12 Best Shows Like Justified

Author Elmore Leonard’s timeless literary hero, Raylan Givens, was effectively adapted for television with the FX series “Justified,” which premiered in 2010. Timothy Olyphant stars as Raylan, a U.S. Marshal who’s liable to shoot first before asking questions, but gets results. Raylan’s impulsive and defiant nature gets him reassigned to the rural Kentucky county that he spent his youth trying to escape. Bringing his usual form of proactive justice, Raylan dismantles several crime syndicates throughout his jurisdiction.

The original “Justified” series ended in 2015, but there are plenty of pulpy shows fans can watch next, 12 of which are suggested in our list below. These shows often feature other gruffly charismatic protagonists who aren’t afraid to get their hands dirty to get the job done. Like Raylan Givens, many of these characters are literary adaptations, wonderfully brought to life on television.

Raylan Givens isn’t the only U.S. Marshal character created by Elmore Leonard, who also featured Karen Sisco in a number of his stories. After being played by Jennifer Lopez in the 1998 movie “Out of Sight,” the character starred in her own ABC series, aptly titled “Karen Sisco,” with Carla Gugino in the title role. The show follows Karen primarily working in the South Beach area of Florida, while chafing against her boorish superiors and fellow Marshals. Given the shared source material, Gugino reprises her character in a Season 3 episode of “Justified,” with Karen having since been promoted.

Running for only 10 episodes, “Karen Sisco” was criminally overlooked and under-appreciated during its initial broadcast. Gugino gives a strong starring performance, joined by the late Robert Forster as her father, Marshall, a former cop who provides her with advice. Like “Out of Sight,” “Karen Sisco” is a smartly written crime story, with the titular protagonist more nuanced than a typical procedural lead character. Another excellent show tragically cut short due to comparatively low viewership, “Karen Sisco” puts a much-needed spotlight on another fan-favorite Elmore Leonard literary character.

As far as other shows that feature Timothy Olyphant in a bucolic setting as a lawman, it doesn’t get any better than “Deadwood.” Set in the titular South Dakota boomtown in the 19th century, “Deadwood” features Olyphant as the town’s reluctant sheriff, Seth Bullock. As Deadwood sees an influx of new residents and visitors after a sizable gold deposit is discovered nearby, crime around the community runs rampant. This leads to Bullock not only clashing with the town’s saloon and brothel proprietor, Al Swearengen (Ian McShane), but even more devious characters visiting town.

Series creator and showrunner David Milch drew from real historical accounts surrounding Deadwood to write the show’s story. This results in one of the most impressive Western shows ever made, combining grounded authenticity with Wild West action. Most of the cast and crew reunited in 2019 for a gut-wrenching “Deadwood” revival movie, revisiting the characters 10 years after the series finale.

Another solid neo-Western like “Justified” is the A&E series “Longmire,” based on the novel series by Craig Johnson. Robert Taylor stars as Wyoming sheriff Walt Longmire, who is recovering from the murder of his wife. Longmire’s jurisdiction often has him working alongside local tribal police, getting advice from his best friend, Henry Standing Bear (Lou Diamond Phillips). As Walt solves crimes around the county, he and Henry run afoul of Malachi Strand (Graham Greene), a tribal police chief and head of security at a local casino.

Running from 2012 to 2017, “Longmire” is a reliably solid, no-frills crime drama that embraces its Wyoming setting. The show builds a steady sense of community and intimate intrigue as Walt and Henry become embroiled in the illicit activities around Walt’s jurisdiction. At the same time, Walt’s domestic life is explored while the interpersonal dynamics between the recurring characters are developed. As unassuming yet effective as its protagonist, “Longmire” concluded with its final three seasons on Netflix, providing Walt & Co. with a fantastic coda.

For seven seasons and a movie, Liev Schreiber played the no-nonsense Ray Donovan in the Showtime series named for his character. Donovan is a professional fixer, hired to cover up potential scandals for the rich and famous in Los Angeles and, later, New York. This often involves Donovan becoming involved in and outright committing criminal activity to keep his clients satisfied and their professional reputations intact. This is paralleled by Donovan’s complicated relationship with his family, particularly his wife, Abby (Paula Malcomson), and his father, Mickey (Jon Voight).

A crime drama with a working-class family focus, “Ray Donovan” is a show that consistently shines a light on the dark underbelly of celebrity culture. Schreiber is magnetically commanding in his performance as the titular protagonist, especially lighting up when playing opposite Voight. The “Ray Donovan” showrunner and cast were blindsided by its cancellation, as there were plans for at least one additional season. Fortunately, the show received a wrap-up movie in 2022, resolving its confusing cancellation and giving its stern protagonist the send-off he deserved.

Harry Bosch, the literary hero created by novelist Michael Connelly, is brought to life on Prime Video by actor Titus Welliver in the series “Bosch.” The titular protagonist is a Los Angeles police detective, often tasked with investigating grisly homicides around the City of Angels. Bosch’s obsessive nature and problems with authority often cause conflict throughout his career, as does his turbulent personal life. In addition to his usual work, Bosch also investigates the circumstances behind his mother’s murder, which continues to haunt him decades later.

Like its source material, “Bosch” doesn’t try to reinvent the cop drama genre but breathes new life into it with exciting stories and masterful acting. Welliver plays Bosch as a character coolly and unapologetically old-fashioned compared to his colleagues. The show has since spawned a number of spin-offs and continuations, including an upcoming prequel series starring Cameron Monaghan as a young Harry Bosch on MGM+. Straight-laced and deliberately paced, “Bosch” is a confidently told detective yarn that utilizes its Los Angeles setting well.

Billy Bob Thornton has always excelled at playing grizzled characters who have an authentic, lived-in quality about them. This is certainly true of his character Billy McBride in the Prime Video series “Goliath,” with McBride a hard-luck attorney in Los Angeles. Quitting his firm and descending into alcoholism after a client he got acquitted subsequently murders a family, McBride reluctantly resumes his career to help someone facing his old legal partners. This leads him to help other underdog clients taking on corporate and wealthy legal opponents, often represented by his former firm.

Right from the opening episode, Thornton effectively turns in a captivating performance as McBride, a lawyer quietly gaining a sense of redemption. True to its title, “Goliath” is all about the everyman standing up to powerful bullies in the courtroom, with McBride as their best hope despite the long odds. This culminates in the final season of “Goliath” tackling a timely global crisis as McBride takes on the opioid industry. Running for four seasons, “Goliath” was a triumph, thanks to the sharp writing and phenomenal ensemble cast around Thornton.

After working with screenwriter and producer Taylor Sheridan on the 2017 movie “Wind River,” Jeremy Renner reunited with him to star in the Paramount+ original series “Mayor of Kingstown.” The show takes place in the fictional Michigan town of Kingstown, where the local community’s economy is built around its private prison. Renner plays Mike McLusky, who works as the town’s impromptu mediator between its criminal elements, the authorities, and business figures linked to the prison. This position makes McLusky regularly butt heads with people trying to leverage their control over the community.

Like much of Sheridan’s recent television work, there is an omnipresent bleakness to the world of “Mayor of Kingstown.” McLusky lives in a community that regularly trades on human misery, and that distinction visibly informs their livelihoods. This tone is accompanied by a steady sense of escalation, with plenty of power struggles (and life-or-death reasons behind them) steering the characters. A blue-collar crime thriller that revels in its delicate dynamics and complexities, “Mayor of Kingstown” is another television hit from Sheridan.

Lee Child’s hard-hitting literary hero Jack Reacher was adapted for television after two movies starring Tom Cruise, this time with Alan Ritchson taking on the role. “Reacher” has its musclebound drifter taking on various gigs around the country that require his particular set of skills. These jobs often tie into Reacher’s military past, including the involvement of his old colleagues, as he’s drawn into deadly conspiracies. Even out of the military, Reacher hasn’t lost a step, with his immense strength, combat experience, and observational skills consistently put to formidable use.

Through his performance, Ritchson embodies Reacher in a way that Cruise never did, and in more than just his physically imposing appearance. Ritchson brings a clear swagger to the character without compromising the emotional stakes, knowing when to dial up the cockiness and when to pull back. Having said that, he also provides plenty of physicality, including a brutal final brawl closing out Season 3 with bone-crunching style. Hewing more faithfully to Child’s books, “Reacher” does the smug hero justice, thanks in no small part to Ritchson’s commanding performance.

Harry Bosch isn’t the only literary character created by Michael Connelly to find new life on television, with his recurring legal drama protagonist Mickey Haller thriving on Netflix. Manuel Garcia-Rulfo stars as Haller, a lawyer who operates from his Lincoln Navigator across the greater Los Angeles area. Haller takes on criminal defense cases while trying to keep his personal life in order, particularly his messy love life. This is complicated by Haller becoming targeted by very dangerous people as his public profile grows.

“The Lincoln Lawyer” improves with each season, leaning into its main cast’s charm amid all the expected legal drama. Garcia-Rulfo plays Haller with a wry demeanor, but maintains a quiet vulnerability and moral ambiguity under his usual facade. The series really lights up when Garcia-Rulfo is playing opposite Neve Campbell, with the latter playing Haller’s first ex-wife, fellow attorney Maggie McPherson. Fortunately, Campbell was confirmed to appear in all episodes of “The Lincoln Lawyer” Season 4 upon its renewal, giving fans of the irascible lawyer something to look forward to.

Starting in 1970, author Tony Hillerman wrote a series of novels following Navajo Nation police detectives Jim Chee and Joe Leaphorn. These books serve as the basis for the AMC neo-noir thriller “Dark Winds,” starring Zahn McClarnon as Leaphorn and Kiowa Gordon as Chee. Set in the ’70s when the novels were first published, Leaphorn, Chee, and fellow police officer Bernadette Manuelito (Jessica Matten) solve crimes around tribal police jurisdiction. This pits them against truly devious criminals while taking a heavy toll on Leaphorn’s personal life, in particular.

Led by McClarnon, who also serves as an executive producer on the series, “Dark Winds” embraces its pulp fiction roots without feeling dated in the slightest. Each season starts as a slow burn before building to a taut thriller before its halfway point, weaving in shocking twists and set pieces. The show also beautifully embraces its American Southwest setting, serving as an evocative backdrop to the story. “Dark Winds” explores all that Leaphorn loses in the process of getting his man, making him a haunted but unbowed neo-noir hero that breathes new life into Hillerman’s source material.

What better show to watch after finishing “Justified” than the legacy sequel series, “Justified: City Primeval”? Premiering in 2023, the show continues the adventures of Raylan Givens, who has since relocated to Miami to raise his teenage daughter, Willa (Vivian Olyphant, Timothy’s real-life daughter). Raylan gets stuck in Detroit after a mishap with a local judge, arriving just in time to assist in hunting a notorious criminal known as the Oklahoma Wildman (Boyd Holbrook). The case grows intensely personal when the Wildman takes an unhealthy interest in Raylan and Willa.

Timothy’s return as Raylan hits the bullseye in “City Primeval,” proving that he hasn’t lost a step. The added father-daughter dynamic helps up the story’s stakes, while the change in setting and tighter narrative focus also shake things up nicely, with Raylan just as cool and effective in Detroit as he was in Kentucky. A welcome return for television’s favorite U.S. Marshal, “Justified: City Primeval” will make you realize how much you missed Raylan’s constant presence.

Another Taylor Sheridan creation for Paramount+, “Landman” stars Billy Bob Thornton as Tommy Norris, a vice president and professional troubleshooter for an oil company with significant interests in West Texas. As Norris’ work occasionally puts him in harm’s way, he also sorts through the corporate intrigue at his company, including that involving its owner, Monty Miller (Jon Hamm). On top of Norris’ professional duties and commitments, he sorts through his personal life, including his complex relationship with ex-wife Angela (Ali Larter).

Thornton is no stranger to playing characters who do the dirty work, and his role in “Landman” takes full advantage of that. Norris is very good at what he does, but he’s as nuanced and human as anyone else, which is something Thornton leans into with his performance. The show isn’t quite as bleak as most of Sheridan’s other television work, though the stakes and twists all feel very consequential to the characters. A rustic drama powered by its complex web of character relationships, “Landman” provides Thornton with another solid television role.