10 Overlooked Crime TV Shows That Only Lasted One Season

Summary

• Crime TV dramas offer unique angles and compelling storylines, even if they are often short-lived and overlooked by audiences.
• Heavyweight performances by actors like Jennifer Carpenter in
  The Enemy Within
  add depth to characters and enhance the overall viewing experience.
• Shows like
  Reckless
  blend legal drama with Southern charm, bringing authenticity to the narrative and providing a new twist for genre fans.

For decades now, crime TV dramas have been able to engage audiences through heavyweight storytelling and multifaceted characters. Of course, not every show achieves the success it merits. Countless really great crime series have been canceled after one season, leaving behind a short yet unforgettable legacy. There are shows with interesting concepts, great acting, and compelling storylines. However, for some reason or another, they failed to attract audiences or were axed prematurely by their respective channels.

Even with their fleeting runs, these crime dramas are worth revisiting. They offer interesting new angles on the genre, and they’re virtually unexplored gems within the vast television landscape. While their airtime was short, these series did make a mark on those who discovered them. From psychological thrillers to hard-baked police procedurals that deserve a second season like Clarice, oft-ignored crime shows hold many diverse experiences for genre fans.

10 The Enemy Within (2019)

A Betrayal of Trust

The Enemy Within starred Jennifer Carpenter as Erica Shepherd, a former CIA operative turned traitor who now works for the FBI to track down a dangerous criminal. It remained taut with its constant twists and tension between Shepherd and the FBI team that distrusted her. The actual performance by Carpenter brought some depth to the torn character between past actions and a desire to do good. With its fast pace and intricate relationships between characters, the series becomes engaging for any crime drama lover.

Jennifer Carpenter became famous throughout the crime genre due to her acting as Debra Morgan in
Dexter
. Hence, she is very apt for this intense role.

Even with Carpenter’s promising premise and compelling performance, The Enemy Within failed to pull in enough viewers to warrant a second season. It managed to run only 13 episodes before it was canceled, ultimately leaving its storylines open and its fans wondering what would happen next. It was a short-lived series, but strikingly suspenseful — an illicit look at loyalty, betrayal, and that thin line distinguishing a hero from a villain.

9 Three Pines (2022)

A Gentle Mystery Unspools

With Alfred Molina playing Chief Inspector Armand Gamache, a detective assigned to probe crimes in the peaceful yet mysterious village of Three Pines, this show was based on the popular novels by Louise Penny. Critical praise was showered on its atmospheric location and thoughtful storytelling. Molina’s Gamache was nuanced and riveting, showing a silent strength but also the moral complexity of the character. It was a low-burn mystery woven into character development and intricate relationships within a village.

Canceled in the wake of this after its first season, it became a major disappointment among fans, who valued its different take on the crime genre.

With a cast of heavy hitters and stunning location cinematography, Three Pines could hold one’s attention — but it did get slow, causing the viewership to fall off. Canceled in the wake of this after its first season, it became a major disappointment among fans, who valued its different take on the crime genre. Still, Three Pines is worth the watch from anyone who enjoys more reflective, character-driven mysteries.

8 The Chicago Code (2011)

A Battle Against Corruption

The Chicago Code was a gritty, black crime drama centered on cleansing corruption within the Chicago Police Department. Jennifer Beals played Superintendent Teresa Colvin, an aggressive leader striving to clean up crime on the city streets. It was able to portray, quite honestly, the demands of police officers in one of the most corrupt cities in America. Through its acclaimed approach, it sorted through the convoluted interplay between politics and policing in a way that no other crime drama had ever been able to.

Even with its powerful storytelling and performances, however, The Chicago Code could not find its place in the highly competitive TV landscape. Much to the chagrin of fans and critics alike, who had rallied behind the series, it was canceled after only 13 episodes. It has deeply mined ambiguities in law enforcement and takes an unflinching look at corruption in Chicago, so it is well positioned to stand out in the genre even if it had a short run.

Walking the Line

As represented through the lead protagonist, Ryan Lopez, an LAPD detective played by Ramon Rodriguez, Gang Related delved into the way Lopez straddled his secret ties to a powerful gang. It had some heavy action and was morally charged with the dilemmas the characters were facing, which gave a new approach to the crime genre. The conflict between Lopez’s duty as a cop and his loyalty to the gang was compelling enough to be central.

Gang Related
showed a diverse cast and a realistic depiction of gang culture in Los Angeles, sublimated with nearly all the crime dramas of its time.

With a powerhouse cast and an interesting storyline, Gang Related barely drew an audience and was canceled in one season. It offers quite a unique take on gang culture and law enforcement and brings along some action in its episodes, which, in sum, definitely turns it into a dark horse for genre fans. The cancelation leaves a lot of questions wide open, yet it remains a thrilling, intense portrayal of where the line blurs between law and crime.

6 Clarice (2021)

A Recognizable Face in a New Role

Clarice picked up the story of FBI Agent Clarice Starling, showing her life and career after the events of The Silence of the Lambs. The legendary role was played by Rebecca Breeds, who retained the dark character haunted by her past while dealing with new cases. The cases tackled Clarice’s PTSD and complicated relationships within the FBI, peeling back many layers into the mind of a character who had been engraved by encounters with Hannibal Lecter. The show holds immense potential for storytelling, building upon the legacy laid by its predecessor.

Despite only having a short run,
Clarice
remains an intriguing exploration of one of cinema’s most complex characters.

However, Clarice season 1 struggled to find that same magic. For one, rights issues meant Hannibal Lecter was off-limits, which rather negatively impacted Clarice’s backstory. Due to low ratings, it lasted only a single season. Fans were hoping for a little more from this character’s story. Despite only having a short run, Clarice remains an intriguing exploration of one of cinema’s most complex characters.

5 Stalker (2014-2015)

The Dark Side of Human Nature

Stalker was a forgotten psychological thriller TV show that followed detectives investigating cases of stalking in the LAPD’s Threat Assessment Unit. Maggie Q and Dylan McDermott led the cast in this dark and unsettled series. It played with the chilling reality of stalking in every episode to create an intense viewing experience. The show is known for its evocative atmosphere and portrays how the psychological impact of stalking affects victims and investigators alike.

Maggie Q is known for her roles in action-laden television shows like Nikita, and Stalker allowed her to express a more psychological and dramatic side of her acting skills.

Although it had several dedicated fans, Stalker received criticism due to its very unsettling content, which some found too heavy. Added to the somewhat lower-than-anticipated ratings, this was enough to get the show canceled after one season. Despite the brevity of this show, Stalker still stands as a notable entry in the crime genre, particularly for any person who likes a psychological chiller that delves much deeper into the dark areas of human behavior.

4 Detroit 1-8-7 (2010-2011)

A Gritty Look at the Motor City

Detroit 1-8-7 starred Michael Imperioli as Detective Louis Fitch, working in the homicide division of the Detroit Police Department. The show was most welcomed as grittily realistic, featuring life in Detroit, a city crippled by crime and economic problems. It was soon hailed by thousands of viewers when it turned out to have great acting and an interesting plot. The series was characterized by an unsparing portrayal of what it is like to be a law enforcer working in one of the poorest and most violent cities in the country.

While Detroit 1-8-7 had some critical acclaim, it struggled with the ratings and was canceled after one season. The realism and personal lives of the characters in this show set it apart from a host of other crime dramas; it is certainly memorable, even if it was somewhat short-lived. Detroit 1-8-7 has special appeal for those with a taste for gritty, character-driven crime dramas.

Detroit 1-8-7
has an 81% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

3 APB (2017)

Tech Meets Crime

APB introduced a fresh perspective on the crime drama genre by arming the war against crime with up-to-date technology. It followed the story of Gideon Reeves, a tech billionaire, taking over the Chicago police precinct to test advanced gadgets for fighting crime. Justin Kirk starred as Reeves, imbuing him with a role that was both charming and determined. The series brought out both the potential and pitfalls of using technology to solve crimes, raising ethical questions about surveillance and privacy.

Even with its unique and incredibly interesting premise, APB failed to catch on with audiences and was canceled after one season. At the same time, the blend of tech innovation with traditional police work was years ahead of its time; it could be misunderstood by audiences. Still, for those interested in the junction of technology and law enforcement, APB allows for an interesting, albeit short, examination of the future of policing.

2 Conviction (2016–2017)

Seeking Justice

Conviction followed Hayley Atwell as Hayes Morrison, a lawyer, and former First Daughter who is strong-armed into running a Conviction Integrity Unit. The team reruns cases to ensure justice is served. It married legal drama with crime-solving elements in such a singular way. Atwell’s performance as Morrison added further depth to the series — flawed but unbroken.

Conviction
may turn out to be a buried treasure for that legal drama lover who enjoys a little mystery-solving to keep things interesting.

Even with a lead performance by Atwell and an interesting premise for the show, Conviction couldn’t hang on to enough viewers and was canceled after one season. Several of the major themes tackled by the series included wrongful convictions and proof that the justice system isn’t infallible. That is what makes the show an intellectually rich, albeit short-lived, addition to the crime drama genre. Conviction may turn out to be a buried treasure for that legal drama lover who enjoys a little mystery-solving to keep things interesting.

1 Reckless (2014)

Southern Charm with a Legal Twist

Reckless was a legal drama set in Charleston, South Carolina, taking on the narrative of a Northern lawyer and a Southern city attorney who find themselves on opposite sides of a legal battle while embroiled in a simmering romantic tension. It mixed courtroom intrigue with Southern charm at its most steamy. The interplay of the two lead characters, coupled with the backdrop of a scandal-ridden legal case, made for compelling viewing.

Reckless
was one of the few network TV shows set in the South, and it brought an authenticity all its own to the series with its portrayal of the uniqueness of the culture in Charleston and the legal landscape.

However, Reckless couldn’t attract a large viewership and was canceled in the first season, due to which its intriguing plotlines were left open. Its locale, Charleston, brought an element of realism and cultural flavor into the narrative. Its setting helps the series distinguish itself from other legal dramas. Hence, Reckless might be a juicy, though short, legal series interlaced with romance to get into for legal-thriller fans who have a taste for romance.