12 Best TV Shows Like FBI

With a combination of rock-’em, sock-’em action and a whole lot of interpersonal drama, “FBI” explores life in the New York City field office of the titular Federal Bureau of Investigation. While the central cast’s main focus is on keeping New York City safe, they do sometimes journey out of the Big Apple to take on dangerous cases elsewhere. The crimes they take on can involve everything from dealing with the mob to matters of counterintelligence, spycraft, and terrorism. Much like its departed brethren, “FBI: International” and “FBI: Most Wanted,” the cases the show explores are typically one-and-done episode storylines.

While the series’ central figures have come and gone over time, the main characters as of this writing are Maggie Bell (Missy Peregrym), who comes from a law enforcement family, and Omar Adom “OA” Zidan (Zeeko Zaki), who went to West Point and was once an Army Ranger. They oversee a crack team willing to do what they must to keep New York as relatively peaceful as they can — without killing or injuring too many people around them.

No other drama is exactly like “FBI,” but there are plenty of police procedurals that take place in New York City and plenty of shows that heavily involve the FBI or CIA. For every “Blue Bloods,” there’s a “Law & Order,” “N3mbers,” or “CSI.” Here are the best shows out there that carry the same spirit as “FBI” but manage to stand out in completely unique ways.

The much-beloved and sorely missed “Blue Bloods” has a lot in common with “FBI” besides the fact that the show’s central family, the Reagans, worked with the Bureau on various cases. The series is set in New York City and deals with romantic and friendly complications, just like “FBI,” and it also occasionally concentrates on acts of terrorism and espionage. The twist it brings to the table is that every member of the Reagan clan is involved with some branch of law enforcement, making this a family affair versus a relatively straightforward business arrangement.

“Blue Bloods” is centered around police commissioner Frank Reagan (Tom Selleck), whose children have all become involved with the law enforcement world, mostly as detectives and beat cops. Daughter Erin (Bridget Moynahan) is the only exception, being Bureau Chief of the Trial Bureau in the New York County District Attorney’s Office. The family is watched over by retired patriarch Henry (Len Cariou), who dispenses great advice and occasionally lends some investigative help as the show goes on.

While the series has concluded its long run, son Danny Reagan (Donnie Wahlberg) will move on to a spin-off called “Boston Blue” in the fall of 2025. With that in mind, now’s just the right time to catch up on the family’s story.

A fairly nifty twist on the FBI procedural show, “Blindspot” takes your average case-a-week series and gives viewers a main character with amnesia. When your central figure doesn’t even understand what’s going on with every new case they take on, an extra layer of confusion is added, and the mystery doubles. Audiences agreed, as the show lasted for a solid five seasons before coming to a conclusion. While it’s got a more extensive overarching storyline than “FBI,” fans who love the latter show’s one-and-done mysteries will likely adore the cases of the week on “Blindspot.”

When Jane Doe (Jaimie Alexander) is found nude, alone, and stuffed in a suitcase in Times Square, she has no idea who she is or what’s happened to her. The FBI puts her under protective custody, which results in the discovery that she has a set of skills that only someone who’s worked in intelligence could possess. Jane soon finds herself working for the FBI while rediscovering her past and exploring the possibility of new love with her handler, FBI agent Kurt Weller (Sullivan Stapleton). It’s a fun, revelatory journey that keeps the audience riveted to the screen.

The granddaddy of every forensics-centered procedural, “CSI” combines life in a Las Vegas Crime Lab with its characters’ personal lives outside of the force. The show’s very popular crime scene investigators use their forensic knowledge to figure out who murdered whom and why, resulting in many an entertaining thrill ride. Without “CSI,” there would be no “NCIS,” no “FBI,” and, certainly, the CBS prime-time lineup would be far duller for it.

The show’s two central characters for much of its run were Dr. Gil Grissom (William Petersen) and Sara Sidle (Jorja Fox), whose on-again, off-again relationship powers much of the show. Grissom is an awkward forensic entomologist, while Sidle is a tough materials and element analyst. After their marriage goes sour and she leaves the show, Sidle is replaced by Catherine Willows (Marg Helgenberger), a hard-nosed, driven blood spatter specialist. Willows has seen the seedy side of life and balances out Grissom’s lack of street smarts with her own brio and toughness.

Of course, they’re just three cogs in the series’ primary plot that has many twists, turns, and character changeups over the years. In time, both of them are tested to their limits but ultimately manage to survive. While their colleagues rotate in and out of the show, cases are solved and new criminals are brought in — just like they are in “FBI.” The show was briefly revived as “CSI: Vegas” but was canceled once again after three seasons.

Another key member of iconic procedural shows, “NCIS” focuses on crimes that are usually committed against or by members of the military — usually murders, kidnappings, or robberies that require forensic intervention. The Naval Criminal Investigative Service scours murder scenes and copes with missing persons reports, combining forensics and investigative know-how to crack cases. Fans of “FBI” are likely already dedicated to the “NCIS” formula of grisly stories, mysteries that take multiple twists and turns, and personal entanglements that leave the audience reaching for the popcorn.

Formerly headed by Leroy Jethro Gibbs (Mark Harmon), the “NCIS” team is both a deeply syncopated working union and a surrogate family for many of its members — just like the “FBI” crew. They back each other up on and off the clock, support each other when times get tough, and sometimes date and marry one another. But most of the time, they spend their days dodging danger and trying to solve cases that imperil both them and America at large. Some cases can be wild, some can be dark — but the best thing about “NCIS” is you never know for sure which you’ll get.

Set in New York City and dealing with crimes that are both heinous and nightmarish, “Law & Order” established the kind of procedural legal drama that made “FBI” possible. Following a single case from the discovery of the victim to the trial of the accused and their verdict, the show’s probing of the legal system and its ills and benefits has defined the police-and-prosecutor-centered drama since the 1990s. It’s impossible to imagine a TV landscape without its existence, which is perhaps the highest compliment anyone can pay the show and the sprawling franchise that spun out of it.

While the series has had many a memorable character pass through its hallowed halls over the years, individuals like the dry-eyed but wry Lennie Briscoe (Jerry Orbach), the stalwart Anita Van Buren (S. Epatha Merkerson), and the steady but passionate Jack McCoy (Sam Waterston) are all but synonymous with the brand. Fans of the show might debate which era is the best, but it’s hard to deny that every detective passing through the series has left a big impact on the “Law & Order” world, no matter who’s leading the investigation.

Stylish and filled with crimes that would make Lennie Briscoe’s eyes water, “NUMB3RS” combines family drama with math, science, and grisly murder to make audiences sit up and take notice. Fans were so passionate about the adventures of the Eppes family that they helped the drama last for six seasons of murder, jaw-dropping cases, and family bonding. “FBI” fans will appreciate the show’s big brain as much as its gruesome crimes.

The series ostensibly revolves around Don Eppes (Rob Morrow), the head of Los Angeles’ violent crimes squad. Even though he’s a fantastic detective, he knows he needs help to solve some of the cold cases that are stuck on his docket. To achieve this goal, he enlists his younger brother, Professor Charlie Eppes (David Krumholtz), who is already an FBI consultant and a mathematical genius, to help out on all of his open cases. The brothers form a team, often engaging further help from their city planner pop, Alan Eppes (Judd Hirsch), who dispenses good advice and provides both brothers with a sounding board. While the family doesn’t always get along, they love each other, know what to do to solve any crisis, and aren’t afraid to use everything at their disposal to get there.

Revolving around two criminal profilers, both of whom have a deep desire for justice and a history of coping with criminal elements on a very personal level, “Profiler” has edge, verve, and a personality that made Saturdays on NBC a must-watch night for thriller fans. “FBI” fans will enjoy the show’s pursuit of its case of the week while applying a supernatural twist to the series. They’ll likely feel right at home with the plot while enjoying the cheese “Profiler” has to offer.

Dr. Samantha “Sam” Waters (Ally Walker) is a criminal profiler who’s blessed with an extrasensory gift — she can see life through the eyes of others. That helps her understand, track down, and identify criminals for a fictional FBI-like organization that has taken up protecting her. It also helps Sam achieve her ultimate goal — finding a serial killer known as Jack of All Trades, who killed her husband and whose psychopathic tendencies have resulted in Sam living under constant lock and key. Sam never gets full restitution regarding Jack, and she’s ultimately sent into hiding and is replaced on the team by Rachel Burke (Jamie Luner) late in the series’ run. The switch proved unpopular with fans and resulted in a ratings plunge that led to the show’s cancellation, but the series as a whole is a fascinating look at what happens when a gritty cop show meets a supernatural stalker tale.

“Without a Trace” is another rock-solid procedural that knew exactly what its viewers wanted and delivered it week in and week out. Like “FBI,” it has hardworking investigators who are trying to solve crime and make the lives of New Yorkers easier. But this particular group of FBI agents has a specialty; they work for the Missing Persons Unit and are entirely focused on rescuing people who have disappeared or trying to find justice for people who have vanished into thin air only to later be hurt or murdered.

The majority of the show featured Jack Malone (Anthony LaPaglia), Samantha Spade (Poppy Montgomery), Vivian Johnson (Marianne Jean-Baptiste), Danny Taylor (Enrique Murciano), and Martin Fitzgerald (Eric Close). Together, they save children, take down bad guys, and try to restore peace and joy to the lives of New Yorkers. Fans of “CSI” will be delighted to note that it not only takes place in the same universe but the shows crossed over multiple times. So if you’re familiar with “CSI,” you can move right into “Without a Trace” without missing a step.

“Fringe” takes the supernatural aura of “Profiler” and adds a whole new twist to it. Initially starting off as a cross between “The X-Files” and a cop procedural, Olivia Dunham (Anna Torv) finds herself pitted against supernatural forces and unexplained phenomena on a weekly basis, leaving her to sort out what’s fiction and what’s reality. It’s a creative twist on the genre, resulting in a show that maintains a cult following to this day and is a series fans of “FBI” will really enjoy.

Working for a (fictional) fringe division of the FBI (just one of the show’s “X-Files” similarities) in Boston, Olivia doesn’t have the luxury of being skeptical like Dana Scully. Instead, she’s immediately plunged into the thick of a mysterious incident that could very well explain her long-obscured childhood, forcing Olivia to quickly learn that there’s more to life than meets the eye. Traveling across dimensions while learning more and more about the past that she’s forgotten, Olivia throws herself into the mystery surrounding her life, leading to an ultimate confrontation. The show manages a fine balance between one-and-done cases and its mythical arc, with “Fringe’s” best episodes taking the audience on a well-balanced trip through the show’s strangest and most unusual stories.

Instead of an ensemble, “The Blacklist” focuses tightly on its two central characters, Raymond Reddington (James Spader) and rookie FBI agent Liz Keen (Megan Boone). While the show definitely has a different feeling to it, it’s still a great series, and the world it builds and the cases it deals with will be familiar and appealing to any fan of “FBI.”

Reddington is an odd duck, a criminal kingpin who was once a naval intelligence officer. Knowing the jig is up on his life of crime, he surrenders himself to the FBI and agrees to help them hunt down the members of the titular blacklist, a compilation of the wicked villains with whom he has been consorting over the past two decades. In exchange, Reddington receives immunity — but he only agrees to the deal if he can work with Liz, an unknown rookie, for mysterious reasons. Liz soon finds herself caught between her loyalty to the FBI and the continued confusion over Reddington’s real identity. As they form a personal relationship, audiences are in for a wild ride, and you won’t know where it’s heading before the series’ final curtain comes down.

Between their sprawling casts, their team-as-family presentations, and their pursuit of justice for victims everywhere, “Criminal Minds” and “FBI” definitely share some police procedural DNA. “Criminal Minds” follows members of the Behavioral Analysis Unit of the FBI whose work as criminal profilers tracks down mysterious, unidentified assailants, or “unsubs” — unknown perpetrators of crimes. Using a combination of cutting-edge technology, DNA evidence, and investigational muscle, they bring in their targets every single episode. It’s notably more violent than “FBI,” to the point that original star Mandy Patinkin left the show because he found the content too disturbing. Nonetheless, it knows how to please and has thrilled audiences for two decades.

The sprawling cast has undergone many changes over the years. Currently, the group heading up “Criminal Minds: Evolution” — which has served as a continuation of the original series over the last three seasons and counting via Paramount+ — are David Rossi (Joe Mantegna), Jennifer “JJ” Jareau (A. J. Cook), Penelope Garcia (Kirsten Vangsness), Dr. Tara Lewis (Aisha Tyler), Luke Alvez (Adam Rodriguez), Tyler Green (RJ Hatanaka), Elias Voit (Zach Gilford), and Emily Prentiss (Paget Brewster). No matter the lineup, “FBI” fans will likely enjoy sinking their teeth right into the “Criminal Minds” team’s world.

“The Mentalist” is more fearless with its emotions than the other shows mentioned on this list, but it still has a serious core and heart with quite a dark mystery at its center. The series follows a fake psychic who lies about his skills in order to entrap the serial killer who murdered his wife and child. The show has a case-of-the-week format that will be familiar to “FBI” fans, and even though the adventures are sweeter, they’re still hard-boiled enough to make audience members care about the series’ stakes.

Patrick Jane (Simon Baker) has the ability to “cold read” people. Many believe he’s psychic thanks to this skill, and he once plied his trade as a medium because of this, but now, his “power” has landed him a job with the California Bureau of Investigation, where he’s put to work solving murders. While he helps Agent Teresa Lisbon (Robin Tunney) solve crimes for the Bureau, his ultimate goal is to track down the killer known as Red John. Over the course of the show, he manages just that — though some fans were unhappy with the results — while falling in love with Lisbon.