With their gripping narratives and layered characters, mystery shows have been entertaining viewers for practically as long as television has existed. The genre has given us many of the most popular productions in TV history, shows that have earned critical acclaim and enjoy massive international fan followings. But while there are many mystery shows that everyone’s heard of, there are also quite a few that have sadly flown under the radar.
Though they may briefly receive attention from some critics and viewers, far too many mystery shows are quickly forgotten by popular culture, but that doesn’t necessarily mean they’re any less brilliant than their more popular counterparts. Read on to discover our handpicked selection of some of the best mystery shows that even diehard genre fans probably haven’t seen, including some true hidden gems of the past decade.
8
‘Three Pines’ (2022)
A mystery procedural series created by Emilia di Girolamo, Three Pines is adapted from Louise Penny’s Inspector Gamache novel series. Alfred Molina stars as Chief Inspector Armand Gamache of the Quebec police force, and the show follows his efforts to solve complex murders in the seemingly peaceful titular village while dealing with his own troubled past. Rossif Sutherland, Elle-Máijá Tailfeathers, Tantoo Cardinal, Clare Coulter, Sarah Booth, and Anna Tierney star in key supporting roles.
Three Pines is a melancholic and atmospheric series, with several darker, introspective moments that push the storytelling above and beyond that of average murder mysteries. The series is comparable to shows like Broadchurch and Midsomer Murders and is likely to appeal to fans of classic mysteries. While the original book series is quite popular among mystery readers, the show did not achieve the same level of popularity and has remained a rather niche series. However, the narrative of Three Pines, elevated by strong performances and intelligent storytelling, does justice to the original novels and is certainly worth checking out for any genre fan.
7
‘The Devil’s Hour’ (2022–Present)
Created by Tom Moran and produced by Steven Moffat and Sue Vertue, The Devil’s Hour follows the story of Lucy Chambers (Jessica Raine), a social worker who finds herself waking up every night between 3 am and 4 am, the so-called devil’s hour, after seeing frightful visions. Things become even more complicated when Lucy finds herself connected to a series of murders and is desperate to hunt down the killer. Peter Capaldi, Nikesh Patel, Alex Ferns, Meera Syal, and Barbara Marten appear in other key roles.
Creepy and haunting, The Devil’s Hour features an excellent, genre-bending narrative, elevated by the compelling on-screen chemistry between Raine and Capaldi. The Prime Video original British series successfully combines supernatural horror and psychological thriller elements, presenting a mystery that unfolds gradually, episode by episode, building up to a mind-blowing twist. Even though the series was critically acclaimed, The Devil’s Hour has remained largely under the radar since its release, perhaps owing to its prolonged, slow-burning storytelling style.
6
‘Devs’ (2020)
Created, written, and directed by Alex Garland, Devs is a sci-fi thriller that follows Lily Chan (Sonoya Mizuno), a software engineer working for a quantum computing company called Amaya. After the sudden and mysterious death of her boyfriend, Lily sets out to investigate the company’s secretive CEO and the questionable objectives behind his revolutionary tech innovation. Nick Offerman stars as Amaya’s CEO, Forest, appearing alongside Allison Pill, Jin Ha, Zack Grenier, Stephen McKinley Henderson, and Karl Glusman, among others.
Devs is a fantastic showcase of Alex Garland’s storytelling genius, powered by a masterful production, mind-bending visuals, and immersive cinematography that fills the audience with intrigue and wonderment. The narrative blends hard sci-fi topics with themes of philosophy and existentialism, approaching the debate of free will vs determinism through a new lens that turns Devs into a chilling mystery where suspense and fear are derived not from the unknown but the known. A highly ambitious and inventive sci-fi thriller, the show is a hidden gem that both mystery and sci-fi fans should watch at least once.
5
‘The Terror’ (2018–Present)
The Terror is a supernatural horror drama anthology series with a new story each season that features terrifying supernatural events set against a different historical backdrop. The first season, adapted from Dan Simmons’ eponymous 2007 novel, follows a fictionalized account of Sir John Franklin’s lost expedition to the Arctic from 1845 to 1848, while the second season is set during World War II in an American-run Japanese internment camp. The show stars Ciarán Hinds, Paul Ready, Jared Harris, Tobias Menzies, Naoko Mori, and George Takei, among others.
On its premiere, the first season of The Terror earned significant praise for its remarkable production and stellar cast performances, particularly those by Hinds and Harris. Both seasons of the AMC original make the best of historical facts to stage supernatural terrors, thriving on their deliberate, almost torturous pace and atmospheric dread. Despite its critical acclaim, The Terror has so far remained a niche series and a lesser-known television gem of the 2010s. A third season, subtitled Devil in Silver, is expected to arrive sometime in 2025.
4
‘Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency’ (2016–2017)
Inspired by the eponymous novel series by Douglas Adams, Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency is a quirky sci-fi mystery series that stars Elijah Wood as Todd, a hapless bellboy who gets inadvertently involved with the titular detective and his bizarre cases. Unlike traditional detectives, Dirk Gently (Samuel Barnett) solves crimes by following trails of coincidences, accidents, and happenstance that inexplicably lead him to the solution, though it puts him and Todd through hell in the process. The show also stars Hannah Marks, Fiona Dourif, Jade Eshete, Mpho Koaho, and Dustin Milligan in prominent roles.
A fun and exciting sci-fi mystery comedy show, Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency is a heady blend of various genres and themes that succeeds mostly thanks to its sheer absurdist nature. Even if the limited two seasons do not do justice to Adams’ complete original stories, the series is a wholesome and enjoyable watch thanks to its interesting characterizations and compelling performances. On its release, Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency was well-received among critics but did not gain mainstream popularity, leading to its premature cancellation, and it has since been sadly forgotten by all but the most dedicated fans.
3
‘The Third Day’ (2020)
A drama thriller series created by Felix Barrett and Dennis Kelly, The Third Day follows three interconnected stories, each helmed by a different director. The plot sees a man and a woman make separate journeys to a mysterious island off the British coast, where each of them has strange and inexplicable experiences as reality and fantasy collide, and they navigate an unknown land. The show stars Jude Law, Katherine Waterston, John Dagleish, Naomie Harris, Emily Watson, and Florence Welch, among others.
Eerie and atmospheric, The Third Day masterfully combines elements of psychological thriller, mystery, and folk horror genres. Despite its familiar concept, the British drama thriller miniseries keeps its storytelling and tone quite intriguing, with a unique theatrical component – a live episode aired during its broadcast. The show’s captivating setting and tone easily absorb the audience into its world, and the series has been favorably compared to shows like The Outsider. Since its premiere, The Third Day has been praised for the engaging performances by Jude Law and Naomie Harris, but it has sadly never achieved mainstream popularity.
2
‘The Kettering Incident’ (2016)
Created by Victoria Madden and Vincent Sheehan, The Kettering Incident is an Australian sci-fi mystery drama that follows the story of Anna Macy, who leaves her hometown in Tasmania as a teenager after her best friend suddenly disappears. Fifteen years later, when an adult Anna (Elizabeth Debicki) returns and another young girl goes missing in the same way, she sets out to solve the mystery that has been haunting her for years. Other main cast members include Matthew Le Nevez, Henry Nixon, Damon Gameau, Damien Garvey, and Sacha Horler.
A dark mystery thriller, The Kettering Incident has strong influences from classics of the psychological thriller, supernatural, and sci-fi thriller genres. Following an uncanny, decades-old case of disappearance, the show puts a sci-fi noir-esque spin on a familiar trope and is comparable to television classics like Twin Peaks or The X-Files, though the Australian series is arguably more character-driven. Elizabeth Debicki delivers an incredible performance as a young woman desperate to decode the mystery of her traumatic past, which won her an AACTA Award. The sci-fi thriller also has an underlying ecological message, which sadly remains largely unexplored due to the show’s cancellation, which is also why it has remained a niche show.
1
‘Top of the Lake’ (2013–2017)
An Australian mystery drama series created and written by Jane Campion and Gerard Lee, Top of the Lake follows two different murder investigations led by Sydney Detective Robin Griffin (Elisabeth Moss). The first season sees her investigating the disappearance of a pregnant 12-year-old girl in New Zealand, while the second follows Robin’s attempts to solve the mysterious death of an Asian girl in Sydney. The series is noted for its ensemble cast, which includes the likes of Lucy Lawless, Nicole Kidman, Gwendoline Christie, Holly Hunter, and more in important roles.
Top of the Lake is not only one of the lesser-known works by the acclaimed Jane Campion but also her first television project. The narrative is a powerful combination of gripping detective fiction, cult horror, and the central character’s personal trauma, set against the scenic landscapes of Australia and New Zealand, making it a truly immersive mystery show. Top of the Lake earned critical acclaim at the time of its premiere, most notably for Moss’s gritty Golden Globe Award-winning performance as the lead character, and yet, the series is often tragically overlooked these days.
