the final product is a sight to behold. Given Fincher’s track record, it shouldn’t come as much of a surprise that he committed so heavily to the time period.

Mank tells the story of celebrated screenwriter Herman Mankiewicz’s work on the screenplay for Citizen Kane. The film chronicles the issues between Mankiewicz and director Orson Welles, specifically their dispute over screenwriting credit.

David Fincher is directing the film from a screenplay written by his late father, Jack Fincher. Fincher is also producing alongside Ceán Chaffin, Eric Roth and Douglas Urbanski. And for the film’s score, Fincher will once again be joining forces with Atticus Ross and Trent Reznor.

Of course, while fans rejoice over the first look at David Fincher’s new movie, they may be equally anxious when it comes to the future of Mindhunter, on which he serves as a producer. The show received critical acclaim during its first two seasons but has since been indefinitely put on hold in large part due to Fincher’s work on Mank.

Although its future appears uncertain at the moment, it sounds like David Fincher isn’t quite done with the true crime series. He’s previously claimed that he actually has a five-season plan in mind for the show, so it’s entirely possible that he could return to work on the show after he’s completed Mank. And if this is indeed the case, fans will be more than happy to see it happen.

But until we have Mindhunter back on our screens, we can absolutely look forward to his work on Mank. Based on what we’ve seen so far, it would appear that David Fincher has a clear vision for the film, and it’s going to be fun to see the dramatic story play out on screen.

As of right now, Netflix has not announced an official release date for Mank.

CinemaBlend participates in affiliate programs with various companies. We may earn a commission when you click on or make purchases via links.

Unforeseen circumstances have delayed the return of The Blacklist for Season 8 until 2021, which has caused its most devoted viewers to see “red.” Fortunately, there are plenty of other TV shows, and even movies alike, available to stream that have the same kind of dark crimes and morally questionable “heroes” to satisfy fans for the time being.

In the gripping NBC procedural drama, the notorious, sophisticated, and much elusive Raymond “Red” Reddington (James Spader in a two-time Golden Globe-nominated performance) shockingly turns himself in before offering his own criminal expertise to help to catch felons even worse than he is. The catch is that he will only help if profiler Elizabeth Keen (Megan Boone), a fresh face in the FBI, is made his partner, a mysterious request that leads this unlikely pairing down a rabbit hole of grisly twists and turns.

Well, there is certainly more of that in the following four feature-length films and eight TV shows that we recommend lover of such crime thrillers should also be sure to check out if they have not already. For fans of The Blacklist, we present our “gold list”

Criminal Minds (Netflix)

A group of federal agents with a unique specialty for psychological studies delve into the mindset of the most wanted people in the country in hopes to figure when, where, and how they might strike next.

Why The Blacklist fans will love it: The FBI's Behavioral Analysis Unit may not have an accomplished criminal genius like The Blacklist's Red Reddington to help catch the bad guys, but on Criminal Minds, a fan-favorite CBS crime procedural that lasted a whopping 15 seasons, they have the next best thing: the ability to think just like the bad guys.

Stream Criminal Minds on Netflix here.

Mindhunter (Netflix)

A bright, ambitious, young FBI agent (Jonathan Groff) teams up with a gruff, but curious, veteran and family man (Holt McCallany) to reach a better understanding of why people kill by organizing recorded interviews with people who kill, an unprecedented and quite controversial concept, in the late 1970s.

Why The Blacklist fans will love it: To learn the origin of the FBI unit that inspired Criminal Minds and, in turn, the kind of behavior that Red and Liz would track on The Blacklist, turn to Mindhunter, a Netflix original series from executive producer David Fincher, which may feature protagonists only based on real people, but depicts interviews with real life serial killers portrayed so convincingly, you will think you are the one in the hot seat with Charles Manson.

Stream Mindhunter on Netflix here.

The Enforcer (HBO Max)

His infamously rebellious methods of justice lead Inspector Harry Callahan (Clint Eastwood) to reluctantly take a new, young partner (Cagney and Lacey star Tyne Daly) under his wing to stop a group of Vietnam veterans terrorizing San Francisco.

Why The Blacklist fans will love it: Clint Eastwood's iconic crimefighter has a lot in common in Red Reddington for how well he taps into the mindset of the bad guys, but in The Enforcer, the under appreciated 1976 third installment of the Dirty Harry franchise, his mentoring of Tyne Daly's Kate Moore resembles Red and Liz's unlikely pairing for how it quickly evolves into a better match than they might have expected.

Stream The Enforcer on HBO Max here.

Luther (Amazon Prime)

While he may be one of the best cops in London, John Luther (Idris Elba) has demons beyond his own control that make him no better than the evil he chases in the eyes of his colleagues and even to those in his life when off duty.

Why The Blacklist fans will love it: Imagine if Red Reddington was not the charismatic convict you cannot help but love on The Blacklist, but an insufferably bullish do-gooder you love to hate and you have the title "protagonist" of Luther, which may not have kept critics and audiences locked in for all five seasons (split up over the course of 9 years) if not for Idris Elba's multi-award-winning performance that adds a layer of engrossing complexity to the drama.

Stream Luther on Amazon Prime here.

In The Heat Of The Night (Amazon Prime)

After he is grossly mistaken for a suspect in the murder of a businessman, a black police detective (Academy Award winner Sidney Poitier) is soon asked, reluctantly so, by the local police chief (Rod Steiger) to help find the real killer during one hot summer in a hostile Mississippi town.

Why The Blacklist fans will love it: Like Liz and Red, and also much like the last couple of top notch crimefighters mentioned, Sidney Poitier's Virgil Tibbs is prone to butting heads with his colleagues, but for an entirely different reason in In the Heat of the Night, a thrilling mystery rich in themes of racial tension that won the 1968 Oscar for Best Picture and inspired an acclaimed long-running series of the same name.

Stream In the Heat of the Night on Amazon Prime here.

White Collar (Hulu)

In order to be pardoned for his many brilliant crimes, a smooth, charming thief (Matt Bomer) assists a by-the-book FBI agent (Tim DeKay) to catch criminals with the same level of skill and intellect, striking up a unique friendship in the process.

Why The Blacklist fans will love it: Neal Caffrey, Matt Bomer's character on the popular USA dramedy series White Collar, may not be the heinous sociopath that Red Reddington is known to be on The Blacklist, but they both certainly have the right idea about the good use their criminal mastery can be applied to.

Stream White Collar on Hulu here.

Justified (Hulu)

U.S. Marshal Raylan Givens (Timothy Olyphant) brings a brand of justice straight out of the wild west to his hometown in rural Kentucky after he find himself reassigned to protect it.

Why The Blacklist fans will love it: In addition to his rebellious methods, Raylan Givens has also been known to enlist the help of his friendship, known off-and-on criminal and former white supremacist Boyd Crowder (Emmy-nominee Walton Goggins), essentially making Justified the modern-day western fan's answer to The Blacklist, if you think about it.

Stream Justified on Hulu here.

The Silence Of The Lambs (Netflix, Amazon Prime)

A young FBI trainee (Academy Award winner Jodie Foster) seeks the guidance of an intimidating, yet awfully personable, forensic psychiatrist convicted of murder and cannibalism (Academy Award winner Anthony Hopkins) in order to find a killer nicknamed "Buffalo Bill" for skinning his victims.

Why The Blacklist fans will love it: Clarice Starling and Hannibal Lecter were essentially the original Liz and Red, even though, in The Blacklist, it is the criminal enlisting the help of the agent and Lecter is just a tad less cooperative and quite frankly, a lot creepier in The Silence of the Lambs, a 1992 Best Picture Oscar winner from director Jonathan Demme that still manages to chill the meat right off of your bones.

Stream The Silence of the Lambs on Netflix here or on Amazon Prime here.

Hannibal (Netflix, Amazon Prime)

A young FBI profiler (Hugh Dancy) seeks guidance, professionally and personally, from an alluring, yet slightly unusual, forensic psychiatrist who has yet to be convicted of murder and cannibalism (Mads Mikkelson) in order to find a series of dementedly theatrical killers.

Why The Blacklist fans will love it: Clarice Starling may have been, in some ways, the original Elizabeth Keen, but the first character that author Thomas Harris paired with the title character of Hannibal, before his savage criminal history was even revealed, was Will Graham, who is actually quite bothered by his ability to empathize with the very killers he is tasked with hunting in this short-lived, but much acclaimed, NBC drama.

Stream Hannibal on Netflix here or on Amazon Prime here.

The Alienist (HBO Max)

An ancillary German psychologist (Daniel Brühl), a newspaper illustrator (Luke Evans), and an ambitious police secretary (Dakota Fanning) brave public outcry and early forensic methods to solve a murder in late 19th-century New York City.

Why The Blacklist fans will love it: If I was a former criminal like Red Reddington, I would totally understand if someone in law enforcement had reservations trusting me, but the title character of The Alienist, which was the common word for a criminal psychologist at the time, should be expected to earn the police's trust, but he gets nothing but contempt for his controversial beliefs in this limited series from TNT that has spawned an 8-episode follow-up in 2020.

Stream The Alienist on HBO Max here.

Inside Man (Netflix)

When a thief (Clive Owen) takes hostages in a Manhattan bank for what seems to be a typical robbery, a hard-nosed hostage negotiator (Denzel Washington) begins to suspect there may be ulterior motives at play.

Why The Blacklist fans will love it: The mind-teasing twists that Inside Man, a well-received 2006 Spike Lee Joint, presents at nearly every turn are just as thrilling as any of The Blacklist's more memorable shockers and, not to mention, Clive Owen's meticulous criminal genius Dalton Russell is one whom Red Reddington would get along with quite well.

Stream Inside Man on Netflix here.

Boston Legal (Hulu)

With the help of his friend, legal veteran and friend Denny Crane (William Shatner), Alan Shore (James Spader) becomes one of the most successful attorneys at his Boston law firm, but does through an ethically questionable means.

Why The Blacklist fans will love it: The Blacklist star James Spader won two Emmys for his role on Boston Legal, spun-off from the long-running ABC drama The Practice, that puts the actor in the role of the one being mentored this time.

Stream Boston Legal on Hulu here.

What do you think? Do you agree this is “gold list” for The Blacklist fans that we promised, or is this choice of movies and TV shows a crime? Let us know in the comments and be sure to check back for additional information and updates on the hit, Emmy-winning series, as well as even more great recommendations for you to stream, here on CinemaBlend.

Mindhunter has been in renewal limbo for quite some time. Netflix released Season 2 in August 2019 and the true crime series’ popularity and acclaim made a Season 3 renewal seem like a no-brainer. However, fans got some bad news in January when the cast was released from their contracts and renewal talks were indefinitely put on hold. A lot of the hold-up surrounding the show's future has been attributed to David Fincher’s commitment to directing the biopic drama Mank. But now that Fincher’s film is finished, what does that mean for Mindhunter Season 3?

Director David Fincher and Mindhunter cinematographer Erik Messerschmidt put in some hard work filming Mank, which documents the making of Citizen Kane, for Netflix. Fincher’s also been busy behind the scenes producing the second season of the Netflix anthology series Love, Death, and Robots. As you can imagine, that has left little room to start developing Mindhunter Season 3. But Fincher supposedly has a five-season plan for the true crime series, so could Season 3 get back on track now that Mank is done? Speaking with Collider, Messerschmidt was asked if he knew anything about a potential third season. In his words:

That’s really unfortunate, although it could have been worse if he said Fincher wasn't interested in Season 3 at all. At this point, it really does seem like the five-season plan is more of a pipe dream that'll never happen. Of course, Mindhunter’s limbo status could very well change once Hollywood starts up again, but it’s hard to be optimistic. Plus, just because David Fincher is finished filming Mank, that doesn’t mean that he’ll even be able to hop right back to Mindhunter so soon. There’s also post-production and promotional commitments to think about, and Fincher also has other projects on the horizon that he's meant to produce or be an EP on.

Mindhunter Season 2 expanded on the work of the FBI’s Behavioral Science Unit. Whereas Season 1 saw the team working within the confines of the Quantico base, Season 2 sent them on location to Atlanta, where Jonathon Groff’s Holden and Holt McCallany’s Bill Tench attempted to solve the “Atlanta Child Murders.” Mindhunter Season 3 could go all in on the idea that Tench’s son Brian might be showing the early signs of a serial killer. Brian suffocated a toddler in Season 2, and Tench was struggling with how to deal with that.

There’s also the open-ended storyline of Holden’s panic attacks, which weren’t properly dealt with, and the numerous serial killers — William “Junior” Pierce and the BTK Strangler — that were introduced in Season 2, giving the BSU the option to take them on in Season 3. Based on Erik Messerschmidt’s response, though, it sounds like fans will have to be patient for a lot longer.

The first two seasons of Mindhunter are currently streaming on Netflix. For more on what to watch, be sure to check out our 2020 summer TV premiere schedule, as well as our complete Netflix guide to 2020 releases.

Netflix used to be the place where cancelled shows would go to get revitalized, but over the past several years, the subscription streaming service has started cancelling its fair share of shows as well. Among these have been some notable shows like Spinning Out and The OA, both which ended on cliffhangers before getting cancelled. Sometimes Netflix is fairly good about renewing shows, as recently happened when Lost in Space got the greenlight for Season 3 or Stranger Things was greenlighted for Season 4. However, what’s maybe most common is when the subscription streaming service leaves a series in limbo for a while, as has happened with Mindhunter Season 3.

And it’s not just Mindhunter in limbo. It has also happened with shows from On My Block to Sweet Magnolias. Take a look at more shows that still haven’t been renewed by Netflix, below, and please note this is not a comprehensive list, but rather a look at some shows CinemaBlend readers are often asking us about.

Will On My Block Get Renewed For Season 4?

While a lot of the shows on this list are still fairly early in their runs, On My Block has already been going strong for three seasons on Netflix. Season 3 hit Netflix back in March and has received good reviews from both critics and fans. In addition, the cast has already talked hopes for Season 4 and more, so why the delay on a renewal?

Are The Sweet Magnolias Coming Back For Season 2?

There are not a lot of romance shows with three leading ladies who are in their forties and have seen plenty of life already. This is one of the reasons – the others being the proliferation of margaritas and some pretty intriguing menfolk – that Sweet Magnolias has seemingly been a hit on Netflix. It’s also based on a series of books by Sherryl Woods, so there’s plenty more to the actually narrative, Netflix just needs to sign on the dotted line for Season 2 first.

Outer Banks Renewed For Season 2?

I honestly thought Outer Banks would be a no brainer. The teen-based TV mysterious was about lost treasure – gold to be specific—and it was routinely in Netflix’s Top 10 list its first few weeks available streaming. Since then, there’s been nary a peep from Netflix and I think we’d all like to know whether it will be cancelled or renewed at this point, particularly given the creative team has already detailed its vision for Season 2 to fans.

Will Dead To Me Come Back For Season 3?

Dead To Me is another Netflix show I thought would be a shoe-in for a renewal. It’s fairly early in its run still, but does have more than one season under its belt and does seem to be popular given the information Netflix reveals to the public. Possibly more importantly, given the implications of the Season 2 finale, we really need to see how the finale storyline plays out for Judy and Jen, not to mention Detective Perez in a third season. C’mon Netflix, gives us a renewal win here.

Is Lucifer Renewed For Season 6 Or Cancelled?

One of the older staples on this list, Lucifer is a weird one and was already cancelled by Netflix once (after being cancelled on network TV once too). Formerly, the upcoming Season 5 was supposed to be the last for the show, but then there was interest in doing more. Because of this, there have been some contract issues playing out over the last few months involving series lead Tom Ellis. Now, it seems that Ellis will return to play Lucifer Morningstar, which leaves me asking: Where’s the Season 6 renewal, Netflix? In the meantime, we'll let you know once Season 5 officially comes out, but complicating that further has been the Hollywood shutdown, which reportedly affected Lucifer.

What’s Going On With Mindhunter Season 3?

There’s nothing that will really get my goat more than talk about Mindhunter Season 3 from director David Fincher. The man is doing some sort of movie for Netflix about Herman Mankiewicz, aka the dude who co-wrote Citizen Kane with Orson Welles, and seemingly because of that Mindhunter Season 3 is on hold and has not been renewed by the streaming service yet. Mindhunter is single-handedly my favorite thing Netflix has produced thus far and the thought the series may not work its way through its bulletin board of baddies is just upsetting to contemplate. Hopefully, this is one series that will pick back up down the line when Fincher is ready to get back to it, particularly given there are apparently specific plans for the show.

Will Never Have I Ever Never Ever Return?

I really just wanted to make that one a tongue twister. Meanwhile, Netflix’s final newcomer on this list Never Have I Ever has not been renewed for Season 2 yet. Honestly, I liked this show, but compared to most on the list, the coming-of-age narrative actually wraps on a perfect note at the end of Season 1 (and even features a John McEnroe cameo). Sure, it leaves some storylines open for Season 2, but the way the series ends could be a final ending and I’d feel comfortable with that. Doesn’t leave me wanting Season 2 any less, however and we'll have to wait and see what fate is in store for the charming series.

Obviously, there are other shows in renewal limbo at the streaming service, but I suppose no news is way better than getting bad news about any of these show. The way Netflix makes its decisions can sometimes feel baffling, as programs like Locke and Key sometimes get renewed fairly quickly while other shows sit on the sidelines for a while. But Netflix does have a global audience to consider and not just the U.S. While we anxiously wait the decisions for what's coming to streaming next, totally let us know if there’s something else you are really missing and hope will come back some day. In the meantime, which of these shows do you hope we hear about soon?

This poll is no longer available.

I can’t believe we’re living in a world where Mindhunter Season 3 may not actually happen, but David Fincher’s a busy guy and here we are. While we wait for that fickle project to maybe or maybe not come back, HBO is more than happy to fill the gap by creating a documentary series that will look at the Atlanta child murders that occurred more than 40 years ago.

True crime is always a popular genre, but the Atlanta child murders were harrowing because so many children in such a small area went missing in the late seventies and early 1980s. In addition, there are still questions around what happened with the resolution. For instance, 23-year-old Wayne Williams was indicted, prosecuted and is currently in jail for the murders of two adults: a 27-year-old man named Nathaniel Cater and 21-year-old Jimmy Ray Payne.

While the child killings stopped after Williams’ arrest, he never faced charges related to any of the child-based crimes. It’s a story stranger than fiction, as Wayne Williams has been tied to the child murders by members of the police, but was never prosecuted or indicted on any of those counts, leaving countless families without closer.

Why Is HBO Planning A Series On The Atlanta Child Murders Now?

The new HBO series will be called Atlanta’s Missing and Murdered: The Lost Children. It will focus on the 30 kids and young adults who went missing in a very short period of time between 1979 and 1981. Back in March of 2019, Atlanta’s Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms announced that cases related to the Atlanta child murders were being reopened and that additional testing would be done to some of the evidence to try to get more specific answers related to what happened to those kids.

The docuseries will be told in five parts and will feature both archival material and new interviews hoping to explain the real feelings of unease, shock and tragedy surrounding the true crime event to a new generation of viewers.

In recent years, some true crime narratives have put fresh eyes on cases, with programs like Netflix’s Making A Murderer or The Keepers and HBO’s own The Jinx fitting that bill. (Honestly, if you’ve never looked into The Jinx, that’s one to look into wild related stories about.)

The Atlanta child murders have been fresh on peoples’ minds in recent months thanks to being a focal point in Mindhunter Season 2. While that show followed a lot of the basic beats of the court case, a docuseries would ultimately give more detail and be more accurate for viewers who are wanting to know more about the topic.

True crime has often been fascinating for viewers, but Atlanta’s Missing and Murdered: The Lost Children has an added component of built-in interest due to the topical nature of what’s been happening with the case. There’s the aforementioned Mindhunter and ID had its own series Atlanta Child Murders from producer Will Packer, which also aired last year.

When You Can Watch Atlanta’s Missing And Murdered

HBO’s take on the historical cases will air on HBO On Demand, HBO NOW, and HBO GO with the first episodes streaming on Sunday, April 5. The first episode, “Part 1” will air at 8 ET/9 PT, per the subscription cabler.

HBO programming typically still airs on a weekly basis and that’s true of Atlanta’s Missing and Murdered: The Lost Children. Episodes will air on Sunday nights through May 5, when the finale “Part 5” will hit the schedule. The final episode will focus more on the aftermath and recent events than the initial case.

You can see what to expect in each part below:

For more information on what is hitting the TV schedule before the end of the season, take a look at CinemaBlend’s full winter and spring schedule.

The explosion of the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant is one of history's most infamous catastrophes, having been the focus of several realistic dramas, and even a highly fictionalized horror flick. Yet, no depiction of the tragedy has been as realistic or horrific as the 2019 HBO miniseries, Chernobyl.

Creator Craig Mazin’s Golden Globe-winning, five-episode event was watched by millions of viewers brave enough to witness the unsettling terror that brave Ukrainians had to endure in 1986 to safely evacuate Chernobyl following the explosion. The HBO series’ sharp writing and brutal authenticity was enough to get people interested in history again, something we do not give television enough credit for these days.

There is plenty to learn from your favorite streaming services, through which you will find shows like Chernobyl that both educate and entertain. These 11 historical dramas are some of the best examples.

Band Of Brothers (Amazon Prime, HBO NOW)

Another one of the most acclaimed historical miniseries to air on HBO is this World War II era drama from executive producers Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks, who had collaborated on the similarly harrowing war epic Saving Private Ryan. What separates Band of Brothers from that Oscar-winning drama is the inclusion of recorded interviews with the actual veterans who inspired the series.

Band of Brothers retells the experiences of Easy Company, the 506th Regiment of the 101st Airborne Division, from basic training, to D-Day, and all the way to the end of the second World War. Starring recognizable faces like Donnie Wahlberg, Damian Lewis, and Michael Fassbender, this Golden Globe-winner for Best Miniseries in 2002 is a fascinating and often heartbreaking 10-episode story of extraordinary tasks that ordinary men were forced to do. Stream it on Amazon Prime here or HBO NOW here.

Vikings (Hulu)

For years, The History Channel has been the premiere place on TV to watch nothing else but smart people recounting commenting on everything in history from the Renaissance to evidence that aliens built the pyramids. That was until the network introduced its first scripted series, Vikings, starring Warcraft actor Travis Fimmel as Ragnar Lothbok, a figure of Norse legend said to be one of the fiercest warriors of the 13th Century who seeks to explore, and conquer, distant places along with his Viking brethren.

From the creator of Showtime’s King Henry VIII-focused drama The Tudors, the Emmy-nominated Vikings is an action-packed period drama, currently in its sixth and final season, that creatively imagines the time when taking control over land was as simple as taking candy from a baby… whilst equipped with swords and shields. Also, be on the lookout for the upcoming Netflix original spin-off, Vikings: Valhalla. Stream it on Hulu here.

Hell On Wheels (Netflix)

In 2007, AMC really hit the ground running with their first original scripted series, Mad Men, which dramatizes the world of advertising in 1960s New York. For their next attempt at a period drama, they decided to go even further into the past, with a show focusing on the early years following the Civil War through the eyes of one angry former Confederate soldier.

Anson Mount (perhaps the most perfect name an actor cast in a western series could ever have) plays Cullen Bohannon, who, in order to find and punish the Union soldiers who murdered his wife, joins the development of the Transcontinental Railroad, hence Hell on Wheels. Musician/actor Common also stars as a freed slave working security on the railroad for four of this drama’s five seasons that may be fictional, but paint an accurate portrait of America’s uncivilized path to civilization. Stream it on Netflix here.

Narcos (Netflix)

Netflix sure does love its true crime, as another series on this list will provide further evidence to. In addition to countless documentaries about the most notorious criminals in history, the streaming service also brought Columbian drug lord Pablo Escobar to Emmy-nominated glory with its original drama Narcos.

The three seasons of Narcos and its spin-off Narcos: Mexico, the second season of which drops February 13, follows real-life lawmen, such as DEA agent Javier Pena (The Mandalorian’s Pedro Pascal), and the drug kingpins they trailed throughout the ‘80s and ‘90s. It is a complex and thrilling account of why America’s war on drugs is such a fitting title. Stream it on Netflix here.

Deadwood (Amazon Prime, HBO NOW)

As Chernobyl, Band of Brothers, and a couple soon-to-be-mentioned series may prove, HBO has often gotten lucky with its historical accounts. One of its most acclaimed, and accurate, examples is this short-lived, Emmy-winning western Deadwood.

Set in the 1870s in the titular South Dakota town where crime and corruption run deep, the series dramatizes the clashing lives of actual people who lived in Deadwood, such as lawman Seth Bullock (Timothy Olyphant) and saloon owner Al Swearengen (Ian McShane, who won a Golden Globe in 2005 for his devilish role). Deadwood’s three seasons and 2019 feature-length sequel are a grim reminder that the Old West was certainly no picnic. Stream it on Amazon Prime here or on HBO NOW here.

Mindhunter (Netflix)

At this point, Netflix is practically the ultimate hub to satisfy your true crime needs, from both an original scripted film and four-part documentary on Ted Bundy to the story of the infamously honest Henry Lee Lucas in The Confession Killer. Of course, you have to wonder if those investigative series would have existed if not for the game-changing FBI agents who inspired the acclaimed crime drama Mindhunter.

David Fincher serves as executive producer, and has directed several episodes, of this Emmy-nominated series that depicts the controversial development of criminal profiling in the 1970s by two pioneer FBI agents played by Jonathan Groff and Holt McCallany. After only two seasons, Mindhunter has been put on indefinite hold, but hopefully comes back soon as fans are dying to see what other historical psychopaths will join the likes of Charles Manson and Son of Sam as the show’s next interview subjects. Stream it on Netflix here.

TURN: Washington’s Spies (Netflix)

After the success of Mad Men and Hell on Wheels, AMC figured there was nowhere to go but even further backwards. This time, they optioned for a series centered on an especially pressing time in the history of the United States with an intriguing espionage twist.

British actor Jamie Bell leads the series as real-life American farmer Abraham Woodhull, who is recruited into Culper Ring, an organization under George Washington’s order tasked with spying on the British Army at the height of the Revolutionary War. Over the course of four seasons, TURN: Washington’s Spies reveals the untold story of how America’s first secret agents became instrumental to officializing the country’s independence. Stream it on Netflix here.

John Adams (Amazon Prime, HBO NOW)

Of course, we cannot forget the debt of gratitude that America owes to John Adams, a prominent historical figure devoted to truth and honesty, even if that meant defending British Troops in the Boston Massacre trial during a time of great conflict within the Colonies. HBO’s acclaimed miniseries chronicles the Founding Father’s career as an attorney, diplomat, and the country’s second president.

Emmys, Golden Globes, and Screen Actors Guild awards were given to Paul Giamatti for his performance in the title role and Laura Linney as his wife, Abigail, in John Adams, based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning biography by David McCullough. The seven-part 2008 television event is a beautifully acted and wonderfully told depiction of how John Adams had one of the most important roles in the history of the United States. Stream it on Amazon Prime here or on HBO NOW here.

The Crown (Netflix)

As for powerful dramas focusing on prominent historical figures in the United Kingdom, this Netflix original is one of its few docu-dramas that centers on a much less grim topic. The Crown chronicles the earlier days of Queen Elizabeth II’s reign, during which the British Empire faces much political strife.

Both actresses to portray Elizabeth at different times in her life (Claire Foy for the first two seasons and Olivia Colman for the most recent third) have received Golden Globes for their performances, not to mention John Lithgow’s Emmy win for playing former British Prime Minister Winston Churchill. The Crown is an expertly researched and impeccably acted retelling of Westminster Abbey and Buckingham Palace’s histories behind closed doors. Stream it on Netflix here.

Boardwalk Empire (Amazon Prime, HBO NOW)

Creator Terence Winter took a few creative liberties with this series that depicts bootlegging operations in Atlantic City during the Prohibition Era. However, don’t worry. One of the biggest inaccuracies is some very loosely changed names.

Steve Buscemi gives a Golden Globe-winning performance as corrupt Atlantic City Politician Enoch “Nucky” Thompson, a fictionalized counterpart to Atlantic City politician Enoch “Nucky” Johnson who is known for conspiring with the likes of Al Capone and other mobsters to smuggle alcohol throughout its unlawful period. Martin Scorsese directed the pilot, as well as served as executive producer for all five seasons of Boardwalk Empire, a series that exposes how far people would go for a drink in the 1920s. Stream it on Amazon Prime here or on HBO NOW here.

Ripper Street (Netflix)

Film and TV audiences have a deep fascination with unsolved crimes, the fact that Jack the Ripper has been the subject of countless works of fiction being one prime example. However, what sets Victorian crime procedural Ripper Street apart from other TV series inspired by London’s most notorious murderer is that it takes place years after his reign had ended, but his ominous presence in the streets of London remained.

Ripper Street, which lasted five seasons on BBC from 2012-2016, follows the police district of Whitechapel as they struggle to maintain order in late 19th Century London in the aftermath of Jack the Ripper’s elusive killing spree. The series is a fascinating depiction of how the criminal justice system operated in the past, as well as an intriguing commentary on the distressing ripple effect of violence. Stream it on Netflix here.

History buffs need not rely on their encyclopedia to quench their thirst for knowledge any longer but, instead, just a couple of streaming service subscriptions. Be sure to check back for more updates on fact-based TV series and other streaming recommendations here at CinemaBlend.

The last time I woke up and noticed Netflix’s Mindhunter was trending on Twitter, it was a good day. The network had just dropped Season 2 with little fanfare, but people online were pumped and losing their minds over the show's return. Given the reception of the series, it seemed as if Mindhunter would be a shoe-in for a third season, that is, until Netflix made an unexpected move with the David Fincher series this week.

Unfortunately, Season 3 of Netflix’s Mindhunter has been put on hold. It's worth noting the streaming series was already not expected to come out in a timely fashion. We’ve been mentioning for months that David Fincher has a movie coming up about Herman Mankiewicz, so a hiatus would not have been super alarming news.

However, what has people commenting is that Jonathan Groff, Holt McCallany and Anna Torv, who lead Mindhunter, have all been released from their contracts, per TV Line. Now, it’s worth pointing out that unlike programming like The OA, Mindhunter has not been unexpectedly cancelled. Instead, it’s just in limbo right now.

Netflix also released a statement basically pointing the finger at David Fincher and his busy schedule.

I don’t know if that’s meant to be reassuring but that “may” is a little worrisome. That’s not a “we’ll definitely pick their contracts up down the line.” That’s a, “Hey maybe this will happen at some point, but we’re Netflix and we give creative freedom to our content producers.” I’m not complaining that Netflix gives its creators free rein. It also would have been a jerk move to keep Jonathan Groff and co. on hold if the series was just gestating and not moving forward.

Still, unlike network TV which is fairly reliable with its release dates at least (cancellations are another story), streaming TV does not always give the fans what they want.

As it could be expected, many people are not pleased about this turn of events. However, some of them have been more reactionary about it than others.

A lot of people are taking the tact that Mindhunter is one of the few really sharp, incredibly acclaimed shows that Netflix currently has in its lineup.

And some people definitely took Netflix’s statement to heart and have decided David Fincher is to blame for this Mindhunter Season 3 decision.

Enough people are upset that Twitter tells me there have recently been 5,341 Tweets on the topic at the time of this writing. I know Twitter is only a small subset of the population, but if this many people are upset about the news, you have to think Mindhunter is at least fairly popular on the streaming service, right? Which means Netflix would likely want more programming if it felt David Fincher was on board and ready to roll. All this would fit with the idea that maybe he's not, and square with Netflix's statement above.

The last time we checked in with Mindhunter Season 3 it was basically already on hold thanks to Mank, David Fincher’s movie about famed Hollywood writer Herman Mankiewicz, who famously wrote Citizen Kane. At the time, it sounded like the situation was a “when” and not an “if,” given allegedly David Fincher had planned the exact number of seasons for the series, which was five, not two.

Regardless, this latest statement from the subscription streaming service muddles that a bit. It also means that tease for a new serial killer in Season 2 may have been moot. Still, it’s not over ‘til it’s over, and being put on indefinite hold isn’t as much of a giant middle finger as it is a nail biter for fans. We’ll just need to be patient and see what happens next.

When it comes to watching crime TV shows, Netflix is one of the best streaming services to subscribe to today to find some of the most clever, engrossing, and chilling series around. There is plenty of evidence on the platform to show for it.

Not only does the streamer have your common police procedural and acclaimed true crime TV shows available, but also some great sci-fi TV shows and a few of the best comedy TV shows on Netflix fall under that category. Let’s sift through all of the best criminally entertaining (or unsettling) series that a Netflix subscription grants you, below.

The Blacklist (2013-2023)

Starring: James Spader, Megan Boone

What it’s about: An elusive criminal mastermind turns himself in and offers his expertise to a new FBI profiler.

Why it is one of the best crime shows on Netflix: Created by Jon Bokenkamp, the Emmy-winning The Blacklist was one of NBC’s most unique crime procedurals, making a villainous character into a surprisingly likable hero.

• Stream The Blacklist on Netflix

Peaky Blinders (2013-2022)

Starring: Cillian Murphy, Paul Anderson

What it’s about: The rise of a fierce, notorious crime family in early 1900s England.

Why it is one of the best crime shows on Netflix: Creator Stephen Knight’s addictive period drama, Peaky Blinders, has a movie spin-off in the works, which is coming to Netflix at some point.

• Stream Peaky Blinders on Netflix

The Sinner (2017-2021)

Starring: Bill Pullman, Jessica Biel

What it’s about: Detective Harry Ambrose uses his pristine investigative skills and unique empathy to get into the heads of people accused of unusual crimes.

Why it is one of the best crime shows on Netflix: Originally developed by Derek Simonds as a miniseries adaptation of Peter Hammesfahr’s novel, The Sinner evolved into an absorbing quasi-seasonal anthology TV show centered around Bill Pullman’s character.

• Stream The Sinner on Netflix

American Vandal (2017-2018)

Starring: Tyler Alvarez, Griffin Gluck

What it’s about: A teenager records his investigations into two different crude high school pranks

Why it is one of the best crime shows on Netflix: Creators Dan Perrault and Tony Yacenda’s hilarious mockumentary satire, American Vandal, is a must-watch for fans of the true crime docuseries it pokes fun at, as it is, surprisingly, about as engrossing as they are.

• Stream American Vandal on Netflix

Monsters: The Lyle And Erik Menendez Story (2024)

Starring: Cooper Koch, Nicholas Alexander Chavez, Javier Bardem, Chloë Sevigny

What it’s about: Two adult brothers conspire to kill their parents.

Why it is one of the best crime shows on Netflix: Serving as a follow-up to Dahmer – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story, Monsters: The Lyle And Erik Menendez Story offers an intriguing inside look at the titular siblings’ trial and reasons for their horrific crime.

• Stream Monsters: The Lyle And Erik Menendez Story on Netflix

Unbelievable (2019)

Starring: Toni Collette, Merritt Wever, Kaitlyn Dever

What it’s about: Two FBI agents search for the truth when a teenage girl is accused of falsifying her sexual assault allegation.

Why it is one of the best crime shows on Netflix: Based on the maddening true story of Marie Adler, the eight-episode limited series, Unbelievable, is one of the best Kaitlyn Dever TV shows and boasts one of her strongest performances yet.

• Stream Unbelievable on Netflix

Kaleidoscope (2023)

Starring: Giancarlo Esposito, Rufus Sewell

What it’s about: Six criminals team up to pull off a historical heist that becomes plagued by betrayal.

Why it is one of the best crime shows on Netflix: In addition to being inspired by a true crime, Kaleidoscope is an interesting watch for its non-linear structure, allowing the viewer to consume all nine episodes in whatever order they choose.

• Stream Kaleidoscope on Netflix

Breaking Bad (2008–2013)

Starring: Bryan Cranston, Aaron Paul

What it’s about: A terminally ill high school chemistry teacher who turns to crime to provide for his family.

Why it is one of the best crime shows on Netflix: After rewatching (or discovering) the best episodes of Breaking Bad, be sure to also check out Better Call Saul, the prequel series to Vince Gilligan’s groundbreaking, hauntingly bleak hit, which is also available on Netflix, as well as the feature-length spin-off, El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie.

• Stream Breaking Bad on Netflix
• Stream Better Call Saul on Netflix
• Stream El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie on Netflix

Tiger King (2020-2021)

Featuring: Joe Exotic, Carole Baskin

What it’s about: The story of controversial animal park owner Joe Exotic and his involvement in a bizarre assassination case.

Why it is one of the best crime shows on Netflix: The insane story of Tiger King made the Netflix docuseries a wild phenomenon in 2020, spawning a second season.

• Stream Tiger King on Netflix

Killing Eve (2018-2022)

Starring: Sandra Oh, Jodie Comer

What it’s about: An MI5 security officer is assigned to tail a dangerous assassin, but things turn dicey when they both start to fall for each other.

Why it is one of the best crime shows on Netflix: From creator Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Killing Eve is a deliciously unique, romantic, and darkly comic Emmy-winning thriller.

• Stream Killing Eve on Netflix

Narcos (2015-2017)

Starring: Pedro Pascal, Wagner Moura

What it’s about: A stylized inside look at the criminal enterprises of history’s most notorious drug lords and those who investigated their exploits.

Why it is one of the best crime shows on Netflix: One of the best Pedro Pascal TV shows is Narcos – a captivating true crime drama that spawned the spin-off, Narcos: Mexico, in 2018.

• Stream Narcos on Netflix
• Stream Narcos: Mexico on Netflix

Prison Break (2005-2017)

Starring: Wentworth Miller, Dominic Purcell

What it’s about: Michael Scofield gets himself sent to prison in order to rescue his older brother, Lincoln, who has been wrongfully charged with murdering the Vice President’s brother.

Why it is one of the best crime shows on Netflix: From creator Paul T. Scheuring, Prison Break is an arresting, edge-of-your-seat thriller anchored by the riveting performances of its main leads.

• Stream Prison Break on Netflix

Unsolved Mysteries (2020-Present)

Featuring: Various

What it’s about: Firsthand accounts of bizarre, unexplainable cases, ranging from horrifying disappearances to enduring urban legends.

Why it is one of the best crime shows on Netflix: Netflix’s reboot of the long-running hit docuseries, Unsolved Mysteries, deals with some of the scariest and most perplexing stories in its history.

• Stream Unsolved Mysteries on Netflix

Ozark (2017-2022)

Starring: Jason Bateman, Laura Linney, Julia Garner

What it’s about: A financial advisor from Chicago (played by Jason Bateman) moves his wife (played by Laura Linney) and children to the Ozarks of Missouri as part of an elaborate money laundering scheme for a ruthless drug lord.

Why it is one of the best crime shows on Netflix: Winner of four Emmy Awards, creators Bill Dubuque and Mark Williams’ Ozark is a show often compared to Breaking Bad for its captivatingly twisted story about ordinary people in way over their heads in the criminal lifestyle.

• Stream Ozark on Netflix

Good Girls (2018-2022)

Starring: Christina Hendricks, Retta, Mae Whitman

What it’s about: A group of suburban moms decide to take huge risks to cure their financial woes.

Why it is one of the best crime shows on Netflix: NBC’s Good Girls is a show similar to Netflix’s The Gentlemen, in the sense that it tells a humorous story about average people who fall into a life of crime.

• Stream Good Girls on Netflix

Dahmer - Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story (2022)

Starring: Evan Peters, Richard Jenkins

What it’s about: Jeffrey Dahmer indulges in a horrifying crime spree, murdering many young men.

Why it is one of the best crime shows on Netflix: Co-creator Ryan Murphy’s most unsettling foray into true crime yet is Dahmer - Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story, which received multiple Emmy nominations and earned Peters a Golden Globe for his unnerving performance.

• Stream Dahmer - Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story on Netflix

Altered Carbon (2018-2020)

Starring: Joel Kinnaman, Anthony Mackie

What it’s about: In a futuristic society where consciousness can be digitized, a prisoner wakes up in a new body a new task to solve the murder of a recently resurrected businessman.

Why it is one of the best crime shows on Netflix: Altered Carbon is also considered one of the best sci-fi TV shows on Netflix for its fascinating cyberpunk themes, astonishing production design, and bold choice of recasting its lead character with a new actor between seasons to honor its concept.

• Stream Altered Carbon on Netflix

Criminal (2019-2020)

Starring: Various

What it’s about: An intense game of cat-and-mouse between the hunter and the hunted (the cop and con), all taking place within the confines of a police interrogation room.

Why it is one of the best crime shows on Netflix: Criminal, a group of four series that each take place in a different interrogation room in a different country (United Kingdom, Spain, France, and Germany), is guaranteed to present you with some of the most pulse-pounding conversations you have ever seen.

• Stream Criminal on Netflix

Dexter (2006-2013)

Starring: Michael C. Hall, Jennifer Carpenter

What it’s about: Police forensics expert Dexter Morgan lives a double life as a serial killer who specializes in ridding Miami of worse criminals than himself.

Why it is one of the best crime shows on Netflix: Usually the object of crime shows is to get the viewer to root against murderers, but Hall’s Emmy-nominated lead performance in the Dexter cast has you fully invested in the homicidal hero’s bloody exploits.

• Stream Dexter on Netflix

Longmire (2012-2017)

Starring: Robert Taylor, Katee Sackhoff

What it’s about: A widowed Wyoming sheriff channels his grief into his battle against crime in his county.

Why it is one of the best crime shows on Netflix: Fans of the best Western movies on Netflix will surely also get a kick out of Longmire – a modern-day tale of an old-school lawman based on a series of novels by Craig Johnson.

• Stream Longmire on Netflix

Lucifer (2016-2021)

Starring: Tom Ellis, Lauren German

What it’s about: Lucifer Morningstar (a.k.a. Satan) decides to take human form and work as an LAPD consultant and help punish the world’s sinners in a new kind of way.

Why it is one of the best crime shows on Netflix: One of the most entertaining combinations of the crime fiction genre with supernatural elements is Lucifer, which is on fire with its charismatic portrayal of the Prince of Darkness that only heightens the appeal of its procedural format.

• Stream Lucifer on Netflix

Mindhunter (2017-2019)

Starring: Holt McCallany, Jonathan Groff, Anna Torv

What it’s about: Two FBI agents develop a then-controversial method of psychological and criminal profiling by interviewing the most infamous killers of the 1970s.

Why it is one of the best crime shows on Netflix: Producer David Fincher, the legendary director of thrillers such as Seven and Zodiac, takes the helm of several episodes of Mindhunter – a bold exploration into the once unprecedented concept of thinking like a bad guy to catch them, and essential viewing for true crime junkies.

• Stream Mindhunter on Netflix

Making A Murderer (2015-2018)

Featuring: Steven Avery

What it’s about: This docuseries follows the criminal record of Steven Avery, a man who spent years in prison for a sexual assault crime he did not commit, only to be accused of murder two years after his release.

Why it is one of the best crime shows on Netflix: The Emmy-winning Making a Murderer sets out not only to inform viewers of Avery’s trial but make a case for his innocence and expose corruption within the United States criminal justice system.

• Stream Making a Murderer on Netflix

Do you love our list of the best crime shows on Netflix, or do you think it is grounds for arrest?

Netflix had some fantastic original TV shows in 2019, and they ranged across every genre. It's really hard to pick just 10 to name the "best" Netflix Originals of any year, since we all have our favorites for different reasons. Not to mention there being so many options from the past 12 months.

Here are my choices for the 10 best Netflix original TV shows of 2019, accounting for both brand new shows and the most current seasons of already established series. And please share your "best" lists in the comments!

10. Dead To Me Season 1

This Netflix comedy was a pleasant surprise for me. It still feels like more of a mystery-drama than a dark comedy, but the comedy that's in there is so sharp and witty -- especially from Christina Applegate. The twists are paced out perfectly across the 10 episodes, nothing is played out too long and the cliffhanger in the end is so tantalizing for Season 2. There are multiple layers to appreciate and so much to look forward to in its return. And Linda Cardellini? You are a gift.

9. I Think You Should Leave With Tim Robinson Season 1

As sketch comedy goes, nothing can ever top Monty Python for me. But every so often a broad sketch comedy show will get me laughing out loud -- from The Kids in the Hall and The State to the occasional SNL sketch, most of Key & Peele, Chappelle's Show, and Portlandia. And now, Netflix's I Think You Should Leave With Tim Robinson. There's a lot of Portlandia mixed with Kids in the Hall in the six star-studded but much-too-brief episodes of Season 1. I binged them all and was genuinely upset when I realized that was it. It's a must-watch and a must-return for Season 2, which should be coming in 2020.

8. BoJack Horseman Season 6, Part 1

We will soon be living in a world without new BoJack. Netflix's animated comedy is in the middle of airing its sixth and final season. Part 1 streamed eight episodes in October 2019, with Part 2 coming January 31, 2020. Critics and fans have pretty much been in agreement about the awesomeness of BoJack Horseman since Season 2. So far, Season 6 is continuing the trend of poignant brilliance. It's going to be hard to say goodbye, but I'm sure you'll find the final episodes back on this list for 2020.

7. Stranger Things Season 3

Stranger Things is like comfort food now. I delight in reliving the cheese of the 1980s, and Season 3 indulged that in every respect. Since the kids are no longer kids, we got to see their awkward dating rituals and spent A LOT of time at the mall. Stranger Things always has at least one new breakout star, and this year we had both Maya Hawke's amazing Robin and Alec Utgoff's Dr. Alexei with his Slurpee. I always love the show, but I'm glad Season 4 is poised to finally mix things up by moving forward out of Hawkins. And of course Hopper will be back. You knew that.

6. When They See Us

Some of the best Netflix shows of the year were based on real crimes, horrific ones, retelling those stories across several episodes. This is Netflix's true niche, even when some of the real-life events depicted are questioned by people who were really there, as happened in this case. Ava DuVernay created and directed this harrowing four-part examination of the 1989 Central Park Jogger case from the perspective of the five adolescents who were ultimately found to be wrongly convicted of rape and assault. The actors help us empathize with "the boys" -- as they're called -- and their families until it's almost too heartbreaking to watch. But I'm glad so many people did watch because, exact details or not, the crux of this really happened.

5. Santa Clarita Diet Season 3

For the love of Mr. Ball Legs, WHY did Netflix cancel this show after three seasons and that cliffhanger? I'm with Timothy Olyphant, I think the stars should just keep showing up on set to do scenes and if Netflix doesn't want to film them, so be it. I wasn't expecting to get so invested in this horror comedy, but it's probably the best work Drew Barrymore has ever done and the entire cast has impeccable comedic timing. Not every show has to have "likable" characters, but I loved just about everyone on this show and kept rooting for them -- even severed head Gary (Nathan Fillion, then Alan Tudyk). This show slowly became one of my favorite comedies, and I will forever be bitter that it's gone too soon.

4. Mindhunter Season 2

Netflix excels in several genres, and I'd put true crime toward the top. The streamer's documentary films and docuseries are among the best ever produced. In the past few years, Netflix has stepped into the scripted crime genre and this year they hit it out of the park on multiple fronts. Mindhunter premiered Season 1 in 2017, based on the true crime book Mindhunter: Inside the FBI's Elite Serial Crime Unit. David Fincher is one of the producers and directed several episodes. That was the same for Season 2, which had a lot to live up to when it released nine episodes in 2019. Season 2 was just as absorbing and disturbing and there's every expectation that Season 3 -- whenever it eventually arrives -- will continue to match the kind of quality you get when Fincher's name is attached.

3. The Crown Season 3

I'm of the opinion that The Crown Season 3 wasn't as strong as the first two seasons, but those were high bars. There's no stopping this show from being one of the greatest ever produced. Besides, there were several saving graces -- including the "Aberfan" episode, which might be the most powerful hour the Netflix show has ever done. And while I expected Helena Bonham Carter to shine as the new Princess Margaret, I found myself wanting to spend more time with everyone but the queen and princess. Tobias Menzies managed to steal the entire season as Prince Philip; I'm not surprised they gave him so much of a showcase, he was extraordinary. Here's looking forward to more from Erin Doherty's Princess Anne and Josh O'Connor as Prince Charles in Season 4. Plus Gillian Anderson as Margaret Thatcher!

2. Russian Doll Season 1

I went back-and-forth on making this #1 or #2. I'm still torn. This show is such an original triumph on every level. It's not the first show to put a protagonist through a mysterious time loop, Groundhog Day-style, but it's the first to star Natasha Lyonne and give her this outstanding showcase. It's ambitious, funny, moving, deep, quirky, mysterious, bizarre, addictive, everything. Russian Doll got plenty of attention when it came out in February 2019 but still not enough, to me. It probably would've still been a good show without Natasha Lyonne as Nadia, but her inimitable performance makes it an instant classic. Plus, we're getting more in Season 2!

1. Unbelievable

One of the best shows of the year, period, whether on Netflix or not. It was a great year for exploring real-life horrors, too, from When They See Us to HBO's Chernobyl. Unbelievable was eight episodes of brilliant, compelling, infuriating, heartbreaking, storytelling. Merritt Wever deserves every award ever created for her performance as Det. Karen Duvall, with Toni Collette elevating the material as she always does as Det. Grace Rasmussen. The detectives investigated a series of rape cases, with the story ultimately coming back to the amazing Kaitlyn Dever as Marie Adler, who was initially charged with lying about being raped. There are heroes and villains across the board here, but all but one are humanized. We understand why they made the decisions they made, including the flawed and very real Marie herself. Watch Unbelievable here on Netflix.

Honorable mentions: I wish I could go on to 20 or 30! I'd also add the stellar new seasons from GLOW, Orange Is the New Black, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, 3%, Marianne, Money Heist, The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance, The OA, and Anne With an E, which is why so many fans are upset over The OA's and also Anne's cancellations. There are so many docuseries I could add too, including The Disappearance of Madeleine McCann, which was the most exhaustive and illuminating Netflix documentary series of the year, to me.

As much as I love Arrested Development, I wouldn't put Season 5, Part 2 on the list of the 10 best of 2019. I know a lot of people loved The Umbrella Academy Season 1, and I wish I was on that list. What about The Politician, The Punisher Season 2, Jessica Jones Season 3? What else would you add?

I know your list would look very different, so what were the 10 best Netflix Original Series of 2019 to you? And don't forget, there's plenty more to come next year. Keep up with all of Netflix's 2020 premiere and return dates with our handy schedule.

This poll is no longer available.

The Netflix true crime series Mindhunter features a who’s who of American serial killers and mass murderers throughout its first two seasons, but some viewers might question whether or not the portrayals are based on fact or just television magic.

Over the course of the first 19 episodes of the series, FBI agents Holden Ford and Bill Tench interview more than a dozen convicted serial killers as they compile information to build psychological profiles of murderers to help catch similar criminals in the future. And while each of the interactions with the serial killers are interesting in their own right, let's take a look at some of most prominently featured killers of the bunch.

Edmund Kemper (Cameron Britton)

Edmund Kemper, known as “The Co-Ed Killer,” was responsible for 10 murders, starting with the brutal slayings of his grandparents when he was only 15 years old. He was diagnosed as a paranoid schizophrenic and sent to a mental institution, but was paroled six years later after convincing doctors he had been rehabilitated. It didn’t take long for Kemper to embark upon a killing spree where he focused on young female hitchhikers who he would kill before decapitating, dismembering, and violating their corpses.

Portrayed by Cameron Britton, Kemper is the first incarcerated killer the FBI agents interview in the first season of the series, and from the very moment we set eyes on the towering serial killer, we’re captivated by his size (6’9”), his charm, and his unsettling creepiness. While the show did accurately portray Kemper's appearance and demeanor, one aspect of the portrayal did not happen in real life.

According to an interview with Digital Spy, John Douglas, who the Holden Ford character is based on, revealed that Kemper would have never grabbed him the way the character grabbed Ford at the end of the first season. In the interview, Groff admitted that he was hospitalized due to the stress of the job, but that it was not brought on by any physical interaction with Kemper.

Montie Rissell (Sam Strike)

Montie Rissell was a juvenile rapist who took his fear and hatred of women and used it as motivation to rape 12 women, five of which he murdered in cold blood. It all started when he raped his first victim when he was still 14 years old. Between 1973 and 1974, Rissell would go on to rape and murder five women.

Authorities initially had a hard time pinning any of the crimes on Rissell as he was incarcerated in a mental institution. It wasn't until later that cops discovered that Rissell was breaking out of the facility, committing the crimes, and then sneaking back into his cell. Rissell was eventually apprehended and sentenced to five consecutive life sentences.

Sam Strike plays Rissell in the first season of Mindhunter, and just like Britton’s portrayal of Kemper earlier in the season, the actor looks strikingly similar to the killer is portraying. The anger, immaturity, and impulsive nature of Rissell can all be seen in Strike’s short portrayal. In the show, Rissell is seen as being able to convince people of things they want to hear, which is something Douglas picked up on during his actual interviews with the killer, saying, "He was able to convince the psychiatrist he was making excellent progress while he was actually killing human beings."

Jerry Brudos (Happy Anderson)

Jerry Brudos, commonly referred to as “The Lust Killer” or “The Shoe Fetish Slayer” was responsible for at least four murders in Oregon between 1968 and 1969. His fetish for women’s shoes started at an early age and would only get worse from there. Not only would Brudos brutally murder his victims, but he would also violate their corpses and then take their shoes as a trophy, hence the nickname.

Brudos would initially admit to the crimes, but would later deny any involvement in the strangling or raping of his victims.

Happy Anderson portrays Brudos in a scene-stealing performance during one of the many interviews conducted through the first season of Mindhunter. In this unforgettable scene, Brudos is given a pair of women’s shoes in order obtain information about his childhood. During the interview, Brudos reveals that his mother once made him watch as she burned a pile of stilettos to punish him. This was based on a true event where Brudos' mother found a pair of shoes in her son's closet that he had found at the dump, and burned the pair and severely punished the young boy.

Richard Speck (Jack Erdie)

While most of the criminals featured in both seasons of Mindhunter fall into the serial killer camp, Richard Speck was a spree killer. On the night of July 13 into the early morning hours of July 14, 1966, Speck tortured, raped, and murdered eight student nurses from the South Chicago Community Hospital. Speck was later convicted of the murders and was sentenced to death, but the sentence was overturned to a life sentenced due to issues with jury selection.

Speck is portrayed by Jack Erdie in the first season of the series where he goes into detail about the crimes during his interview. At the conclusion of said interview, Speck tells the FBI agents that he killed the women simply because “it just wasn’t their night,” a real quote from Speck.

Denis Rader (Sonny Vailcenti)

Denis Rader, better known as The BTK Killer, was as organized as he was brutal in the binding, torture, and murder of his 10 victims in Wichita, Kansas between 1974 and 1991. Rader gained notoriety due to the nature of his crimes as well as the methods he used to taunt police and local media through highly-descriptive letters going into great detail about his actions.

The BTK Killer is probably the most seen serial killer throughout both seasons of Mindhunter, though we don’t know much about the man or his crimes until the first few episodes of the second season. Throughout the first season, Rader, who is being portrayed by Sonny Vailcentit, is seen walking through multiple homes setting up security systems for ADT, a job the real killer held during the time of the murders. In real life, Rader installed security systems for residents who were scared by his crimes, never knowing that the killer was in their home.

David Berkowitz (Oliver Cooper)

David Berkowitz, most notably known as “Son of Sam” is responsible for six murders and seven additional attacks between July 29, 1976, and July 31, 1977, in and around New York City. The Son of Sam murders and subsequent manhunt by the NYPD achieved worldwide notoriety, and that craze only continued after he was apprehended. During interviews with police, Berkowitz initially claimed to have been obeying the orders of a demon that had possessed his neighbor’s dog.

Berkowitz was eventually found fit to stand trial and was convicted of the six murders as well as a number of unsolved arson cases in the New York City area. He was sentenced to six life sentences in prison.

Son of Sam is portrayed by Oliver Cooper in the second season of Mindhunter, who looks strikingly similar to Berkowitz, to the point where it’s hard to tell the two apart. But while the show got the appearance down, there is one aspect of the Son of Sam interview scene that is the stuff of fiction. During the interview, the FBI agents ask Berkowitz to help profile the BTK Killer, but it's not actually known if the agents ever asked the real Berkowitz for any assistance with the Kansas serial killer in real life.

Douglas did spend hours interviewing Berkowitz while the serial killer was in prison, and even got him to admit that the whole "dog made me do it" defense was nothing more than a hoax.

Charles Manson (Damon Herriman)

Charles Manson is without a doubt the most notable convicted murdered to show up in either season of Mindhunter. Although the real Charles Manson never actually killed anyone, instead having the members of the “family” do it for him, Manson has become a cultural icon in the 50 years following the vicious and ritualistic murders of Sharon Tate and several other people in around the Los Angeles in the summer of 1969.

The myth and intrigue surrounding Manson in the years following the murders is also seen throughout both seasons of Mindhunter, paying off in one of the most iconic scenes in the show’s history when Holden finally gets the opportunity to conduct an interview with the cult leader. Manson is portrayed by Damon Herriman (who also showed up as Manson in Quentin Tarantino's Once Upon A Time In Hollywood), who brings the cult leader’s small frame and over-the-top personality to the television screen.

During that interview, Manson sits atop a table in the room in an attempt to seem larger than life and intimate Holden, which is actually something he was known to do in real interviews throughout his incarceration. At the conclusion of the interview, Holden gives Manson his sunglasses only for a guard to return them a little later on after Manson was bragging that he stole them from the FBI agent.

That whole scene might seem like nothing more than pumped up drama for a television series, but in an interview with Fox News, Douglas recalled that Manson in fact asked for his sunglasses, stating he needed them because "everyone knows I’m talking to the FBI right now and I got to give the impression back to them that I took something belonging to you."

Charles “Tex” Watson (Christopher Backus)

Charles “Tex” Watson was a central member of the “Manson Family” and was at the center of the August 1969 murders in Los Angeles. Watson was found guilty of the murders and sentenced to death, but the sentence was commuted to life in prison after California banned the death penalty.

Watson appears in the same episode of Mindhuter as Manson, though Holden is able to get more info out of the follower. On the advice of Ed Kemper to talk to Watson, portrayed by Christopher Backus, instead of Manson, Holden went off to interview one of the members of the Manson family. By that point, Watson had found religion and was more than willing to open up about his crimes and what led him on that path. The real Watson converted to Christianity while incarcerated in 1975, and even became an ordained minister in 1981.

Wayne Williams (Christopher Livingston)

Wayne Williams is long believed to be the perpetrator behind the Atlanta Child Murders that occurred between 1979 and 1981 in and around the Atlanta, Georgia, metropolitan area, but he was only ever tried and convicted of the murder of two adult males. Though he was never charged or brought to trial in the Child Murders, Williams was the prime suspect in at least 23 of the 30 murders that took place during that space of time.

Portrayed by Christopher Livingston in the second season of Mindhunter, Williams is the central antagonist and suspect throughout much of the second half of the season. Livingston’s portrayal of the suspected child murderer is spot on and eerily similar to the man he is playing.

Like the real case in which the arc was based on, Holden, Tench, the FBI, and Atlanta police were not able to arrest or charge Williams in connection with the murders, despite having a great deal of evidence.

Elmer Wayne Henley, Jr. (Robert Aramayo)

Elmer Wayne Henley, Jr. is a convicted serial killer who is mostly known for his role in the Houston Mass Murders between 1970 and 1973, where Henley assisted Dean Corll in the abduction, torture, rape, and murder of at least 28 teenage boys and young men. Henley eventually turned the table on Corll and shot him to death in August 1973. Henley was later apprehended and convicted of seven murders (including Corll’s), and was sentenced six consecutive prison terms of 99 years.

Henley is portrayed by Rober Aramayo in a brief interrogation scene partway through the second season of Mindhunter, where he is questioned about his involvement in the Houston Mass Murders as well as his relationship with Corrl. In the show, Henley eventually opens up about the abuse he received from his father and how it led him to Corrl, which was very much the case for the real Henley, who was physically assaulted by his father at a young age.

Paul Bateson (Morgan Kelly)

Paul Bateson is an American murderer who was convicted in the 1979 slaying of film industry journalist Addison Verrill, and was sentenced to at least 20 years in prison. Bateson was long believed to be the person behind the “Bag Murders,” which involved the murders of multiple gay men in Manhattan’s leather community.

By the time Bateson (portrayed by Morgan Kelly) is interviewed in the second season of Mindhunter, he has already been convicted of Verrill’s murder, but authorities are trying to pin the “Bag Murders” on him as well. Authorities actually tried to connect Bateson to the murders, but failed to obtain enough evidence to bring charges against him.

David Fincher’s put a lot of heart and soul into making Mindhunter, a Netflix series about the beginnings of the BAU within the 1970s bureaucracy of the FBI. The well-reviewed show has Fincher as a producer and the director of multiple episodes each season. He’s also apparently why Mindhunter Season 3 is currently on hold.

Recently, Mindhunter Jonathan Groff has been doing some press for Disney’s latest animated feature Frozen II, but a lot of people want to know about Mindhunter, particularly given Netflix hasn’t actually greenlighted the show for Season 3 yet. Yes, really. However, what’s putting everything Mindhunter related on hold at the moment is the fact David Fincher has been drawn elsewhere, as he’s set to make another movie.

We learned a few months ago that David Fincher is set to direct a biopic about Herman Mankiewicz, a Hollywood name cinephiles may know but average theatergoers these days may not know, and who is famous for writing Citizen Kane along with other famous screenplays like The Pride of St. Louis. That movie, Mank, is currently in the works and we learned about the cast – which will include Gary Oldman as Mankiewicz and Tom Burke as Orson Welles-about a month ago. So, that project seems to be moving forward sooner rather than later, for what it's worth.

It will be the first movie David Fincher has helmed since 2014 when he put Gone Girl out into the universe. Still, even though it is moving forward at a quick clip, it will also take the director out of commission for many months before talk about Mindhunter Season 3 can even resume, according to a THR report. (Although Jonathon Groff also told Collider he’s “ready to jump” whenever Fincher is.)

Presumably, the question is really one of “when” and not of “if” given Netflix hasn’t made an actual announcement for Season 3 of Mindhunter yet. It is worth pointing out that the first season of Mindhunter aired in 2017 and then Season 2 didn’t drop until 2019. So, it’s not as if this show has had a consistent yearly release. Fans will presumably wait as long as needed for new episodes.

After Mindhunter Season 2 was released, we heard from series lead Holt McCallany that David Fincher has a firm idea in mind in regards to how many seasons he would like the Netflix series to run in order to tell the optimal story. That number was five. Therefore, we aren’t even at the halfway point for the drama yet, should Netflix continue greenlighting Mindhunter. In addition, there are some theories that Season 2 definitely set up for more story in Season 3 via Easter eggs.

Once Season 3 moves forward, it will likely take some months to shoot. For example, Season 2 reportedly filmed between April and December of 2018 before going into post-production.

Mank is seemingly in the way of getting the ball rolling on Mindhunter, but at least we aren’t having a conversation about another Netflix series ending too soon right now. That said, there may be more than a two-year gap this time around.

Early in its run, Netflix was key to bringing dead shows back to life and let a lot of programs go on for multiple seasons before they wrapped their runs. A lot of shows on the streaming platform are getting cancelled after one or two seasons now, including the surprise shock of The OA’s cancellation earlier this year. Fingers crossed Mindhunter doesn't surprise us in this way, and we'll be sure to keep you updated regarding both Mank and Mindhunter in the coming months.

Making A Murderer became an obsession for millions of Netflix users, but it's far from the only "Unbelievable" true crime series on the streamer. Many of the series -- like Steven Avery's saga, which just got another update -- are documentary series. But others cast well-known actors for scripted adaptations of true crime stories. Every Monday I have a new set of streaming suggestions, and the 11 true crime titles below cover both nonfiction docuseries and scripted true crime series, starting with the one that recently blew me away...

Unbelievable 

I just finished streaming this eight-episode limited series on a serial rapist and, oh man, does it live up to its title. I wanted to scream at so many people -- from the rapist himself to the cops who ignored teen victim Marie Adler to Marie's obnoxious foster mother. But I also found heroes in Merritt Wever's Det. Duvall and Toni Collette's Det. Rasmussen, and was astonished by the power of Kaitlyn Dever's performance as Marie. The real Marie Adler shared her thoughts on the series, and I'm sure you'll have strong feelings too.

Stream Unbelievable right now on Netflix.

Mindhunter 

This scripted series has David Fincher as an executive producer and director of several episodes. That's probably all you need to know. But it's also based on the book Mindhunter: Inside the FBI's Elite Serial Crime Unit, with Jonathan Groff starring as Special Agent Holden Ford of the FBI's Behavioral Science Unit. Season 1 was set from 1977-1980 in the early days of criminal psychology, with Season 2 set from 1980 to 1981, basing storylines on real-life crimes. Fincher has an exact number of seasons in mind, so even though Netflix hasn't officially renewed it for Season 3 as of this writing, it's coming.

Stream Mindhunter on Netflix.

The Disappearance of Madeleine McCann 

I wasn't sure about starting this docuseries, since I already know there's no happy ending. There's not even a sad ending. There is still no ending. I vividly remember the roller-coaster news coverage when 3-year-old Madeleine went missing during her family's holiday in Portugal. This documentary series zeroes in on the tabloid media frenzy, with the McCanns painted as victims and then as suspects then back to victims of the police, the press, and online commenters who were POSITIVE from thousands of miles away that the McCanns were guilty. It's exhaustive and exhausting and so well put together that you're sure the next lead is going to reveal what happened. I'm still thinking about this series months after its release in March 2019.

Stream The Disappearance of Madeleine McCann.

The Keepers 

I struggled with The Keepers. I'd be shocked if anyone could get through it without being horrified, but as someone who went to Catholic school for years it was particularly tough to watch. It's about the unsolved murder of Sister Cathy Cesnik, who disappeared in 1969 and was found dead in 1970. But it's very much tied to the cover-up of widespread sexual abuse at Archbishop Keough High School in Baltimore. Everyone knows about Madeleine McCann and Amanda Knox, but Netflix really excels at digging into lesser-known crimes like this. The seven-episode series came out in 2017 and as hard as it is to watch, it's important.

Stream The Keepers.

Evil Genius: The True Story of America’s Most Diabolical Bank Heist 

At the very least, it has a great title! This true crime docuseries came to Netflix in 2018 as a four-part series. Evil Genius explored the bizarre 2003 murder of Brian Wells, whose death was sometimes called the "pizza bomber" case. You really have to watch the documentary series to try and understand how he fit into the larger botched bank robbery, which led to his death when an explosive collar around his neck detonated. There are a lot of angles to this one, and they're all grimly fascinating.

Stream Evil Genius.

Conversations with a Killer: The Ted Bundy Tapes 

This year marked the 30th anniversary of Ted Bundy's execution, and that meant we got multiple Ted Bundy projects. Zac Efron starred as Ted Bundy in the Netflix movie Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile, leading to allegations that the serial killer was being glamorized. Maybe it's true. Conversations with a Killer came to Netflix in January 2019, with four hour-long episodes sourced from hundreds of hours of interviews and archival footage from Bundy, his surviving victims, family, and law enforcement.

Watch Conversations with a Killer: The Ted Bundy Tapes.

The Confession Tapes 

False confessions used to baffle me. Why would someone confess to something they didn't do? But true crime has schooled me well on that front, from Unbelievable to this entire documentary series. The first season came out in 2017, covering six different cases of possible false confessions. Season 2 had four new episodes in 2019. Each case shows multiple potential scenarios for how a crime could've happened, with experts digging into the justice system and the many ways it can fail. Chilling stuff.

Watch The Confession Tapes.

The Innocent Man 

This six-episode documentary series came out in 2018, based on the book by John Grisham. Yep, that John Grisham. The Innocent Man: Murder and Injustice in a Small Town is his only nonfiction book to date. The series examines two murders in the small town of Ada, Oklahoma -- the 1982 murder of Debra Sue Carter and the 1984 murder of Denice Haraway. The story follows the questionable cases against the four men convicted, including former minor league baseball player Ron Williamson, who was exonerated by DNA evidence after serving 11 years on death row.

Watch The Innocent Man.

Exhibit A 

You watch enough true crime docuseries, you'll get to thinking the justice system is so flawed, everyone convicted is really innocent. That's not quite the case -- sometimes the system does work, and there's even another Netflix true crime series called I Am a Killer with actual killers talking about their murders. However, Exhibit A may have you doubting all evidence. The four-part series came to Netflix in June 2019 exploring how blood spatter, cadaver dogs, and other forensic tools can be manipulated and misinterpreted, sometimes resulting in false convictions.

Watch Exhibit A.

The Staircase 

It feels like cheating to add The Staircase, since I already wrote about it on a list of documentary series to watch. But, to me, it's even more essential true crime viewing than Making a Murderer. The Staircase started as a French TV miniseries in 2004, following the case of Michael Peterson, who was accused of murdering his wife Kathleen. Simple set up. But there's still nothing simple about this case. I must've changed my mind on what happened a dozen times, as the story kept adding new details over the episodes and over the years of filming.

Watch The Staircase.

Wild Wild Country 

This documentary series was a huge sensation last year. It's amazing how much of the real history from the 1980s was forgotten by the public until being revived on Netflix. The extremely addictive, maddening, and often hilarious six-part series follows the followers of Indian guru Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh in the Rajneeshpuram community in Wasco County, Oregon. Ma Anand Sheela owns the whole series, which is definitely worth a stream if you haven't already watched it.

Stream Wild Wild Country.

Although I prefer TV series when it comes to true crime -- because the filmmakers have more time to really dig into the subject and show all sides -- there are also plenty of true crime films worth streaming on Netflix, including Strong Island, Abducted in Plain Sight, and Amanda Knox.

If you're looking for more streaming recommendations, check out these past features:

• 5 Excellent Keanu Reeves Roles Worth Streaming On Netflix And Amazon

• 5 Sci-Fi TV Shows To Watch On Netflix: Our Streaming Recommendations

• 5 Documentary Series To Watch On Netflix: Our Streaming Recommendations

• 5 British TV Comedies On Netflix You Should Bloody Well Watch: Our Streaming Recommendations

• 3%, Occupied, Harlots, and Other Streaming Recommendations

• 5 Robert Downey Jr. Movies To Love 3000 On Netflix

• 5 Chris Evans Movies Worth Streaming On Netflix And Amazon

• 5 Ryan Reynolds Roles Worth Streaming On Netflix And Amazon

• 5 Will Smith Movies Worth Streaming Right Now On Netflix And Beyond

• 5 Refreshingly Non-Toxic Reality TV Shows Worth Streaming On Netflix

• 5 Joaquin Phoenix Movies Worth Streaming On Netflix And Amazon Ahead Of Joker

• 5 Stripper Movies Worth Streaming In Honor Of Jennifer Lopez's Hustlers

• The 5 Best Space Movies To Stream In Honor Of Brad Pitt's Ad Astra

What other Netflix true crime series would you recommend? Have you seen I Am a Killer yet, with interviews from death row inmates confessing to their crimes? That might be too grisly for me, but you can add it to your own list. Also, I highly recommend cleansing your soul with Great British Baking Show episodes between each true crime story. There is good in the world!

Netflix subscribers have binged Mindhunter Season 2 and while some are debating whether or not the show teased another serial killer, others are praising the show's latest sex symbol. No, it's not Holden Ford actor Jonathan Groff, Anna Torv's Wendy, and thankfully none of the actors who portray serial killers. Instead, there's a community of folks going gaga for Holt McCallany's Bill Tench.

For anyone who may be shocked by that, they aren't alone. McCallany admitted that he's surprised by the fact his Mindhunter character has become a sex symbol, to the point he's kind of at a loss for words.

Bill Tench is a character Holt McCallany would describe as a "chainsmoker with a buzzcut," but to some fans of Mindhunter he's so much more. Twitter is littered with declarations of love for Tench, with many pointing towards the classical machismo he radiates and the calm but commanding presence he displays. Tench can be stern or upset, but rarely does he come unglued or lose his cool when it matters. That's more than can be said for Holden!

So, who's the muse for Holt McCallany's portrayal? The character is actually based on FBI agent Robert Ressler who in real life looked like a mix between McCallany and Robert De Niro. McCallany said his character was co-developed with executive producer David Fincher, and is partly inspired by his famous father Michael McAloney. When asked what he thought has drawn so many people to the character, McCallany told The Wrap it's love for a forgotten era.

Holt McCallany's portrayal of Bill Tench has inspired a fandom, and anyone who is feeling some kind of way about the character can now refer to themselves as a "Tench Wench." It sounds like a niche group, but a quick Twitter search of the term will show the number wenches are growing. How many Tench's Wenches will there be by the time Season 3 rolls around? Hopefully a lot more! The character's gonna need the love after how things ended for him in Season 2.

What's The True Story Behind Mindhunter's Dark Plot With Bill's Son?

Mindhunter's Season 1 and 2 are both up on Netflix and ready for anyone looking for a great true crime binge. For anyone else who has already watched, be sure to stick with CinemaBlend as we head into fall for the latest news related to television, movies, and of course actors who unexpectedly discover they've become a sex symbol.

Mindhunter has prided itself on being a series that draws from real-life FBI investigations and interviews with convicts like Charles Manson, Ed Kemper, and, most recently, Wayne Bertram Williams, who was arrested for the Atlanta Child Murders. While the series has kept its focus on fact-based storylines, that wasn’t the case when it came to Agent Bill Tench’s son Brian in Season 2. During the season, Brian was involved in the death of a toddler and showed signs of ultimately becoming a serial killer himself. But was any of what happened with Tench’s son real? Since Tench is based on FBI Agent Robert Ressler, all evidence points to no, but that doesn’t mean that Brian’s storyline doesn’t take its cue from another real-life case.

Season 2 of Mindhunter expanded upon the backstories and personal lives of Tench, played by Holt McCallany, and Wendy Carr, played by Anna Torv. In the first season, Tench mentioned that Brian doesn’t really talk, which immediately raised red flags. Fast forward two years later to Season 2 and Tench finds out that his son was involved in the accidental death of a toddler. The worst part of the whole thing was that Brian's the one who suggested the other kids put the toddler on a cross and then he stood by and watched while the other boys put a cloth over the toddler’s head, suffocating him. It’s pretty traumatic stuff.

However, Brian’s story doesn’t track with any of the real-life characters. For one, Robert Ressler had three kids instead of one, none of which were adopted, and his only son was never involved in any kind of murder that we know of. In Season 2, Tench spends a lot of time worrying about Brian and whether he’s showing the early tendencies of a serial killer. It’s a lot to take in and Brian, Tench, and his wife, Nancy (played by Stacey Roca) have to deal with a variety of psychological counseling and surprise social services visits. Nancy -- who pleaded with Tench to take some much-needed time off to be with his son -- eventually packed up her stuff and moved out of their house with Brian, leaving Tench behind.

So, where does Brian’s story come from? A new report (via TheWrap) claims that the Mindhunter story actually shares many similarities with a 1971 case that involves two young brothers who admitted to beating a 20-month-old child to death because he wouldn’t stop crying. The San Francisco murder, labeled “the crucifixion murder” -- which came to light by way of PBS’ Frontline report -- raised eyebrows because it paralleled the storyline done on the show so closely. Of course, none of this has actually been confirmed by showrunner Joe Penhall, but it seems clear the writers were drawing from actual events.

Even with the presumed confirmation that the storyline was adapted from true events, Mindhunter was able to change it to fit Tench’s storyline and it worked within the framework of the show. We spent a large part of Season 2 wondering what Brian’s involvement in the murder would mean for him and Tench down the line. Given that Tench deals with the psychology of serial killers on a daily basis, it’s interesting to see what that might mean for him now that it’s happening with his son.

Although Mindhunter has not been renewed for Season 3, the series was already teasing a new serial killer. While it might be a while before we hear back about a renewal, Netflix has other shows set to premiere this fall, so make sure to check out our full TV schedule.

Mindhunter Season 2 brought the chills. In addition to expanding on Wendy Carr and Agent Tench’s personal lives, the show included multiple serial killers like BTK, Season 1’s Ed Kemper, and Wayne Bertram Williams. They also teased John Wayne Gacy, best known as the “Killer Clown," in the Season 2 finale, potentially setting up an appearance in Season 3. However, one of the most memorable scenes from Season 2 involved Agents Tench and Holden interviewing the infamous Charles Manson. A Mindhunter fan went a step further and created a video comparing Manson’s interview on the show with a real-life one. It’s honestly really creepy.

One of the most striking components of Mindhunter is its attention to detail. Since it’s heavily based on actual events, the series tends to draw from previous interviews, facts, and images to create its storylines. An example of this is how the show casts actors who look a lot like the characters they’re playing. Actor Damon Herriman, who expertly portrayed Charles Manson in Season 2, really leaned into all of Manson’s mannerisms, voice type, and body language. Interestingly, Herriman has played Manson twice this year, both in Mindhunter and in Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood.

A YouTube video edited a 60 Minutes interview with Charles Manson side-by-side with the Mindhunter interrogation scene and the similarities are staggering. It’s easy to see how the scene from the show is meant to reflect this specific interview, right down to the dialogue and subjects discussed. You can check out the uncanny video below.

As for Mindhunter, the characters were faced with a major shake-up in FBI’s ranks early on in Season 2. The former FBI boss was replaced by new director Ted Gunn, played by Michael Cerveris. Gunn seemed very enthusiastic about investigating serial killers and offered Holden a chance at interviewing Charles Manson early on. Though he was only in one scene, Manson’s presence was intense and his seemingly nonchalant behavior rubbed Tench the wrong way. It was one of the only times Tench has almost lost his temper on the show, so Manson definitely had an effect on him.

Mindhunter Season 1 premiered on Netflix in the fall of 2017, so there was a lot of anticipation ahead of the show’s second season. According to actor Holt McCallany, who plays one of three members of the FBI’s Behavioral Science Unit Agent Bill Tench, director David Fincher seems to have plans to go five seasons. However, there’s no telling if that will be the case. As of right now, Netflix has not renewed the show for a third season, though it didn’t really announce a Season 2 was coming until earlier this year. With the success of the show and how much discussion there is about its material, the streaming service will hopefully give it another season.

Until we hear back about Mindhunter’s renewal, there are plenty of other dramas that are premiering on streaming and network television this fall that have a similar vibe. To see what else the streaming service has coming up, be sure to take a look at our Netflix schedule.

Mindhunter has not officially been renewed for Season 3 on Netflix yet, but if director and executive producer David Fincher has his way, it will be renewed. In fact, allegedly the acclaimed director of the streaming series has a whole plan for Mindhunter, complete with an exact number of seasons he reportedly has in mind to complete the drama.

David Fincher isn’t the guy who spilled this secret, but according to actor Holt McCallany, who stars in Mindhunter opposite Jonathan Groff and Anna Torv, five seasons is the ideal number director David Fincher wants to hit with his Netflix drama. Per McCallany:

So, if David Fincher gets his way, it looks as if Season 5 might be the last season. Which is interesting, given the framing of Season 2 potentially set up for another major serial killer to pop up in Mindhunter, perhaps in Season 3. So, there's already a potential serial killer direction the new episodes could go in, and apparently a whole timeline was already planned out even before Holt McCallany signed on.

A few years ago, I would have said Mindhunter could likely go on as long as it wants, but in more recent months, Netflix has been a bit more discerning in regards to what gets cancelled and what gets renewed. A lot of shows – even shows with seemingly dedicated fanbases like The OA have gotten cancelled before they have reached the intended endpoint. The show in the previous sentence actually ended on a cliffhanger, so I'm sure that wasn't an amazing way for it to go, at least for the fans.

As for whether or not Mindhunter’s two serial killer interviewer actors actually get along while filming, Holt McCallany says there’s enough of a rapport on set that the show could go a full five seasons. He also told THR in the interview that sometimes they are having perhaps a little too jolly of a time for a show with such serious subject matter.

David Fincher has directed several episodes of Mindhunter through each of its two seasons. While he doesn’t direct every single episode, and credits have also gone to Carl Franklin, Andrew Dominik, Andrew Douglas, Tobias Lindholm and Asif Kapadia. In many ways, the Netflix serial killer series seems like David Fincher’s baby, and it’s nice to know there already seems to be a direction planned for the drama.

Obviously, this is all still speculation. People are still -- hopefully steadily -- streaming Mindhunter Season 2 on Netflix. Due to the slightly slower roll of people watching Netflix programming, the streaming service tends to take a little bit of time before deciding on renewals, but we'll be sure to keep you updated no matter what happens. But honestly, I need more, because I really need to know where all this BTK stuff is going.

Mindhunter Season 2 was just made available for our Netflix binging pleasure, but the streaming services hasn’t revealed whether or not Season 3 will be forthcoming yet. Regardless, the show spent a little time during Season 2 setting up where the show could go if and when it does move forward at Netflix. And it’s all thanks to a little Easter egg.

During Season 2 there are several instances where the basement gang is talking out various possibilities with a board set up to present info. This happens when Holden gets invested in the Atlanta killings and disappearances, but also when Dr. Wendy Carr presents options for which serial killers the team should interview next. During that scene, we get a glimpse at a big board featuring various real-life serial killers.

Among them is John Wayne Gacy, a famous serial killer and clown painter known for assaulting and murdering young men in Chicago’s Cook County area. Mindhunter has been a big fan of bringing well-known killers into the series and exploring them, so it would make total sense that Season 3 might go in the direction of John Wayne Gacy.

It’s also worth pointing out that Gacy factors into Mindhunter: Inside The FBI’s Elite Serial Crime Unit, the book by John Douglas and Mark Olshaker the Netflix series is based on, which gives credence to this potential development as well.

Of course, it’s worth mentioning the people appearing on the board along with Hance during Episode 1 of Mindhunter Season 2 are all real-life killers. Douglas Gretzler was responsible for 17 deaths in Arizona and California and was one of Arizona’s most notable death row inmates before being executed in 1998.

Edward Charles Allaway was responsible for the massacre at California State Fullerton in 1976. Allaway was a custodian at the school’s library and killed 7 people during the school shooting. Robert Zarinsky was the first person in New Jersey to be convicted of murder with no body being found; a jury found him guilty of killing Rosemary Calandriello in 1969.

Kenneth Bianchi is one of those notable serial killers with a nickname—he’s known as The Hillside Strangler after he and his cousin Angelo Buono would kill women in Los Angeles and dump their bodies in the hills. Of these, Bianchi may be big enough to warrant being the "notorious serial killer of the season" at some point on Mindhunter as well.

Some of these violent killers, like William “Junior” Pierce and William Henry Hance, have already appeared in Mindhunter during Season 2 episodes, providing more insight into the minds of killers. Of all of them, John Wayne Gacy is certainly the most notable.

If Mindhunter continues into a third season – and while I hope it does, it is worth pointing out Netflix has started cancelling some shows after Season 2 – I have no doubt the show could find ways to bring in a lot of the killers found in the board during the episode. One thing Mindhunter really likes to do is bring in one big name for an interview to sort of tie in the entire series. In Season 1, that was Edmund Kemper.

In Season 2, Kemper made a return, but the big push was for the team to interview Charles Manson. Interestingly, Justified’s Damon Herriman played Charles Manson both in Mindhunter and in the recent Quentin Tarantino movie Once Upon A Time In Hollywood.

Related: Why Mindhunter Could Never Have Worked As A Network TV Show

Finding an actor to play John Wayne Gacy in Season 3 just seems like the logical next step, if we get a third season that is.

We’ll be sure to keep you posted regarding the latest Mindhunter news. In the meantime, you can see the stuff already announced for Netflix with our full schedule.

Summer is winding down, but just because vacation season is slowing and the kids are headed back to school doesn't mean things are all bad. Netflix is still churning out quality original content, which can numb that growing pain that the dog days of summer are ending.

And, as has been the case these past few months, Netflix has a lot of exciting new shows paired alongside some acclaimed heavy hitters returning to the lineup. This month has everything: serial killers, pro wrestling, political conspiracies, Nicktoons and other nostalgia all on deck. Such is the Netflix originals lineup in August, which hits the gas and doesn't stop until the month's end.

Wu Assassins - 8/8

Martial arts and sci-fi fans rejoice, The Raid's Iko Uwais is back with his own Netflix original. Uwais plays a San Francisco chef who hails from a long line of assassins. He's bestowed with the power of Wu, and must keep that power out of the hands of evildoers. Anyone who has see Uwais' insane fight choreography skills (or read him talking about fighting) should know this will be an action-packed adventure, so let's hope the story is the same quality.

The Family - 8/9

Netflix's upcoming original docu-series is an exposé of sorts of one of the most influential political organizations many may not know about. The episodes highlight the legacy of "The Fellowship," a religious organization that has quite the pull in American politics. Netflix's categories for this series include "conspiracy theories" and "provocative," for the record, so viewers may want to do a little more research on this organization after watching.

GLOW (Season 3)- 8/9

GLOW is back for Season 3, and the Gorgeous Ladies Of Wrestling are kicking off their run in Las Vegas. That residency in Sin City won't be without issues, as power struggles will put friendships on the line and sexual tension may very well create a budding romance or two. GLOW scored five Emmy nominations for Season 2, and has two awards under its belt already. Those who aren't caught up better get on board and get ready for another potentially award-winning season.

Rocko's Modern Life: Static Cling - 8/9

After what feels like a lifetime of waiting, Rocko's Modern Life: Static Cling is finally coming to Netflix. The movie brings audiences back to the franchise, and puts Rocko, Heffer and Filburt back in O-Town after 25 years of being in space. They'll soon learn a lot has changed since they were away, and maybe some things haven't. I would assume that, regardless the year, garbage day remains a very dangerous day.

Better Than Us - 8/16

Netflix has an interesting sci-fi original in mid-August, as Russian series Better Than Us follows a family who gets a killer android. This is significant because this is the first murder case involving an experimental humanoid, so there's bound to be some conflict in how to address that. It sounds like a show perfect for those who live for premises like those in Black Mirror, and a stark look at problems we may face in the near future.

Diagnosis - 8/16

In what may be the most interesting docu-series of the month, Diagnosis highlights individuals suffering from a mysterious illness and their quest to get a diagnosis and the cure to their malady. If that premise sounds familiar, it's because it's based off The New York Times Magazine column of the same name. This show sounds as though it will have more answers than questions, as doctors utilize unique methods to find an answer patients hadn't found previously.

Invader Zim: Enter The Florpus- 8/16

After a long time away (both within the context of the series and in real life), Zim is back and ready to enact his big plan of world domination. Fortunately for Earth, Dib is going to do all he can to prevent that from happening and perhaps finally find a way to expose Zim as an alien. Will he be successful? Does this classic Nicktoons series still have a loyal fanbase? We'll get an answer soon enough!

Mindhunter (Season 2) - 8/16

It's been almost two years, but finally Mindhunter is returning for its sophomore season. This time around, Holden Ford and Bill Tench will get to put all that information and interviews they gathered in Season 1 to work and use it in an effort to catch a serial child murderer. For true crime lovers looking for specifics, this season is based on the Atlanta murders of 1979-1981. We suggest not reading about it to avoid spoilers.

Hyperdrive - 8/21

Fast and Furious fans, this will be the show to binge while that animated series is still in development. Hyperdrive takes some of the world's top street racers and gives them souped up cars to drive on an obstacle course. Judging from the picture above, that includes outmaneuvering cars suspended in the air. Sounds exciting, but will it deliver the same excitement other staple racing shows have given car aficionados over the years?

Million Pound Menu (Season 2) - 8/27

Million Pound Menu is back for another season, which means more chefs are vying for the chance to wow investors and get money for their own restaurant. For those who haven't watched, this series is like Shark Tank if investors got to try and get a preview of how the pitched product would perform in a test setting. It's a cool premise, and it's a real shame there isn't an American adaptation of this!

The Dark Crystal: Age Of Resistance - 8/30

The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance is coming to Netflix at the end of August, and it still doesn't feel real. Jim Henson's cult classic is seriously getting another installment with an all-star cast? It's a wonderful thing and a testament to the fact that streaming has brought us some amazing shows that network television and cable may not have taken a chance on. Anyway, the original Dark Crystal is already on Netflix for anyone who wants to watch or re-watch it ahead of time to prepare!

Netflix New Releases: Movies And TV Shows Coming To Netflix Streaming In August 2019

There's always something exciting on the way when it comes to Netflix, so be sure to stick with CinemaBlend for updates on what's happening with it and other streaming services.

It has been almost five years since the credits rolled on World War Z, and the path to the film's highly-anticipated sequel has turned into a rocky road. Zodiac director David Fincher has teased audiences with slow and steady developments since coming onboard the project as its director, but World War Z 2 has also experienced delay after delay over time. Now it looks like the movie has hit yet another setback, and it all has to do with Fincher's commitments over at Netflix, specifically with Mindhunter.

It sounds like we are going to have to keep waiting for the next stage of the World War Z storyline. Per a report from The Playlist, it seems that David Fincher's upcoming priority is the second season of Mindhunter on Netflix, and that inherently means the next installment in the zombie franchise will need to remain on the backburner, at least for now. Production on Mindhunter Season 2 is currently set to begin this fall, which suggests that the odds of seeing World War Z 2 start production before the end of the calendar year seem slim.

This is only the latest in a series of delays that have forced World War Z to pump the brakes and stay in development hell. In fact, just a month ago the project was once again forced to push itself back so Brad Pitt could sign on to Quentin Tarantino's Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. Now, David Fincher is doing the same with his work on the second season of Mindhunter, which means the zombie blockbuster will have to continue waiting for its turn.

That's not to say that we haven't seen some progress in the World War Z world lately. Last year David Fincher addressed the status of the project and noted that "a lot of stones have been laid" as they work on building a story that takes apart the mythology of the zombie genre. Given the fact that it sounds like the script hasn't been fully locked down yet anyway, it arguably makes plenty of sense for the film's talent to go off and work on other projects in the interim.

Despite all of these delays and issues, there's still a fair case for us to make that World War Z deserves this level of slow, deliberate development. Marc Forster's original 2013 adaptation of Max Brooks' novel experienced a notoriously rocky production, with numerous elements of the story changed during reshoots -- including the film's third act, which was wholly jettisoned in favor of a smaller set piece. If World War Z 2 wants to avoid the same pitfalls and decision-changing, then it should take its time.

CinemaBlend will bring you more information related to all of the most highly-anticipated Hollywood projects as new details are made available to us. Mindhunter Season 2 will begin filming this fall and stay tuned for more information about when World War Z 2 may do the same. For now, you can keep an eye on our comprehensive movie premiere guide to stay in-the-loop on all of the biggest and best films set to premiere this year!

With Mindhunter getting an official Season 2 renewal right at the end of November, Christmas indeed came early for die-hard lovers of the acclaimed crime drama, as well as those who just love good television in general. Though the series' great news had come even before the start of December, it looks like the crew still wished to celebrate and make fans smile. Mindhunter shared a strange Christmas video featuring actor Cameron Britton portraying the captivating Ed Kemper going in on an egg salad sandwich:

For those trying their best to emulate Holden Ford and Bill Tench in figuring out the "hidden meaning" behind this weird-ass Christmas video, the YouTube description will help greatly. According to said description, Ed Kemper is enjoying his Christmas dinner at the California Medical Facility in Vacaville. For those that skipped down to the explanation before watching the end of the video: he indeed finished the sandwich.

It appears even someone as naughty as Mindhunter's Ed Kemper doesn't have to settle for the tuna sandwich on Christmas. For those that might not remember, Ed was a big fan of the egg-salad sandwich in Season 1, and even managed to make Holden try one during a visit. It's a great reference to the series, for sure, but why exactly did Netflix decide to put this particular video out there in celebrating Christmas?

Perhaps this is for anyone with a morbid sense of humor looking to pull a prank on anyone who watches digital yule logs during the holidays? It's a little short to be incredibly effective in that sense, although it's about as long as any video of someone eating a sandwich has any right to be. Perhaps Netflix could've spiced things up by having Ed share one of his typically captivating stories like he did in Mindhunter, although that probably wouldn't be a tale that would've gotten anyone who watched in the holiday spirit.

While definitely a weird one, the Mindhunter tribute wasn't the only strange video Netflix decided to share with the web this holiday season. Many more original shows got some love in a video that showed The Crown's Claire Foy addressing the cast of many Netflix shows with a warm Christmas greeting:

Mindhunter is currently available to stream on Netflix. For a look at what shows still have yet to premiere before the end of 2017, head over to our fall premiere guide. Those wishing to see what shows are planning to make a premiere or return in 2018 can head over to our midseason premiere guide. Finally, anyone curious about shows that won't return should check out our cancellation guide.

Another year of television has come to an end, and there have been more options than ever of what to watch on the small screen. Between network TV, basic cable, premium channels, and streaming services, there were a lot of TV shows to choose from. As somebody who spends a lot of time watching and writing about all things TV, I have my fair share of favorites that had me laughing, crying, rewinding, and frantically turning on closed captioning to make sure that certain twists really did happen. Now, as 2017 winds down, the time has come to look back at the best of what the past year had to offer. In the spirit of the season, read on for my picks of the 10 best shows of 2017!

The Good Doctor, ABC

The Good Doctor is a show that could have gone wrong very, very easily. Medical dramas have been done time and time again, and not all of them are able to stick out from the crowd. The Good Doctor succeeds by putting a twist on what could have been a tired formula and casting an immensely talented group of actors. Freddie Highmore carries the show as Shaun Murphy, who is a young surgical resident with autism and savant syndrome. The actor who had previously been known best for playing Norman Bates tackles the complex role fabulously. Richard Schiff of The West Wing is as awesome as ever as Shaun's mentor, and the rest of Shaun's peers manage to challenge him in intriguing ways. I didn't get into The Good Doctor until it had already been on the air a few weeks, but now I'm totally hooked. There's no wonder that it's one of the 10 most-watched scripted shows of fall 2017.

GLOW, Netflix

Netflix brought the world of wrestling to the small screen in 2017 with GLOW, which stars Alison Brie as an actress-turned-wrestler back in the 80s. The show was always going to be funny just based on characters battling it out in aerobics gear. The Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling mastered the art of wrestling without actually doing any damage, and it was clear almost right away that there would be plenty of comedy beyond the sight gags of 80s fashion and technology. Alison Brie is fantastic as a leading lady, and GLOW is unafraid to cross some lines that wouldn't be possible on network TV. This was a show I didn't intend to binge-watch but ultimately watched almost all the way straight through, and I regret nothing. Hopefully we don't have too long to wait before Season 2.

Game Of Thrones, HBO

Season 7 was the penultimate batch of episodes for HBO, and I'll be the first to admit that it wasn't perfect. There was a lot that had to be packed into only seven episodes, and a few things fell by the wayside because so many epic battles had to be fit in. That said, Season 7 delivered a lot of what fans have been waiting for over the entire saga to date. The big moments were handled really well for my taste, ranging from Dany finally unleashing her dragons on Westeros (and the look on Jaime's face as he realized what he was in for) to the Night King taking out Viserion and then reanimating him. Throw in Littlefinger biting the dust, the Wall coming down, and the confirmation that Jon really is the son of a married Rhaegar and Lyanna, and Season 7 was rewarding enough for me that I could rank it as one of my top 10 of the year.

Mindhunter, Netflix

Mindhunter is another show that very easily could have flopped. It's a series about serial killers that leaves most of the serial killing that horror fans love off-screen, it tackles some very ugly subjects that non-horror fans might not enjoy, and it takes a couple of episodes to really pick up. Still, once it does pick up and the actors settle into their roles, Mindhunter is difficult to stop watching. The descent of the lead character as he spends more time with killers and comes to relate with them is almost troublingly compelling, and the ongoing tease of the mysterious murderer in Kansas works as a hook to keep viewers on the line for Season 2. This is one show I couldn't quite binge-watch in the space of a couple days, but it's definitely one of my favorites of the year.

Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D., ABC

While superhero fatigue has been getting to me with some of the other comics-based shows currently on the airwaves, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. remains a winner. Season 4 tried something new by breaking the whole season up into three separate arcs with definitive beginnings and conclusions, and it was like getting three short seasons in the span of one batch of episodes. S.H.I.E.L.D. didn't need to bother with any sort of filler episodes when arcs could be told in fewer than 20-odd episodes. Ghost Rider was a pleasant surprise, and the Framework enabled the show to take the characters in some new (and admittedly somewhat upsetting) directions. Season 5 has taken most of the agents into space in a relocation that has worked for me, although I'm looking forward to Fitz rejoining his pals. My fingers are crossed that the ratings aren't so low as to doom the series.

The Punisher, Netflix

That superhero fatigue that was wearing me out with other comic TV universes didn't apply to The Punisher. The show starring Jon Bernthal as Frank Castle is more of an action adventure/psychological drama series than any kind of superhero project, despite the fact that the lead character made his debut in Season 2 of Daredevil. There were no superpowers to speak of. Instead, Frank rampaged through New York in his ongoing mission to take out all who wronged him (as well as any bonus enemies who wronged the people he cares about) all while dealing with the PTSD from his time in the military and the deaths of his family. For me, this was by far the most compelling Marvel Netflix season since Jessica Jones Season 1. Also, can we just move Deborah Ann Woll from a regular on Daredevil to a regular on The Punisher? I could watch the intensely unconventional dynamic between Frank and Karen all day.

Outlander, Starz

Outlander finally returned to the airwaves in 2017 after more than a year of hiatus, and expectations were pretty high following such a long break. The show dragged out the reunion between Claire and Jamie for a surprising number of episodes, but the payoff felt all the more poignant for the time they spent apart. Besides, they deserve to stand up as characters on their own rather than just halves of a couple. Season 3 managed to be funny, heartbreaking, devastatingly romantic, and incredibly suspenseful. This was also the first season I watched after having read the book source material, and it was fun to see where the show followed the novels and where it diverged. Season 3 ended on a pretty great cliffhanger that has me ready for Season 4 and hoping against hope that the hiatus won't be nearly so long this time around.

Stranger Things, Netflix

Stranger Things is another show that had fans waiting more than a year for a new season, and Netflix pulled out all the stops to get us hyped for what was to come in Season 2. When the second season finally debuted in time for Halloween, I know I'm not the only one who binge-watched the nine episodes as quickly as possible. All things considered, while the season wasn't perfect (and there's one episode that I think could have done much better), Stranger Things managed to bring together the plots by the final few hours (with that one exception) in a way that paid off on some of the slower parts of the season. Honestly, Stranger Things might have made my best of 2017 list just for Steve the babysitter, but the heartbreaking and lovely dynamic between Eleven and Hopper didn't hurt. Besides, we got the long-awaited Snow Ball with an 80s-tastic soundtrack. What's not to love?

Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Fox

Brooklyn Nine-Nine is the funniest show on television that nobody talks about, as far as I'm concerned. The show boasts one of the funniest ensembles on television, and there's really not a weak link on the cast. Andre Braugher never fails to make me laugh, and there's enough earnestness to the humor that it has allowed Andy Samberg to flex some of his more dramatic muscles in addition to the funny bone he showed off on Saturday Night Live. The main romance of the series is handled so well that it serves as proof that "will-they-won't-they" is not necessary to keep a TV relationship interesting. Most of the detectives are competent, and they almost all like each other. Basically, Brooklyn Nine-Nine is the epitome of a feel-good comedy, and who doesn't need a nice feel-good comedy to lighten things up every once in a while?

The Handmaid's Tale, Hulu

If there's one show that's the opposite of a feel-good comedy like Brooklyn Nine-Nine, that show has to be The Handmaid's Tale on Hulu. Set in a dystopian future, the few remaining fertile women are forced into absolute submission and regularly raped by men in power to try and force them to conceive a child. The Handmaid's Tale shows the fall of civilization, the rise of the new and terrible society, and the state in which fertile women are forced to live. It was as devastating as it was horrifying. At the same time, the story was so well-crafted that I couldn't stop watching, and Elisabeth Moss shone as a leading lady. Alexis Bledel was remarkable as well, and the first season somehow managed to end on a somewhat uplifting note after many episodes of hopelessness. I'm definitely looking forward to Season 2.

Hopefully we'll get even more great TV shows in the new year. Check out our midseason TV premiere guide to discover what will hit the airwaves in the coming weeks, and our 2018 Netflix schedule can help you plan your streaming lineup. Be sure to stay tuned to CinemaBlend for the latest in TV news.

In a world where true-crime television is all the rage, it seems obvious that Mindhunter was destined to succeed. With Season 1 having earned rave reviews and much fan love for its representation of actual real-life serial killers, Mindhunter getting renewed for Season 2 seemed all but inevitable, and Netflix is finally making things official. The streaming giant announced today that Mindhunter Season 2 is officially a go.

The bad news is that, like a good serial killer, Netflix has left no trace or clues in its teaser as to when we will see Season 2 of Mindhunter. That might be because the showrunners still have no idea what they're going to do in Season 2, although considering the number of loose ends the show had near the end of Season 1, they probably have quite a few inklings. While we don't know when exactly Mindhunter will release Season 2, there were renewal rumors earlier this year stating production would start on the follow-up season sometime around the end of the year. Given that, it's completely possible Season 2 will premiere sometime before the end of 2018.

So where will Season 2 of Mindhunter take viewers? (SPOILERS AHEAD for those who haven't finished the season.) There was obviously a lot of tension between the FBI and Holden Ford about his methods of interviewing killers, so that plotline seems likely to rear its head once again for sure. Let's not forget that end scene of Dennis Rader (a.k.a. the BTK Killer) burning photos, so it's obviously possible there's going to be more of him sooner or later. Speaking of famous murder sprees, Mindhunter also offered some Charles Manson teases early on, and considering his fairly recent death, it would be smart to work him into the narrative somewhere to get the mainstream buzz going about the new season. As of now, the only thing that seems certain from the official teaser is that Holden Ford and Bill Tench will indeed be back and hopefully interviewing more killers:

Season 1 of Mindhunter is currently streaming on Netflix. For more on the series and why it would never work on network television, check out CinemaBlend's interview with series lead Jonathan Groff and his thoughts on all of that. For more on upcoming television happening within the next few months, be sure to visit both our fall premiere guide and midseason premiere guide to stay up to date. For a look at some shows that weren't lucky enough to get another season in 2017 like Mindhunter, visit our cancellation guide.

Welcome to the 23rd edition of The Cord Cutter Podcast! Shows and movies that document true crimes have been popular for many years, so it should come as no surprise that many streaming services are home to several ways for you to get your fix of the real crimes that have kept people talking. Join us today while we talk about some of our favorite true crime shows and delve into the Netflix original, Mindhunter! Speaking of Netflix, shows like Making A Murderer, The Confession Tapes and The Keepers have gone a long way to making enjoyment of true crime popular, but the genre has been around on screen for a long time. Even if you're not a true crime fan, you'll probably know about television programs like Dateline and 48 Hours that have been regaling audiences with tales of humanity's darkness for several decades.

To that end, this week will see hosts Mick and Adrienne welcome their guest, Mack Rawden, VP of Product for CinemaBlend's parent company GatewayBlend, as they discuss their top choices for true crime streaming. They'll also discuss why someone would enjoy watching in depth reports on horrible crimes and how they got into the genre. Then, talk will move to Mindhunter and everything there is to love or dislike about the show, which is based on the work of real FBI agents who interviewed serial killers in the hopes of using the information to solve ongoing cases. Ready to dive in? Great! Read on to get the lowdown on this week's podcast and then listen for yourself above!

5:14 -News! (Amazon Prime getting ads, Amazon producing LOTR show)

10:47 -Weekly Queue (Midsomer Murders, No Activity, Future Man)

18:03 -True Crime Streaming

18:10 -Why Adrienne doesn't watch True Crime

20:27 -Mack's Picks (Homicide Hunter, Forensic Files, The Keepers)

26:25 -Mick's Picks (Into the Abyss, Interview with a Serial Killer, H. H. Holmes: America's First Serial Killer)

33:48 -Mindhunter (Spoilers henceforth!)

35:20 -BTK's appearances in the show

41:03 -Are you a Holden or Tench?

44:18 -Ed Kemper

49:30 -What's up with Bill's kid?

52:38 -Who might they interview in Season 2?

56:53 -Game Time! The Unnamed Serial Killer Trivia Game

Now, get in on the fun and have a listen to The Cord Cutter Podcast #23! Join us next time when we get into a full spoiler discussion of The Punisher! And, be sure to subscribe to The Cord Cutter podcast on iTunes, right here and follow us on Twitter through @CordCutterPod!

Welcome to the 21st edition of The Cord Cutter Podcast! If you're anything like us, you've spent the last few days binging the hell out of Stranger Things Season 2, and now we're very excited because we can finally talk about it! After waiting for over a year to set our grubby little eyeballs on more Upside Down action, we've now been able to engage in some world class sitting-around-and-staring-at-the-TV-for-hours, and the heroes of Hawkins, Indiana did not disappoint.

There were some A+ moments in Season 2 of Stranger Things, and today Mick, Adrienne and their guest Corey Chichizola will unpack the many things to love about the new season. We'll also discuss our favorite new characters, the best performances, the questions we still have, give Barb some final love, talk about how the Mind Flayer worked as the Big Bad of the season and get to the bottom of the Jonathan vs. Steve debate. As with anything, though, we do have some points of contention with the new season, and you better believe that those will not be ignored (cough Billy cough). And, we'll also give our opinions on the brand spanking new aftershow, Beyond Stranger Things. Ready to dive in? Great! Read on to get the lowdown on this week's podcast and then listen for yourself above!

1:08 -News (House of Cards possible cancelation)

8:00 -The Weekly Queue (Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, Falsettos, Mindhunter)

13:33 -Stranger Things 1 vs 2 (Spoiler Talk Begins!)

20:57 -Best Character(s) in Season 2

32:29 -Will Hopper and Joyce ever get together?

35:42 -Controversial Episode 7

41:29 -Mind Flayer vs Demogorgon

48:55 -Team Jonathan or Team Steve?

50:20 -Beyond Stranger Things (After-show)

52:56 -Game Time! Stranger Things 2: Electric Boogaloo

Now, get in on the fun and have a listen to The Cord Cutter Podcast #21! And, be sure to subscribe to The Cord Cutter podcast on iTunes, right here and follow us on Twitter through @CordCutterPod!

Warning: mild spoilers ahead for Netflix's Mindhunter!

Even in the face of its overwhelming darkness and brooding atmosphere, Netflix's Mindhunter has managed to resonate with many fans. The David Fincher series explores some of the most demented aspects of serial killer pathology, but it also features almost no on-screen violence. I recently had the chance to sit down with Mindhunter's Jonathan Groff at a Netflix press day in Los Angeles, to ask him about why that omission of gore works for the show. And he explained that part of David Fincher's MO involves letting the audience members use their imagination for the brutality. Groff explained:

Film and television are predominately visual mediums, but that doesn't mean that everything needs to be shown on the screen. As Jonathan Groff laid out in our discussion; implying violence has helped the Mindhunter audience use its collective imagination to conjure up disturbing imagery that's arguably more effective than anything they could show you. Asking the audience to lean in and think about the murders instead of passively consuming them was a gamble, but it appears to be one that has paid off.

This idea is something that David Fincher has generally used well over the course of his career as a filmmaker. In particular, his work on 1995's Se7en similarly employed this technique -- as the victims of John Doe are almost always found long after their deaths. We almost never see anyone die on-screen in that particular film, but it has developed a reputation as one of the more disturbing and brutal films of the 1990s (if not of all time).

That's not to say that Mindhunter doesn't have its fair share of violence and brutality. The show opens with a brutal suicide by a deranged, gun-wielding criminal, and we see several crime scene photos that are nothing if not gory. However, the show leans far more on long dialogue sequences to build its tension and atmosphere (something that probably wouldn't be possible on a traditional network), and it has helped endow Mindhunter with an almost literary sensibility.

Mindhunter is currently streaming on Netflix, but you can check out CinemaBlend's fall premiere guide to see what else is on the horizon for the next few months! Beyond that, make sure to keep up with The Cord Cutter Podcast to listen to everything we here at CinemaBlend have to say about the world of streamable content!

Over the past few years, TV had quickly become a hub for exciting new stories, with major players from the film world transitioning over to the small screen. This includes The Social Network director David Fincher, who recently produced and directed Mindhunters on Netflix, in addition to his work developing House of Cards. Mindhunters is a crime drama that revolves around two members of the FBI's infant Behavioral Science Unit in the late 1970s. In typical Fincher style, the series is a slow burn that mostly revolves around dialogue heavy scenes and relatable characters. And its for this reason that series lead Jonathan Groff (Looking, Glee) thinks that it wouldn't fit in a conventional network or cable TV network.

CinemaBlend's Conner Schwerdtfeger spoke to the cast of Mindhunter at Netflix's recent press junket. It's here where Jonathan Groff revealed why Netflix is the perfect home for the series, saying:

Jonathan Groff certainly seems to be singing Netflix's praises, especially the control given to directors. This has been a common part of the conversation revolving around Netlix's original programming. The streaming service produces a ton of content, and is free from the logistical restraints that come with traditional TV. With no advertisers needed and the shows void of commercial breaks, directors can use their time more liberally. And for Mindhunters, its allowing the audience and characters to find themselves organically.

Holt McCallany is the other series lead, and spoke to the difference between Mindhunters and network TV as well. Specifically, that the pacing can be slowed and scenes can be longer and more exploratory.

This is another perk of streaming services like Netflix, Hulu, or Amazon. Because acts don't need to be cut in order to facilitate advertising, moments don't need to be as rushed. Mindhunters is mostly made up of longer scenes, especially when it comes down to Holden and Bill's interviews with various psychopaths.

Mindhunters' complete first season is now available on Netflix. The series has also been renewed for a second season, so expect more long scenes and slow burns in the future. In the meantime, check out our fall premiere list to plan your next binge watch.

Warning: spoilers ahead for Mindhunter Season 1! Read forward at your own risk!

Between 1995's Se7en, 2007's Zodiac, and now the new series, Mindhunter, it's pretty clear that David Fincher knows how to get into a killer's head. The freshman Netflix series took Jonathan Groff's increasingly cocky agent Holden Ford to some dark places in its first season, culminating in an Ed Kemper-induced panic attack that closed out the current arc. Holden's progression into darkness has led some viewers to theorize that he could become a killer himself, but Groff sat down with me at a recent Netflix press event and admitted that he's confused by those fan theories. The Frozen star explained:

The rationale for this fan theory stems from a few specific pieces of "evidence" that have popped up over the course of the Mindhunter's first season. Some have argued that Holden Ford meets many of the clinical requirements of a psychopath, as far as what's laid out by the show. His lack of empathy (coupled with his possibly troubled relationship with his mother) may suggest that he's not nearly as far away from a guy like Ed Kemper as he would want to admit.

That said, the progression of Holden's character and psyche is rooted in the trauma faced by real-life FBI profiler John Douglas. It's meant to show the dark ways that this experience affects Holden -- not necessarily to telegraph him eventually becoming a serial killer himself. Considering how many TV shows embrace plot-altering twists like that, it's perfectly reasonable for people to make such assumptions.

Beyond feeling baffled by the theories that Holden Ford could become a serial killer in Mindhunter Season 2 (which is reportedly in the works) or beyond, Jonathan Groff also told me that he doesn't think the FBI profiler has descended nearly as far as some have suggested.

In the end, it might be for the best that Holden isn't going as dark as some fans have assumed. For him to become a full-blown killer at some point during Mindhunter's run might read a little too close to the ending of Se7en -- which similarly sees Brad Pitt's Detective David Mills becoming the monster he was investigating by murdering serial killer John Doe. Holden's experiences with these killers is messing him up pretty badly, but we will have to wait and see exactly how this pans out as the show progresses.

Mindhunter is currently available to stream on Netflix, but if you're looking for more information on upcoming television content, make sure to take a look at CinemaBlend's fall TV premiere guide to keep yourself in the loop on everything set to debut this season!