13 Shows to Watch if You Love “Only Murders in the Building”
If you’re in the mood for more whodunits while awaiting the new season of Only Murders in the Building, these are some mystery series that captivate you as much as the All Is Not OK in Oklahoma podcast inspires Charles-Haden Savage (played by Steve Martin), Oliver Putnam (played by Martin Short) and Mabel (played by Selena Gomez) to conduct their own amateur sleuthing.
13. Psych
For fans who enjoy laughing while collecting clues and unusual investigators, Psych is a great pick.
The series follows exuberant Shawn Spencer (played by James Roday Rodriguez) who convinces the Santa Barbara Police Department that he is a psychic so he can use his hyper-observant powers to help them solve challenging cases.
With his somewhat reluctant best friend Burton “Gus” Guster (played by Dulé Hill), he creates the fake psychic detective agency “Psych”, much to the chagrin of his retired police officer father Henry Spencer (played by Corbin Bernsen). Often butting heads with the straight-laced and big-headed current Detective Lassiter (played by Timothy Omundson) and his partner Detective O’Hara (played by Maggie Lawson), Shawn unravels mysteries with showmanship and humor.
12. Poker Face
Created by Rian Johnson, the genius behind Knives Out and The Glass Onion, Poker Face follows Charlie (played by Natasha Lyonne) who has the extraordinary ability to tell when someone is lying. When this gets her into trouble, she hits the road in her Plymouth Barracuda. At every stop encounters a new cast of characters, lies, and unusual crimes she can't help but investigate.
Fans of Only Murders in the Building will appreciate the unique take on mysteries and guest stars who make appearances.
11. Magpie Murders
This Masterpiece Mystery based on Anthony Horowitz’s novel follows Editor Susan Ryeland (played by Lesley Manville) as she seeks to find the missing final chapter of her acclaimed author’s mystery novel. As she searches for the pages and the answers to the crime in the manuscript, she gets sucked into a real life murder investigation and imagines what the story detective Atticus Pund (played by Tim McMullan) would make of the clues.
Fans of Only Murders in the Building should appreciate the cinematography and blending of fact and fiction between the novel and real world.
10. Chronicle Mysteries
If the true-crime podcast element of Only Murders in the Building, appealed to you, Hallmark’s The Chronicle Mysteries might appeal to you. This cozy mystery follows podcaster Alex McPherson (played by Alison Sweeney) as she is pulled back into the newspaper business at The Chronicle and begins investigating murders for both the paper and a true-crime podcast.
With the possibility for romance with editor Drew Godfrey (played by Benjamin Ayres) and some well-intentioned reporters, Alex seeks justice for victims of cold and current cases.
9. Based on a True Story
A darker take on true crime fandom can be found in Based on a True Story, where Ava (played by Kaley Cuoco) and Nathan (played by Chris Messina), a bored and broke married couple in Los Angeles decide to start a podcast when they suspect someone in their lives is a serial killer.
This dark comedy thriller is an original take on uncovering a murderer and pokes fun at obsessing over crime for entertainment.
8. Sherlock
The BBC’s modern-day adaptation of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s classic consulting detective stories in Sherlock is perfect for fans who love complex mysteries.
This series follows genius high-functioning sociopath Sherlock Holmes (played by Benedict Cumberbatch) as he is introduced to Afghanistan War vet Dr. John Watson (played by Martin Freeman). Together they solve puzzling crimes across London.
7. Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency
Absurd, chaotic, and delightful Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency is based on the book by Douglas Adams (the author of The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy). The 2016 series follows Dirk Gently (played by Samuel Barnett) as he recruits reluctant bellhop Todd Brotzman (played by Elijah Wood) to be his investigative sidekick.
Standing by the motto “everything is connected,” Dirk Gently investigates a penthouse triple homicide, a kidnapping, an eccentric inventor’s invention, and a strange corgi simultaneously while keeping his own past a secret.
6. McDonald and Dobbs
Another show that pairs investigators from different generations with different approaches is McDonald and Dobbs.
Set in Bath, serious and ambitious DCI McDonald (played by Tala Gouveia) slowly realizes the analytic talent of the shy usually desk-bound DS Dodds (played by Jason Watkins). Forging a friendship as well as an investigative partnership, they unravel puzzling cases in a clever and entertaining way.
5. Pushing Daisies
Another show with a quirky approach to mysteries is Pushing Daisies that also followed a unique set of characters and their unlikely friendships.
This fantastical series follows pie-maker Ned (played by Lee Pace) who has the ability to briefly reanimate dead people and uses this ability to solve murder mysteries with a grumpy PI (played by Chi McBride), a smitten musical waitress (played by Kristin Chenoweth), his resurrected childhood sweetheart (played by Anna Friel) and beloved formerly-deceased dog Digby.
4. Veronica Mars
With a similar vibe to Mabel’s, Veronica Mars (played by Kristen Bell) is a teenager who moonlights as a private investigator at her dad’s firm. This neo-noir series follows Veronica as she solves cases while trying to uncover larger mysteries in her life, beginning with who murdered her best friend.
This cult classic is witty, gripping and also perfect for fans of Only Murders in the Building.
3. Harry Wild
For those who enjoyed the generational differences in sleuthing styles and homages to classics, Harry Wild is a great pick.
Following recently retired literary professor Harry Wild (played by Jane Seymour) who begins investigating murder cases with a student (played by Rohan Nedd), much to the annoyance of her police detective son (played by Kevin Ryan.) Utilizing Harry’s classroom knowledge and Fergus’s street smarts, combined with some ingenuity and bravery from both of them, they tackle some macabre and unique cases in Dublin.
2. Queens of Mystery
For those who revel in the quirkiness and love the cinematography of Only Murders in the Building, Queens of Mystery should be a joy.
While OMITB focuses on fans of true crime podcasts, this series follows three idiosyncratic author aunts (played by Julie Graham, Sarah Woodward, and Siobhan Redmond) who each write murder mysteries in a unique genre (traditional English village cozy mysteries, dystopian sci-fi murder mysteries, and dark mysteries in graphic novel form). It juxtaposes them with their serious niece Matilda (played by Olivia Vinall and then Florence Hall) who tries to work by the book in her new role as Detective Sergeant.
Set in the quaint English village of Wildemarsh, this whimsical mystery series also has its fair share of character secrets and hidden backstories. Clever, sincere, and humorous, Queens of Mystery will keep fans of OMITB guessing “whodunit?” and “what happened to Matilda’s mother?”
1. The Afterparty
The Afterparty follows a group of former classmates on the night of their 15th high school reunion and to the afterparty with deadly results. When Detective Danner (played by Tiffany Haddish) asks the suspects to recount their night, we see their “mind movie” version of events like different genres of movies including a rom-com, action, and musical.
When he looks like the main suspect in the crime “adorkable in high-school” escape room creator Aniq (played by Sam Richardson) also begins searching for clues and a second chance at love.
Fans of Only Murders in the Building will appreciate the cinematography and character development amid nostalgia and humor while the seeing if they can make sense of the differing witness statements and figure out who the killer is.