Shows Like The First 48

If you liked The First 48 (2004), a documentary and drama series, here are 20 shows with a similar feel, based on TMDB's recommendations. Each one links to its cast, trailer and where it's streaming.

1
Snapped (2004)
★ 7.8/10Also crime and documentary
The fascinating cases of every day, seemingly average moms, wives and girlfriends accused of murder. Did they really do it? And if so, why?
2
People Magazine Investigates (2016)
★ 8.5/10Also crime and documentary
Uncover the heart-wrenching true stories behind crimes that transcended headlines and became part of popular culture. Exclusive first hand interviews reveal shocking twists, new evidence, and unexpected resolutions.
3
Forensic Files (1996)
★ 7.9/10Also crime and documentary
Real crimes, disease outbreaks and accidents around the world are solved by experts using scientific laboratory analysis which helps them find previously undetectable evidence. Brilliant scientific work helps convict…
4
Cold Case Files (1999)
★ 8.4/10Also crime and documentary
Explore compelling cases that have gone cold for years, chronicling the journeys of the detectives who reopened them. The detectives relive the events of the crimes, reveal new twists and startling revelations, relying…
5
American Monster (2016)
★ 7.5/10Also crime and documentary
Monsters can be found lurking behind any innocent smile and on any street corner in America. Never-before-seen-video footage stares straight into the eyes of these killers who hide in plain sight. Anyone can be a…
6
Who Killed Jill Dando? (2023)
★ 6.8/10Also documentary and crime
Revisit the shocking 1999 murder of beloved TV presenter Jill Dando, which continues to mystify experts and the public, in this in-depth documentary.
7
Fear Thy Neighbor (2014)
★ 8.1/10Also crime and documentary
These are the terrifying tales of the unwanted neighbors who turn home sweet home into home sweet hell. A look inside the lives of horrific neighborly disputes and what happens when a simple issue turns into the worst…
8
Rescue 911 (1989)
★ 7.9/10Also drama and documentary
Rescue 911 is an informational reality-based television series that premiered on April 18, 1989 and ended on August 27, 1996. The series was hosted by William Shatner and featured reenactments of emergency situations…
9
A Haunting (2005)
★ 7.5/10Also documentary and drama
These are the true stories of the innocent and the unimaginable. Based on true events, A Haunting dramatises some of the scariest stories, revealing a world in which tragedy, suicide and murder have left psychic…
10
American Murder: Gabby Petito (2025)
★ 7.2/10Also documentary and crime
What happened in the final days of Gabby Petito's life? In this gripping true-crime series, her loved ones reveal the untold story of her tragic murder.
11
Wild Crime (2021)
★ 6.4/10Also documentary and crime
Eighty-five million acres make up the National Park System, and only 33 special agents nationwide are responsible for investigating crimes that occur on this public land. This documentary series follows the uniquely…
12
The Murder Tapes (2019)
★ 7.8/10Also crime and documentary
Incorporating bodycam footage from the initial crime scene, surveillance video, and interrogation room recordings, homicide investigations unfold through dramatic real video footage providing an up-close perspective on…
13
I Shouldn't Be Alive (2005)
★ 7.1/10Also documentary and drama
The show features accounts of individuals and groups caught in dangerous scenarios, presented both through interviews and dramatic reenactments. The main focus is how the survivors survived and the decisions they made…
14
The War (2007)
★ 8.2/10Also documentary and crime
The story of the Second World War through the personal accounts of a handful of men and women from four American towns. The war touched the lives of every family on every street in every town in America and…
15
Wormwood (2017)
★ 6.1/10Also documentary and crime
In this genre-bending tale, Errol Morris explores the mysterious death of a U.S. scientist entangled in a secret Cold War program known as MK-Ultra.
16
Roman Empire (2016)
★ 7/10Also drama and documentary
This stylish mix of documentary and historical epic chronicles the reign of Commodus, the emperor whose rule marked the beginning of Rome's fall.
17
Making a Murderer (2015)
★ 7.8/10Also documentary and crime
Filmed over 10 years, this real-life thriller follows a DNA exoneree who, while exposing police corruption, becomes a suspect in a grisly new crime.
18
Bad Vegan: Fame. Fraud. Fugitives. (2022)
★ 6.2/10Also documentary and crime
After marrying a mysterious man who claimed he could make her dog immortal, a celebrated vegan restaurateur finds her life veering off the rails.
19
FIFA Uncovered (2022)
★ 7/10Also documentary and crime
From power struggles to global politics, an exploration of FIFA reveals the organization's checkered history — and what it takes to host a World Cup.
20
Horror at the Cecil Hotel (2017)
★ 7.2/10Also crime and documentary
Not long after the Cecil Hotel in Los Angeles opened in 1924, a guest committed suicide in one of its rooms, beginning a decades-long string of murders, suicides or otherwise unexplained...