The Three Best Crime Shows on Television

We are at an age when evening television can be divided into two categories: reality TV, and crime shows. For those people who prefer crime shows (like me) there is a huge variety to choose from. Shows (like CSI) give birth to new shows (like Shark) or branch off into different versions of the shows (like CSI: Miami and CSI: NY) and there are always new ones being introduced (like Smith and Kidnapped). This selection is overwhelming. So which crime shows are worth watching? Many are good, true, but there are three which rise above the others to be considered the best.

There is only one original CSI: Crime Scene Investigators, and it beats its counterparts hands down. CSI, Las Vegas, has an incredible cast of characters who you grow to know and love. You won't find another Grissom anywhere else. Each on of the investigators has depth and a personality which is unique to them and the show. Coupled with the amazing and disturbingly realistic visual effects that are characteristic of CSI, and you have a show that will keep you glued to the screen and craving for more long after it's over. Anther aspect that makes this show a must to watch is that you never know what to expect. Aside from the intriguing back-stories about each character that are unfolded as the series progresses, the crimes you may see range from the typical homicide, to magicians and psychics, to a dab into the supernatural through the eyes of the victims' corpses. And at the end of the day, Grissom is always there to provide us with an insight into our own society. His words, and the show, always leave you thinking and wondering about the state and nature of the world we live in.

Next we have a case where one branch or version of a show is even better than the original. Law and Order: Special Victims Unit (SVU) is another crime show you don't want to miss. What makes this show so addicting is the characters it follows, and the fact that, although all the episodes begin by dealing with victims of a sexual crime, they are not limited to this. The show has covered a plethora of topics, from incest, to the illegal trafficking of kidneys. SVU is intense in its messages, and, like CSI, has characters with incredible depth and background.

Although Without a Trace has no "branches" of its own, it has sparked a few new shows of its kind - Vanished, Kidnapped, to name only a few. However, this show is one of a kind. Once again, the characters have engaging histories and 3-dimentional personalities (as well as amazing actors - including the regulars, the guest actors, and the kids who appear for single shows). This show evokes feelings for both the investigators and those related to the missing people. In this show, there is no typical storyline, no inevitable corpse, but also no predictable happy ending - you never know where an episode is going to take you. Without a Trace can make you cry, laugh, and feel - and for that it is one amazing crime show that is among the best.
Of course there are other good crime shows that are worth watching, but these three shows are without comparison. They are worth a look, whether you're a crime show fanatic, or are simply looking for something good to watch on TV.