Slow-burn mystery shows often get a bad rap for making the viewing audience do something that television wasn’t invented to do: make you think. TV is often regarded as comfort food, something that you can turn to if you want to cut your brain off for a while. But that’s not the case for mystery slow burns.

These shows are experts at making you put your thinking cap on to solve the pieces of a slowly involving puzzle. While some people may not see the value in that, slow-burn mystery shows have tremendous value, and if you stick around, the payoff at the end is usually satisfying. So, to try to convince you that slow burns are absolutely worth it, here are the mystery shows that are experts at making slow burns truly exciting.

1

‘Elementary’ (2012–2019)

Sherlock Holmes doesn’t do anything quick. Every mystery that he’s found himself embroiled in has been a slow burn, requiring the viewer to take their time and help him unravel mysteries. That was the case for the CBS series Elementary, a modern-day take on the famous British detective with a slight twist.

Here, Holmes (Jonny Lee MIller), is recovering from drug addiction, and seeks out his sober companion, Dr. Joan Watson (Lucy Liu) to help him solve cases while also kicking his demon to the curb. Elementary doesn’t start out fast. It uses a slow and prodding pace to build suspense. However, at the end of each episode, you will be rewarded with a satisfying payoff. That’s what great mysteries do, and why Elementary is definitely in that category.

2

‘The Mentalist’ (2008–2015)

What would you do if you were “blessed” with the skill to read people’s minds? You would probably do what Patrick Jane (Simon Baker) did and go work for the California Bureau of Investigation to help solve murder cases. That was the central premise of The Mentalist, coming out at a time when TV, especially CBS, was really getting into the mystery genre with gusto.

This procedural drama took a different twist on the standard mystery procedural, and brought in psychic techniques to help solve crimes that befuddled the California CBI. In truth, Jane wasn’t a psychic — he just had out-of-this-world observational skills, which is what makes The Mentalist pay off even more, even if it ruined its series finale.

3

‘Columbo’ (1968–1998)

While Dragnet may have kicked off the crime drama procedural, it was NBC’s Columbo that pushed it into the mainstream. Starring Peter Falk as the titular Lieutenant Columbo, the show may be a crime drama technically, but, in spirit, it can also serve as a great mystery series, since it deals with putting the pieces together to solve crimes.

Columbo wasn’t a heavy action show like its crime companions would take on in subsequent years. That wasn’t the show’s style. No, this show was the very definition of a slow burn, using mystery to put the facts together to solve big cases. While this may bore some, trust me when I say, it actually works in Columbo‘s favor. The series expertly used slow burn tactics to keep its audience engaged, and it will keep you engaged as well.

4

‘Mare of Easttown’ (2021)

I will admit something to you. When I first saw HBO’s Mare of Easttown, I thought it was pretty boring. Maybe my love for slow burn shows may have worn out, I thought, as I struggled to get through the first couple of episodes. Then, the third episode came along, and I was hooked on this mystery like peanut butter is to jelly on a sandwich.

Mare of Easttown stars Kate Winslet in a truly spectacular performance. She portrayed Mare Sheehan, a detective who is investigating the murder of a teen mom while trying to piece her own life back together. Nothing here comes fast, and it’s a slow burn all the way to the ending. And, to be honest, that’s Mare of Easttown‘s strongest suit. The slow-moving nature of the series allows you to get a grasp of what Sheehan is struggling with, and helps you understand why this case is so important to her. I’m so glad I didn’t quit this show, as I would have missed a truly satisfying ending.

5

‘Only Murders in the Building’ (2021–)

We’ve now arrived at the mystery show that does have a bit of action to it, but it takes a while for it to get there. The beauty of Hulu’s Only Murders in the Building, starring Steve Martin, Martin Short, and Selena Gomez, is not within its comical mysterious oh no.

What sets Only Murders in the Building apart from its peers is the layers of background that play a big part of the mystery our true crime podcasters are trying to solve. There are a lot of intricacies that weave their way into the bigger picture, and while each season starts off pretty slowly, this acclaimed mystery series always sticks the landing in the end.

6

‘Big Little Lies’ (2017–)

What started out as a miniseries has quickly morphed into one of HBO’s best shows. That’s what happens when you give slow-burn Big Little Lies a chance to prove that being patient and waiting for the payoff is always the best bet. Starring Reese Witherspoon and Nicole Kidman, Big Little Lies follows a group of women who get wrapped up in a homicide investigation.

Again, this show isn’t for those who like their shows to get to the interesting part. It takes a bit of time for Big Little Lies to gather steam; but, once it does, get ready for a wild ride that rivals any modern-day mystery show. If you haven’t checked out Big Little Lies yet, this is your sign to do so, and pronto.

7

‘The Blacklist’ (2013–2023)

I feel like this show has slid into the category of underrated shows in recent years. That’s a shame, because The Blacklist was one of my favorite shows during the 2010s, and one of NBC’s biggest hits. Created by Jon Bokenkamp and starring the legendary James Spader, The Blacklist will have you on the edge of your seat in each episode.

Here, we follow Raymond Reddington (Spader), a career international criminal and fugitive who, in exchange for immunity from prosecution, decides to help the FBI track down and find other most wanted fugitives on his “blacklist.” Spader does a remarkable job here as the cunning Reddington, bringing a slice of charisma to a role that seemed tailor-made for him. The Blacklist, itself, is a very interesting show, a slow burn that takes off once you see the mystery unfold.

8

‘Yellowjackets’ (2021–)

Yes, Yellowjackets is technically a psychological horror drama. However, let me take a moment to explain why this show can also be categorized as a slow burn. First, some short context for those who haven’t watched the show yet. Created by Ashley Lyle and Bart Nickerson, Showtime’s Yellowjackets follows two storylines: one in which a group of teens tries to survive in the wilderness after a plane crash in the mid-’90s, while the second looks at how the survivors of that crash try to move on with life in the present day.

Even from that short synopsis, you can tell that there is a lot that goes on Yellowjackets. However, it takes a while to get to the true psychological horror nature of the series, which means that this show is also a slow burn. For a show like Yellowjackets, which has a lot of moving parts, starting out slow works in its favor if you give it a chance, which you absolutely should.

9

‘Pretty Little Liars’ (2010–2017)

I cannot tell you how much this show had a chokehold on me in the 2010s. In other words, I was, and still is, a huge fan of Pretty Little Liars, the teen mystery drama developed by I. Marline King. The series follows four girls (Lucy Hale, Shay Mitchell, Troian Bellisario, and Ashley Benson) who are mysteriously threatened by “A” after their leader, Allison DiLaurentis (Sasha Pieterse), disappears. The show is spent following the girls, nicknamed “The Liars,” as they try to solve the mysterious “A” and the disappearance of their friend.

Much like Yellowjackets, there is a lot that goes on in Pretty Little Liars, but you don’t get there right away. Most of the first half of Season 1 is a slow burn, as with the other subsequent seasons. But, this is a show that forces you to pay attention to even the most mundane of things, because everything ties together at the end to reveal who is torturing the Liars. That’s the beauty of this show, and eight years after it went off the air, I am still hooked on the mystery, and so will you.

10

‘True Detective’ (2014–)

While I was busy trying to find out who “A” was in Pretty Little Liars, another crime mystery had my complete attention for a different reason. For HBO’s True Detective, it wasn’t so much as trying to solve the mystery of who was trying to blackmail a group of high school teenagers. In this show, the mystery is the star of the show, and it will make you break out your inner Sherlock Holmes to try to help the detectives solve some of the most perplexing crimes on modern television.

Each season of True Detective is different, and offers its own flavor that will keep you on your toes. Whether it’s a pair of Louisiana State Police detectives trying to find an occult serial killer, or Alaskan detectives trying to find missing men in the dead of a polar night, you’ll be wrapped up in the mystery of each season. It’s one of the best slow burn mystery shows on TV, and if this show doesn’t make you believe that slow burners are worth it, I don’t know what to tell you.

High Potential — the ABC show about a single mom with an exceptional mind who winds up working as a consultant for the Los Angeles Police Department — debuted its first season a year ago. Now, Kaitlin Olson’s fashionable crime-solver Morgan Gillory is tackling new crimes in season 2.

The second season of High Potential will debut much like last season — episodes of the crime drama will air on ABC first before streaming on Hulu. In addition to Olson, the show stars Javicia Leslie as Daphne, Deniz Akdeniz as Lev “Oz” Ozdil, Amirah J as Ava, Matthew Lamb as Elliot and Judy Reyes as Selena. Daniel Sunjata plays Morgan’s by-the-book partner Karadec, and Steve Howey joins the cast in season 2 as new precinct captain Nick Wagner.

High Potential is based on the French series Haut Potentiel Intellectuel. According to official descriptions, the first few episodes of season 2 will again pit Morgan against the Game Maker and continue the storyline with Ava’s missing dad, Roman.

When to watch High Potential’s season 2 premiere on Hulu

Season 2 of the Kaitlin Olson-starring series will air on ABC on Tuesday and stream the following day on Hulu. Here are the release details for the first three episodes.

• Episode 1, Pawns: Premieres on ABC on Sept. 16 at 10 p.m. ET/10 p.m. PT/9 p.m. CT. Streams on Hulu on Sept. 17.
• Episode 2, Checkmate: Premieres on ABC on Sept. 23 at 10 p.m. ET/10 p.m. PT/9 p.m. CT. Streams on Hulu on Sept. 24.
• Episode 3, Eleven Minutes: Premieres on ABC on Sept. 30 at 10 p.m. ET/10 p.m. PT/9 p.m. CT. Streams on Hulu on Oct. 1.

No one’s particularly keen about seeing the inside of a prison, but for those infinitely curious, watching a show about one is one of the most harmless ways to do it. These shows often depict people who’ve gotten on the law’s wrong side, but also those who were unfairly locked up. It’s an interesting setting for a human story and a story about human character.

From Black Bird to Oz, the ten best shows about prison depict intricate relationships between inmates and the lives that led to them getting imprisoned, and some are even great comedies, too. Whatever you’re in the mood for, one of these shows, if not all, will be your next great viewing material.

10

‘Porridge’ (1974–1977)

Created by Dick Clement and Ian La Frenais

Porridge is a prison-based sitcom set in a fictional prison called HMP Slade. The protagonists are Norman Stanley Fletcher (Ronnie Barker) and Lennie Godber (Richard Beckinsale), who are cellmates at Slade. Their lives are depicted through friendship, but also their confrontations with prison guards. The show is delightfully witty and clever, and it was a historically relevant piece of television across the UK. It’s one of the more humorous approaches to depicting prison life, but comedy belongs in most parts of life, which Porridge expertly proves.

Porridge consistently ranked among Britain’s greatest comedies; one former inmate wrote that Porridge was the go-to TV show when he was serving time in prison, saying that the writers very successfully depicted the relationships between the inmates and the prison guards. The show also contributed some new slang words and neologisms to the English language, leaving a lasting legacy. If the name Richard Beckinsale seems familiar, he is Kate Beckinsale’s father and one of the biggest TV stars of the 1970s.

9

‘Wentworth’ (2013–2021)

Created by Lara Radulovich, David Hannam, and Reg Watson

Wentworth is a modern, gritty reimagining of the classic Australian soap opera called Prisoner. Reg Watson created Prisoner, then Lara Radulovich and David Hannam based Wentworth on his idea, creating a sort of remake and an homage. Wentworth is big and known for its strong character arcs, as well as the often unflinching look at women’s prisons. The star of the show is Danielle Cormack, who carries the show with her powerhouse performance, though Nicole da Silva overtakes her in the number of episodes she appears in.

Wentworth follows Bea Smith (Cormack) for its first four seasons, showing her arrival in prison after being sentenced for the attempted murder of her husband. The series depicts her rise through the prison’s hierarchy, showing some colorful and interesting characters around her along the way. Wentworth has eight seasons and is one of the most watched Australian dramas of all time; the first episode alone remains the most watched on Foxtel, an Australian pay-per-view channel.

8

‘Prison Break’ (2005–2017)

Created by Paul Scheuring

Prison Break might be the most famous prison-based series around the globe, since it’s still often shown through reruns in certain countries. Everyone knows who Michael Scofield is, including his incredibly ingenious plan to get his brother out of prison. The show still has plenty of worldwide fans, so word of a potential Prison Break reboot isn’t surprising at all. Whether it’s really necessary is a different kind of problem, though.

Prison Break follows Michael Scofield (Wentworth Miller), who gets himself locked up in the same prison as his brother Lincoln (Dominic Purcell). Lincoln has been unfairly imprisoned, and Michael has an elaborate plan to get him out, not caring what happens to him along the way. Besides the two iconic brothers, this breakout thriller has brilliant and highly memorable side characters, including Sucre, T-Bag, Abruzzi, Haywire, and C-Note. When you see it, you’ll know what this sentence means. The show has five seasons, but the first two are especially tense and remain fan favorites.

7

‘Locked Up’ (2015–2019)

Created by Iván Escobar, Esther Martínez Lobato, Álex Pina, and Daniel Écijas

Álex Pina is the creator of Money Heist, but he was first one of the people in the writers’ room for Vis A Vis, aka Locked Up. The show is available on Netflix and stars Money Heist’s most popular actresses, Najwa Nimri and Alba Flores, who were the definitive fan favorites, Alicia Sierra and Nairobi (respectively). Locked Up is a story about a women’s prison, full of intense twists, turns, and ideas. There are escapes, power plays, gorgeous prison queens, and a lot of action for a show set in a fairly monotone setting.

Locked Up follows Macarena Molina (Maggie Civantos), who gets involved with a married man; after he frames her for embezzlement, she ends up in a maximum security prison with other dangerous inmates. The queen of prison, Zulema (Nimri), takes Macarena under her wing; Macarena takes some time to get used to the tough conditions of the prison. Besides Macarena, viewers quickly find themselves cheering for plenty of other side characters, including Zulema, Saray (Flores), and Rizos (Berta Vázquez).

6

‘Time’ (2021–)

Created by Jimmy McGovern

Jimmy McGovern, creator of Moving On, created Time in 2021, starring Sean Bean and Stephen Graham. The show is gripping and portrays prison life and moral dilemmas faced by both inmates and prison guards in what many people say are great and scarily accurate ways. Season 2 stars Jodie Whittaker and Bella Ramsey, and both installments have three episodes each. To make the entire thing feel more accurate and cold, the show was filmed in a decommissioned prison in Shrewsbury.

Season 1 of Time follows former teacher, now prisoner, Mark (Bean), who is completely new to prison life and its dynamics. Mark befriends a prison guard, Eric (Graham), who promises to protect Mark from harm in the harsh prison environment. Time Season 2 follows three women inmates—Orla (Whittaker), Abi (Tamara Lawrance), and Kelsey (Ramsey)—just starting their prison sentences. Both seasons are quite grim and realistic, but they’re also hard to look away from. As with most British series, this one’s a banger, too, and done with great dedication.

5

‘Orange Is the New Black’ (2013–2019)

Created by Jenji Kohan

One of the most iconic streaming shows of all time, Orange Is the New Black, was based on real life. Piper Kerman wrote a memoir depicting her life in prison and transformation, and Jenji Kohan (Weeds) turned it into a groundbreaking dramedy that held us by our imaginary shirt collars for around six years. OITNB is humanizing, emotional, and socially conscious in most episodes, discovering, uncovering, and covering some heavy and often controversial topics. For a long time, OITNB was Netflix’s longest-running original drama, but it’s now being surpassed by Virgin River, which was renewed for season eight before the seventh even came out.

Orange Is the New Black starts off with Piper (Taylor Schilling), who gets sentenced to 15 months in a minimum-security women’s prison called Litchfield. Piper gets sentenced for transporting a suitcase full of drug money for her girlfriend, Alex Vause (Laura Prepon), though she only gets convicted after Alex names her in her trial. Reunited, Piper and Alex spark their relationship once again. However, the show soon turns into a powerful ensemble series, introducing viewers to iconic OITNB characters like Taystee (Danielle Brooks), Red (Kate Mulgrew), and Nicky (Natasha Lyonne).

4

‘The Night Of’ (2016)

Created by Richard Price and Steven Zaillian

The Night Of is an underrated crime show, often cited among the greatest HBO miniseries. It’s truly a gripping tale of how the legal system works, especially when it comes to working in the favor of (or against) people of color; the ethical and emotional stakes of the show add a greater impact when you watch how much “gymnastics” are required in getting the law to work in the favor of a man who claims his innocence. While lawyers fight from the outside, prison life eats away at a young man implicated in a murder case, never really clearing up whether he was guilty or not.

The Night Of is about Naz Khan (Riz Ahmed), a Pakistani-American student who borrows his father’s cab to go to a party one night. He picks up a woman, they party, and then they spend the night together. When Naz wakes up in the morning, he sees her dead next to him, without remembering whether he’s the one who killed her. Becoming the primary suspect, Naz is taken as a client by the hardworking and just lawyer John Stone (John Turturro). The Night Of doesn’t seem to care too much whether you believe Naz is guilty or not; it just wants to show you what it takes for someone like him to be heard.

3

‘Black Bird’ (2022)

Created by Dennis Lehane

Black Bird is another fairly underrated miniseries with a haunting true story as its inspiration. It’s a six-part show, but it stays in your memory for a long time after you’ve watched it. Taron Egerton and Paul Walter Hauser are powerhouses in it, with Hauser winning a Golden Globe for his portrayal of real-life serial killer Larry Hall. The show is highly rated—for good reason—and it’s chilling and often really intense and exciting. A thriller masterclass.

Black Bird follows Jimmy Keene (Egerton), a Chicago-based crook who gets caught tampering with drugs. Due to prior misdemeanors and crimes, Keene gets ten years without a chance of parole; however, an FBI agent approaches him with an offer to drop all charges against him if he agrees to be transferred to a prison for the criminally insane and elicit a confession to several unsolved murders from serial killer Larry Hall (Hauser). Keene, naturally charming and a great storyteller, bonds with Hall, to his own mental detriment. It’s a brilliant show and one of the best thriller miniseries ever made.

2

‘Escape at Dannemora’ (2018)

Created by Brett Johnson and Michael Tolkin

Escape at Dannemora is also underrated and also a great miniseries based on a true story. This one is much different from Black Bird or The Night Of; it depicts the escape of prisoners Richard Matt and David Sweat, which took place in 2015, and was aided by prison worker Joyce “Tilly” Mitchell. This story was gripping news back in the day, and writers Brett Johnson and Michael Tolkin wrote a worthy adaptation, which was directed by Ben Stiller in its entirety. Benicio del Toro, Paul Dano, and Patricia Arquette portray the prison-breaking trio, and it’s hard to decide who gives a better performance out of the three.

Escape at Dannemora is set in the Clinton Correctional Facility in upstate New York. The show opens with the arrest of Mitchell (Arquette), Matt (del Toro), and Sweat (Dano), and Mitchell retells the events before the escape. She reveals that she had a secret affair with Sweat during her working hours and explains how Matt became a part of the escape plan. Gritty, dark, and often eerie, Escape at Dannemora captures the feeling of an uneventful life, prison life, and the psyches of the escaped inmates.

1

‘Oz’ (1997–2003)

Created by Tom Fontana

Many say that the first true TV drama was The Sopranos, but Oz beat them to it by two years. Released in 1997, Oz was the first one-hour television drama commissioned by HBO, and it contained a lot of the things the networks were afraid of airing—coarse language, violence, drug use, sex, and—perhaps most controversially—deep dives into the psyches of all sorts of people, from the terrible ones to some good ones. Oz is brutal and relentless, often named claustrophobic and dizzying by critics; set entirely in prison, the great ceiling lights can become too much for anyone to continue binge-watching it.

Oz is short for Oswald State Correctional Facility, a maximum-security prison. The name Oz is also an homage to The Wizard of Oz, with one wing of the prison being aptly named Emerald City or Em City; the manager of Em City, Tim McManus (Terry Kinney), emphasizes rehabilitation rather than punishment, balancing the number of people belonging to various factions. Despite his efforts, the inmates still often clash and go through various traumatic experiences. Oz, in the simplest way said, cast a long shadow on TV storytelling; anything after it could only outdo it by little, with The Sopranos becoming its biggest and proudest successor.

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