TV’s 9 Best Police Procedural Dramas, Ranked

Though not as loved as the originals, another incredible crime drama from Dick Wolf was released in 2020. This series focuses on the Fugitive Task Force and their intense battles to find the Bureau’s most wanted list.

Starring Roxy Sternberg, Alexa Davalos, Miguel Gomez, and Dylan McDermott, the cast impressively finds the most notorious criminals alive and brings an intense premise to procedural dramas.

This series follows beloved Shemar Moore as a S.W.A.T lieutenant leading his team of fantastic actors such as Lina Esco, Jay Harrington, Alex Russel, and more in lovely Los Angeles.

Battling between his two worlds of where he grew up, and his now dedication to the law, Shemar spectacularly captures the essence of being a powerful lieutenant and role model.

Based on a true story, the show tells the story of John Nolan, played by Nathan Fillion, a 45-year-old humble man from Pennsylvania, who makes his dream come true by becoming an LAPD officer after assisting the police with a robbery in his small town. He soon becomes the oldest rookie on the force, and his new life begins.

Alyssa Diaz plays an inspiring detective, along with Richard T. Jones, who plays the doubtful sergeant. At first, he believes John is going through a midlife crisis, but he soon sees his potential. The cast’s humor and commitment to solving crimes make it an engaging, light-hearted drama.

The original and most iconic procedural drama. Since 1990, it never gets old. Going into its 23rd season, this series is one of the most respected, entertaining, thrilling shows still on television and in history. Starring George Dzundza and Chris Noth as detectives in 1990, some regulars have returned, such as Sam Waterston and Camryn Manheim, along with some new faces, Jeffrey Donovan and Odelya Halevi.

These iconic characters have been fighting for justice in New York City for years, and the rotating cast of legends, plus newcomers, makes it intriguing and new every time. The show has created various spin-offs of the same nature, proving its success and influence on the world and television.

The outstanding Tom Selleck stars as Frank Reagen, the New York Police Commissioner, in this high-stress, highly valued police drama. The Reagen family members have served as police officers for generations, and Donnie Wahlberg, Will Estes, and Bridget Moynahan star as his children and dedicate their lives to the NYPD and bleeding blue.

An extremely respected and loved drama takes the audience through the dynamics of working for the criminal justice system and working with family and knowing you can’t let them, or the people of New York, down.

An action-packed crime drama that keeps its audience on the edge of their seats every single episode. Based on the Chicago PD’s intelligence unit, Jason Beghe serves as Sergeant Hank Voight, who leads his team, including Marina Squerciati and Tracy Spiridakos, to solving the city’s most thrilling crimes.

It ranked alongside some of the most iconic shows of all time because it is simply that good. Whether it’s murder or drug trafficking, the team famously saves the lives of Chicago residents daily. The characters have an extreme passion for solving crime, their city, and each other.

This iconic series focuses on a team of special agents working for the Naval Criminal Investigative Service. As a spin-off of JAG, a navy-legal-focused series, the characters were previously introduced and loved. Starring Mark Harmon, Gary Cole, Pauley Perette, and Michael Weatherly, comedic elements and a serious underlying tone of a military drama brings forth this incredible show.

The series led to various spin-offs and is one of the longest-running US primetime TV series. The cast has had some recent changes but will continue to thrive. Renewed for its 21st season in February, NCIS fans are thrilled to continue watching their favorite agents.

After leaving SVU, Christopher Meloni now stars in this series as the same remarkable character, Elliot Stabler. He comes out of retirement to fight organized crime and, more specifically, find his wife’s killer.

Danielle Moné Truitt stars as Sargeant Ayanna Bell, and Ainsley Seiger stars as Detective Jet Slootmaekers, a hacker who was recruited because of Stabler’s recommendation. Though the cases and cast look very different, the magic of the Law & Order formula remains the same and must be ranked high, especially with the special crossover episodes with the SVU team included.

The stories are often heartbreaking, and Mariska Hargitay has taken fans through 24 seasons of gut-wrenching, soul-crushing, and overall, remarkably captivating episodes. The show centers around NYPD’S Special Victims’ Unit, focusing on sexual crimes, and though the cast has changed a lot over the years, Hargitay remains the true star of the series. The originals, Dann Florek, Christopher Meloni, Richard Belzer, Ice-T, BD Wong, and more, created a family at the precinct and made every case so intriguing and real.

This is the best procedural drama on television by a mile, and the cast, mainly Mariska, makes these police officers seem like the most familial, comforting, incredible heroes in the world. No matter how much the cast has changed, the show still has the same feeling since 1999, proving how phenomenal it is.