10 Mystery Shows Better Than Only Murders in the Building

With the sixth season of Only Murders in the Building arriving in the coming months, viewers’ desire for mystery is stronger than ever. The last fifth season had much of the essence that catapulted the popularity of the series, but it’s also true that it can be a bit repetitive at times. Furthermore, the wait is difficult to bear for many viewers.

Maybe it’s time for viewers to look for other series that also have that touch of comedy and mystery, but that have much more intriguing stories than Arconia’s trio of true crime lovers. For fans looking for their next watch, here are 10 mystery shows that do things better than Only Murders in the Building to watch while waiting for the series’ return.

A Man on the Inside

Although it may seem similar to Only Murders in the Building in that it also features a retired protagonist whose new-found purpose in life is solving a mystery, A Man on the Inside does a better job of sympathetically portraying the struggles of older adults. The show follows Charles Nieuwendyk (Ted Danson), who becomes an undercover agent at a nursing home.

Charles’ mission is to investigate a robbery, but as he gets to know the residents on an intimate and personal level, he even makes friends while searching for clues that will lead him to the culprit. What makes A Man on the Inside a must-see is the human perspective of its characters, making it a deeply emotional, funny, and lighthearted show.

High Potential

If what fans love about Only Murders in the Building is the strong female character, High Potential has a much more chaotic and efficient protagonist than Selena Gomez’s Mabel Mora when it comes to solving crimes. In High Potential, Morgan Gillory goes from being a cleaner to an official amateur detective, becoming a police consultant thanks to her high IQ.

Morgan has an exuberant and captivating personality, using her brilliant wit to solve different cases. Although it’s framed as the typical procedural mystery series, the show brings that carefree, cozy mystery atmosphere as it’s filled with cheeky humor. Additionally, it also has an overarching enigma that advances little by little, being an explosive cocktail that makes High Potential feel refreshing.

Deadloch

Deadloch is a series about a criminal investigation ignited by a body that appears on a beach in a small town, being strongly inspired by the show Broadchurch. The show has unexpected developments and twists, but its biggest feature is how, with only 8 episodes, Deadloch offers an unusual look at crime series, which at times feels almost like a parody.

Deadloch also pokes fun at the widespread love of true-crime shows, but it’s its dark and acidic humor in each of its episodes, its tense and dark atmosphere, and the cohesion of its detective partners that has turned it into a successful series on Prime Video.

The Afterparty

Beginning with the murder of a pop star, The Afterparty makes use of the Rashomon structure, following Detective Danner (Tiffany Haddish) as she investigates a group of suspects and probing their different versions of events to find the real culprit. The Afterparty has a great sense of humor and feels like the contemporary version of an Agatha Christie mystery.

The show focuses not on the grim tension of a murder but on how different points of view can affect people’s perception, made possible by its masterful jumps between unreliable narrators and genres. This unique narrative that seems even crazier than Only Murders in the Building makes The Afterparty hook viewers, motivating them to find out who did it.

Castle

Nathan Fillion’s hit series before The Rookie, Castle, managed to stand the test of time by being a one-of-a-kind police series. The show revolves around sarcastic writer Richard Castle, who goes from imagining crimes to helping solve them after collaborating with the police looking for inspiration for his next novel.

Although Castle is a bit old school to share the podcasting appeal of Only Murders in the Building, the show includes plenty of nods to geek culture. Furthermore, Castle has no shortage of witty banter between the protagonists, presenting an explosive couple who are constantly in a tug of war, guaranteeing hilarious situations with hints of romance that will leave viewers wanting more.

Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries

Set in the 1920s, Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries follows a unprejudiced female protagonist who defies social norms just like the trio in Only Murders in the Building. With dazzling, impeccable style and a fierce attitude, Miss Phryne Fisher (Essie Davis) thrives in a male-dominated job, acting as a private detective in Melbourne.

The show features that cosmopolitan and glamorous aesthetic of the Arconia, as well as absurdly fun crimes with plenty of plot twists. However, Miss Fisher’s cases are much more intriguing by how they manage to balance the intrigue of mystery novels with the dangerous charm of a kind of female version of James Bond, mixing humor, seduction, and non-conservative themes.

Ludwig

In Ludwig, John Taylor is forced to replace his twin brother, a police inspector, who has disappeared under mysterious circumstances. However, Ludwig‘s charm is not the detective’s sagacity developed through the creation of puzzles but the tension of the possibility of his true identity being discovered. John is also quite unsociable and lacks tact and communication skills.

But, while the protagonists of Only Murders in the Building are goofballs who rebel at being completely out-of-touch sometimes, in Ludwig, John’s character evolves throughout the story. John’s comments add a comedic touch but do not take away from the seriousness of the story. Additionally, the show has a greater emotional edge than Only Murders in the Building.

Psych

Psych follows Shawn, who decides to help solve crimes and drags his best friend into the process. Using his great abilities of perception and intelligence, along with his chutzpah, audacity, and mischief, Shawn convinces everyone that he has psychic powers, both the police and the people who hire him privately.

Shawn and Gus’ misadventures as they solve the strangest cases are always fun, and the show stays true to itself, avoiding typical crime series tropes. That has made Psych earn a place in the hearts of viewers despite the passage of time, being the craziest amateur detective series par excellence, even more so than Only Murders in the Building‘s trio.

Monk

Adrian Monk changed the rules of police series forever. With a compendium of phobias, he quickly drove everyone he interacted with crazy, but he had great astuteness and experience at solving mysteries. But where Monk shines is how it moves even more skillfully than Only Murders in the Building between the boundaries of comedy and drama.

As it introduced Monk’s 312 phobias, the show had many funny moments but also a big ongoing mystery as Adrian continued to investigate the truth behind his wife’s murder. Monk managed to keep viewers glued to their screens not only to see more of the detective’s antics but also to find out whether he would uncover the only case he had failed to solve.

Murder, She Wrote

Murder, She Wrote is the epitome of a mature protagonist who finds herself in the middle of a mystery or an extreme situation that requires investigation. Strong-willed but refined, legendary writer of detective novels Jessica Fletcher (Angela Lansbury) has the shrewdness and wit to track down any killer she comes across.

Even today, Murder, She Wrote remains the first option when thinking about the best mystery series, having earned a place in history. With a much greater legacy and influence than series like Only Murders in the Building, Murder, She Wrote is a classic that has inspired many of the current TV shows.

Release Date: 1984 – 1996-00-00
Directors: Anthony Pullen Shaw, Walter Grauman, Vincent McEveety, Seymour Robbie, Jerry Jameson, John Llewellyn Moxey, Peter Crane, Arthur Allan Seidelman, Allen Reisner, Chuck Bowman, Corey Allen, Don Mischer, Kevin Corcoran, Alan Cooke, Alexander Singer, Charles S. Dubin, David Hemmings, Edward M. Abroms, Hy Averback, John Astin, Michael A. Hoey, Paul Lazarus, Paul Lynch, Philip Leacock
Writers: Robert Swanson, Tom Sawyer, Donald Ross, Laurence Heath, J. Michael Straczynski, Michael Scheff, Mary Ann Kasica, Robert Van Scoyk, J. Miyoko Hensley, Steven Hensley, Dick Nelson, Bruce Lansbury, Craig W. Van Sickle, David Moessinger, Robert Hamner, Wendy Graf, Carleton Eastlake, J. Larry Carroll, Jackson Gillis, Jerry Ross, John D. F. Black, Larry DiTillio, Lisa Seidman, Oliver Hailey