Top 250 Tv Shows Like Performance
See them all in a film about fantasy. And reality. Vice. And versa.
A list of the best tv shows similar to Performance. If you liked Performance then you may also like: The Wire, Euphoria, Peaky Blinders, Tokyo Vice, The Sopranos and many more great tv shows featured on this list.
In underworld terms, Chas Devlin is a 'performer,' a gangster with a talent for violence and intimidation. Turner is a reclusive rock superstar. When Chas and Turner meet, their worlds collide—and the impact is both exotic and explosive.
Performance
Peaky Blinders
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.
Tokyo Vice
A first-hand account of the Tokyo Metropolitan Police beat following Jake Adelstein, an American journalist who embeds himself into the Tokyo Vice police squad to reveal corruption. Based on Jake Adelstein’s non-fiction book of the same name.
The Sopranos
The story of New Jersey-based Italian-American mobster Tony Soprano and the difficulties he faces as he tries to balance the conflicting requirements of his home life and the criminal organization he heads. Those difficulties are often highlighted through his ongoing professional relationship with psychiatrist Jennifer Melfi. The show features Tony's family members and Mafia associates in prominent roles and story arcs, most notably his wife Carmela and his cousin and protégé Christopher Moltisanti.
Warrior
A gritty, action-packed crime drama set during the brutal Tong Wars of San Francisco’s Chinatown in the second half of the 19th century. The series follows Ah Sahm, a martial arts prodigy who immigrates from China to San Francisco under mysterious circumstances, and becomes a hatchet man for one of Chinatown’s most powerful tongs.
True Detective
An American anthology police detective series utilizing multiple timelines in which investigations seem to unearth personal and professional secrets of those involved, both within or outside the law.
The Affair
The Affair explores the emotional effects of an extramarital relationship between Noah Solloway and Alison Lockhart after the two meet in the resort town of Montauk in Long Island. Noah is a New York City schoolteacher with one novel published (book entitled A Person who Visits a Place) and he is struggling to write a second book. He is happily married with four children, but resents his dependence on his wealthy father-in-law. Alison is a young waitress trying to piece her life and marriage back together in the wake of the tragic death of her child. The story of the affair is told separately, complete with distinct memory biases, from the male and female perspectives.
Altered Carbon
After 250 years on ice, a prisoner returns to life in a new body with one chance to win his freedom: by solving a mind-bending murder.
Big Brother Brasil
Brazilian version of the reality game show in which a group of houseguests live together 24 hours a day, isolated from the outside world but under constant surveillance with no privacy. Each week a guest is voted out of the house until only the winner remains.
Boardwalk Empire
Atlantic City at the dawn of Prohibition is a place where the rules don't apply. And the man who runs things -- legally and otherwise -- is the town's treasurer, Enoch "Nucky" Thompson, who is equal parts politician and gangster.
Carnivàle
Carnivàle is an American television series set in the United States during the Great Depression and Dust Bowl. In tracing the lives of two disparate groups of people, its overarching story depicts the battle between good and evil and the struggle between free will and destiny; the storyline mixes Christian theology with gnosticism and Masonic lore, particularly that of the Knights Templar.
Castle Rock
Based on the stories of Stephen King, the series intertwines characters and themes from the fictional town of Castle Rock.
Dating Naked
A reality series in which a man and a woman date two different naked suitors on a remote exotic location.
Masters of Horror
An anthology series written and directed by the most famous names in horror.
Masters of Sex
William Masters and Virginia Johnson are real-life pioneers of the science of human sexuality. Their research touched off the sexual revolution and took them from a midwestern teaching hospital to the cover of Time magazine and multiple appearances on Johnny Carson's couch. He is a brilliant scientist out of touch with his own feelings, and she is a single working mother ahead of her time. The series chronicles their unusual lives, romance, and unlikely pop culture trajectory.
Orange Is the New Black
A crime she committed in her youthful past sends Piper Chapman to a women's prison, where she trades her comfortable New York life for one of unexpected camaraderie and conflict in an eccentric group of fellow inmates.
Sons of Anarchy
An adrenalized drama with darkly comedic undertones that explores a notorious outlaw motorcycle club’s (MC) desire to protect its livelihood while ensuring that their simple, sheltered town of Charming, California remains exactly that, charming. The MC must confront threats from drug dealers, corporate developers, and overzealous law officers. Behind the MC’s familial lifestyle and legally thriving automotive shop is a ruthless and illegal arms business driven by the seduction of money, power, and blood.
Tell Me You Love Me
This riveting and provocative drama series explores issues of intimacy within the lives of three couples and the therapist they share.
Tyler Perry's Ruthless
A spinoff of "The Oval," follows Ruth Truesdale as she's forced to play nice with a scandalous religious cult of powerful sex crazed fanatics in the hopes of freeing herself and her daughter.
Dante's Cove
A young gay couple must overcome dark, mystical forces conspiring against them, starting with a vengeful 19th century witch and her cheating warlock fiance.
Brotherhood
A working-class Irish family rules a city built on loyalty and corruption. The Caffee brothers, Tommy, a rising politician desperate for reelection, and Michael, a hardened criminal returning from seven years on the run and eager to reclaim his turf, fight for survival on opposite sides of the law. In their ruthless quest for power, the entire Caffee family is driven to lies, betrayal and infidelity -- threatening to tear them and the city of Providence, RI apart.
The Untouchables
Special Agent Eliot Ness and his elite team of incorruptible agents battle organized crime in 1930s Chicago.
Paradise Falls
Paradise Falls was a weekly soap opera shown nationally on the Showcase channel in Canada, starting in 2001. It is set in a summer cottage community in Central Ontario.
MTV Unplugged
MTV's acclaimed music series showcases today's top artists and rising stars in the industry performing acoustic versions of their songs.
Bliss
Bliss is a Canadian produced, half hour dramatic television series, produced by Montreal-based Galafilm and Toronto-based Back Alley Films, an anthology of women's erotica. The series ran from 2002 to 2004. The format of the show—short, sensual vignettes adapted for television—aired on Oxygen in the United States and Showcase, TMN and Movie Central in Canada. The series is distributed by Oasis International in Toronto.
Britain's Got the Pop Factor... and Possibly a New Celebrity Jesus Christ Soapstar Superstar Strictly on Ice
Cat Deely hosts the epic 'live' final of Britain's Got the Pop Factor, where musical acts R Wayne, 2 Up 2 Down and Geraldine battle it out for their own record deal and an automatic entry to the show Celebrity Jesus Christ Soapstar Superstar Strictly on Ice. Nicki Chapman, Neil Fox and Pete Waterman will judge their efforts, but who wins?
The Untouchables
The Untouchables is an American crime drama series that aired for two seasons in syndication, from January 1993 to May 1994. The series portrayed work of the real life Untouchables federal investigative squad in Prohibition-era Chicago and its efforts against Al Capone's attempts to profit from the market in bootleg liquor. The series features Tom Amandes as Eliot Ness and William Forsythe as Al Capone, and was based on the 1959 series and 1987 film of the same name.
The Hunger
The Hunger is a British/Canadian television horror anthology series, co-produced by Scott Free Productions, Telescene Film Group Productions and the Canadian pay-TV channel The Movie Network. Though it shares a title with the feature film The Hunger the series has no direct plot or character connection to the film, and was created by Jeff Fazio. Originally shown on the Sci Fi Channel in the UK, The Movie Network in Canada and Showtime in the US, the series was broadcast from 1997 to 2000, and is internally organized into two seasons. Each episode was based around an independent story introduced by the host; Terence Stamp hosted each episode for the first season, and was replaced in the second season by David Bowie. Stories tended to focus on themes of self-destructive desire and obsession, with a strong component of soft-core erotica; popular tropes for the stories included cannibalism, vampires, sex, and poison.
Vanishing Son
Vanishing Son is a short-lived syndicated action television series that was part of Universal Television's Action Pack. Starting as a series of four made for television movies in 1994, the series debuted on January 16, 1995. Vanishing Son I, Vanishing Son II, Vanishing Son III, and Vanishing Son IV, were aired on February 28, July 18, July 25, and October 10, 1994, respectively. The series was ground-breaking for the casting of an Asian male in an attractive leading-man role.
Tempo final
One real hour. An hour of suspense. An hour of life and death. After 60 minutes, nothing will be the same as before.
Erotic Confessions
Anthology series wherein each episode, Jacqueline Stone reads a letter sent in from women recounting their erotic experiences.
Magic City
Set in 1959 Miami, Florida shortly after the Cuban Revolution, Magic City tells the story of Ike Evans, the owner of Miami's most glamorous hotel, the Miramar Playa. Evans is forced to make an ill-fated deal with Miami mob boss Ben Diamond to ensure the success of his glitzy establishment.
The DL Chronicles
The DL Chronicles is a series of short stories about men of color who lead double sex lives. Episode; Wes introduces us to Wes Thomas, an upwardly mobile real estate banker who is overwhelmed by the demands of his marriage, career, and closeted attraction to men. When Wes' sexy but ambivalent brother- in-law stops in for an unexpected stay, he is directly faced with temptation and ultimately falls for the forbidden fruit.
Take a Girl Like You
When gorgeous Jenny Bunn meets the predatory womanizer Patrick Standish, a battle of lust versus wits begins. His tactics to maneuver her into the bedroom only harden her resolve to keep him at arm's length. Adapted from Kingsley Amis's classic novel by award-winning screenwriter Andrew Davies, this story recalls a provincial England as well as the jazz and strip clubs of late 1950s Soho.
Top of the Lake
A woman haunted by her past, Detective Robin Griffin, investigates complex and unsettling cases.
Rogue
Grace, a morally and emotionally-conflicted undercover detective, is tormented by the possibility that her own actions contributed to her son’s death. Grace’s search for the truth is further complicated by her forbidden relationship with Jimmy, the crime boss who may have played a hand in the crime.
Toast of London
Steven Toast, an eccentric middle-aged actor with a chequered past, spends more time dealing with his problems off stage than performing on it.
Mafia's Greatest Hits
Uncovers the extraordinary truth behind some of the Mafia's most notorious outlaws, and reveals how the FBI and law enforcement developed the techniques to crack the organization and bring it to justice. This is the story of the rise and fall of the Mafia, told by the people who brought it down.
Hunting Season
Hunting Season is an American LGBT-themed comedy-drama web series created by Jon Marcus. Following the romantic and sexual exploits of Alex and his small group of friends in New York City, the story was inspired by and largely based on the 2005–08 blog The Great Cock Hunt and the 2008 novel of the same name published by Kensington Books.
Gangsters: America's Most Evil
A cinematic documentary series that explores the rise and fall of some of the most nefarious and notorious criminals brought to justice by the United States government. From thugs to lethal beauties, outlaws to kingpins, each episode profiles these gangsters and reveals their sinister motives, transgressions and the circumstances that eventually led to their downfall.
Sex & Violence
Follows the lives of a social worker, a victims' advocate and four others who provide support to victims of violence.
The Mafia with Trevor McDonald
Trevor McDonald embarks on an eye-opening journey inside the secretive world of the American Mafia, gaining unprecedented access to people who have experienced first-hand, the money, glamour and violence of the United States’ most famous organised crime network. In this two-part documentary series, Trevor delves into the lives of people with a fascinating story to tell, some of whom have never appeared on television before.
The Last Panthers
The six-part series opens with a daring diamond heist before quickly delving into the dark heart of Europe where a shadowy alliance of gangsters and 'banksters' now rules. Naomi is the British loss adjustor charged with recovering the stolen diamonds whatever the cost. Also in pursuit is French-Algerian policeman Khalil.
Animal Kingdom
17-year-old Joshua "J" Cody moves in with his freewheeling relatives in their Southern California beach town after his mother dies of a heroin overdose. Headed by boot-tough matriarch Janine "Smurf" Cody and her right-hand Baz, who runs the business and calls the shots, the clan also consists of Pope, the oldest and most dangerous of the Cody boys; Craig, the tough and fearless middle son; and Deran, the troubled, suspicious "baby" of the family.
The Deuce
The story of the legalization and subsequent rise of the porn industry in New York’s Times Square from the early ’70s through the mid ’80s, exploring the rough-and-tumble world that existed there until the rise of HIV, the violence of the cocaine epidemic and the renewed real estate market ended the bawdy turbulence of the area.
Long Strange Trip
The long and unique tale of The Grateful Dead.The tale of the Grateful Dead is inspiring, complicated, and downright messy. A tribe of contrarians, they made art out of open-ended chaos and inadvertently achieved success on their own terms. Never-before-seen footage and interviews offer this unprecedented and unvarnished look at the life of the Dead.
The Secret Life of Couples
Sexologist and therapist Sofia Prado, director of an institute of alternative therapies, has to deal with her own emotional disorders, which she hides from everyone. From the revelation of one of her patients, the specialist becomes involved in a dangerous network of corruption.
Trust
The trials and triumphs of one of the wealthiest and unhappiest families of the United States, the Gettys. Originally planned to be told over multiple seasons and spanning the twentieth century, the series begins in 1973 with the kidnapping of John Paul Getty III, an heir to the Getty oil fortune, by the Italian mafia in Rome.
Drug Lords
Witness the stories of history's most notorious kingpins, their terrifying enforcers, and the men and women who've sworn to bring them down.
Sarazanmai
After accidentally breaking a statue of the guardian god of the Asakusa district, middle school students Kazuki, Toi and Enta are transformed into kappas -creatures from japanese folklore- by Keppi, self-proclaimed prince of the Kappa Kingdom. If they want to regain their human form, they must collect the five Dishes of Hope for him, which fulfill the wishes of whoever possesses them. To do so, they will fight against the kappa-zombies and extract their "shirikodama", the mythical organ containing humans' deepest desires. Two policemen, Reo and Mabu, are the ones behind this evil scheme, turning humans into zombies as agents of the Otter Empire, enemy of the Kappa Kingdom since ancient times. In the guise of "Kappazon, Inc.", they control society by manipulating the desires of the masses for their own goals. To succeed in their mission, the boys must be connected through the "Sarazanmai", revealing their most intimate secrets in the process...
Carnival Row
In a mystical and dark city filled with humans, fairies and other creatures, a police detective investigates a series of gruesome murders leveled against the fairy population. During his investigation, the detective becomes the prime suspect and must find the real killer to clear his name.
Godfather of Harlem
Loosely based on infamous crime boss Bumpy Johnson, who in the early 1960s returned from ten years in prison to find the neighborhood he once ruled in shambles. With the streets controlled by the Italian mob, Bumpy attempts to regain his piece of Harlem.
Mrs. Fletcher
A dual coming-of-age comedy exploring the impact of internet porn and social media, Mrs. Fletcher follows empty nest divorcée Eve Fletcher — as she reinvents her life to find the happiness and sexual fulfillment that’s eluded her, and her college freshman son Brendan.
Brand New Cherry Flavor
A filmmaker heads to Hollywood in the early ’90s to make her movie but tumbles down a hallucinatory rabbit hole of sex, magic, revenge — and kittens.
Little Fires Everywhere
The intertwined fates of the picture-perfect Richardson family and an enigmatic mother and daughter who upend their lives. Explore the weight of secrets, the nature of art and identity, the ferocious pull of motherhood – and the danger in believing that following the rules can avert disaster.
Nine Perfect Strangers
At a boutique health-and-wellness resort that promises healing and transformation, nine stressed city dwellers try to get on a path to a better way of living. Watching over them during this 10-day retreat is the resort's director, Masha, a woman on a mission to reinvigorate their tired minds and bodies. However, these nine "perfect" strangers have no idea what is about to hit them.
Women: Stories of Passion
Women: Stories of Passion is a dramatic series that aired on the American cable television network Showtime and distributed by Playboy Entertainment overseas. The episodes were based on stories of love, and passion from a woman's point of view.
Power Book IV: Force
Tommy Egan leaves New York behind and plans to take on Chicago, using his outsider status to break all the local rules and rewrite them on his quest to become the biggest drug dealer in the city.
White Lines
Zoe Walker leaves her quiet life behind to investigate her brother's disappearance in Ibiza, where she quickly heads down a decadent and dangerous path.
Fear City: New York vs The Mafia
New York City in the 1970s was ruled with a bloody fist by five mafia families, until a group of federal agents tried the unthinkable: taking them down.
Mayor of Kingstown
In a small Michigan town where the business of incarceration is the only thriving industry, the McClusky family are the power brokers between the police, criminals, inmates, prison guards and politicians in a city completely dependent on prisons and the prisoners they contain.
Scenes from a Marriage
A chronicle of the many years of love and turmoil that bind a contemporary American couple, tracking their relationship as it progresses through a number of successive stages: matrimony, parenthood, infidelity, divorce and subsequent partnerships.
Pam & Tommy
This comedic series takes on the true story behind the release of the first ever viral video in history — the sex tape of Pamela Anderson and Tommy Lee.
And Just Like That…
This new chapter of “Sex and the City” follows Carrie, Miranda and Charlotte as they navigate the journey from the complicated reality of life and friendship in their 30s to the even more complicated reality of life and friendship in their 50s.
Leopard Skin
A criminal gang fleeing a botched jewelry heist is forced to hide out in a beach side estate where two women live in seclusion. Their world turns into a tension filled hothouse of secrets, betrayal and desire.
Fatal Attraction
An affair threatens the lives of Dan Gallagher and his wife, Beth, in this deep-dive reimagining of the classic psychosexual thriller which explores fatal attraction and the timeless themes of marriage and infidelity through the lens of modern attitudes toward strong women, personality disorders and coercive control.
Maradona, Blessed Dream
The controversial life and history of Argentine football legend Diego Armando Maradona. From his beginnings in Villa Fiorito, one of the poorest barrios of Buenos Aires, to achieving glory on the international football league. Earning himself a well-deserved place in history. Living a life strewn with drugs, sex and public scrutiny, he played by his own rules regardless of the consequences. Watch the man who took the world by storm and made his way into the hearts of millions.
All the Queen's Men
Marilyn "Madam" DeVille is at the top of her game in the Atlanta nightclub industry, and she won't let anyone or anything stand her in way as she rules a crew of male exotic dancers.
The Staircase
An exploration of the life of Michael Peterson, his sprawling North Carolina family, and the suspicious death of his wife, Kathleen Peterson.
More Tales of the City
Lonely inhabitants at 28 Barbary Lane search for love and identity, turning to each other in the hope of finding happiness in San Francisco.
Brazzers House
Co-hosted by Nikki Benz and Keiran Lee, Brazzers House is home to 10 sexy pornstar contestants, all living under the same roof. The competition heats up when the house guests are divided into two teams and face elimination with a series of mental and physical challenges. Brazzers members have a chance to vote for their favorite team at the end of each episode and when all the votes are counted, one team will be evicted and the other will be crowned the winner of the house challenges. That lucky team of 5 contestants gets to participate in the final live challenge, where each house guest will compete against each other in the hopes of taking home the Grand Prize!
Last King of the Cross
Inspired by John Ibrahim's best-selling autobiography, this series is an operatic story of two brothers, Sam and John Ibrahim who organize the street but lose each other in their ascent to power. The story tracks John Ibrahim's rise from a poverty-stricken immigrant with no education, no money, and no prospects, to Australia's most infamous nightclub mogul in Sydney's Kings Cross — a mini-Atlantic City, barely half a mile long with every form of criminality on offer.
Women at War
France, 1914. The destinies of four women intersect : Marguerite, a mysterious Parisian prostitute, Caroline, propelled to the head of the family factory, Agnes, Mother Superior of a requisitioned convent and Suzanne, a feminist nurse.
The Real Peaky Blinders
Exploring the mass gang movement that originated in Birmingham and other industrial cities in the 19th century and evolved into modern gangsterism in the early 20th.
Open House: The Great Sex Experiment
Committed couples come to a luxury retreat to explore whether having open relationships and sex with other people can strengthen their bond.
Diary of a Gigolo
A male escort's life begins to unravel when he gets involved in a client's family affairs and breaks the cardinal rule of his work: Don't fall in love.
Naked, Alone and Racing to Get Home
Two pairs of complete strangers are stripped bare of all clothes and possessions to race across the English countryside in a bid to be the first to reach a cash prize for charity and their clothes.
While the Men are Away
While the men are away fighting in WWII, two Women’s Land Army recruits join an Italian immigrant, her Indigenous domestic, and their draft-dodging farmhand to run the family farm – but can the improbable freedom and kinship they find survive beyond the war?
Get Gotti
Murder. Extortion. Drug smuggling. Racketeering. The charges are mounting against John Gotti — but will any of them stick to the "Teflon Don"? Told from both sides of the law, this docuseries from the makers of "Fear City" follows the FBI's battle to bring down infamous mob boss.
Steel River
Steel River, set in Atlanta Georgia, captures different emotions that are seen through the eyes of four gay men, stifled, damned, immune, and jaded. Some of the poignant disasters in their lives come from the idea of what they thought they were going to become. Life as you well no, does not always work the way that you wanted.
Mafia Killers With Colin McLaren
Colin McLaren shares stories about his undercover work inside organized crime families; chilling firsthand details about how mafia families operate and why their ruthlessness was often their downfall.
The Wire
Told from the points of view of both the Baltimore homicide and narcotics detectives and their targets, the series captures a universe in which the national war on drugs has become a permanent, self-sustaining bureaucracy, and distinctions between good and evil are routinely obliterated.