Dark TV Shows

2026 • Rating 10.0 • crime, mystery, drama

A fiercely competitive police officer and an idealistic prosecutor, former high school classmates, reunite while investigating a nationwide serial murder case, pulling them into both a dangerous pursuit and an unresolved personal past.

Genre: Crime, Mystery, Drama

Style: Cerebral, Dark, Gritty, Suspenseful

Audience: Adult, Date Night

Plot: Detective, Investigation, Police, Serial Killer, Buddy Cop, Police Procedural, Crime Thriller, A Fiercely Competitive Police Officer And An Idealistic Prosecutor, Former High School Classmates, Reunite While Investigating A Nationwide Serial Murder Case

Time: Year 2026, 2020S, 2026-04-20

Place: South Korea, Korean

Cast: Park Hae-soo, Lee Hee-jun, Kwak Sun-young, Seo Ji-hye, Jung Moon-sung, Bek Hyun-jin

2008 • Rating 8.9 • drama, crime

Walter White, a New Mexico chemistry teacher, is diagnosed with Stage III cancer and given a prognosis of only two years left to live. He becomes filled with a sense of fearlessness and an unrelenting desire to secure his family's financial future at any cost as he enters the dangerous world of drugs and crime.

Genre: Drama, Crime

Style: Dark, Futuristic, Gritty, Suspenseful

Audience: Adult, Date Night

Plot: New Mexico, Drug Dealer, Melancholy, Narcissism, Psychopath, Terminal Illness, Outlaw, Dark Comedy, Cancer, Tragedy

Time: Year 2008, 2000S, 2008-01-20

Place: United States Of America, English, German, Spanish, Future City

Cast: Bryan Cranston, Aaron Paul, Anna Gunn, RJ Mitte, Dean Norris, Betsy Brandt

2021 • Rating 8.8 • animation, action & adventure, sci-fi & fantasy

Amid the stark discord of twin cities Piltover and Zaun, two sisters fight on rival sides of a war between magic technologies and clashing convictions.

Genre: Animation, Action & Adventure, Sci-Fi & Fantasy

Style: Dark

Audience: Family, Teens

Plot: Magic, War Of Independence, Class Differences, Battle, Based On Video Game, Death In Family, Adult Animation, Dark Fantasy, Warrior, Broken Family

Time: Year 2021, 2020S, 2021-11-06

Place: France, United States Of America, English

Cast: Hailee Steinfeld, Ella Purnell

2015 • Rating 8.7 • crime, drama

Six years before Saul Goodman meets Walter White. We meet him when the man who will become Saul Goodman is known as Jimmy McGill, a small-time lawyer searching for his destiny, and, more immediately, hustling to make ends meet. Working alongside, and, often, against Jimmy, is “fixer” Mike Ehrmantraut. The series tracks Jimmy’s transformation into Saul Goodman, the man who puts “criminal” in “criminal lawyer".

Genre: Crime, Drama

Style: Dark, Gritty, Suspenseful

Audience: Adult, Date Night

Plot: Criminal Lawyer, And, New Mexico, Moral Conflict, Crooked Lawyer, Prequel, Romance, Dark Comedy, Family Relationships, Tragedy

Time: Year 2015, 2010S, 2015-02-08

Place: United States Of America, English, German, Spanish

Cast: Bob Odenkirk, Jonathan Banks, Rhea Seehorn, Tony Dalton, Giancarlo Esposito

2013 • Rating 8.7 • animation, sci-fi & fantasy, action & adventure

100 years ago, the last remnants of humanity were forced to retreat behind the towering walls of a fortified city to escape the massive, man-eating Titans that roamed the land outside their fortress. Only the members of the Scouting Legion dared to stray beyond the safety of the walls – but even those brave warriors seldom returned alive. Those within the city clung to the illusion of a peaceful existence until the day that dream was shattered, and their slim chance at survival was reduced to one horrifying choice: kill – or be devoured!

Genre: Animation, Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Action & Adventure

Style: Cerebral, Dark, Mind Bending, Surreal, Suspenseful

Audience: Adult, Family

Plot: Fascism, Dystopia, Politics, Revenge, Gore, Survival, Tragedy, Giant Monster, Based On Manga, Super Power

Time: Year 2013, 2010S, 2013-04-07

Place: Japan, Japanese

Cast: Yuki Kaji, Yui Ishikawa, Marina Inoue, Kisho Taniyama, Hiro Shimono, Yoshimasa Hosoya

2019 • Rating 8.6 • animation, action & adventure, sci-fi & fantasy

After a demon attack leaves his family slain and his sister cursed, Tanjiro embarks upon a perilous journey to find a cure and avenge those he's lost.

Genre: Animation, Action & Adventure, Sci-Fi & Fantasy

Style: Dark

Audience: Adult, Family, Teens

Plot: Sibling Relationship, Swordplay, Sword, Magic, Training, Supernatural, Undead, Tragedy, Coming Of Age, Based On Manga

Time: Year 2019, 2010S, 2019-04-06

Place: Japan, Japanese

Cast: Natsuki Hanae, Akari Kito, Hiro Shimono, Yoshitsugu Matsuoka, Nobuhiko Okamoto, Takahiro Sakurai

2006 • Rating 8.6 • animation, mystery, sci-fi & fantasy

Light Yagami is an ace student with great prospects—and he’s bored out of his mind. But all that changes when he finds the Death Note, a notebook dropped by a rogue Shinigami death god. Any human whose name is written in the notebook dies, and Light has vowed to use the power of the Death Note to rid the world of evil. But will Light succeed in his noble goal, or will the Death Note turn him into the very thing he fights against?

Genre: Animation, Mystery, Sci-Fi & Fantasy

Style: Cerebral, Dark, Psychological, Suspenseful

Audience: Adult, Family, Teens

Plot: Detective, Journalism, Secret Identity, Police, Supernatural, Sociopath, Rivalry, Murder, Serial Killer, Grim Reaper

Time: Year 2006, 2000S, 2006-10-04

Place: Japan, Japanese

Cast: Mamoru Miyano, Shido Nakamura, Aya Hirano, Kappei Yamaguchi, Kimiko Saito, Naoya Uchida

1992 • Rating 8.6 • action & adventure, animation, drama

Vowing to avenge the murder of his parents, Bruce Wayne devotes his life to wiping out crime in Gotham City as the masked vigilante "Batman".

Genre: Action & Adventure, Animation, Drama, Mystery

Style: Cerebral, Dark, Suspenseful

Audience: Adult, Date Night, Family

Plot: Detective, Asylum, Race Against Time, Cartoon, Deformation, Superhero, Based On Comic, Organized Crime, Robin, Super Power

Time: Year 1992, 1990S, 1992-09-05

Place: United States Of America, English

Cast: Kevin Conroy

2020 • Rating 8.6 • animation, action & adventure, sci-fi & fantasy

Yuji Itadori is a boy with tremendous physical strength, though he lives a completely ordinary high school life. One day, to save a classmate who has been attacked by curses, he eats the finger of Ryomen Sukuna, taking the curse into his own soul. From then on, he shares one body with Ryomen Sukuna. Guided by the most powerful of sorcerers, Satoru Gojo, Itadori is admitted to Tokyo Jujutsu High School, an organization that fights the curses... and thus begins the heroic tale of a boy who became a curse to exorcise a curse, a life from which he could never turn back.

Genre: Animation, Action & Adventure, Sci-Fi & Fantasy

Style: Dark

Audience: Family, Teens

Plot: Martial Arts, Exorcism, Secret Organization, Sorcery, Supernatural, Possession, Paranormal, Curse, Tragedy, Sorcerer

Time: Year 2020, 2020S, 2020-10-03

Place: Japan, Japanese, Tokyo

Cast:

2013 • Rating 8.5 • drama, crime

A gangster family epic set in 1919 Birmingham, England and centered on a gang who sew razor blades in the peaks of their caps, and their fierce boss Tommy Shelby, who means to move up in the world.

Genre: Drama, Crime

Style: Dark, Gritty, Suspenseful

Audience: Adult, Date Night

Plot: Birmingham, England, Gypsy, Corruption, Gangster, Outlaw, Murder, Drugs, Criminal, Period Drama

Time: Year 2013, 2010S, 2013-09-12

Place: United Kingdom, English

Cast: Cillian Murphy, Paul Anderson, Sophie Rundle, Natasha O'Keeffe

2014 • Rating 8.4 • crime, drama

A riveting police drama about the men and women of the Chicago Police Department's District 21 who put it all on the line to serve and protect their community. District 21 is made up of two distinctly different groups: the uniformed cops who patrol the beat and go head-to-head with the city's street crimes and the Intelligence Unit that combats the city's major offenses - organized crime, drug trafficking, high profile murders and beyond.

Genre: Crime, Drama

Style: Cerebral, Dark, Gritty, Suspenseful

Audience: Adult, Date Night, Teens

Plot: Chicago, Illinois, Police, Spin Off, Crime Investigation, A Riveting Police Drama About The Men And Women Of The Chicago Police Department'S District, Who Put It All On The Line To Serve And Protect Their Community, District, Is Made Up Of Two Distinctly Different Groups, The Uniformed Cops Who Patrol The Beat And Go Head-To-Head With The City'S Street Crimes And The Intelligence Unit That Combats The City'S Major Offenses - Organized Crime, Drug Trafficking

Time: Year 2014, 2010S, 2014-01-08

Place: United States Of America, English

Cast: Jason Beghe, Marina Squerciati, Patrick John Flueger, LaRoyce Hawkins, Benjamin Levy Aguilar, Arienne Mandi

2008 • Rating 8.4 • 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.

Genre: Crime, Drama, Mystery

Style: Cerebral, Dark, Gritty, Suspenseful

Audience: Adult, Date Night, Teens

Plot: California, Con Man, Cop, Serial Killer, Criminal Investigation, Mourning, Mysterious, Forensic Psychology, Criminal Consultant, Desperate

Time: Year 2008, 2000S, 2008-09-23

Place: United States Of America, English

Cast: Simon Baker, Robin Tunney, Tim Kang, Rockmond Dunbar, Joe Adler, Josie Loren

2016 • Rating 8.4 • crime, mystery, reality

The cast is introduced to the settings and suspects of a murder case for the new episode. The cast then chooses their role in the episode, as a particular suspect or the detective.

Genre: Crime, Mystery, Reality

Style: Cerebral, Dark, Suspenseful

Audience: Adult

Plot: Detective, The Cast Is Introduced To The Settings And Suspects Of A Murder Case For The New Episode, The Cast Then Chooses Their Role In The Episode, As A Particular Suspect Or The Detective

Time: Year 2016, 2010S, 2016-03-27

Place: China, Mandarin

Cast:

2005 • Rating 8.3 • drama, mystery, sci-fi & fantasy

When they were boys, Sam and Dean Winchester lost their mother to a mysterious and demonic supernatural force. Subsequently, their father raised them to be soldiers. He taught them about the paranormal evil that lives in the dark corners and on the back roads of America ... and he taught them how to kill it. Now, the Winchester brothers crisscross the country in their '67 Chevy Impala, battling every kind of supernatural threat they encounter along the way.

Genre: Drama, Mystery, Sci-Fi & Fantasy

Style: Cerebral, Dark

Audience: Adult, Date Night, Teens

Plot: Angel, Witch, Monster, Exorcism, Supernatural, Paranormal, Purgatory, Paranormal Phenomena, Apocalypse, Bromance

Time: Year 2005, 2000S, 2005-09-13

Place: United States Of America, English

Cast: Jared Padalecki, Jensen Ackles, Misha Collins

2006 • Rating 8.2 • crime, drama, mystery

Dexter Morgan, a blood spatter pattern analyst for the Miami Metro Police also leads a secret life as a serial killer, hunting down criminals who have slipped through the cracks of justice.

Genre: Crime, Drama, Mystery

Style: Cerebral, Dark, Gritty, Suspenseful

Audience: Adult, Date Night

Plot: Miami, Florida, Based On Novel Or Book, Double Life, Homicide, Vigilante, Murder, Serial Killer, Psychological Thriller, Killer, Forensic Science

Time: Year 2006, 2000S, 2006-10-01

Place: United States Of America, English, Spanish

Cast: Michael C. Hall, Jennifer Carpenter, Geoff Pierson, David Zayas, James Remar, Aimee Garcia

2026 • Rating 8.2 • drama

When a young mother from a sheltered cult crosses paths with a mysterious stranger, she embarks on a risky affair that awakens desires and dark secrets.

Genre: Drama

Style: Dark, Suspenseful

Audience: Adult, Date Night

Plot: Psychological Thriller, When A Young Mother From A Sheltered Cult Crosses Paths With A Mysterious Stranger, She Embarks On A Risky Affair That Awakens Desires And Dark Secrets

Time: Year 2026, 2020S, 2026-04-21

Place: United Kingdom, English

Cast: Molly Windsor, Asa Butterfield, Fra Fee, Siobhan Finneran, Christopher Eccleston, Rory Wilmot

1999 • Rating 8.2 • animation, action & adventure, sci-fi & fantasy

As new villains overrun Gotham City of the future, the aging Bruce Wayne hangs up the cape of the once invincible Batman. But when troubled teenager Terry McGinnis stumbles upon the Dark Knight's secret, a new alliance is forged. And a triumphant new Batman is born.

Genre: Animation, Action & Adventure, Sci-Fi & Fantasy

Style: Dark, Futuristic, Suspenseful

Audience: Family

Plot: Father Murder, Future, Dystopia, Superhero, Based On Comic, Cyberpunk, Super Power, Teen Superhero, Teenager, Dc Animated Universe (Dcau)

Time: Year 1999, 1990S, Future, 1999-01-10

Place: United States Of America, English, Future City

Cast: Will Friedle, Kevin Conroy, Cree Summer

2005 • Rating 8.2 • crime, drama

Dr. Temperance Brennan and her colleagues at the Jeffersonian's Medico-Legal Lab assist Special Agent Seeley Booth with murder investigations when the remains are so badly decomposed, burned or destroyed that the standard identification methods are useless.

Genre: Crime, Drama

Style: Cerebral, Dark, Gritty, Suspenseful

Audience: Adult, Date Night, Teens

Plot: Washington Dc, Usa, Fbi, Forensic Science, Murder Investigation, Crime Investigation, Forensic Archaeology, Temperance Brennan And Her, Colleagues At The Jeffersonian'S Medico-Legal Lab Assist Special Agent Seeley Booth, With Murder Investigations When The Remains Are So Badly Decomposed, Burned Or Destroyed That The Standard Identification Methods Are Useless

Time: Year 2005, 2000S, 2005-09-13

Place: United States Of America, English

Cast: Emily Deschanel, David Boreanaz, John Boyd, Michaela Conlin, Tamara Taylor, T.J. Thyne

2015 • Rating 8.1 • action & adventure, animation, kids

Marinette and Adrien, two Parisian teenagers, are entrusted with powerful jewels in order to transform into superheroes Ladybug and Cat Noir. But neither hero knows the other's true identity — or that they're classmates!

Genre: Action & Adventure, Animation, Kids

Style: Dark, Psychological

Audience: Date Night, Family

Plot: Paris, France, France, Hero, Magic, Villain, Cartoon, Love, Superhero, Romance, Interracial Romance

Time: Year 2015, 2010S, 2015-10-19

Place: France, South Korea, French, Paris France

Cast: Anouck Hautbois, Benjamin Bollen, Marie Nonnenmacher, Thierry Kazazian

1999 • Rating 7.9 • crime, drama, mystery

In the criminal justice system, sexually-based offenses are considered especially heinous. In New York City, the dedicated detectives who investigate these vicious felonies are members of an elite squad known as the Special Victims Unit. These are their stories.

Genre: Crime, Drama, Mystery

Style: Cerebral, Dark, Gritty, Suspenseful

Audience: Adult, Date Night, Teens

Plot: Detective, Sexual Abuse, Sex Scandal, Domestic Abuse, Sexual Violence, Domestic Violence, Criminal, Sex Trafficking, Interrogation, District Attorney

Time: Year 1999, 1990S, 1999-09-20

Place: United States Of America, English, New York

Cast: Mariska Hargitay, Ice-T, Kelli Giddish, Peter Scanavino, Aimé Donna Kelly, Kevin Kane

2023 • Rating 7.8 • comedy, drama

A road rage incident between two strangers — a failing contractor and an unfulfilled entrepreneur — sparks a feud that brings out their darkest impulses.

Genre: Comedy, Drama

Style: Dark

Audience: Adult, Date Night

Plot: Husband Wife Relationship, Midlife Crisis, Marriage, Coercion, Anthology, Revenge, Dark Comedy, Billionaire, Los Angeles, California, East Asian Lead

Time: Year 2023, 2020S, 2023-04-06

Place: United States Of America, English, Los Angeles

Cast: Oscar Isaac, Carey Mulligan, Cailee Spaeny, Charles Melton, Youn Yuh-jung, Seoyeon Jang

2003 • Rating 7.8 • crime, drama, mystery

The Philadelphia homicide squad's lone female detective finds her calling when she is assigned cases that have never been solved. Detective Lilly Rush combines her natural instincts with the updated technology available today to bring about justice for all the victims she can.

Genre: Crime, Drama, Mystery

Style: Cerebral, Dark, Gritty, Suspenseful

Audience: Adult, Date Night, Teens

Plot: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Detective, Victim, Investigation, Police, Police Detective, Female Detective, Murder Investigation, Homicide Detective, Cold Case

Time: Year 2003, 2000S, 2003-09-28

Place: United States Of America, English

Cast: Kathryn Morris, Danny Pino, Jeremy Ratchford, Thom Barry, Tracie Thoms, John Finn

2000 • Rating 7.6 • crime, drama, mystery

A Las Vegas team of forensic investigators are trained to solve criminal cases by scouring the crime scene, collecting irrefutable evidence and finding the missing pieces that solve the mystery.

Genre: Crime, Drama, Mystery

Style: Cerebral, Dark, Gritty, Suspenseful

Audience: Adult, Date Night, Teens

Plot: Detective, Police, Crime Scene, Las Vegas, Criminal Investigation, Forensic, Murder Investigation, Homicide Detective, Crime Investigation, Police Procedural

Time: Year 2000, 2000S, 2000-10-06

Place: United States Of America, English

Cast: Ted Danson, George Eads, Jorja Fox, Eric Szmanda, Robert David Hall, Wallace Langham

2003 • Rating 7.6 • crime, drama, action & adventure

From murder and espionage to terrorism and stolen submarines, a team of special agents investigates any crime that has any connection to Navy and Marine Corps personnel, regardless of rank or position.

Genre: Crime, Drama, Action & Adventure

Style: Cerebral, Dark, Gritty, Suspenseful

Audience: Adult, Date Night, Teens

Plot: Navy, Marine Corps, U.S. Navy, Naval Officer, Medical Examiner, Interrogation, Ex Marine, Criminal Investigation, Veteran, Virginia

Time: Year 2003, 2000S, 2003-09-23

Place: United States Of America, English

Cast: Sean Murray, Wilmer Valderrama, Katrina Law, Brian Dietzen, Rocky Carroll, Diona Reasonover

1997 • Rating 7.5 • crime, drama, mystery

The peacefulness of the Midsomer community is shattered by violent crimes, suspects are placed under suspicion, and it is up to a veteran DCI and his young sergeant to calmly and diligently eliminate the innocent and ruthlessly pursue the guilty.

Genre: Crime, Drama, Mystery

Style: Cerebral, Dark, Gritty, Suspenseful

Audience: Adult, Date Night, Teens

Plot: England, Murder, Police Detective, Murder Investigation, Police Inspector, Midsomer, The Peacefulness Of The Midsomer Community Is Shattered By Violent Crimes, Suspects Are Placed Under Suspicion, And It Is Up To A Veteran Dci And His Young Sergeant To Calmly And Diligently Eliminate The Innocent And Ruthlessly Pursue The Guilty

Time: Year 1997, 1990S, 1997-03-23

Place: United Kingdom, English

Cast: Neil Dudgeon, Nick Hendrix, Fiona Dolman, Annette Badland

2026 • Rating 7.5 • drama, sci-fi & fantasy

The exceptionally gifted Ghost King, He Simu, unexpectedly encounters the young general, Duan Xu, while out on a break, searching for food. This young general, who carries an item belonging to someone from He Simu's past, seems not to be the real Duan Xu. As they test each other through subtle exchanges, He Simu gradually uncovers the dark past and aspirations hidden within Duan Xu’s heart. In turn, Duan Xu discovers the steadfastness and loneliness that He Simu has endured. Despite the fleeting lifespan of a mortal, no more than a hundred years, and the four-hundred-year-old ghost who still retains the appearance of a young girl, they resist the relentless passage of time through their love.

Genre: Drama, Sci-Fi & Fantasy

Style: Dark

Audience: Date Night

Plot: Based On Novel Or Book, Romance, Costume Drama, Xianxia, Fantasy, Romantic Fantasy, Xuanhuan, The Exceptionally Gifted Ghost King, He Simu, Unexpectedly Encounters The Young General

Time: Year 2026, 2020S, 2026-03-28

Place: China, Mandarin

Cast: Dilraba Dilmurat, Arthur Chen, Miles Wei, Zhang Li, Gao Han, Yang Xizi

1991 • Rating 7.4 • action & adventure, animation, comedy

The adventures of superhero Darkwing Duck, aided by his sidekick Launchpad McQuack. In his secret identity of Drake Mallard, he lives in a suburban house with his adopted daughter Gosalyn, next door to the bafflingly dim-witted Muddlefoot family. A spin-off of DuckTales.

Genre: Action & Adventure, Animation, Comedy, Family, Kids

Style: Dark, Psychological

Audience: Family

Plot: Superhero, Cartoon Duck, Children Cartoon, The Adventures Of Superhero Darkwing Duck, Aided By His Sidekick Launchpad Mcquack, In His Secret Identity Of Drake Mallard, He Lives In A Suburban House With His Adopted Daughter Gosalyn, Next Door To The Bafflingly Dim-Witted Muddlefoot Family, A Spin-Off Of Ducktales

Time: Year 1991, 1990S, 1991-09-06

Place: United States Of America, English

Cast: Jim Cummings, Christine Cavanaugh, Terence McGovern

2026 • Rating 6.4 • drama

Growing up in Gilead is all they have ever known. As a new generation of young women grapple with the bleak future that awaits them, they will be forced to search for allies, new and old, to help in their fight for freedom.

Genre: Drama

Style: Dark, Futuristic

Audience: Adult, Date Night

Plot: Based On Novel Or Book, Slavery, Dystopia, Freedom, Alternate History, Totalitarianism, Growing Up In Gilead Is All They Have Ever Known, As A New Generation Of Young Women Grapple With The Bleak Future That Awaits Them, They Will Be Forced To Search For Allies, New And Old

Time: Year 2026, 2020S, 2026-04-08

Place: United States Of America, English, Future City

Cast: Ann Dowd, Chase Infiniti, Lucy Halliday, Rowan Blanchard, Mattea Conforti, Mabel Li

2026 • Rating 6.0 • comedy, drama

A love triangle among three adults experiencing middle-age malaise leads to one of them ending up dead.

Genre: Comedy, Drama

Style: Dark

Audience: Adult, Date Night

Plot: Love Triangle, Dark Comedy, Miniseries, Middle Aged, A Love Triangle Among Three Adults Experiencing Middle-Age Malaise Leads To One Of Them Ending Up Dead

Time: Year 2026, 2020S, 2026-03-01

Place: United States Of America, English

Cast: Jason Bateman, David Harbour, Linda Cardellini, Richard Jenkins, Joy Sunday, Arlan Ruf