Shows like Columbo: 20 to watch next
If you loved Columbo (1971) — a crime, drama and mystery series created by William Link and Richard Levinson — these 20 shows are the closest matches.
The first picks are what fans of Columbo most often go on to watch; the rest share its genres and themes like detective, affectation and murder. 3 of them are streaming in India right now — each entry shows where.
Where to watch Columbo →·Get picks for your whole taste →
- 1
Baretta 1975★ 6.5
Shares: Crime, Drama, Mystery
Baretta is an American detective television series which ran on ABC from 1975 to 1978. The show was a milder version of a successful 1973–74 ABC series, Toma, starring Tony Musante as chameleon-like, real-life New Jersey police officer David Toma. While popular, Toma received intense criticism at the time for its realistic and frequent depiction of police and criminal violence. When Musante left the series after a single season, the concept was retooled as Baretta, with Robert Blake in the title role.
Not on subscription streaming in India right now
- 2
Dragnet 1967★ 7.0
Shares: Crime, Drama, Mystery
Police Detective Sgt. Joe Friday and his partners investigate crimes in Los Angeles.
Not on subscription streaming in India right now
- 3
Vera 2011★ 7.4
Shares: Crime, Drama, Mystery
A sharp detective with a messy life, DCI Vera Stanhope patrols her “patch” of northeast England, pursuing the truth in cases of murder, kidnapping, and blackmail. Vera is obsessive about her work and faces the world with caustic wit, guile and courage.
Not on subscription streaming in India right now
- 4
77 Sunset Strip 1958★ 7.2
Shares: Crime, Drama, Mystery
Stu Bailey and Jeff Spencer are the wisecracking, womanizing private-detective heroes of this Warner Brothers drama. They work out of an office located at 77 Sunset Strip in Los Angeles, California, right next door to a snazzy restaurant where Kookie works as a valet. The finger-snapping, slang-talking Kookie occasionally helps Stu and Jeff with their cases, and eventually becomes a full-fledged member of the detective agency. Rex Randolph and J.R. Hale also join the firm, and Suzanne is their leggy secretary.
Not on subscription streaming in India right now
- 5
Kojak 1973★ 7.3
Shares: Crime, Drama, Mystery
A bald, lollipop sucking police detective with a fiery righteous attitude battles crime in New York City.
Not on subscription streaming in India right now
- 6
Barnaby Jones 1973★ 7.0
Shares: Crime, Drama, Mystery
Barnaby Jones is a television detective series starring Buddy Ebsen and Lee Meriwether as father- and daughter-in-law who run a private detective firm in Los Angeles. The show ran on CBS from January 28, 1973 to April 3, 1980, beginning as a midseason replacement. William Conrad guest starred as Frank Cannon of Cannon on the first episode of Barnaby Jones, "Requiem for a Son" and the two series had a two-part crossover episode in 1975, "The Deadly Conspiracy".
Not on subscription streaming in India right now
- 7
The Mentalist 2008★ 8.4
Shares: Crime, Drama, Mystery
Patrick Jane, a former celebrity psychic medium, uses his razor sharp skills of observation and expertise at "reading" people to solve serious crimes with the California Bureau of Investigation.
Stream in India on Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Prime Video with Ads
- 8
Murder, She Wrote 1984★ 7.5
Shares: Mystery, Crime, Drama
An unassuming mystery writer turned sleuth uses her professional insight to help solve real-life homicide cases.
Not on subscription streaming in India right now
- 9
Dragnet 1951★ 6.5
Shares: Drama, Crime
Follows the cases of a dedicated Los Angeles police detective, Sergeant Joe Friday, and his partners. The show takes its name from the police term "dragnet", meaning a system of coordinated measures for apprehending criminals or suspects.
Stream in India on Tubi TV, Plex
- 10
Diagnosis: Murder 1993★ 7.1
Shares: Drama, Mystery, Crime
Dr. Mark Sloan is a good-natured, offbeat physician who is called upon to solve murders.
Not on subscription streaming in India right now
- 11
Agatha Christie's Poirot 1989★ 8.2
Shares: Crime, Drama, Mystery
From England to Egypt, accompanied by his elegant and trustworthy sidekicks, the intelligent yet eccentrically-refined Belgian detective Hercule Poirot pits his wits against a collection of first class deceptions.
Stream in India on VI movies and tv
- 12
Hudson & Rex 2019★ 8.4
Shares: Drama, Crime
Detective Charlie Hudson teams up with what he calls his "highly trained law enforcement animal" German Shepherd dog named Rex who he prefers to team up with because he doesn't talk his ear off. Based on the Austrian–Italian series, Kommissar Rex.
Not on subscription streaming in India right now
- 13
Jake and the Fatman 1987★ 6.2
Shares: Drama, Crime
Jake and the Fatman is a television crime drama starring William Conrad as prosecutor J. L. "Fatman" McCabe and Joe Penny as investigator Jake Styles. The series ran on CBS for five seasons from 1987 to 1992. Diagnosis: Murder was a spin-off of this series.
Not on subscription streaming in India right now
- 14
Murder in Suburbia 2004★ 7.5
Shares: Drama, Mystery, Crime
Murder in Suburbia was a British detective drama that ran for two series in 2004 and 2005. Detective Inspector Kate Ashurst, a graduate of a posh girls' academy, has a sharp, analytical mind; her working-class partner, Detective Sergeant Emma Scribbins, relies on her instincts. Together this sassy, sexy investigative team uncovers the dark urges behind suburban Middleford's placid façade.
Not on subscription streaming in India right now
- 15
Elementary 2012★ 7.6
Shares: Drama, Mystery, Crime
A modern-day drama about a crime-solving duo that cracks the NYPD's most impossible cases. Following his fall from grace in London and a stint in rehab, eccentric Sherlock escapes to Manhattan where his wealthy father forces him to live with his worst nightmare - a sober companion, Dr. Watson.
Not on subscription streaming in India right now
- 16
Endeavour 2013★ 8.1
Shares: Crime, Drama, Mystery
The early days of a young Endeavour Morse, whose experiences as a detective constable with the Oxford City Police will ultimately shape his future.
Not on subscription streaming in India right now
- 17
Homicide: Life on the Street 1993★ 8.1
Shares: Mystery, Drama, Crime
An American police procedural chronicling the work of a fictional version of the Baltimore Police Department's Homicide Unit.
Not on subscription streaming in India right now
- 18
The Inspector Lynley Mysteries 2002★ 7.4
Shares: Crime, Drama
DS Barbara Havers is assigned to work with the upper-crust DI Thomas Lynley to solve murders.
Not on subscription streaming in India right now
- 19
The Glades 2010★ 7.0
Shares: Crime, Drama
This crime series follows Jim, a Chicago cop who gets kicked off the force after being shot and wrongfully accused by his ex-captain of having an affair with his wife. After receiving his payout, Jim decides to moves to a small Florida town to join the state police.
Not on subscription streaming in India right now
- 20
The Mysteries of Laura 2014★ 7.2
Shares: Mystery, Crime, Drama
Laura Diamond, a brilliant NYPD homicide detective balances her “Columbo” day job with a crazy family life that includes two unruly twin boys and a soon-to-be ex-husband — also a cop — who just can't seem to sign the divorce papers. Between cleaning up after her boys and cleaning up the streets, she’d be the first to admit she has her “hot mess” moments in this hilariously authentic look at what it really means to be a “working mom” today. Somehow, she makes it all work with the help of her sexy and understanding partner, and things becomes even more complicated when her husband, ironically, becomes her boss at the precinct. For Laura, every day is a high-wire balancing act.
Not on subscription streaming in India right now