As you can see, cop shows or crime shows are all over today’s TV. Which one should you watch?
We are currently living in the golden era of TV. Many big screen actors can be seen working on some of the best TV shows lately. The most popular genre among those is crime. Hence, this list of 10 cop shows.
What makes cop shows interesting is the fact that they come with new plot, new mystery, and new drama in every single episode. The writers seem never ran out of ideas of crime stories to tell. Sadly, they are inspired by our day to day life.
Perhaps each of these shows has similar pattern of problem solving week by week, but the characters and their developments keep the show interesting.
Take a look at these brief review of ten cop shows I recommend for you to put on your to watch list. The main cast salary per episode is included.
10. CSI: Crime Scene Investigation / CSI: Miami / CSI: New York / CSI: Cyber
Let’s start with the pioneer of scientific cop shows, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation. The show started in 2000. Since then, it had been going on until last year’s 15th season.
Although the show ended last year, it has grown into several other CSI series, such as CSI: Miami, CSI: New York, and the latest one CSI: Cyber starring Oscars winning actress, Patricia Arquette. Ted Danson, who plays D.B. Russell, crossed over from CSI to CSI: Cyber when the main show ended.
The premise of the show is an elite team of police forensic evidence investigation experts working on murder cases in Las Vegas. CSI lab is equipped by modern technology, making it the high-end crime solving team.
Each of the CSI series offers you a plot of interesting characters beside the crime stories solved in each episode. Are you familiar with Horatio’s famous flick-your-sunglasses move? You would carry the same swag if you have $35 million of net worth in your bag. The actor, David Caruso, is paid $375,000 per episode of CSI: Miami.
9. The Closer / Major Crimes
The Closer is a great example of playing each character interesting. Unlike most cop shows, the detectives in this show are less muscular, less righteous, and less attractive. But they are so interesting to watch.
Take a look at Deputy Chief Brenda-Leigh Johnson, the only woman in the picture. She is the leader of the group. She wears dress, high-heels, and carries around a big woman purse (even to the interrogation room).
The show started in 2005 and ended on its 7th season in 2012 due to Kyra Sedgwick’s (Chief Johnson) decision to leave the show that gave her most of her $16 million net worth. Kevin Bacon’s wife said she wanted to end it while they are on top. She left a $350,000 paycheck per episode.
However, the show continues on a spin-off series, Major Crimes. The majority of the casts of The Closer continue their crime solving actions this June on its 5th season.
8. Blindspot
The picture says it all. A girl, played by Jaimie Alexander, was found inside a bag in Time Square. She was naked and her body is fully covered by tattoos. She is later named Jane Doe, because she didn’t remember who she was.
Each of her tattoos revealed a major case about to be happened. The FBI, led by Kurt Weller, solve each of these cases every episode. This show, started just last year, is different compared to other cop shows, because its premise is a global conspiracy.
Another reason to watch this show (besides looking at Jaimie Alexander’s smoking hot body) is the fact that it leads us figuring out who is the bad guy and who is the good guy. It is all in a gray area.
Plus, where else you can see Lady Sif of Asgard from Thor and Themistocles of Sparta from 300: Rise of The Empire hook up? Jaimie is rumored to receive $500,000 per episode of this action packed series.
7. NCIS / NCIS: Los Angeles / NCIS: New Orleans
NCIS covers different aspect of crimes compared to other cop shows. As it stands for Naval Criminal Investigative Service, the premise of the show is a team solving murder case related to the marine.
The show started back in 2003. It was rumored to end in its 10th season, but it is still keep going until today on its 15th season. There were a few changes in the casts, but the main characters remain the same.
Mark Harmon, who is starring the show as Leroy Jethro Gibbs, is also one of the producers of the show and other NCIS series, NCIS: New Orleans. Sometimes, the two shows cross over. Mark Harmon is paid $500,000 per episode.
Another branch of the show is NCIS: Los Angeles starring Chris O’Donnell and LL Cool J. The three NCIS series are still on going up until today.
6. iZombie
Braaaaaains! Yes, like other zombies, Liv Moore loves brain. Olivia “Liv” Moore, is a medical student who turned into a zombie. She must eat human brains to maintain her humanity and to keep her turning into those gruesome zombies we know.
If CSI and The Walking Dead had a baby, iZombie will be the result. Liv works in a coroner’s office to access the brains of the dead. Then she found out that eating those brains gives her that person’s memories and traits. With that, she helps the homicide detective to solve the murder.
Besides the week by week crime solving, iZombie also offers a bigger plot of zombie attack conspiracy. It is some sort of a slow way towards the zombie apocalyptic world because Liv is not the only human-zombie in town.
Rose McIver, the actress, is now one of the rising star. She has a net worth of $2 million. Most of them come from her rumored salary of $200,000 per episode of iZombie. The show started in 2015 and is now waiting on its third season.
5. The Mentalist
Unlike most cop shows which offers crime solving as the main plot, The Mentalist offers the main character’s story as the main plot and the crime revolves around him.
Patrick Jane is a smart man. He pays attention to details. He reads people’s expression. He used those skills to be a con artist, pretending he was a psychic. Until he insulted a mysterious serial killer called Red John who later murdered his entire family brutally.
The show, started in 2008, covered the whole Jane’s hunt on Red John. He works for the CBI (then later FBI) for week to week crime solving plot. The show ended on its 7th season in 2015.
Jane’s unique and mad way in solving crime is the main reason to watch this show. The actor, Simon Baker, was paid $350,000 per episode of The Mentalist.
4. Bones
While other cop shows respond on a fresh murder case, the team in Bones solves murder cases from a dead body that is so decomposed beyond FBI forensic standard that it could not be recognized anymore.
Just like the title, Bones, the team investigate the murder from the victim’s bones. The main character of this show is Dr. Temperance Brennan, a.k.a Bones. She is a brilliant forensic anthropologist. Besides her genius brain, her awkward way in socializing is also interesting to watch.
Her partner, who later became her husband, FBI Agent Seeley Booth is played by David Boreanaz. He was the star of Buffy: The Vampire Slayer. Boreanaz is paid $250,000 per episode of Bones.
The show started in 2005 and is waiting on its 12th season in 2017. That’s a lot of bones to investigate!
3. Law & Order: SVU (Special Victims Unit) / CI (Criminal Intent)
Law & Order is the oldest among other cop shows that is still running up until now. It is so famous that you can still hear their famous “Ding-Ding” in your head.
The show is so groundbreaking that they make five series of Law & Order. The first and the oldest is The Law & Order which started in 1990. It ended in 2010 on its 20th season. Two decades of TV show, not many shows can last that long on TV.
The other series are Law & Order: SVU (Special Victims Unit), Criminal Intent, Los Angeles, and London. The most popular and iconic is the Law & Order: SVU. Started in 1999, Law & Order SVU is on its 17th season.
The premise of the show is an elite squad of NYPD detective investigating sexually and child related crimes. The star of the show for the whole 17 seasons is Mariska Hargitay. She is paid $400,000 per episode.
2. Rizzoli & Isles
Rizzoli & Isles started in 2010. Unlike the mainstream of other cop shows which tandem male-female police partner, this show offers an interesting female-female partnership in solving crime.
Jane Rizzoli and Maura Isles are two opposites of individuals. Rizzoli is a tomboy and reckless Boston Police Department Detective while Isles is a feminine and smart Chief Medical Examiner.
The show offers a fun family and friendship story evolving within the crime solving plot. Rizzoli’s family offers a common Italian family story: butt heads between siblings and controlling mother. While Isles’s family comes from a background of Irish mafia.
Angie Harmon (Rizzoli) is paid $185,000 per episode. While Sasha Alexander (Isles), who were also on NCIS, is rumored to be paid $150,000 per episode. The show is still running and its 7th season will start next June.
1. Criminal Minds / Criminal Minds: Suspect Behavior / Criminal Minds: Beyond Border
Last but not least is Criminal Minds. This show offers a more thrilling plot of solving crime. Not because it is all packed in suspense, but because the premise of the show is an elite FBI squad catching serial killers. So in every episode, there are more than one gruesome murder committed by sick people.
The squad is called the BAU (Behavioral Analysis Unit). It consists of six special agents and one technical analyst. The team consists of various characters. Among them are Derek Morgan (portrayed by Shemar Moore) as the brawn and Dr. Spencer Reid (portrayed by Matthew Gray Gubler) as the brain.
The show started in 2005 and is still running on its 11th episode today. This show has another two series. Criminal Minds: Suspect Behavior was on air for one season only in 2011. The latest series, Criminal Minds: Beyond Border, is on air for its first season this year.
Matthew Gray Gubler is paid $100,000 per episode. It is relatively low compared to other cop shows, but it is only fair because Criminal Minds has seven main characters to share the screen time with.
