7 Forgotten 2000s Mystery Shows That Have Aged Like Fine Wine

Image via BBC Published Jul 22, 2026, 11:01 PM EDT Diego Pineda has been a devout storyteller his whole life. He has self-published a fantasy novel and a book of short stories, and is actively working on publishing his second novel. A lifelong fan of watching movies and talking about them endlessly, he writes reviews and analyses on his Instagram page dedicated to cinema, and occasionally on his blog. His favorite filmmakers are Andrei Tarkovsky and Charlie Chaplin. He loves modern Mexican cinema and thinks it's tragically underappreciated. Other interests of Diego's include reading, gaming, roller coasters, writing reviews on his Letterboxd account (username: DPP_reviews), and going down rabbit holes of whatever topic he's interested in at any given point. Sign in to your Collider account The 2000s gave the world several of the greatest mystery shows the small screen has ever seen, from cult classics like Dexter to animated series like Death Note. There are also many mystery series from that decade, however, which are still awfully underappreciated even all these many years later. Of course, saying that they've been "forgotten" is a bit of an exaggeration for dramatic effect; but there's no denying that these mystery show masterpieces aren't in the public consciousness to the degree that they absolutely deserve to be. We could be talking about a cop drama like In Plain Sight, a mystery dramedy like Keen Eddie, or a period whodunnit like Foyle's War. Regardless of what subgenre of the overarching mystery umbrella these remarkably underrated shows fall into, the fact of the matter is that they deserve significantly more mainstream praise than they tend to get nowadays. Considering just how many immensely acclaimed mystery shows from the 2000s there are, there should be no issue with bringing these back into the public eye. 'In Plain Sight' (2008–2012) Image via USA Network Filmed on location in Albuquerque, David Maples' In Plain Sight stars Mary McCormack as U.S. Marshal Mary Shannon, who must hunt down witnesses for federal cases in the witness protection program while managing her dysfunctional personal life. Even today, there aren't nearly enough female-led mystery series out there, which is but one of the reasons why In Plain Sight has aged like fine wine. Fans usually agree that the show gets considerably weaker whenever the plot takes a detour to focus on Mary's family life. But most of the time, In Plain Sight is all about upbeat crime stories and highly entertaining mystery subplots, making it a perfectly satisfying watch for those who already enjoy character-driven cable crime dramas. 'Wire in the Blood' (2002–2008) Image via ITV British television in particular excels at both the crime and mystery genres, but it's a relatively common occurrence for some of those shows to gain prominence in the United Kingdom and then barely see any attention throughout the rest of the world. One such instance is Wire in the Blood, based on the Tony Hill and Carol Jordan series of novels by Scottish writer Val McDermid. The series is about Dr. Tony Hill (Robson Green), a clinical psychologist who helps detectives solve inexplicable cases by tapping into his own dark side. It's a gripping crime drama and a quintessential example of Tartan noir, a subgenre of crime fiction with a uniquely Scottish edge. Wire in the Blood is also one of the best crime shows of the 2000s, a wonderfully dark and suspenseful series perfect for those who love mystery shows with unparalleled psychological depth. Twisty, clever, and airtight in its writing, it can get quite gruesome at times, but is very much worth a watch nonetheless. 'Keen Eddie' (2003–2004) Image via FOX Considering the level of international prominence and appeal that American television tends to achieve, it's rarer for American mystery shows to be forgotten than it is for mystery shows from other countries. But in the case of the police procedural dramedy Keen Eddie, it's hard to make the argument that it's particularly well-remembered by the mainstream. But even still, this story about the titular wisecracking New York City cop and his fish-out-of-water adventures at a British police precinct is a delight. A tremendously underrated cult classic with a high sense of kineticism that simply doesn't get old, Keen Eddie is one of the best crime comedy series of the 2000s, essential viewing for any mystery show fan looking for some good laughs. Inspired by the style of British crime capers both classic and contemporary, and bolstered by an exceptional cast led by Mark Valley, it's a far-ahead-of-its-time series that was tragically canceled after only one season. 'MI-5' (2002–2011) Image via BBC Considering that it features performances from world-class stars of the stature of Matthew Macfadyen, David Oyelowo, and Richard Armitage, it's baffling that MI-5 (titled Spooks in its native Britain) is as underrated of a show as it is. Alas, such are the occasionally unjust ways of network television. But even all these many years later, this series that follows many missions of the UK's domestic intelligence organization is still one of the best spy shows of the 2000s, and a must-see for fans of the genre. This is an absolute masterpiece of the espionage mystery genre, and some may even count it among the greatest British television dramas of the 21st century—but outside British households, you'd be hard-pressed to find very many people familiar with MI-5. Sleek, hyper-tense, and adrenaline-fueled, it's a show that was never afraid to up the stakes or kill off one of its major characters. Collider Exclusive · Universe Personality Quiz Which Iconic Universe Do You Belong in the Most? Star Wars · Lord of the Rings · Harry Potter · Game of Thrones · Star Trek Five legendary universes. Five completely different visions of what the world could be — or already was. One of them is the world your instincts, your values, and your particular way of existing were built for. Eight questions will tell you which one. 🚀Star Wars 💍Lord of the Rings 🧙Harry Potter 👑Game of Thrones 🖖Star Trek FIND YOUR UNIVERSE → 01 What gives your life its deepest sense of meaning? Every universe is built around a different answer to this question. ABeing part of something larger than myself — a cause, a rebellion, a fight for freedom that outlasts me. BThe journey itself — the places I'll go, the companions beside me, the world I'll discover on the way. CLearning — unlocking what I'm capable of, understanding the world's hidden mechanics, growing into something more. DLegacy — the name I leave behind, the power I build, the mark I make before the world moves on without me. EUnderstanding — exploring what exists beyond the horizon and asking what it means to be alive in a universe this vast. NEXT QUESTION → 02 Which kind of world do you most want to inhabit? The environment shapes who you become. Choose carefully. AA galaxy of planets, each with its own culture — connected by conflict, trade, and the Force. BAncient lands of breathtaking beauty, deep history, and a creeping darkness at the edges. CA world hidden inside our own — full of wonder, community, and magic waiting to be learned. DA brutal, beautiful continent where power is everything and every alliance is a calculation. EA future where humanity has reached the stars — and must decide what kind of species it wants to be. NEXT QUESTION → 03 How do you prefer your conflicts resolved? The shape of a world's conflicts tells you everything about its soul. AThrough sacrifice and courage — someone has to make the impossible choice so others don't have to. BThrough fellowship — the impossible becomes possible when the right people walk the same road. CThrough growth — confronting what you fear, understanding what you lack, and becoming equal to the challenge. DThrough strategy — outthinking, outmaneuvering, positioning yourself so the outcome was never in doubt. EThrough dialogue — finding the third option, the peaceful resolution, the answer that doesn't require a body count. NEXT QUESTION → 04 Who do you want beside you when things get difficult? Your ideal companions reveal the world you were made for. AA small crew — a pilot, a rogue, a warrior — each broken in their own way, unbeatable together. BA fellowship of different kinds of people, bound by purpose and deepened by the long road. CFriends who grew up alongside me — who knew me before I knew myself, and stayed anyway. DAllies whose loyalty I've earned — and tested — and whose ambitions align with mine, for now. EA crew of brilliant, curious, principled people from every corner of known space. NEXT QUESTION → 05 What is your relationship with power? How you seek, wield, or resist power is the map of who you are. AI want to use it to protect — and I'm terrified of what I might become if I'm not careful. BI distrust it. The most important power in this story is the courage to give it up. CI want to earn it — through knowledge, through effort, through becoming someone worthy of it. DI want to wield it. Preferably before someone else decides to wield it against me. EI want to understand it — its structures, its limits, its ethical dimensions. Power without accountability is the real threat. NEXT QUESTION → 06 How does your universe treat good and evil? A world's moral architecture tells you more about it than any map. AThere is a dark side and a light side — and the choice between them is always present, always personal. BEvil is real and ancient and patient — and goodness, however small, is the only thing that can undo it. CGood and evil are real, but they live inside people — and people are complicated, always capable of both. DGood and evil are mostly a matter of perspective and proximity. Power is the only honest currency. EEvil is usually the result of ignorance, fear, or broken systems — and understanding it is the first step to solving it. NEXT QUESTION → 07 What role would you naturally fall into? Every universe has archetypes. Which one fits you without trying? AThe reluctant hero — ordinary origins, extraordinary moment, changed forever by the choice to act. BThe unlikely carrier — the one nobody expected to matter most, quietly bearing the weight of everything. CThe student — not yet who I'll become, learning through every mistake, growing into something the world needs. DThe player — sharp enough to see the game for what it is, ambitious enough to try to win it. EThe explorer — drawn to the unknown, driven by curiosity, most alive when standing somewhere no one has stood before. NEXT QUESTION → 08 What do you ultimately believe about the future? The answer to this is the clearest window into which universe already lives inside you. AThat hope is real — that even in the darkest galaxy, a new hope is always possible. CThat even the smallest person can change the course of the future, if they have the courage to try. CThat love and friendship and doing what's right will matter in the end, even when everything says otherwise. DThat the wheel keeps turning — that power shifts, winters end, and what endures is those willing to fight for it. EThat humanity — or whatever we become — is capable of extraordinary things, if we choose to be. REVEAL MY UNIVERSE → Your Universe Has Been Chosen You Belong In…Your answers point to the iconic universe your values, your instincts, and your particular way of seeing the world were built for. This is where you would find your people — and your purpose. Star WarsYou believe in the cause — in the idea that freedom is worth fighting for even when the odds are impossible and the empire is vast. You are drawn to the moral clarity of a universe where hope itself is a form of resistance. You'd find your people in the Rebellion — a ragtag coalition of true believers held together by conviction more than resources. Star Wars is fundamentally a story about ordinary people choosing to matter in an extraordinary conflict — and that is exactly your kind of story. The Force may or may not be with you. But the will to use it for something larger than yourself certainly is. Lord of the RingsYou understand, in the deepest part of yourself, that the journey matters as much as the destination — and that the world's beauty is worth protecting even at great cost. Middle-earth is a world of ancient wonder, deep friendship, and a darkness that only retreats when enough small acts of courage accumulate. You would thrive here because you value the fellowship more than the glory — the road more than the arrival. Tolkien's universe rewards patience, loyalty, and the willingness to carry something heavy across a very long distance. Those are not burdens to you. They are simply how you move through the world. Harry PotterYou believe that love, loyalty, and doing what's right are not naive sentiments — they are the most powerful forces in any world, magical or otherwise. The Wizarding World is a place of wonder hidden in plain sight, where learning is transformative and the bonds you form at school follow you into every battle. You would flourish here because you take both the magic and the friendships seriously — and you understand that one without the other is incomplete. Harry Potter's universe ultimately rewards those who choose to stand for something even when standing is terrifying. That choice — made quietly, without guarantee — is something you understand completely. Game of ThronesYou see the world clearly — its power structures, its hypocrisies, its brutal arithmetic — and you are not paralysed by that clarity. You use it. Westeros is a world that rewards intelligence, adaptability, and the willingness to understand that every alliance is also a negotiation. You would survive here — possibly thrive here — because you don't confuse the world as it is with the world as you'd like it to be. Game of Thrones is a story about what happens when the idealists and the realists collide. You are sharp enough to know which one lasts longer. Winter always comes. You are already prepared. Star TrekYou believe the future is worth building — that curiosity, cooperation, and the expansion of understanding are not just ideals but the most practical path forward for any civilisation. Star Trek is a universe where the questions matter as much as the answers, and where encountering something utterly alien is cause for wonder rather than fear. You would belong here because you are fundamentally optimistic about what intelligence and decency can achieve — while being honest about how hard that achievement is. The Federation is the universe's most ambitious thought experiment: what if we actually got better? You don't just hope that's possible. You think it's the only thing worth working toward. ↻ RETAKE THE QUIZ 'Spiral' (2005–2020) Image via Canal+ English-language mystery shows are fine and dandy, but every now and then, every true fan of the genre—no matter where they're from—craves a good, underrated series from elsewhere in the world. And if there's one country that produces some truly exceptional crime series, it's France. Case in point: Spiral, a police procedural and legal drama like no other. Created by Alexandra Clert and Guy-Patrick Sainderichin, it follows the work and private lives of Paris police officers, lawyers, and judges at the Palai de Justice. Having ended only recently, this award-winning modern classic saw modest success throughout the globe, but never enough. It's one of the best international crime shows ever created, nominated for Best Drama at the BAFTA Awards and winner of the 2015 International Emmy Award for Best Series. But as one of the most powerfully realistic and gripping crime dramas in television history, no amount of praise will ever be enough for Spiral, not until it becomes the mainstream fan favorite that it deserves to be. Raw, cynical, and profoundly immersive, it's a remarkably complete and complex look at the entire inner machinery of the French justice system which mystery show fans from all over the world should find thoroughly compelling. It's not just a cop show, nor just a legal drama, but a gritty and expansive series whose 15-year run was an absolute blast. 'Foyle's War' (2002–2015) Image via ITV Created by Anthony Horowitz, the British detective drama Foyle's War is the type of show that everyone who loves mystery shows, crime dramas, and period pieces dreams of every night. Set right in the midst of World War II, it follows Detective Chief Superintendent Foyle (Michael Kitchen) as he fights his own war on the home front, investigating crimes on the south coast of England. But what allowed Foyle's War to run for as long as it did is that it was always clever enough to know just how to best reinvent itself, following a retired Foyle as an MI-5 agent in the war's aftermath in later seasons. It's a masterclass in the production of period dramas for the small screen, and it may even be one of the best British mysteries ever produced for television. Foyle's War's greatness is achieved not through modern grit or dark psychological intensity, but through a meticulous attention to historical detail and a perfectly quiet, understated understanding of tension and suspense. Led by the incredible Michael Kitchen, who plays one of the most entertaining characters in the history of British mystery television, Foyle's War should prove to be an irresistible delight for anyone who loves period detective stories like those of Sherlock Holmes. 'Nero Wolfe' (2001–2002) Image via A&E Through his series of exquisite detective stories, Rex Stout created Nero Wolfe, a character that has been adapted for television on a few occasions—but never better or more notably than in 2001, when A&E produced two seasons of the legendary Nero Wolfe. Also known as A Nero Wolfe Mystery due to the title card of each episode, Nero Wolfe managed to adapt eight Stout novels and 12 short stories over the course of its run, but by no means do you need to be familiar with the source material to enjoy this series. Rather, Nero Wolfe is the kind of modern classic that any fan of the mystery genre is pretty much guaranteed to have a blast with. Elevated by its exceptional production values, Michael Small's unforgettable jazz score, and the incredible performances delivered by Timothy Hutton and Maury Chaykin, Nero Wolfe is a brilliant piece of elegantly hyper-stylized whodunnit television. Aside from being incredibly faithful to the source material, the show serves as an uncompromising character piece and an exceptional period show as well, with the dynamic duo composed of Wolfe and Archie Goodwin providing the story with an endless source of energy and chemistry. Add to that the incredible cast of each episode, the striking aesthetics of the Technicolor-style camerawork, and the snappy dialogue that sounds like it was lifted straight out of Stout's pages, and you get a true must-see detective story if there ever has been one. A Nero Wolfe Mystery Release Date 2001 - 2002-00-00 Network A&E Cast Timothy Hutton Archie Goodwin Bill Smitrovich Inspector Cramer Seasons 2 Producers Charles B. Wessler, Craig David, Delia Fine, Holly Dale, Howard Braunstein, James Tolkan, John L'Ecuyer, Michael Jaffe, Neill Fearnley, Randi Richmond, Timothy Hutton