Must-Watch Australian Crime Drama Series: 20 Aussie Crime Shows That Deserve a Global Audience

Australian crime drama series have become some of the most gripping television in the world. They do not just copy the police procedurals and murder mysteries that dominate international streaming. They bring something sharper: isolated towns, brutal landscapes, buried corruption, dry humour, class tension, Indigenous storytelling, coastal secrets, prison politics, and a uniquely Australian sense that danger can be hiding in plain sight.

From the outback noir of Mystery Road to the underworld brutality of Underbelly, the pitch-black comedy of Mr Inbetween, and the modern rural mysteries of Black Snow and Scrublands, Australian crime dramas punch far above their weight. Some have become global streaming hits: Deadloch reached the Top 10 TV Shows list in more than 165 countries and territories on Prime Video, while Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries sold into more than 120 international territories.

This guide rounds up the best Australian crime drama series to watch now, whether you want a hard-boiled detective story, a true-crime-inspired gangland saga, a courtroom thriller, a serial-killer mystery, or a stylish murder-of-the-week escape.

Best Australian Crime Drama Series at a Glance

1. Mystery Road

Best for: Fans of outback noir, slow-burn detective stories, and cinematic landscapes.

Mystery Road is one of the essential Australian crime drama series. The show follows Detective Jay Swan as he investigates crimes in remote Australian communities where the landscape is vast, the silences are loaded, and the past is never really past.

The original series stars Aaron Pedersen as Jay Swan, with Mystery Road: Origin later exploring a younger version of the character. ABC describes the original series as following Swan’s investigation into the disappearance of two young men from an outback cattle station, while Screen Australia lists Mystery Road: Origin as a 2022 drama, mystery and western miniseries.

What makes Mystery Road special is its patience. It does not rush to the next clue. It lets the country, the community, and the emotional weight of the case build pressure. This is Australian crime storytelling at its most atmospheric.

Watch it if you like: True Detective, Top of the Lake, Broadchurch, Shetland.

2. Mr Inbetween

Best for: Viewers who like crime stories with dark humour, emotional restraint, and sudden violence.

Mr Inbetween is not just one of the best Australian crime drama series; it is one of the best modern crime shows full stop. Created by and starring Scott Ryan, it follows Ray Shoesmith, a criminal-for-hire trying to juggle fatherhood, friendships, romance, family duty, and violence.

Screen Australia’s listing for Mr Inbetween describes the central tension perfectly: being a father, ex-husband and estranged son is hard enough, but harder when you are also “a criminal for hire.” The series ran across three seasons, with Screen Australia listing series one in 2018 and series three in 2021.

The genius of the show is its restraint. Episodes are lean. Dialogue is blunt. Emotions are buried until they are not. Ray is terrifying, funny, loyal, damaged, and strangely ordinary. That contradiction makes the series unforgettable.

Watch it if you like: Barry, Fargo, The Sopranos, Better Call Saul.

3. Underbelly

Best for: True-crime fans who want a fast, violent gangland saga.

Underbelly is the big, brash Australian crime drama that brought gangland violence into prime-time TV. The first series is based on Melbourne’s underworld war, with Screen Australia describing it as tracing the rise and capture of drug boss Carl Williams during a gangland conflict that cost 33 lives between 1995 and 2004.

This is not subtle television. It is sensational, pulpy, violent, and shamelessly addictive. That is also why it works. Underbelly understands the appeal of true crime: power, ego, betrayal, fear, money, police pressure, and the feeling that one bad decision can trigger a chain of bloodshed.

For many viewers, Underbelly is the gateway into Australian crime TV.

Watch it if you like: Narcos, Gangs of London, The Sopranos, Peaky Blinders.

4. Blue Murder

Best for: Classic Australian crime, police corruption, and hard-edged realism.

Before Underbelly, there was Blue Murder. This 1995 miniseries remains one of Australia’s defining crime dramas. Screen Australia describes it as an exploration of the police and criminal culture that existed in Sydney in the 1980s.

It is gritty, blunt, and still powerful because it feels dangerously close to real life. The show examines the overlap between criminals and corrupt police, giving Australian television one of its most disturbing portraits of institutional rot.

Blue Murder is not glossy. It feels grimy in the best possible way. For anyone interested in Australian crime drama history, it is essential viewing.

Watch it if you like: Line of Duty, The Wire, The Shield, classic true-crime miniseries.

5. Jack Irish

Best for: Private-eye mysteries, Melbourne atmosphere, and Guy Pearce fans.

Jack Irish stars Guy Pearce as a former criminal lawyer turned investigator and debt collector. ABC’s official description sets up the tone: Jack is paid to find an ex-con, only for the trail to lead to murder, a missing person cover-up, and powerful interests stretching from Fitzroy to the Philippines.

The series has a relaxed, lived-in confidence. It blends mystery, horse racing, old pubs, political corruption, personal grief, and Melbourne backstreets into something distinctly Australian. Jack is not a superhero detective. He is bruised, clever, funny, and often one step behind people with more money and more power.

Watch it if you like: Bosch, Rebus, Slow Horses, old-school private investigator stories.

6. Black Snow

Best for: Cold-case lovers and fans of atmospheric Queensland mysteries.

Black Snow is a modern Australian crime drama built around cold cases and buried community secrets. Screen Australia’s listing describes the first story as beginning when a time capsule is unearthed at a high school in Far North Queensland, pulling the town back into the unsolved murder of a student.

The series uses Queensland not just as scenery but as pressure. Cane fields, heat, distance, history and family silence all become part of the mystery. Travis Fimmel’s Detective James Cormack is a haunted investigator, and the show understands that cold cases are never really cold for the people left behind.

Watch it if you like: The Dry, Broadchurch, The Sinner, Unforgotten.

7. Scrublands

Best for: Rural noir, journalist-led investigations, and small-town secrets.

Based on Chris Hammer’s crime novels, Scrublands follows investigative journalist Martin Scarsden as he digs into violence, trauma, and cover-ups in isolated communities. Stan’s official page describes season one as beginning one year after a horrific mass shooting, when Martin arrives in a remote country town to write an anniversary piece and discovers there is more to the story. Season two, Scrublands: Silver, moves the story to Port Silver, where Martin’s partner becomes the prime suspect in a brutal murder.

This is a strong pick for viewers who like crime stories where the investigator is not a cop. Martin is pulled into each case by questions, guilt, instinct, and professional curiosity.

Watch it if you like: Sharp Objects, The Dry, Broadchurch, The Chestnut Man.

8. Deadloch

Best for: Dark comedy, murder mystery, feminist crime satire, and sharp dialogue.

Deadloch is what happens when a classic murder mystery gets thrown into a Tasmanian town full of secrets, culture clashes, and absurd local politics. Prime Video describes season one as following two very different female detectives who must solve the murder of a local man in the sleepy seaside town of Deadloch.

The show is funny, but it is not flimsy. Beneath the jokes is a proper mystery, a rising body count, and a smart understanding of crime-show clichés. Prime Video renewed Deadloch for a second season after season one became a global hit, reaching the Top 10 TV Shows list in more than 165 countries and territories.

Watch it if you like: Only Murders in the Building, Fargo, The Afterparty, Happy Valley with jokes.

9. The Twelve

Best for: Courtroom suspense, murder trials, and character-driven legal drama.

The Twelve takes the crime drama into the jury room. Instead of focusing only on detectives, it explores how 12 ordinary people bring their own secrets, biases, fears and histories into a murder trial. Foxtel describes it as a courtroom drama about 12 Australians selected for jury duty in a murder trial, while Screen Australia lists the first series as a 2022 crime/law and drama miniseries.

Sam Neill gives the series gravitas, but the real hook is the structure: the murder case matters, yet the jurors’ lives complicate everything. It is a crime drama about justice, perception, class, memory, and how impossible neutrality can be.

Watch it if you like: The Night Of, Anatomy of a Scandal, Presumed Innocent, The Jury.

10. Wentworth

Best for: Prison drama, ensemble storytelling, and high-stakes emotional warfare.

Wentworth is a modern reimagining of the classic Australian prison series Prisoner. Screen Australia describes it as a confronting drama that begins with Bea’s early days in prison, while Binge’s official listing frames it around women navigating the tough inner workings of prison life.

This is crime drama from the inside. Instead of chasing criminals, Wentworth locks you in with them, then asks who holds power, who survives, who breaks, and who becomes more dangerous behind bars.

It is brutal, emotional, and often operatic, with some of the strongest female ensemble performances in Australian TV.

Watch it if you like: Orange Is the New Black, Oz, Bad Girls, Prison Break.

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11. High Country

Best for: Missing-person mysteries, alpine settings, and slow-burn police drama.

High Country stars Leah Purcell as Detective Andie Whitford, who is transferred to Victoria’s High Country and thrown into a mystery involving five missing people. Screen Australia describes the series as an investigation into missing persons who vanish into the wilderness, with Andie discovering that her own identity is tied to the puzzle.

The setting gives the show its edge. The Victorian High Country feels beautiful, cold, dangerous and closed-off. The series blends community suspicion, personal identity, family history, and the unnerving idea that the bush can hide almost anything.

Watch it if you like: The Kettering Incident, Hinterland, Shetland, Top of the Lake.

12. Troppo

Best for: Tropical noir, private investigators, and Queensland crime stories.

Troppo is based on Candice Fox’s Crimson Lake books. Screen Australia describes the setup: an ex-cop falsely accused of a disturbing crime escapes to Far North Queensland and becomes involved with a newly formed PI agency run by an eccentric ex-con who served 10 years for murder.

The result is humid, messy, and compelling. Troppo gives the familiar damaged-detective story a distinct tropical flavour. Far North Queensland becomes a place of crocodiles, secrets, suspicion and second chances.

Watch it if you like: Bosch, Bloodline, The Sinner, private investigator thrillers.

13. East West 101

Best for: Police drama with cultural, political and personal tension.

East West 101 is one of the most underrated Australian crime drama series. Australian Screen Online describes Detective Zane Malik as a Major Crime Squad detective in Sydney’s west who investigates crimes while balancing loyalty to his job, family, community and Muslim faith.

The show stands out because it is not just about solving cases. It is about identity, religion, policing, prejudice, grief, loyalty and the pressure of working inside systems that do not always understand the people they claim to protect.

For viewers who want a smart, socially aware police drama, East West 101 deserves far more attention.

Watch it if you like: Line of Duty, The Wire, The Bridge, Spiral.

14. Harrow

Best for: Forensic mysteries and brilliant-but-difficult investigators.

Harrow follows Dr Daniel Harrow, a forensic pathologist with a disregard for authority and a fierce empathy for the dead. Screen Australia describes him as brilliant, unorthodox, possibly dangerous, and driven to give victims a voice while solving bizarre cases.

This is a good pick if you like crime dramas that mix case-of-the-week structure with a longer personal mystery. Harrow bends rules, irritates colleagues, and digs into deaths that others might dismiss too quickly.

Watch it if you like: Bones, Silent Witness, House, Crossing Jordan.

15. The Gloaming

Best for: Supernatural crime, moody Tasmania, and occult-tinged mystery.

The Gloaming is a dark Tasmanian crime thriller with supernatural edges. Stan’s official page describes the opening case: a woman is brutally murdered, and evidence at the scene connects the killing to a 20-year-old unsolved crime, forcing detectives and former lovers Molly McGee and Alex O’Connell back together.

The series is eerie, foggy and strange. It blends murder investigation with political corruption, historical trauma and occult atmosphere. Not every crime drama fan wants supernatural undertones, but if you do, The Gloaming is one of Australia’s moodiest entries.

Watch it if you like: Twin Peaks, The Kettering Incident, Dark, Jordskott.

16. Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries

Best for: Stylish period mysteries, witty detectives, and lighter crime drama.

Set in 1920s Melbourne, Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries follows Phryne Fisher, a glamorous private detective who solves crimes with style, wit and confidence. ABC describes the series as a crime drama in which Miss Fisher fights injustice with her pearl-handled pistol and sharp wit.

This is one of Australia’s most internationally beloved mystery series. VicScreen says the show sold into more than 120 international territories, proving that Australian crime drama does not always need to be grim to travel well.

It is glamorous, clever, fun and surprisingly progressive, with murder mysteries wrapped in fashion, jazz-age Melbourne and irresistible charm.

Watch it if you like: Agatha Christie adaptations, Murdoch Mysteries, Grantchester, Father Brown.

17. My Life Is Murder

Best for: Cosy crime, weekly murder cases, and Lucy Lawless charisma.

My Life Is Murder stars Lucy Lawless as Alexa Crowe, an ex-homicide detective who cannot stop solving crimes. Network 10 describes the show as an Aussie murder-mystery series with comedy, weekly crimes, and a complex former detective at its centre.

This is a lighter entry, but that is exactly the appeal. Not every crime drama needs to be soaked in trauma. My Life Is Murder is breezier, funnier and more accessible, while still giving viewers a steady run of murder cases.

Watch it if you like: Murder, She Wrote, The Brokenwood Mysteries, Agatha Raisin, Madame Blanc Mysteries.

18. The Survivors

Best for: Coastal mystery, grief-driven crime drama, and Jane Harper fans.

The Survivors is a Netflix limited series based on Jane Harper’s novel. Netflix describes the premise as a sleepy seaside town torn apart by the loss of three young people 15 years earlier, before the mysterious death of a young woman dredges up the past.

This is Australian coastal noir: beautiful scenery, emotional damage, old guilt, and a community that has learned to live around unanswered questions. It is less about police procedure and more about the way grief mutates when nobody tells the whole truth.

Watch it if you like: The Dry, Broadchurch, Safe Home, The Bay.

19. Deep Water

Best for: Serious crime drama with social and historical weight.

Deep Water is a four-part SBS crime drama that connects a present-day murder investigation to the unexplained deaths and disappearances of gay men in Sydney during the 1980s and 1990s. Screen Australia describes the plot as beginning when detectives Tori Lustigman and Nick Manning investigate a brutal murder and uncover evidence linking it to a series of earlier deaths and disappearances.

This is not escapist crime TV. It is unsettling, socially conscious and rooted in a painful chapter of Australian history. It is a must-watch for viewers who want crime drama to confront more than just the mechanics of a case.

Watch it if you like: Des, When They See Us, Manhunt, The Investigation.

20. Wanted

Best for: Fugitive thrillers, unlikely partnerships, and chase-driven crime stories.

Wanted follows two women who are falsely accused of murder and forced on the run across Australia. Screen Australia describes the first series as a breakneck drama about two women falsely accused of murder, travelling in a car filled with stolen money. Netflix’s listing similarly describes Lola and Chelsea as polar-opposite strangers who witness a murder involving dirty cops and are framed for the crime.

The appeal here is momentum. Wanted is less brooding detective noir and more road thriller: two women, one conspiracy, corrupt police, dangerous criminals and no easy way out.

Watch it if you like: Thelma & Louise, Killing Eve, The Tourist, fugitive thrillers.

Why Australian Crime Drama Series Stand Out

The best Australian crime dramas do three things especially well.

First, they use place as character. The outback in Mystery Road, the cane fields in Black Snow, the Victorian alpine wilderness in High Country, the Tasmanian coast in Deadloch and The Survivors, and the prison blocks of Wentworth are not interchangeable backdrops. They shape the mood, the danger and the psychology of each story.

Second, Australian crime dramas often mix personal trauma with institutional failure. These shows are rarely just about “who did it?” They ask who was ignored, who was protected, who benefited, who stayed silent, and who paid the price.

Third, they are unusually good at tonal contrast. Mr Inbetween can be funny and devastating in the same episode. Deadloch can parody the genre while still delivering a genuine mystery. Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries can be glamorous and socially sharp. That range gives Australian crime TV a distinctive identity.

Best Australian Crime Drama Series by Mood

For the grittiest watch:
Start with Blue Murder, Underbelly, Wentworth and Mr Inbetween.

For outback and rural noir:
Watch Mystery Road, Black Snow, Scrublands, Troppo and High Country.

For murder mysteries with wit:
Try Deadloch, Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries and My Life Is Murder.

For courtroom and legal suspense:
Go with The Twelve and Jack Irish.

For socially conscious crime drama:
Watch Deep Water and East West 101.

For newer streaming-friendly Australian crime:
Start with The Survivors, Deadloch, Black Snow, Scrublands and High Country.

Final Verdict: What Is the Best Australian Crime Drama Series?

If you only watch one Australian crime drama series, make it Mr Inbetween for character, writing and originality, or Mystery Road for atmosphere, landscape and prestige crime storytelling.

If you want true-crime intensity, choose Underbelly. If you want a classic, choose Blue Murder. If you want something fresh and funny, choose Deadloch. If you want a newer mystery with strong streaming appeal, choose Black Snow, Scrublands or The Survivors.

Australian crime drama is no longer a niche category. It is one of the strongest corners of international TV, and the best series prove that murder, corruption, guilt and justice feel different when told under Australian skies.

FAQ: Australian Crime Drama Series

What is the best Australian crime drama series?

Mr Inbetween, Mystery Road, Underbelly, Blue Murder, Black Snow, Deadloch and Wentworth are among the best Australian crime drama series, depending on whether you prefer dark comedy, outback noir, true crime, murder mystery or prison drama.

What Australian crime drama should I watch first?

Start with Mystery Road if you want serious detective noir, Mr Inbetween if you want sharp modern crime drama, Underbelly if you want true-crime gangland storytelling, or Deadloch if you want a darkly funny murder mystery.

Are Australian crime dramas good?

Yes. Australian crime dramas are known for strong atmosphere, distinctive locations, morally complex characters and stories that often mix murder mystery with deeper social issues.

What is Australian outback noir?

Australian outback noir is a crime style that uses remote landscapes, isolation, heat, silence and buried community secrets to create tension. Mystery Road, Black Snow, Troppo and Scrublands are strong examples.

What is the best Australian crime drama on streaming?

Streaming availability changes by country, but Deadloch, Black Snow, Scrublands, The Twelve, The Survivors, Troppo and Mystery Road are among the most streaming-friendly modern Australian crime dramas.

See Also: Top 15 Australian Movies: Showcasing Down Under’s Cinematic Talents