Top 250 Tv Shows Like The Substitute
The most dangerous thing about school used to be the students
A list of the best tv shows similar to The Substitute. If you liked The Substitute then you may also like: The Wire, Euphoria, Peaky Blinders, The Boys, Breaking Bad and many more great tv shows featured on this list.
When an inner-city Miami schoolteacher gets her knee broken after standing up to the school's gang leader, her mercenary combat specialist boyfriend goes undercover as a substitute teacher to take down the punk. Soon he discovers a conspiracy of criminals at work, and must reassemble his team from his last jungle raid to stop them.
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.
Breaking Bad
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.
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.
21 Jump Street
21 Jump Street revolves around a group of young cops who would use their youthful appearance to go undercover and solve crimes involving teenagers and young adults.
Beverly Hills, 90210
Follow the lives of a group of teenagers living in the upscale, star-studded community of Beverly Hills, California and attending the fictitious West Beverly Hills High School and, subsequently, the fictitious California University after graduation.
Black Lightning
Jefferson Pierce is a man wrestling with a secret. As the father of two daughters and principal of a charter high school that also serves as a safe haven for young people in a New Orleans neighborhood overrun by gang violence, he is a hero to his community.
Boston Public
Principal Steven Harper runs Winslow High School as best as he can while dealing with the demands of the faculty, the students and their parents.
Bugs
Bugs was a British television drama series which ran for four series from April 1995 to August 1999. The programme, a mixture of action/adventure and science-fiction, involved a team of specialist independent crime-fighting technology experts, who faced a variety of threats based around computers and other modern technology. It was originally broadcast on Saturday evenings on BBC One, and was produced for the BBC by the independent production company Carnival Films.
Burn Notice
A formerly blacklisted spy uses his unique skills and training to help people in desperate situations.
California Dreams
California Dreams is an American teen-oriented sitcom that aired from 1992 to 1996 on Saturday mornings during NBC's Teen NBC programming block. It was created by writers Brett Dewey and Ronald B. Solomon and executive produced by Peter Engel, all known for their work on Saved by the Bell.
Cobra Kai
This Karate Kid sequel series picks up 30 years after the events of the 1984 All Valley Karate Tournament and finds Johnny Lawrence on the hunt for redemption by reopening the infamous Cobra Kai karate dojo. This reignites his old rivalry with the successful Daniel LaRusso, who has been working to maintain the balance in his life without mentor Mr. Miyagi.
Codename: Kids Next Door
Taking numbers instead of names, five extraordinary 10-year-olds form a covert team called the Kids Next Door with one dedicated mission: to free all children from the tyrannical rule of adults.
Dangerous Minds
Dangerous Minds is an American drama television series that aired on ABC network between September 1996 and March 1997. The series is based on the motion picture film, Dangerous Minds. Annie Potts stars in the lead role originated by Michelle Pfeiffer.
Detentionaire
No student likes having to spend time in detention so you can only imagine how Lee Ping feels. The freshman at A Nigma High has been sentenced to a year in detention after being accused of pulling off the biggest prank in high-school history. The problem is that Lee is innocent. Now, in order to clear his name, Lee must escape from the highly fortified detention room every day, infiltrate a new social clique, and unravel another piece of the gigantic prank puzzle to try to figure out who actually pulled off the epic stunt.
Gangs of London
When the head of a criminal organisation, Finn Wallace is assassinated, the sudden power vacuum his death creates threatens the fragile peace between the intricate web of gangs operating on the streets of the city. Now it’s up to the grieving, volatile and impulsive Sean Wallace to restore control and find those responsible for killing his father.
Hunter
Hunter is an American police drama television series created by Frank Lupo, and starring Fred Dryer as Sgt. Rick Hunter and Stepfanie Kramer as Sgt. Dee Dee McCall, which ran on NBC from 1984 to 1991. However, Kramer left after the sixth season to pursue other acting and musical opportunities. In the seventh season, Hunter partnered with two different women officers. The titular character, Sgt. Rick Hunter, was a wily, physically imposing, and often rule-breaking homicide detective with the Los Angeles Police Department. The show's main characters, Hunter and McCall, resolve many of their cases by shooting dead the perpetrators. The show's executive producer during the first season was Stephen J. Cannell, whose company produced the series.
Power Rangers
A team of teenagers with attitude are recruited to save Angel Grove from the evil witch, Rita Repulsa, and later, Lord Zedd, Emperor of all he sees, and their horde of monsters.
My So-Called Life
The life of a 15 year-old high school student, whose angst-ridden journey through adolescence, friendship, parents, and life teaches her what it means to grow up.
Person of Interest
John Reese, former CIA paramilitary operative, is presumed dead and teams up with reclusive billionaire Finch to prevent violent crimes in New York City by initiating their own type of justice. With the special training that Reese has had in Covert Operations and Finch's genius software inventing mind, the two are a perfect match for the job that they have to complete. With the help of surveillance equipment, they work "outside the law" and get the right criminal behind bars.
Police Woman
Sergeant “Pepper"” Anderson, an undercover cop for the Criminal Conspiracy Unit of the Los Angeles Police Department, poses undercover from mob girl to prostitute.
Riptide
Riptide is an American TV detective series that ran on NBC from December 3, 1983 to August 22, 1986, starring Perry King, Joe Penny, and Thom Bray. Riptide was created by Frank Lupo and Stephen J. Cannell, and produced by Stephen J. Cannell Productions in the wake of Magnum PI's success. The main theme was composed by Mike Post and Pete Carpenter. A mid-season replacement, it debuted as a two-hour TV movie in early 1984.
Robocop: Prime Directives
Ten years after the original Robocop, Delta City is city owned and operated by OCP. RoboCop finds himself nearly obsolete and his former partner, John Cable, has returned to Delta City as its new Security Commander. But slowly, new enemies arise, and Murphy and Cable begin an investigation into a mysterious villain known as the Bone Machine.
Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated
This incarnation of the popular cartoon series finds Scooby and the gang living in Crystal Cove, a small town with a long history of ghost sightings, monster tales and other mysteries ripe for the sleuths to solve once and for all. But the longstanding Crystal Cove residents, who bank on the town's reputation to attract tourists, are prepared to do what it takes to protect their turf.
Silk Stalkings
Silk Stalkings is a crime drama television series. The series portrays the daily lives of two detectives who solve sexually-based crimes of passion among the ultra-rich of Palm Beach, Florida.
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.
Star Wars: Clone Wars
This Emmy Award-winning series recounts the events and battles of the Galactic Republic’s last major war - the Clone Wars. Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi leads an assault on the planet Muunilinst, home of the Intergalactic Banking Clan; his Padawan, Anakin Skywalker, is appointed by Supreme Chancellor Palpatine to lead the Republic’s space forces. Meanwhile, Separatist leader and Sith Lord Count Dooku takes in Force-sensitive gladiator Asajj Ventress as his Sith apprentice, and tasks her with eliminating Skywalker.
Strike Back
The series follows John Porter, a former British Special Forces soldier, who is drafted back into service by Section 20, a fictional branch of the Secret Intelligence Service.
S.W.A.T.
S.W.A.T. is an American action/crime drama series about the adventures of a Special Weapons And Tactics team operating in an unidentified California city. A spin-off of The Rookies, the series aired on ABC from February 1975 to April 1976. Like The Rookies, S.W.A.T. was produced by Aaron Spelling and Leonard Goldberg.
The Terminal List
Navy SEAL Commander James Reece turns to vengeance as he investigates the mysterious forces behind the murder of his entire platoon. Free from the military’s command structure, Reece applies the lessons he’s learned from nearly two decades of warfare to hunt down the people responsible.
Ultimate Force
This covert combat series focuses on the Red Troop, an elite group of soldiers from the British military's Special Air Service group.
Victorious
Aspiring singer Tori Vega navigates life while attending a performing arts high school called Hollywood Arts.
Walker, Texas Ranger
Modern-day Texas Ranger, Cordell Walker's independent crime-solving methods have their roots in the rugged traditions of the Old West. Walker's closest friend is former Ranger, C.D. Parker, who retired after a knee injury, and now owns "C.D.'s," a Country/Western saloon/restaurant. Rookie Ranger, James "Jimmy" Trivette is an ex-football player who bases his crime-solving methods on reason and uses computers and cellular phones. Alex Cahill is the Assistant DA who shares a mutual attraction with Walker, but often disagrees with his unorthodox approach to law enforcement.
Chuck Norris: Karate Kommandos
Martial arts master Chuck Norris brings a thrilling mix of heroism and incredible athletic prowess to this animated action series, blending the courage and ingenuity of the American frontiersman with the willpower and stoicism of the samurai warrior.
Nash Bridges
Fun-loving San Francisco Police Department investigator Nash Bridges is part of the elite Special Investigations Unit. He tackles crime using his keen sense of humor and charm. Joe Dominguez comes out of retirement to become Bridges' wisecracking yet more rule-abiding partner.
Acapulco H.E.A.T.
Acapulco H.E.A.T. is a 1993 syndicated television series that followed the Hemisphere Emergency Action Team [H.E.A.T.], a group of top-secret agents based in Acapulco, Mexico and recruited by C-5, a secret government coalition, to fight terrorism and international crime. The team kept a low profile, by acting as models and photographers who represented a Beach Fashion enterprise.
The A-Team
A fictional group of ex-United States Army Special Forces personnel work as soldiers of fortune while on the run from the Army after being branded as war criminals for a "crime they didn't commit."
Recess
Six brave fourth-graders at Third Street School make it their mission to protect the other kids on the playground. Despite the rule of King Bob and his minions, who enforce his unwritten laws, T.J, Ashley, Vince, Gus, Gretchen and Mikey seek a rational balance between conformity and individuality.
Thunder in Paradise
Thunder in Paradise was a one-hour action-adventure TV series from the creators of Baywatch, which starred Hulk Hogan, Chris Lemmon, and Carol Alt. This first-run syndicated TV series originally premiered as a straight-to-video feature film in September 1993, then ran for one season in 1994, before being cancelled. The series was later rebroadcast on the TNT cable network.
Miami Vice
The story of the Miami Police Department's vice squad and its efforts to end drug trafficking and prostitution, centered on the unlikely partnership of Sonny Crockett and Ricardo Tubbs - who first meet when Tubbs is undercover in a drug cartel.
Harsh Realm
Harsh Realm is a science fiction television series about humans trapped inside a virtual reality simulation.
Matlock
Matlock is an American television legal drama, starring Andy Griffith in the title role of criminal defense attorney Ben Matlock. The show, produced by The Fred Silverman Company, Dean Hargrove Productions, Viacom Productions and Paramount Television originally aired from September 23, 1986 to May 8, 1992 on NBC; and from November 5, 1992 until May 7, 1995 on ABC. The show's format is similar to that of CBS's Perry Mason, with Matlock identifying the perpetrators and then confronting them in dramatic courtroom scenes. One difference, however, was that whereas Mason usually exculpated his clients at a pretrial hearing, Matlock usually secured an acquittal at trial, from the jury.
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 Streets of San Francisco
Two police officers, the older Lt. Stone and the young upstart Inspector Keller, investigate murders and other serious crimes in San Francisco. Stone would become a second father to Keller as he learned the rigors and procedures of detective work.
Rambo
Rambo: The Force of Freedom is an animated series based on the character of John Rambo from David Morrell's book First Blood and the subsequent films First Blood and Rambo: First Blood Part II. This series was adapted for television by story editor/head writer Michael Chain and the series even spawned a toy line. The cartoon ran for 65 episodes, and was produced by Ruby-Spears Enterprises. The series debuted on April 14, 1986 as a five-part miniseries, and was renewed in September as a daily cartoon. Rambo was cancelled in December of the same year.
The Untouchables
Special Agent Eliot Ness and his elite team of incorruptible agents battle organized crime in 1930s Chicago.
The New Batman Adventures
The New Batman Adventures is a continuation of the acclaimed Batman: The Animated Series. Stories in this series tend to give more focus to Batman's supporting cast, which include fellow crimefighters Robin, Nightwing, and Batgirl, among others. The show also features guest stars such as Supergirl, Etrigan, and The Creeper; characters who would later appear with Batman in Justice League and Justice League Unlimited.
Fixer
The Fixer is a British drama television series, produced by Kudos for ITV. Set in modern Britain, it follows the life of John Mercer, an ex-British Special Forces soldier, arrested by police for killing his aunt and uncle following his discovery of their abuse of his sister, Jess Mercer. John Mercer is released early from prison to serve in a covert state security squad as a government-backed assassin responsible for eliminating criminals and renegade police officers that the law cannot apprehend.
The Worst Witch
Mildred Hubble is a young witch attending Cackles Academy. She's called the "Worst Witch" because she's always caught getting into trouble.
The Professionals
The lives of Bodie and Doyle, top agents for Britain's CI5 (Criminal Intelligence 5), and their controller, George Cowley. The mandate of CI5 was to fight terrorism and similar high-profile crimes. Cowley, a hard ex-MI5 operative, hand-picked each of his men. Bodie is a cynical ex-SAS paratrooper and mercenary whose nature ran to controlled violence, while his partner, Doyle, comes to CI5 from the regular police force, and is more of an open minded liberal. Their relationship is often contentious, but they are the top men in their field, and the ones to whom Cowley always assigned to the toughest cases.
Soldier of Fortune
Soldier of Fortune, Inc. was a television show created by Dan Gordon which ran for two seasons, from 1997–1999 The show was about an elite team who performed "unofficial" missions for the US Government. During the first season, the show dealt with terrorists and drug lords, and often tackled issues such as patriotism and self-sacrifice. For the second season, the show was renamed SOF: Special Ops Force. Andrews and Sheppard left the show. Dennis Rodman and David Eigenberg replaced them, though their "hip" characters and new plots led many to abandon the show, leading to its cancellation. The theme song was performed by Trevor Rabin. During the second season, a voice-over by Peter Graves was added.
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.
The Shadow Line
A murder is investigated by both sides of the line, cops and criminals, using opposing methods. But the real line is the morality within each person and how far they will go before they cross it.
True Justice
Elijah Kane leads a hardcore undercover team of Seattle based cops who take on the local criminal element with a high-octane style of enforcement.
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.
Perception
Dr. Daniel Pierce, a neuroscientist and professor, is recruited to help the federal government crack difficult cases. His intimate knowledge of human behavior and masterful understanding of the mind give him an extraordinary ability to read people, but his eccentric view of the world and less-than-stellar social skills can often interfere with his work.
Gang Related
Every villain has a noble cause, and every hero has a dark side. Detective Ryan Lopez is a rising star in Los Angeles' elite Gang Task Force. What the world doesn't know is that long before Ryan became a cop, he pledged allegiance to a different band of brothers – a powerful Latino gang called Los Angelicos. When Ryan's best friend and police partner is senselessly killed by a notorious gang member, Ryan teams up with longtime Task Force member Cassius Green who has been at the forefront of the city's war on organized crime. In this war between law enforcement and gangs, the series explores how only people who really know the streets can win the battle on the streets.
Quarry
The story of Mac Conway, a Marine who returns home to Memphis from Vietnam in 1972 and finds himself shunned by those he loves and demonized by the public. As he struggles to cope with his experiences at war, Conway is drawn into a network of killing and corruption that spans the length of the Mississippi River.
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.
SAF3
The series follows Southern California's elite rescue task force, SAF3 (pronouced "safe") , consists of the cream-of-the-crop from the sea, air, and fire divisions of the Malibu Fire Department. They are the heroes who answer the most challenging calls; specialists who collaborate, coordinate, and initiate daring rescues in the most dangerous venues to save human life, always aware of the harsh reality that one of them may not return.
Moonbeam City
An absurdist, retro-futuristic 80s cop extravaganza. The series follows undercover detective Dazzle Novak, a handsome idiot who commits more crimes than most criminals. His tyrannical chief, Pizzaz Miller, won't get off his back, and hotshot rookie Rad Cunningham is dying to see him fail. With the world against him, Dazzle is thrust into a living nightmare: having to do actual police work.
Undercover High
Seven young adults go undercover in Highland Park High School in Topeka, Kansas, in an experiment to provide an inside look into the lives of today's teenagers and the issues they face.
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.
Condor
Young CIA analyst Joe Turner has his idealism tested when he learns that the CIA has been using an algorithm he developed to spy on American citizens, leading the organization to a terrorist plot that threatens the lives of millions. Inspired by Sydney Pollack’s 1975 political thriller Three Days of the Condor.
Impulse
16-year-old Henry Coles is an outsider in her new town of Reston, New York. With a major chip on her shoulder and no friends, she remains withdrawn and isolated, but everything changes when a traumatic encounter with a classmate triggers something deep within Henry— unleashing a power she cannot control.
Pamela Smart: An American Murder Mystery
Sex, lies and a tale too twisted to be real surround the murder of Gregg Smart. Who Killed Him? And why? On May 1, 1990, 22-year-old teacher Pamela Smart finds her husband Gregg dead on the floor of their southern New Hampshire condo, leaving the town of Derry stunned. Scouring the region for clues, police shift their attention to Gregg's grieving widow, Pamela Smart, who has been making curious television appearances publicizing her plight. When investigators discover Pamela has been having a sordid affair with high school student, Billy Flynn, a complicated web of lies and deceit unravel, revealing one of the most scandalous crimes of the century. Now, leading true crime network Investigation Discovery (ID) delves into the case in Pamela Smart: An American Murder Mystery. From the tawdry affair, to teenage assassins, to the explosive nationally televised trial, this case transfixed the entire nation as Pamela Smart emerged as the original Black Widow.
The Capture
When soldier Shaun Emery's conviction for a murder in Afghanistan is overturned due to flawed video evidence, he returns to life as a free man with his young daughter. But when damning CCTV footage from a night out in London comes to light, Shaun's life takes a shocking turn and he must soon fight for his freedom once again.
Undercover Law
An action-packed series about several Colombian women who work as intelligence agents. They investigate the perilous criminal activities of drug lords while maintaining their lives outside of work. Undercover Law is based on a true story.
Your Honor
New Orleans judge Michael Desiato is forced to confront his own deepest convictions when his son is involved in a hit and run that embroils an organized crime family.
Hawkeye
Former Avenger Clint Barton has a seemingly simple mission: get back to his family for Christmas. Possible? Maybe with the help of Kate Bishop, a 22-year-old archer with dreams of becoming a superhero. The two are forced to work together when a presence from Barton’s past threatens to derail far more than the festive spirit.
Hunters
A diverse band of Nazi Hunters living in 1977 New York City discover that hundreds of high ranking Nazi officials are living among us and conspiring to create a Fourth Reich in the U.S. The eclectic team of Hunters set out on a bloody quest to bring the Nazis to justice and thwart their new genocidal plans.
When the Streetlights Go On
A double-homicide in a small midwestern suburb rattles the lives of a group of teenagers and sends investigators searching for answers in the fall of 1995. A meditation on growing up, the passing of time, and the insidious violence that lurks in the suburbs.
Cyberpunk: Edgerunners
In a dystopia riddled with corruption and cybernetic implants, a talented but reckless street kid strives to become a mercenary outlaw — an edgerunner.
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.
Heartstopper
Teens Charlie and Nick discover their unlikely friendship might be something more as they navigate school and young love in this coming-of-age series.
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.
Black Ops
Dom and Kay join the Met Police in the hope of cleaning up their community, but are unwittingly thrust into the murky world of deep cover infiltration as they become part of a powerful criminal enterprise. But for Dom and Kay it quickly becomes more of a fiasco than Donnie Brasco…
Black Snow
In 1995, seventeen-year-old Isabel Baker was murdered. The crime shocked the small town of Ashford and devastated Isabel's Australian South Sea Islander community. The case was never solved, the killer never found. In 2020, the opening of a time capsule unearths a secret that puts cold-case detective James Cormack on the trail of the killer.
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.