Best movies & TV Shows like The First 48

A unique, carefully handpicked, selection of the best movies like The First 48 . If you liked The First 48 then you may also like: Out of Time, Who's Stalking Me?, Bones, Midsomer Murders, Cold Justice and many more popular movies featured on this list. You can further filter the list even more or get a random selection from the list of similar movies, to make your selection even easier.

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The First 48 follows detectives from around the country during these first critical hours as they race against time to find the suspect. Gritty and fast-paced, it takes viewers behind the scenes of real-life investigations with unprecedented access to crime scenes, autopsies, forensic processing, and interrogations.

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Out of Time

Matt Lee Whitlock, respected chief of police in small Banyan Key, Florida, must solve a vicious double homicide before he himself falls under suspicion. Matt Lee has to stay a few steps ahead of his own police force and everyone he's trusted in order to find out the truth.

Who's Stalking Me?

A woman becomes intimate with a detective after a traumatic break-in incident—unaware that she’s letting the real threat get closer.

Bones

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.

Midsomer Murders

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.

Cold Justice

From Executive Producer Dick Wolf, this true crime investigative series follows veteran prosecutor Kelly Siegler, and her rotating team of seasoned detectives, as they travel to small towns across the country and help local law-enforcement agencies dig into unsolved homicide cases that have lingered for years without answers or justice for the victims due to lack of funding and proper forensic technology.

Columbo

Columbo is a friendly, verbose, disheveled-looking police detective who is consistently underestimated by his suspects. Despite his unprepossessing appearance and apparent absentmindedness, he shrewdly solves all of his cases and secures all evidence needed for indictment. His formidable eye for detail and meticulously dedicated approach often become clear to the killer only late in the storyline.

Medical Detectives

Real crimes, disease outbreaks and accidents around the world are solved by experts using scientific laboratory analysis which helps them find previously undetectable evidence. Brilliant scientific work helps convict the guilty and free the innocent.

Major Crimes

Major Crimes explores how the American justice system approaches the art of the deals as law enforcement officers and prosecutors work together to score a conviction. Los Angeles Police Captain Sharon Raydor heads up a special squad within the LAPD that deals with high-profile or particularly sensitive crimes.

The Mysteries of Laura

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.

Rizzoli & Isles

Perhaps their strikingly different personalities make the relationship between detective Jane Rizzoli and medical examiner Maura Isles so effective. Jane, the only female cop in Boston's homicide division, is tough, relentless and rarely lets her guard down, while the impeccably dressed Maura displays a sometimes icy temperament — she is, after all, more comfortable among the dead than the living. Together, the best friends have forged a quirky and supportive relationship; they drop the protective shield in each other's company, and combine their expertise to solve Boston's most complex cases.

Snapped

The fascinating cases of every day, seemingly average moms, wives and girlfriends accused of murder. Did they really do it? And if so, why?

Unsolved: The Murders of Tupac and The Notorious B.I.G.

A chronicle of the two major police investigations by LAPD Detective Greg Kading into the deaths of Tupac and The Notorious B.I.G.

CSI: Miami

CSI: Miami follows Crime Scene Investigators working for the Miami-Dade Police Department as they use physical evidence, similar to their Las Vegas counterparts, to solve grisly murders. The series mixes deduction, gritty subject matter, and character-driven drama in the same vein as the original series in the CSI franchise, except that the Miami CSIs are cops first, scientists second.

Vexed

Comedy drama following a mismatched pair of police officers who disagree on everything with their partner, from policing to their personal life.

I Killed My BFF

There are consequences when BFFs - short for best friends forever - turn into frenemies. Episodes showcase true stories of intense friendships - and, in some cases, more than that - taking a bad turn that results in the most tragic ending possible for at least one person involved in the relationship. The show serves as a reminder to viewers that not even the best of friends keep that status forever.

Fatal Vows

When marriages fall apart, divorce can turn ugly - even deadly. From blushing brides turned cold-blooded killers to smitten grooms with shocking dark sides, the criminal psychology behind deadly divorces is examined. Guiding viewers through actual stories of love gone wrong are psychotherapist Stacy Kaiser and forensic psychologist Dr. Brian Russell, who analyze each couple to better understand how the marriage turned from flawed to fatal. .

Swamp Murders

Swamps, bogs, marshes, bayous and riverbeds can be murky, dark, crazy places, but when a body pops up, things get downright mysterious. Through stylish recreations, Swamp Murders will bring the viewer into the the subculture that's captivating America.

The Perfect Murder

"The Perfect Murder" brings viewers some of the most diabolical, perplexing murder cases to land on detectives’ desks – the kind of cases that make or break careers and provide fodder for Hollywood mystery movies. These ingenious killers are every detective’s worst nightmare. Whether by planting false evidence, or writing anonymous letters to police, these murderers will stop at nothing to stay one step ahead and get away with the perfect murder. In this program, we focus on the investigation, as detectives slowly put the pieces together to unravel the twisted truth. As detectives uncover new evidence, and turn to new suspects, we flashback through stylized reenactment, to depict each possible theory of what may have happened. For the killer, it’s THE PERFECT MURDER. Detectives hit dead end after dead end, and wrong suspects are discarded. But one new clue can lead to another and the cold case suddenly gets hot. Truth is, it’s the perfect murder... until it’s not.

72 Hours: True Crime

72 Hours: True Crime focuses on crime, specifically on the first 72 hours after a crime is committed, a critical time period for solving it. Rather than focus on fictional crimes, as do Law & Order and other TV shows elsewhere, True Crime depicted actual crimes that occurred throughout Canada, using dramatic reenactments and documentary-style footage of crime scenes.

Your Worst Nightmare

Spine-tingling crimes that take viewers on a ride of twists and turns, complete with jump-out-of-their-seats moments and chilling conclusions. This show uses classic suspense film techniques to follow some of the creepiest, most harrowing crimes ever committed, as these victims' darkest dreams become unfathomable realities.

Diabolical Women

Planning a crime often takes a lot of work and some deviously clever thinking. This series profiles women who use twisted ingenuity to come up with elaborate schemes that result in what they think are perfect crimes. No matter the motive -- whether it's power, control or money -- the women stop at nothing to get what they want.

Snapped: Killer Couples

This extension of the long-running true-crime series 'Snapped' shifts the focus to couples whose passion drives them to commit terrible criminal acts. Using re-creations and gripping firsthand accounts, each episode takes a deep dive into a case, telling the story of the couple's romance, how the relationship evolved from love to manipulation, and what ultimately drove the couple to commit the crime.

Murder She Solved: True Crime

Murder She Solved tells the true stories of female crime investigators who, against all odds, have solved some of the most daunting murder cases in North America. Combining elements of mystery and intrigue, the series' unique visual style and riveting storytelling compels viewers to connect the dots as crime-solvers unravel the clues in their journey to solve the crime.

The Murder Detectives

Groundbreaking series with unprecedented access to a police murder investigation, telling the true story, as a drama, from the perspective of the police and the victim and suspect's families.

To Catch a Killer

(CA) A team led by criminologist and former detective Dr. Mike Arntfield uses its advanced skills, which include medical biophysics and private investigating along with 21st-century technology to try to solve longstanding mysteries and give victims' families closure. In each episode, the team goes into the field in search of new leads by talking with family members, dissecting new and old evidence, and re-enacting the crimes in their quest to solve these longstanding mysteries.

The Coroner: I Speak for the Dead

While detectives search for clues among the living, veteran Dauphin County, PA, coroner Graham Hetrick uncovers secrets of the dead. Each episode features a stylized re-enactment of a compelling homicide case taken directly from Hetrick's files. As viewers are led through a series of twists and turns, Hetrick peels back the layers of the investigation to reveal how the murder happened and who is to blame.

Homicide for the Holidays

The holidays are meant to be a time of festive cheer when family and friends come together to celebrate the season. But when family members are forced to occupy the same space for too long, the joy and merriment can often morph into anger and resentment.

Cardinal

Detective John Cardinal attempts to uncover the mystery of what happened to the missing 13-year-old girl whose body is discovered in the shaft-head of an abandoned mine. At the same time, he comes under investigation by his new partner, Lise Delorme, a tough investigator in her own right.

Dateline: Secrets Uncovered

For more than 25 years, Dateline has brought viewers investigations into some of biggest mysteries in America. This entry in the franchise takes a second look at some of the most mysterious cases of recent history. It explores the stories through firsthand accounts told by people who are close to the crime, including investigators who dedicated their time to the cases and family members who are still trying to confront the tragedies that befell their loved ones.

The Hunt for the Zodiac Killer

A look at the hunt for California's Zodiac Killer, who murdered at least five people in the San Francisco Bay Area in the late 1960s and early '70s.

World's Most Evil Killers

World’s Most Evil Killers delves into the gripping real-life stories of the world’s most terrifying and prolific killers. From Fred and Rose West to Ed Gein – The Clown Killer – and even to The Milwaukee Cannibal. Each episode focuses on one notorious killer and features authentic first-hand accounts of their behavior, from detectives who ran the case, journalists who reported on the stories, relatives, and at times survivors, alongside series experts who provide analysis. These criminologists, crime journalists and psychologists examine how the infamous killers made headlines both nationally and internationally and why they still continue to evoke fear and fascination in the public eye.

The Price of Duty

Delve into the most haunting cases of homicide detectives' careers. Each episode takes viewers on an emotional rollercoaster ride to the front lines of the investigation, retracing their first steps on the crime scene to the final bust and the emotional aftermath that they still carry today.

Mark of a Killer

All serial killers commit murder to satisfy their grand fantasies, but the murderers featured in this true-crime docuseries take it one step further, committing heinous acts that allow them to extend their fantasies and relive the excitement of their crimes again and again.

Very Scary People

A chronicle of the twisted lives of some of the most frightening, diabolical characters in recent history. Each two-hour episode traces the heinous, criminal acts of these elusive miscreants and the eventual road to justice.

Home Sweet Homicide

When a killer wants you dead, there's one place to search: home sweet home. With the twist of a lock, your home should be your sanctuary. For some, it becomes a hunting ground - and no lock, security system or call to 911 will save them.

An Unexpected Killer

A wild and unpredictable journey into homicide investigations where the true identity of the killer comes as a shocking surprise. Combining unparalleled access, captivating interviews and stylish reenactments, each investigation starts in a familiar way - examining the crime scene, interviewing potential suspects… but then something unexpected changes everything. A new witness, an overlooked piece of evidence or even an innovation in forensic science sends investigators on a totally unexpected path that ultimately leads to the conviction of the real killer.

A Time to Kill

The key to solving the toughest homicides lies somewhere in the final hours of a victim's life. In each one-hour episode, determined investigators must piece together events during this critical window to reconstruct the timeline, unlock the motive, and ultimately close in on the killer.

Murder Unboxed

Witness the unboxing of real case evidence while hearing from the actual investigators, prosecutors, and witnesses. Full of twists and turns, each episode will connect the dots of seemingly unrelated evidence to tell the story of what happened.

Night Stalker: The Hunt for a Serial Killer

Beneath the sunlit glamour of 1985 L.A. lurks a relentlessly evil serial killer. In this true-crime story, two detectives won't rest until they catch him.

American Detective with Lt. Joe Kenda

In American Detective, Kenda trades in his own case files to bring viewers astounding investigations from across the country, with each episode featuring a different homicide detective whose tireless efforts helped put a killer behind bars and bring justice for the victim.

Cold Case Files

There are over 100,000 cold cases in America, and only about 1% are ever solved. With recent advancements in technology and the methods used to solve these cases, as well as the unwavering dedication of victims’ families, law enforcement and the public, “Cold Case Files” explores the cases that defied the odds. Each episode of the Emmy-nominated series examines the twists and turns of one murder case that remained unsolved for years, and the critical element that heated it up, leading to the evidence that finally solved it. Featuring interviews with family members, friends, detectives, and others close to the cases, the refreshed classic series examines all facets of the crime and shines a light on a range of voices and victims.

DI Ray

DI Ray is set in Birmingham and follows Leicester-born Rachita Ray, a police officer who takes on a case that forces her to confront a lifelong personal conflict between her British identity and her South Asian heritage.

Murder Under the Friday Night Lights

Across the country, high school football unites small-town communities. But when a heinous murder shatters that Friday night dream world, the crime ripples beyond those immediately impacted, and the community will never be the same again.

New York Homicide

A deep dive into some of the most chilling murder cases in New York City's recent history. New York City is a shining beacon of opportunity for people across the world and a true melting pot. It's a city with a gritty core, where tensions run high. A series of details to the brazen crimes that could only happen in New York and the intense work by law enforcement and civilians who race to take murderers off the streets.

Crime Stoppers: Case Files

Unforgettable cases, featuring dedicated homicide detectives and forensic scientists to hunt down the perpetrators. Crime Stoppers is an 8-time Emmy award-winning program that exposes horrifying, unsolved homicide and kidnapping cases across the United States. The crime stories go behind the headlines to reveal compelling insights with reenactments, narrated by the detectives and victims' families to and involve the viewer to ensure justice is served.

Dateline: The Last Day

NBC News correspondents Keith Morrison, Josh Mankiewicz, Stephanie Gosk and Andrea Canning examine the final day of a victim’s life – the split-second decisions and pivotal moments that made the difference between life and death. Detectives retrace those crucial hours looking for clues to solve the mystery.

First Blood

“First Blood" examines some of America’s most notorious serial killers through the prism of their first known kills to reveal what drove them to the moment when violent fantasy and curiosity became a devastating reality.

A Body in the Basement

These chilling stories of murder hit terrifyingly close to home -- each a real-life tale about the last thing anyone wants to find in their basement, a dead body. Every episode will make one think twice before ever stepping foot in the basement again.

Good Cop, Bad Cop

Investigating a murder is hard enough. But when detectives realize the killer knows how to stage a crime scene to throw them off, the job gets even more difficult. They’re hunting down criminals who are sworn to protect and serve -- killers with a badge.

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