Top Ten Tuesdays: Suspense TV Shows

It was a little while ago that I talked about my devotion for good TV shows. Since it was an award post Q&A, I only had to list my favorite ones. So, when Top Ten Tuesdays started, I was eager to share a list of TV shows that will surely be worth your while! All of these will entertain even the novice thriller viewers. I am passionate about the good material, be it television, Netflix or HBO. And, I would humbly call myself a connoisseur, after having sampled a wide range of shows that different networks have on offer. I have loved quite a few of them and today, I will be listing the Top Ten Suspense Shows perfect for any time watch.

It is not ideal to be known as the Idiot Box Expert, but TV has certainly grown and there is god quality content on offer today, almost for free. It is an art that a select few people possess and we are lucky to be living in the best generation of television content. I genuinely applaud this skill of making a story come true onscreen. Thriller shows are perfect for self-made detectives and suspense lovers alike. Without further ado, here is the list. Find your best pick for you and enjoy the ride.

Top Ten Thriller Shows

1. Dexter

IMDB rating: 8.5/10

This is a crime mystery series which aired on Showtime from 2006-2013. The story is centered on Dexter Morgan,  a forensic technician for Miami Metro Police Dept. Dexter lives a parallel life as a serial killer/vigilante, hunting the criminals who escaped from the justice. Dexter is presented as a homicidal, psychopathic young man who lusts for killing and interest in blood. His psychopathic tendencies are channelized in a positive way by his adoptive father Harry Morgan, by killing only heinous criminals.

Twists in the story plot make the audience of this show even more curious and excited. This is one of my personal favorite TV shows ever because it showcases complex personalities and morals. Psychopathic antagonist again makes the audience crazy for the character.

2. Breaking Bad

IMDB rating: 9.5/10

The show was aired on AMC during 2008-2013 with its 5 seasons. The story starts with the introduction of struggling chemistry teacher, Walter White, who is diagnosed with an advanced lung cancer. With the help of his former student, Jesse Pinkman, Walter devises a plan to become a partner for manufacturing and selling of a drug named methamphetamine. Walter prepares the drug while Jesse uses her contacts with dealers to sell them. The series begins with Walter’s intention to make money to save his family’s future and to pay his medical expenses but as the time passes his family starts to get split because of his second life. While on the other hand he and his partner face several problems to sell the finest Meth they produced. Show highlights chemistry, gangsters, and drug dealing as the main content.

3. Sherlock

IMDB rating:  9.3/10

Sherlock Holmes is a fictional detective created by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. The English show airs on BBC and is set in present time. The show features a detective, Sherlock, consulting London Police to solve mysterious criminal cases with the help of his incredible thinking ability and mind control over his every thought and memory. He defines himself as a consulting detective, one of his kind and a highly functioning sociopath. The show takes a thrilling turn when it features Sherlock’s nemesis, a consulting criminal, Moriarty.

4. Homeland

IMDB Rating: 8.4/10

Claire Danes plays a bipolar CIA operative who is convinced a prisoner of war has been turned by al-Qaeda and is planning to carry out a terrorist attack on American soil. Mandy Patinkin is perfect as her senior officer and the doubts play perfectly with their sharp minds and quick responses. How they discover the webs of conspiracy and how they tackle them form the backbone of the story. It is also humbling to see how each person is fighting his own battles even before venturing out to protect the most influential country in the world.

5. Black Mirror

IMDB Rating : 8.9/10

A lot of people wouldn’t agree with my choice of putting Black Mirror in my Top ten list. But I would strongly suggest watching at least one of the episodes before turning it down. It is an anthology series that shows the dark side of technology and life. It makes you think. It is suspenseful because it jostles the brain, and pushes the boundaries of conventional television. It has been screening since 2011 but has only now gotten its due. Any episode of any series can be viewed because they are all individual complete episodes. It is better because there is no need of having watched the previous seasons if you sit down to watch the latest episode.

6. The Walking Dead

IMDB rating: 8.5/10

How can a suspense thriller TV show list ever be complete without Walking Dead? The show features few people running from the zombies in an apocalyptic situation for their lives. The show turns out to be a great success because of zombie connection at TV level. Show’s lead, Sheriff Rick Grimes awakens from a long coma and confronts the zombie situation. He is reunited with his family and leads a group of people in the struggle of life.

This AMC series is highly popular because of its renewal of series each year. The survival against zombies is indeed a thrilling life. Each of us has at least once dreamt of getting through a zombie attack and this is what makes up for the popularity of this show.

7. True Detective

IMDB Rating: 9.1/10

True Detective is also an anthology series in which police investigations unearth the professional and personal secrets of people both within and outside the law. With a lead cast consisting of Colin Farell, Rachel McAdams, it is a hard not to create an excellent TV show. If you’re more into action films, avoid this. But if you like amazing performances and dark, brooding cinema peppered with some black humor and a slight psychedelic touch, you’re going to love this. The atmosphere and the southern ambiance of this show are so rich and the cinematography is so beautiful, I can hardly think of anything in recent TV-history that compares to this. The slow, hypnotic pulse of this show draws you in and hooks you – and then it doesn’t let go.

8. Stranger Things

IMDB Rating: 9.0/10

My personal favorite from this summer was Stranger Things. From the very first episode, it sets the pace of being curt and twisted. I could actually feel  the pain, the fear and the restlessness of not knowing what and why something happened.  When a young boy disappears, his mother, a police chief, and his friends must confront terrifying forces in order to get him back. Winona Ryder is so relatable as the mother whose child has gone missing. What is surprising is that it is not all sad. The children are at the center of this show which makes it so fascinatingly close to the heart. It was a surprise hit, even for me. Without revealing too much, I would recommend it because it is out of this world!

9. Mr. Robot

IMDB Rating: 8.7/10

Fear causes a unique reaction in the human psyche. To sit in suspense of what will happen next tends to trigger one’s fears with things like “will they make it?” “is it really him?” and “who is hiding behind that door?” It’s a magical feeling, and that innate ability to fear for characters we see ourselves in, or even want to connect with, is part of what makes entertainment so special. Mr. Robot follows Elliot, a young programmer working as a cyber-security engineer by day, and a vigilante hacker by night. Rami Malek portrays award-winningly plays the protagonist.

10. Criminal Minds

IMDB Rating: 8.2/10

The cases of the FBI Behavioral Analysis Unit (BAU), an elite group of profilers who analyze the nation’s most dangerous serial killers and individual heinous crimes in an effort to anticipate their next moves before they strike again. Criminal Minds is a psychological thriller that keeps your undivided attention.Criminal Minds lets you explore and judge for yourself. It doesn’t preach too much and the stories are engaging and suspenseful! Excellent writing and great performances from the stars. It may begin cliché, but if you stay long enough it is a rewarding and entertaining view. Just watch episode 7 ‘The Fox’. It shows the best writing and acting in the show so far, in my opinion. Delving into the minds of a criminally inclined person becomes a learning experience.

Honorary Mentions

• Castle (8.2/10)
•  The Mentalist (8.1/10)
• The X-Files (8.7/10)

This was the ultimate guide to the best thriller shows on TV. And, now you’re set for a weekend of marathon episodes of the premier suspense shows on offer! There are many more shows that appeal to different people. Share your favorite ones so I can add to it to my watchlist! Next week, don’t forget to read my list of top ten Dramas on television. If you have any questions, doubts or additions to the list, I would love to hear them. I hope this list is helpful whenever you want to watch a good suspense show. Good day and happy binge-watching!