Fun
Frisky
Nostalgic
Intense
Adventurous
Choked Up
Curious
Romantic
Weird
There a few things more comforting than a long-running procedural. America, and the rest of the world it seems, can’t get enough of NCIS. The combination of fascinating cases and robust character-driven sub plots has made the military/police drama a staple of the CBS repertoire. The show, which follows a fictional team of Naval Criminal Investigative Service (for those like me who didn’t know what NCIS actually stands for) special agents, is currently on its eighteenth season.
That is a LOT of criminal activity, but if you are a true NCIS devotee, you’ve already binged them all. What an accomplishment, but what do you do with your wine and crime hour now? Luckily, there is no shortage of fantastic (and similarly lengthy) procedural epics to watch if you’re already on your third rewatch. Here’s where you should start.
'JAG'
First up is actually the NBC predecessor to NCIS. The legal drama, JAG, or Judge Advocate General, was the first to integrate U.S. Navy themes into the police procedural. It was initially something of a flop, but got picked up by rival network, CBS, and aired another nine seasons. NCIS was originally aired as a spinoff, which in turn produced multiple spinoffs of its own: NCIS: Los Angeles and NCIS: New Orleans.
'The Blacklist'
Following in the Navy-procedural footsteps of NCIS, The Blacklist features a former U.S. Navy officer, Raymond “Red” Reddington (James Spader), who has compiled a list of notable criminals around the world after a decades-long stint as a renegade himself. In exchange for legal immunity, he agrees to partner with FBI profiler Elizabeth Keen (Megan Boone) to hunt down the major criminals on his blacklist. The show was recently renewed for its ninth season and has been widely met with critical acclaim.
'Bones'
If you’re looking for a “crimedy” procedural that’s light on crime and heavy on characters and comedy, Bones may turn out to be one of your all-time favorites. The show premiered when I was in Kindergarten and the series finale aired just before my high school graduation, so it ran for precisely the length of an American education. Bones follows brainy forensic anthropology Temperance “Bones” Brennan (Emily Deschanel) and charismatic FBI agent Seeley Booth (David Boreanaz) as they solve murders… and potentially fall in love along the way. The pair has some of the best chemistry to ever grace television and give even the most iconic “slow burn” couples a run for their money.
'SEAL Team'
Bones and Buffy star, David Boreanaz, is featured once again on this list for his crime-fighting charisma and sex appeal — I mean, his great acting chops. In SEAL Team, Boreanaz plays the leader of an elite unite of Navy SEALs as they embark on action-packed missions around the world. The show focuses on the dangerous missions, while also highlighting the familial fallout of the wives and children they leave behind to defend the nation.
'S.W.A.T.'
S.W.A.T. is a reboot of the 1975 series of the same name and centers around a “last stop” Special Weapons and Tactics unit. The team is created as a detente ploy, to ease the relationship between the LAPD and the community. Lifelong Angeleno and former Marine, “Hondo” (Shemar Moore), leads the new unit and must navigate an often fraught interplay between professional duty and his city.
'Rizzoli & Isles'
Based on a series of mystery novels of the same name, Rizzoli & Isles follows Boston Chief Medical Examiner, Dr. Maura Isles (Sasha Alexander), and sole female detective in her unit, Jane Rizzoli (Angie Harmon), as they form an unlikely partnership to solve crimes. The show is reminiscent of Bones, exploring a dynamic, yet disparate duo, but with a strong female friendship rather than a slow burn at the helm.
'Law & Order: Special Victims Unit'
Lastly, the mother of all procedural epics, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. The smash hit Dick Wolf creation has had a whopping 22 seasons (so far) and has been nominated for a staggering 91 awards. SVU is set in Manhattan and focuses on the prosecution of sexually-oriented crimes, such as rape and pedophilia. Both SVU and its parent show, Law & Order, have been known to source stories from the headlines, resulting in a fascinating, albeit dramatized, mirror of society’s most debased crimes.
