Shows like The First 48 (2004)
Loved The First 48? Here are 24 shows with a similar feel, picked from what fans of The First 48 watch next and from titles with the same mix of documentary, drama and crime.
-
1
Fargo (2014)
A close-knit anthology series dealing with stories involving malice, violence and murder based in and around Minnesota.
-
2
Forever (2014)
Doctor Henry Morgan, New York City’s star medical examiner, has a secret. He doesn't just study the dead to solve criminal cases, he does it to solve the mystery that has eluded him for 200 years—the answer to his own inexplicable…
-
3
Making a Murderer (2015)
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.
-
4
Horror at the Cecil Hotel (2017)
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...
-
5
Unsolved Mysteries (1988)
Combines four to five segments of dramatic re-enactments, interviews and updates of real human and paranormal mysteries. An audience interactive call-to-action request allowed viewers to call in with tips to help solve the cases.
-
6
Roman Empire (2016)
This stylish mix of documentary and historical epic chronicles the reign of Commodus, the emperor whose rule marked the beginning of Rome's fall.
-
7
Vienna Blood (2019)
Max Liebermann, a student of Sigmund Freud, helps Detective Rheinhardt in the investigation of a series of disturbing murders around the grand cafes and opera houses of 1900s Vienna.
-
8
American Murder: Gabby Petito (2025)
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.
-
9
A Haunting (2005)
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 impressions so powerful that…
-
10
Forensic Files (1996)
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 the guilty and free the…
-
11
Murder in the First (2014)
Murder in the First follows homicide detectives Terry English and Hildy Mulligan as they investigate a multitude of tragedies in San Francisco.
-
12
FIFA Uncovered (2022)
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.
-
13
The War (2007)
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 demonstrated that in…
-
14
Happy Face (2025)
The story of Melissa Reed, daughter of Keith Jesperson, aka the Happy Face Killer. After decades of no contact, Keith forces his way back into his daughter’s life, and Melissa must find out if an innocent man is going to be put to death for…
-
15
Testament: The Story of Moses (2024)
This illuminating docudrama series chronicles Moses' remarkable life as a prince, prophet and more with insights from theologians and historians.
-
16
Heist (2021)
Millions in stolen cash. Missing luxury bourbon. Watch ordinary people almost get away with these extraordinary heists in this true crime series.
-
17
The Witness (2026)
With their 2-year-old as the sole witness to her murder, Rachel Nickell's partner fights to protect him amid a flawed investigation.
-
18
Snapped (2004)
The fascinating cases of every day, seemingly average moms, wives and girlfriends accused of murder. Did they really do it? And if so, why?
-
19
Cold Case Files (1999)
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 on breakthroughs in…
-
20
People Magazine Investigates (2016)
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.
-
21
Fear Thy Neighbor (2014)
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 night of a family's…
-
22
Wormwood (2017)
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.
-
23
Who Killed Jill Dando? (2023)
Revisit the shocking 1999 murder of beloved TV presenter Jill Dando, which continues to mystify experts and the public, in this in-depth documentary.
-
24
I Shouldn't Be Alive (2005)
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 that kept them alive.