If you haven't been watching HBO's smash-hit Summer series The Night Of, you're missing some of the best crime drama that American television screens have been graced with recently. Centered on Naz, accused of a heinous murder that he doesn't remember committing, The Night Of takes you through the criminal justice system and gives a shocking look at what it's like to be suspected of and tried for murder. If you've been watching, there's a 100 percent chance that at the end of Sunday's finale, you'll have a The Night Of-shaped hole in your life that must be filled immediately. But fear not! We've come up with 12 shows that will do just that.
1Criminal Justice
Image Source: BBC
The first place to turn after the credits roll on The Night Of is the original series that it's based on, Criminal Justice. While the first season is roughly the same sort of plot, it's got a lot of different details within it.
How to Get Away With Murder has the same frenetic, high-energy pacing that The Night Of has but also features a wickedly devious and sexy cast and continuous flashbacks that ease you into seeing both the crime and its aftermath. The first season focuses on the murder of a college student, and the second delves even further into the lives of the characters while they investigate a murder supposedly committed by a pair of siblings.
The lesser-known cousin of SVU, Criminal Intent focuses not on sex crimes or street crimes, but the especially complicated crimes. The show spends a lot of time on the "order" and very little time on the "law" portion, so there's much more action packed into each self-contained episode.
3 / 12
4Top of the Lake
Image Source: Wikipedia
Starring Elisabeth Moss and produced by the team who made The King's Speech, this drama tracks the disappearance of a 12-year-old girl and the subsequent investigation that turns her home town upside down. The community is the biggest character in this show: imagine The Night Of but set in a town where the entire police force has their eyes on something other than justice.
When Making a Murderer came out last year, it changed the paradigm of true crime TV. Just recently, the show led to the release of one of the men put behind bars during filming. If you want to see the real-life version of The Night Of, this is the show for you.
5 / 12
6The Shadow Line
Image Source: BBC
This is a crime tale told from two sides: from the authorities investigating the act and from the criminals trying to figure out who perpetrated the specific crime. While it's often unclear who is on either side — the title The Shadow Line refers to the boundary between criminals and police — it's a riveting tale that will have you guessing until the very, very end.
Centered on the true story of Robert Durst, HBO's hit docuseries follows the attempts to imprison a man suspected of a handful of crimes. Unfortunately, he has lot of money and power to hide behind. Durst is the virtual opposite of Naz, and it's an interesting comparison to see how the other half deals with the criminal justice system.
Stylistically, Fargo completely different show than The Night Of — but it too is a drama in which a crime is committed, but the real story is the aftermath of that crime and how it changes all the people connected to it. It's a great follow-up with a much, much lighter tone.
8 / 12
9Luther
Image Source: bbcamerica.com
Troubled British detective Luther (Idris Elba) investigates crimes in an unconventional manner: he's ruthless and won't stop until he gets to the truth — no matter what it costs. Not unlike John Stone, his quirks make you love him in a way that makes it difficult to be mad at him . . . regardless of how crazy he acts.
The dramatized version of the 1996 O.J. Simpson murder trial was the must-watch show of early 2016, and there's a reason why: even if you know the case inside and out, the acting and storytelling keeps you glued to your seat.
Not everyone was a huge fan of season two, but the original Matthew McConaughey/Woody Harrelson season — centered on two detectives retelling a crime they investigated almost 20 years prior — is unlike anything you've ever seen. In the same way that you can't miss a moment of The Night Of, it's nearly impossible to look away from True Detective, as you might miss a crucial detail the changes everything.
There have been two seasons of American Crime so far (a third is forthcoming in 2017), and the ABC show features the same actors in different roles, tackling the most pressing issues in America today: drugs, race, and violence, all through the lens of everyday people like those next door.
