Did you hear? Murder’s cool again. Wait, no. Not like that. Please don’t go do murders. I mean, like, murder on TV. Fictional murder. The only kind that is legal to enjoy. Anyway, we have Only Murders in the Building to thank for that! The show has returned with a star-studded Season 4 that transports the show’s crime-solving podcasters to the heart of a new murder: That of [REDACTED!] (Today will be a spoiler-free list.) That said, I’ve never been a murdery kind of guy. I was never able to get lost in true crime stories, preferring the fictional terrors of horror movies to the concrete terrors of real-life. But there’s an art to spinning entertainment from murder that’s hard to pull off, and I appreciate seeing it done well in fiction. To that end, here are seven shows about murder that I have ranked by murderaciousness. [Murderaciousness (n) The state of being simultaneously awesome and murdery. First recorded in 2024; Modern Lambertian English, from Latin “murdery.”]
Murderville
Plot: Will Arnett, deep in character as William Arnett but with a deeper voice, must solve a murder with a new guest star every episode. The twist is that the guest star doesn’t get a script! Improvising guests include Annie Murphy, Kumail Nanjiani, and Conan O’Brien.
Murderaciousness: Low. Though ostensibly about murder, this hilarious show is actually just about watching the guest stars squirm. And seeing Ken Jeong completely fail to keep a straight face. 1/10.
Stream it on: Netflix.
A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder
Plot: In solving a murder, a good girl turns into a better girl.
Murderaciousness: Low! The titular murder of this show is in the past. Though there’s definitely a threat of murder throughout, the real hook of this show is in how Pip can solve a whole-ass murder despite being in high school. 2/10.
Stream it on: Netflix.
Dead to Me
Plot: Two women form an unlikely bond over their unexpectedly mutual tragedies. The show starts as a dark comedy, morphs into a buddy comedy, and ends as a tragi-comedy.
Murderaciousness: Mid. This show is more about the ladies’ shared secrets and differing approaches to life. Also, James Marsden’s mythical jawline. 3/10.
Stream it on: Netflix.
Only Murders in the Building
Plot: Selena Gomez mumbles her way through a series of murder mysteries with the help of Steve Martin Short. (I get bored typing their full names.)
Murderaciousness: The number of murders every season is surprisingly low! People watch this show more for the character interactions and mystery elements than for the murders. 5/10.
Stream it on: Hulu.
Based on a True Story
Plot: Two podcasters who want a larger audience than “immediate friends and family” take a big swing and team up with a serial killer. Instead of turning him into the police, they hire him to join their podcast and discuss all of the very real murders he’s committed.
Murderaciousness: Naturally, things go south. These two did, after all, befriend a serial killer. However, this leads to more hijinks than actual murder, as the attractive podcasters are able to convince their new murdery friend to be temporarily less murdery. 6/10.
Stream it on: Peacock.
How to Get Away with Murder
Plot: Viola Davis commands a team of legal experts to cover up several murders using the power of her Resting Shade Face alone. Also, this is a Shondaland show, so there’s a lot of sex. Actually, this show incited scandal during its runtime for its depictions of queer sex!
Murderaciousness: High! This series lives up to its name. In addition to the main murders that are gotten away with, there are several unexpected bonus murders that require additional getting away with. 8/10.
Stream it on: Netflix.
Law & Order: SVU
Plot: Mariska Hartigay corners the market on all of New York’s most special and victim-y crimes. For a while, she did it with Chris Meloni, but after he departed for gayer TV shows, she learned to bloom on her own.
Murderaciousness: This show has been delivering the murderaciousness for almost three decades! Murder is part of its DNA. That and real DNA. 10/10.
