15 Best TV Shows Like Snowfall You Need To Watch Next

One of FX’s most compelling original series in recent years is “Snowfall,” which aired for six seasons from 2017 to 2023. The show was led by Damson Idris and chronicled the rise of a black crime family in Los Angeles during the ’80s crack cocaine epidemic. More than just focusing solely on the City of Angels, the narrative expanded to explore the CIA’s involvement in Nicaragua at the time along with the Mexican drug cartel’s activities. A show that improved across each subsequent season, “Snowfall” was another thrilling crime series from FX in a long successful string of them.

Although “Snowfall” has been off the air for several years now, there are a number of similar shows fans can watch to keep those thrills going. From depicting other families involved in drug trafficking to expansive crime sagas, there is no shortage of excellent series tonally reminiscent of FX’s long-running hit. 

Here are the 15 best TV shows like “Snowfall” that you need to watch next.

When it comes to crime series on FX, all their roots can be traced back to the network’s first serious original show “The Shield,” a show that, by multiple accounts, shouldn’t have been created at all — but the 2002 series’ success set the mold for FX’s dramatic fare moving forward. Set in a Los Angeles neighborhood rife with violent crime, the show follows a special police task force led by Vic Mackey (Michael Chiklis) to bring the area under control. However, Mackey’s violent methods rightfully raise suspicions from his superiors as he quickly proves himself as dangerous, and murderous, as those he targets.

At the time of the show’s premiere, prestige television was largely located on premium cable channels like HBO. “The Shield” expanded this distinction to basic cable channels and proved FX could produce much more mature and acclaimed programming than its more juvenile original shows. Beyond its impact on the wider television landscape, the show blurred the lines of morality, where sometimes the ostensible villains were just as complicated as the police that pursued them. Thoroughly complex and with a fantastic ensemble cast, “The Shield” is perfect for “Snowfall” fans looking for another searing crime show set in Los Angeles.

Just as “Snowfall” examined the wider impact of its story’s criminal dealings, “The Wire” explored the impact of rampant crime in contemporary Baltimore. The show centers on the city’s police homicide unit headed by Lieutenant Cedric Daniels (Lance Reddick, who was always happy to discuss the series) and his detectives. Each season focuses on a different element of Baltimore, from how crime affects the city’s dock workers to how it spreads into schools and is covered by local journalism. One of the major conflicts in the series is the fall of the Barksdale crime family, which comes to a head in the show’s third season.

As cliche as it may sound, Baltimore is the underlying star of “The Wire,” with the show filmed on location in Maryland city. The city is in a visible state of neglect and decay, but its denizens carry on because that cyclical battle is just everyday life for them. Any victory achieved by the characters is hard-fought and its triumphs short-lived, adding a pervading bleakness to the story. Masterfully staged, “The Wire” remains one of the greatest shows on television and best series produced by HBO.

When it comes to tales of aspiring drug kingpins on television, it doesn’t get any better than AMC’s “Breaking Bad.” Created by Vince Gilligan, the show features school teacher Walter White (Bryan Cranston) turning to crystal meth production and dealing to financially support his family after he develops terminal cancer. To help with the distribution, White teams up with low-level drug dealer and former student Jesse Pinkman (Aaron Paul), with their drug selling well due to White’s scientific background. This places them on a collision course with the criminal underworld throughout Albuquerque as rival groups want a piece of their best-selling action.

“Breaking Bad” is one of the most tightly constructed series in recent memory, sharply written with longstanding payoffs each season. Ultimately, the show is a story about consequences, and Gilligan and his team build those repercussions perfectly into the narrative that they’re crafting along the way. Of course, the show’s ensemble cast does a beautiful job with each of their roles, especially Cranston and Paul. A sun-soaked crime saga that launched an entire franchise, “Breaking Bad” is still the gold standard for the genre.

The clearest British analogue to “Snowfall” is the crime series “Top Boy,” which premiered on Channel 4 in 2011. The show follows young drug dealers Dushane Hill (Ashley Walters) and Gerard “Sully” Sullivan (Kane Robinson) based out of a London housing estate. Dushane and Sully’s partnership is tested by rival dealers and heightened pressure from the authorities. After its conclusion on Channel 4, “Top Boy” was revived by Netflix in 2019, reuniting Dushane and Sully with renewed tensions between both men.

“Top Boy” depicts low-level criminals and youth neglected by society become hardened and violent from the circumstances that they live in. These are characters that are initially just trying to get by, but they are thrust into tragic and brutal scenarios by forces beyond their control. That creates a significant element of surprise and overall unpredictability in the story as it unfolds, making for truly gripping television. Consistently heartbreaking in how it puts its characters through the wringer, “Top Boy” is solid, socially-minded crime television.

Though early 19th century Birmingham, England seems worlds away from the ’80s Los Angeles of “Snowfall,” the two shows feel more in common than one may think. The BBC series “Peaky Blinders” follows the titular street gang in Birmingham shortly after the end of World War I. Led by criminal mastermind Tommy Shelby (Cillian Murphy), the gang expands its reach while battling various rivals and evading a complete crackdown from the authorities. Each season advances the timeline significantly, with the story set in the early ’30s by its sixth season, providing the gang with fresh challenges.

Given its premise, moral norms are right out the window in “Peaky Blinders” as its characters do increasingly dubious and vicious acts to survive and thrive. Shelby and his associates take on various criminal antagonists every season that are just as formidable and cunning as they are. Those rotating and superbly played adversaries and seeing how the gang will outmaneuver them are a major source of the show’s appeal. One of the best crime series to come out of the United Kingdom in recent memory, “Peaky Blinders” is razor-sharp in its execution.

The 2014 Starz original series “Power,” created by Courtney A. Kemp and executive produced by Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson, has become its own television empire. The show follows James St. Patrick (Omari Hardwick), a New York City drug dealer, nicknamed Ghost, who strives to become a legitimate businessman. Ghost channels this into running a high-end nightclub in the city but finds that his criminal ties won’t let him go that easy. This all takes a toll on Ghost’s personal life, particularly his marriage, as Ghost’s childhood sweetheart, Angela Valdes (Lela Loren), resurfaces.

Running for five seasons and spawning three spin-off series, “Power” has become a bonafide television phenomenon. Ghost’s sprawling crime saga is stylishly executed and there are plenty of other memorable characters that make his journey all the more entertaining. While the show comes out the gate a bit overstuffed, as it progresses and takes the time to breathe, the series only gets better every subsequent season. An expansive tale of interpersonal drama with lethal stakes, “Power” deserves all the success it’s received over the past several years.

Though drug trafficking throughout Latin America in the ’80s is prominently featured in “Snowfall,” it forms the central focus of the Netflix original series “Narcos.” The show is led by DEA agents Steve Murphy (Boyd Holbrook) and Javier Peña (Pedro Pascal) who are sent to Colombia to bring down drug kingpin Pablo Escobar (Wagner Moura). The show’s third and final season has Peña confront the Colombian cartels looking to take advantage of Escobar’s downfall. This was followed by a spin-off series, “Narcos: Mexico,” which similarly explored drug trafficking in Mexico during the ’80s.

There is a propulsive pacing to both “Narcos” series that makes every major beat feel urgent and important as it dives into the drug war. Moura delivers a nuanced performance as Escobar, finding the drug czar’s humanity without compromising how intensely lethal he could be on a dime. Pascal has rarely been better as the supremely confident and capable Peña, charming and effective all at once. Engaging and entertaining, “Narcos” uses its real-life story more as a backdrop for its gripping drama and action.

The 2010 Australian crime movie “Animal Kingdom” was adapted into an American show of the same name and general premise in 2016. Relocating the narrative to San Diego, the show follows the Cody crime family, headed by no-nonsense matriarch Janine “Smurf” Cody (Ellen Barkin). As Joshua Cody (Finn Cole) moves in with the family following the death of his mother, he gradually becomes more involved with their illicit enterprise. Joshua’s integration into the family in the present is juxtaposed with Smurf’s rise to power as a younger woman, with the character played by Leila George in flashbacks.

Given six seasons to breathe, compared to the movie’s 113-minute runtime, the television version of “Animal Kingdom” really leans into the family drama aspect of the story. The end of innocence and crime family premise has parallels with “Snowfall,” albeit with a more intimate scope. Barkin really anchors the show, though the series would continue for two additional seasons after her departure, shifting its familial focus. A sun-soaked crime family story where the dysfunction has murderous consequences, “Animal Kingdom” is an underrated and deliciously dark saga.

The Spanish-language series “La Reina del Sur” was adapted into an English-language show “Queen of the South” by the USA Network in 2016. The show chronicles the rise of Teresa Mendoza (Alice Braga), who starts out living in poverty in Mexico before fleeing to the United States after her boyfriend is killed. Rethinking how illegal drugs should be trafficked from Latin America, Mendoza creates her own criminal empire. This earns Mendoza the attention of rival organizations, as well as the CIA and DEA, who either want to work with her or bring her down.

While “Queen of the South” doesn’t quite have the same bite as “La Reina del Sur,” Braga’s standout performance makes the English-language version more than worthwhile. And just “Snowfall” incorporated elements of American intelligence and law enforcement into its narrative, so too does the USA Network series. This is a show about steady escalation in the face of tremendous personal sacrifices, something Mendoza endures throughout the story. Running for five seasons, “Queen of the South” doesn’t reinvent the wheel but adds its own entertaining spin to it.

Not all crime shows have to be so dour all the time, and that change in tone is something that greatly benefits the 2017 TNT series “Claws.” Set in South Florida along the gulf coast, the show has Desna Simms (Niecy Nash) use her nail salon to launder money for a local narcotics dealer. This expands to Simms’ entire crew at the salon, as they work to get out from under the oppressive local crime syndicates. As the group of manicurists’ ambitions grow, they set out to build their own criminal empire together with Simms at the head.

From its bright and colorful setting and cinematography to its memorable ensemble led by Nash, it’s immediately clear that “Claws” is unlike most of its genre contemporaries. Like its main characters, the series steadily grows more ambitious as it advances, upping the stakes but maintaining its quirky humor. There is a deep-seated wackiness to the proceedings, though the underlying crime elements retain a sense of peril and drama. Simply put, crime shows rarely ever get as fun and funny as “Claws” and its absence on the air is acutely felt.

The Mexican drug cartels’ reach expands to central Missouri in the Netflix original series “Ozark.” The show follows married couple Marty (Jason Bateman) and Wendy Byrde (Laura Linney), who relocate to Missouri to continue their money laundering operation for the cartel. Upon their arrival, the Byrdes discover other rival crime families and syndicates in power across the region. As the Byrdes work and clash with other criminals in the area, they gradually build their own empire in the Lake of the Ozarks.

While Jason Bateman has certainly played numerous serious roles before, he takes his dramatic potential to another level with “Ozark.” Co-stars Linney and Julia Garner are just as good, building out the Byrde family crime saga in surprising ways as the series progresses. For as ambitious as the characters’ plans get, there is a grounded realism to “Ozark” that makes each major turn all the more emotionally affecting. A grim crime drama that delves deeper into the cost of its characters’ illicit world, “Ozark” is hauntingly intimate in its telling.

Creator Lena Waithe offers an up close and personal look at people living on the South Side of Chicago in the acclaimed series “The Chi.” The neighborhood itself is rife with violence, but its residents still find happiness and connection despite its daily challenges. The people of this community, particularly the younger characters, each have their own dreams, striving towards them against an unforgiving reality. Even as these dreams occasionally crash and burn, the community is there for each other and to look out for their own.

To be clear, though there are certainly criminal elements throughout “The Chi,” to call it a crime show seems reductive. Instead, Waithe has created a portrait of a community that deals with rough and tumble issues, but its denizens persevere through them together. As the series progresses, its ensemble cast grows and goes deeper, charting the complexities of surviving and thriving through such adversity. A triumph of the human spirit, especially for a neighborhood written off by the outside, “The Chi” is a slice-of-life celebration.

The best crime shows don’t shy away from the nature of consequences in its characters’ illicit actions. The 2019 historical drama miniseries “When They See Us” showcases the heartbreaking impact of malfeasance in the criminal justice system, specifically in the case of the Central Park Five. The series recounts how five Black and Latino youth were falsely accused of the sexual assault of a white jogger in Central Park in 1989. The show depicts the pressure the police exerted on the accused to confess, their subsequent court trials, and the convictions they endured for the following years.

Unflinching in its depiction of the grave injustices on multiple fronts, “When They See Us” is a sobering watch by design. Series creator Ava DuVernay takes on a big responsibility in bringing light to the account of innocents whose lives are completely upended by a fundamentally flawed system. She handles this feat expertly, with an all-star ensemble cast elevating the entire proceedings in bringing this real world tragedy to life. One of the best Netflix original limited series ever made, “When They See Us” makes for a wholly important viewing experience.

Forest Whitaker consistently raises the bar of quality for any project he takes part in, and this remains true for the series “Godfather of Harlem.” Whitaker, who stars and executive produces the show, plays real-life ’60s crime boss Bumpy Johnson, returning to Harlem after a 10-year stint in prison. Discovering his old neighborhood is controlled by the Italian mafia, Johnson moves to reclaim his power throughout New York City. Along the way, Johnson forms a tenuous alliance with political activist Malcom X (Nigél Thatch/Jason Alan Carvell) as the future of the city hangs in the balance.

Like a lot of the shows on this list based on historical events and figures, “Godfather of Harlem” plays fast and loose with the factual details of its story. Slickly told, the show never loses sight of its empathy for Johnson, even as he gets his hands dirty again. A lot of that comes down to the writing but also Whitaker’s magnetic lead performance as a mobster trying to reclaim his sense of home. A strong crime drama that doesn’t get enough attention, despite running since 2019, “Godfather of Harlem” brings the goods.

The long-running British video game series “The Getaway” serves as the basis for the 2020 crime series “Gangs of London.” The show kicks off with the murder of Finn Wallace (Colm Meaney), the most powerful crime lord in London for decades. His death leads to a sprawling power struggle for control of the British capital’s criminal underworld waged by rival syndicates. Finn’s son Sean (Joe Cole) tries to continue his father’s legacy with support from his mother and Finn’s most trusted associates, reasserting authority over the wayward criminal factions.

With Welsh filmmaker Gareth Evans (“The Raid” franchise) as one of the show’s co-creators, “Gangs of London” brings the bone-crunching carnage Evans instilled in “The Raid.” The show brings an ambitious scope to the world of British organized crime and harder hitting action than audiences may be accustomed to. For all the frenetic fury, the series never loses sight of the Wallace family drama at the emotional core of the story. Thrilling from top to bottom and with a solid ensemble cast, “Gangs of London” gives an especially vicious edge to familiar tropes.