10 Best Spooky Cop Shows of All Time

Image via FOX Published Aug 12, 2026, 5:07 PM EDT Michael John Petty is a Senior Author for Collider who spends his days writing, in fellowship with his local church, and enjoying each new day with his wife and daughters. At Collider, he writes features, reviews, recaps, and conducts interviews. In addition to writing about stories, Michael has told a few of his own. His novella, The Beast of Bear-tooth Mountain, was released in 2023. His Western short story, The Devil's Left Hand, received the Spur Award for "Best Western Short Fiction" from the Western Writers of America in 2025. Michael currently resides in North Idaho with his growing family. Sign in to your Collider account Over the years, network television has experimented with the typical law enforcement procedural style to offer another perspective on the well-worn concept. This genre-based take, often called the "spooky cop" show, usually revolves around some law enforcement or police-adjacent character (or characters) investigating the paranormal or otherwise unexplainable happenings. Leaning more into the sci-fi, fantasy, and horror elements than most cop shows, these programs have become classics for fans looking for a little more. Of course, the idea really began with Kolchak: The Night Stalker, but since Carl Kolchak (Darren McGavin) wasn't actually law enforcement or any other type of authority figure (he was a wire reporter, remember?), it only sparked the notion that, just maybe, the standard police procedural or detective program could be elevated by infusing it with the genre elements that made Kolchak great. So, if that sounds like your cup of haunted tea, look no further than these 10 great "spooky cop" shows. 10 'Twin Peaks' (1990-1991, 2017) Image via ABC Although Twin Peaks can't be classified as a procedural due to its serialized nature, it still ought to be listed among these more traditional "spooky cop" shows. Created by Mark Frost and David Lynch, the surrealist horror drama centers around the sudden murder of Twin Peaks resident Laura Palmer (Sheryl Lee) as FBI Agent Dale Cooper (Kyle MacLachlan) arrives in the Washington town to investigate. From there, things get really weird. Across three seasons and two prequel films released between the show's initial two-season run and Twin Peaks: The Return, this bizarre, oddball take on a small-town murder mystery goes way beyond the usual genre trappings you see in the pilot. In fact, there's nothing in the first episode that screams "fantastical" at all — but it isn't long before Twin Peaks begins to boldly challenge your perceptions of reality. 9 'Sleepy Hollow' (2013-2017) Image via FOX You wouldn't think that Washington Irving's "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" could be the basis for a four-season network television procedural, but that's where Sleepy Hollow would prove you wrong. The Fox series began as a horror-filled, supernatural case-of-the-week series with an innovating overarching mythology as Revolutionary War hero Ichabod Crane (Tom Mison) wakes in the 21st century to battle the forces of evil. Partnered at first with Lt. Abbie Mills (Nicole Beharie), the two seek to halt the biblical apocalypse. Sleepy Hollow changed a lot in its four seasons, but those first two especially were the epitome of what the "spooky cop" show has the potential to accomplish. Sure, only one of the two Witnesses was actually law enforcement, but they patrolled the streets and alleys of the titular New York town with clear purpose and authority. This fantasy series would have thrived in the streaming era, but sadly it was brought to an abrupt close before its time. 8 'Warehouse 13' (2009-2014) Image via SYFY Although a bit less "spooky" than some of the other shows listed here, Warehouse 13 still qualifies under the label. As Secret Service heartthrobs Myka Bering (Joanne Kelly) and Pete Lattimer (Eddie McClintock) are inducted into the mythical "Warehouse 13," the agents quickly discover that the world is far more magical and unexplainable than they believed. A fun fusion of sci-fi and fantasy, the Syfy comedy drama ran for five seasons on the network, taking place in the same world as Eureka and Alphas. A near-perfect sci-fi series that few remember, Warehouse 13 is loads of fun. Sure, it's a bit hokey at times, but that was always part of the show's charm — of course, it could get somewhat spooky at times. For something similar (and a bit more "family friendly"), don't sleep on The Librarians, which is admittedly more of an adventure series than a haunting procedural but still deserves all the love. 7 'Millennium' (1996-1999) Image via 20th Century Fox "Spooky" can come in many forms, and in the case of Millennium, that first and foremost meant serial killers. But while former FBI profiler Frank Black (Lance Henriksen) works alongside the mysterious Millennium Group, his ability to see into the hearts and minds of criminals expands to something more spiritual — and far more sinister. For three seasons, Frank struggles with his "gift" (or curse), uncovering the truth behind the group and their ultimate dreams of a millennial apocalypse. The best episodes of the cult classic series often merge real-world horrors with supernatural forces at play behind the scenes. Whether we're talking about the devilish Lucy Butler (Sarah-Jane Redmond), some ghostly apparition, or a killer who uses the internet (a "cutting edge" idea at the time), Millennium may not have dealt with the otherworldly every week, but it certainly qualifies under the label we're talking about. It's also just one of the most underrated (and underappreciated) shows to air on Fox in the last 30 years. 6 'Angel' (1999-2004) Image via The WB Although some might consider Buffy the Vampire Slayer to fall under the "spooky cop" designation, the show was always a bit more teen drama that never quite fit that typical detective formula. Angel, on the other hand, is a bit more in line with the typical feelings the term conjures up. As the ensouled vampire Angel (David Boreanaz) relocates to Los Angeles to become a private detective, he seeks to "help the helpless" in a world filled with more monsters in the shadows than anyone knows. As one of the best TV spin-offs, Angel was a fun cross between a neo-noir series, a paranormal procedural, and a tragic character drama. The supporting cast round out the series masterfully, and Angel himself is developed in ways that simply would have been impossible on Buffy. For many, this five-season triumph surpasses the original, so that's a win for series creators Joss Whedon and David Greenwalt. Collider Exclusive · Taylor Sheridan Universe Quiz Which Taylor SheridanShow Do You Belong In? Yellowstone · Landman · Tulsa King · Mayor of Kingstown Four worlds. All of them brutal, complicated, and built on power, loyalty, and the price of survival. Taylor Sheridan doesn't write heroes — he writes people who do what they have to do and live with the cost. Ten questions will reveal which one of his worlds you were made for. 🤠Yellowstone 🛢️Landman 👑Tulsa King ⚖️Mayor of Kingstown FIND YOUR WORLD → 01 Where does your power come from? In Sheridan's world, everyone has leverage. The question is what kind. ALand, legacy, and a name that's been feared and respected for generations. BKnowing the deal better than anyone else in the room — and being willing to walk away first. CReputation. I've earned it the hard way, and everyone in the room knows it. DBeing the only person both sides will talk to. That makes me indispensable — and dangerous. NEXT QUESTION → 02 Who do you put first, no matter what? Loyalty in Sheridan's universe is always absolute — and always costly. AFamily — blood or chosen. The ranch, the name, the people who carry it with me. BThe company — or whoever's signing the cheques. Loyalty follows the contract. CMy crew. The men who stood with me when it counted — I don't abandon them for anything. DMy community — even when my community is a powder keg and I'm the only thing stopping it from blowing. NEXT QUESTION → 03 Someone crosses a line. How do you respond? Every Sheridan protagonist has a line. What matters is what happens after it's crossed. AQuietly, decisively, and in a way that sends a message to everyone watching. BI outmanoeuvre them legally, financially, and politically before they even know I've moved. CDirectly. Old school. You cross me, you hear about it to your face — and then you deal with the consequences. DI absorb it, calculate the fallout, and find the move that keeps the whole system from collapsing. NEXT QUESTION → 04 Where do you feel most in your element? Sheridan's worlds are as much about place as they are about people. AWide open land — mountains, sky, silence. Somewhere you can see trouble coming from a mile away. BThe oil fields of West Texas — brutal, lucrative, and indifferent to whoever happens to be standing on top of them. CA mid-size city where the rules haven't quite caught up yet — fertile ground for someone with vision and nerve. DA rust-belt town built around a prison — where everyone's life is shaped by what's inside those walls. NEXT QUESTION → 05 How do you feel about operating in the grey? Nobody in a Sheridan show has clean hands. The question is how they carry the dirt. AI do what has to be done to protect what's mine. I'll answer for it eventually — but not today. BGrey is just business. The line moves depending on what's at stake, and I move with it. CI have a code — it's not the law's code, but it's mine, and I don't break it. DI've made peace with it. Keeping the peace requires compromises most people don't have the stomach for. NEXT QUESTION → 06 What are you actually fighting to hold onto? Every Sheridan character is fighting a war. The real question is what they're defending. AA way of life that the modern world is doing everything it can to erase. BMy position — and the leverage that comes with being the person everyone needs to close a deal. CRelevance. I've been away, I've been written off — and I'm proving that was a mistake. DWhatever fragile order I've managed to build — because without it, everything burns. NEXT QUESTION → 07 How do you lead? Authority in Sheridan's world is never given — it's established, maintained, and constantly tested. ABy example and force of will. People follow me because they believe in what I'm protecting — and because they know what happens if they don't. BThrough negotiation and leverage. I don't need people to like me — I need them to need me. CBy being the smartest, most experienced person in the room and making sure everyone quietly knows it. DBy being the calm centre of a situation that would spiral without me — and accepting that nobody thanks you for it. NEXT QUESTION → 08 Someone new arrives and tries to change how things work. Your reaction? Every Sheridan show has an outsider disrupting an established order. Sometimes that outsider is you. AThey'll learn. Or they won't. Either way, the land was here before them and it'll be here after. BI figure out what they want, what they're worth, and whether they're an asset or a problem — fast. CI was the outsider once. I give them a chance — one — to show they understand respect. DNew players destabilise everything I've built. I assess the threat and manage it before it manages me. NEXT QUESTION → 09 What has your position cost you? Nobody gets to where these characters are without paying for it. The bill is always personal. AMy family's peace — maybe their innocence. The ranch demands everything, and I've let it take too much. BRelationships, time, any version of a normal life. The job eats everything that isn't nailed down. CYears. Decades in some cases. Time I can't get back — but I'm not done yet. DMy conscience, mostly. And the ability to ever fully trust anyone on either side of the wall. NEXT QUESTION → 10 When it's over, what do you want people to say? Sheridan's characters all know the ending is coming. The question is what they leave behind. AThat I held the line. That the land is still ours and everything I did was worth it. BThat I was the best at what I did and that no deal ever got closed without me at the table. CThat I built something real, somewhere nobody expected it, and I did it on my own terms. DThat I kept the peace when nobody else could — and that the town is still standing because of it. REVEAL MY SHOW → Sheridan Has Spoken You Belong In…The show that claimed the most of your answers is the world you were built for. If two tied, both are shown — you're complicated enough to straddle two Sheridan universes. 🤠 Yellowstone 🛢️ Landman 👑 Tulsa King ⚖️ Mayor of Kingstown You are a Dutton — or you might as well be. You understand that some things are worth protecting at any cost, and that the modern world's indifference to history, to land, to legacy, is not something you're willing to accept quietly. You lead from the front, you carry your family's weight without complaint, and when someone threatens what's yours, you don't escalate — you finish it. You're not cruel. But you are absolute. In Yellowstone's world, that combination of ferocity and loyalty doesn't make you a villain. It makes you the only thing standing between everything that matters and everyone who wants to take it. You thrive in the chaos of high-stakes negotiation, where the money is enormous, the margins are thin, and the wrong word in the wrong room can cost everyone everything. You're a fixer — the person called when a situation is already on fire and needs someone with the nerve to walk into it. West Texas oil country rewards exactly what you are: sharp, adaptable, unsentimental, and absolutely clear-eyed about what people want and what they'll do to get it. You're not naive enough to think this world is fair. You're smart enough to be the one deciding who it's fair to. You are a Dwight Manfredi — someone who has served their time, paid their dues, and arrived somewhere unexpected with nothing but their reputation and their wits. You adapt without losing yourself. You build loyalty through respect rather than fear, though you're not above reminding people that the two aren't mutually exclusive. Tulsa King is for people who are still standing when everyone assumed they'd be finished — who find, in an unfamiliar place, that they're more capable than the world gave them credit for. You don't need a throne. You build one, wherever you happen to land. You carry the weight of a system that is broken by design, and you do it anyway — because someone has to, and because you're the only one positioned to do it without the whole thing collapsing. Mike McLusky's world is for people who are comfortable operating where there are no good options, only less catastrophic ones. You speak every language: law enforcement, criminal, political, human. That fluency makes you invaluable and it makes you a target. You've made your peace with both. Mayor of Kingstown belongs to people who understand that keeping the peace is not the same as being at peace — and who do the job regardless. ↻ RETAKE THE QUIZ 5 'Evil' (2019-2024) Image via Paramount+ Perhaps the last modern series that could qualify as a "spooky cop" show, even if there are very few cops involved, is Evil. The CBS-turned-Paramount+ horror drama follows the exploits of three assessors for the Catholic Church who decide whether miracles, demonic possessions, or other signs and wonders are genuine or simulated. It's not your typical genre procedural, but its four seasons offer an intelligent take on the concept that fans of the rest of these shows will no doubt love. As forensic psychologist Kristen Bouchard (Katja Herbers), priest-in-training David Acosta (Mike Colter), and technical expert Ben Shakir (Aasif Mandvi) look into these bizarre phenomena, they become entrenched in the world of the demonic and the secrets of the church itself. Again, there are few cops on this "spooky cop" show — though Kristen Connolly's Detective Mira Byrd perhaps qualifies the first two seasons — but the general sense of authority that the three assessors command gives them an almost police-like edge that makes it work, even if none of them carries a gun... 4 'Grimm' (2011-2017) Image via NBC Created by Angel co-creator David Greenwalt alongside Stephen Carpenter and Jim Kouf, Grimm is the very definition of a "spooky cop" show. If the name itself didn't give it away, the series follows Portland-based detective Nick Burkhardt (David Giuntoli) as he discovers his familial lineage as a "Grimm" — one gifted with a second sight that allows them to see the mythical Wesen in their true form. As far as urban fantasy go, this show is undoubtedly the network TV standard. Grimm ran for six seasons on NBC and garnered a strong cult following that still hopes for more all these years later. The cozy (but sometimes scary) detective drama leans into the world of Grimms' Fairy Tales, reinterpreting many iconic tales in a modern 21st-century context. Often counted among the 2010s most underrated fantasy shows, Grimm is a network television gem that is just as bingeable today. 3 'Fringe' (2008-2013) Image via FOX If Grimm is a paranormal procedural that leans more into the world of fantasy, then Fringe is its more "secular" network TV counterpart. The Fox drama — co-created by J.J. Abrams, Alex Kurtzman, and Roberto Orci — is a sci-fi series through-and-through, but that doesn't mean that things aren't bizarre or weird or "spooky," if you will. When FBI Agent Olivia Dunham (Anna Torv) is partnered with mad scientist Walter Bishop (John Noble) and his estranged son Peter (Joshua Jackson), they find themselves on every new and unexplainable case involving pseudo-scientific concepts that are almost akin to paranormal happenings. What starts as your typical sci-fi procedural quickly expands into alternate timelines and parallel universes, culminating its five-season run in a post-apocalyptic future. Fringe never pulled its punches, and though the show didn't get into the supernatural, it did (on occasion) deal with spiritual themes and ideas. Very much in the same vein as many of the other shows on this list, Fringe is a sci-fi triumph that has aged like fine wine. 2 'Supernatural' (2005-2020) Image via The CW Okay, Sam (Jared Padalecki) and Dean Winchester (Jensen Ackles) aren't actually law enforcement, but they are monster enforcement. Supernatural is the longest-running series on this list at 15 seasons and over 300 episodes, and in that time the Winchesters impersonate state and federal agents more times than we can count. As the brothers battle monsters, demons, ghosts, and other otherworldly creatures, they are often Earth's last line of defense before total annihilation. While the brothers often have their own run-ins with the law, Supernatural still qualifies as a "spooky cop" show, if not just due to Sam and Dean's general air of authority on all things paranormal. No doubt, creator Eric Kripke likely had no idea the type of hit he had on his hands with the Winchesters, or the major following the WB-turned-CW show would command. While the later seasons have a few duds, here are some early Supernatural episodes that are perfect from start to finish. 1 'The X-Files' (1993-2002, 2016-2018) Image via 20th Century Fox Film Corp Perhaps the most important "spooky cop" series of them all, The X-Files was the first show that really leaned into the Kolchak formula in earnest. Trading the eccentric reporter for a pair of FBI agents in the skeptic Dana Scully (Gillian Anderson) and the believer Fox Mulder (David Duchovny) — whose nickname was actually "Spooky Mulder" — the Fox drama tackled everything from alien conspiracies, ghostly hauntings, demonic killers, and government cover-ups. From the best monster-of-the-week episodes to the brilliant mytharc, The X-Files wowed audiences with its novel take on television. Mulder and Scully were a duo we would follow anywhere, which is probably why the original nine seasons also spawned two feature films and a two-season revival in the mid-2010s. There's simply nothing like it, but if you want a taste of what makes The X-Files so great, don't sleep on the best monster-of-the-week episodes from each season. From the charisma of its main duo to the brilliant writing by Chris Carter and his cohorts, The X-Files is everything you could hope for from this style of television show.