Breaking Bad Meets Ozark In Dark Crime Drama That's Become A Streaming Sensation

Published Sep 7, 2026, 10:47 AM EDT Nick Bythrow is a Lead Writer for ScreenRant. He has been writing for the site since September 2022. He graduated from Hampshire College in 2022, where he triple majored in Journalism, Communications, and Media Studies. When he's not writing about TV and movies for ScreenRant and his blog, Frayed Branches, Nick is penning speculative fiction and poetry on Amazon. He lives outside Boston, Massachusetts. Sign in to your ScreenRant account Breaking Bad meets Ozark in a dark crime drama that's quickly becoming a streaming sensation, 14 years after the show originally ended. Some of the best crime TV shows of all time include modern classics like Breaking Bad and Ozark, which have become synonymous with the genre in recent times. However, there are plenty of other crime shows that have made an impact across TV history. From The Sopranos to The Wire, there have been plenty of crime shows with a variety of stories, capturing audiences throughout the decades. One such series is Weeds, a Showtime original series that debuted in 2005. The show follows widowed mother Nancy Botwin (Mary-Louise Parker) who begins selling marijuana to help her struggling family survive. As the series progresses, she finds herself wrapped up in various criminal activities, all while trying to protect her family. The show's dark crime elements are contrasted by Nancy's suburban lifestyle, which sees the series teeter on the brink of satire as it portrays the dramatic influences of her day-to-day life while building her marijuana empire. Why Weeds Is Suddenly A US Streaming Sensation Credit: MovieStillsDB Now, Weeds has grown into a streaming success story, becoming the Number 6 TV show on Paramount+ in the United States. The series' popularity isn't too surprising, with the show enjoying high levels of success during the early years of its eight-season run. This includes Parker winning a Satellite Award and Golden Globe Award for her performance in the show, with creator Jenji Kohan earning an award from the Writers Guild of America. The cast of Weeds was also a high point, including actors like Justin Kirk, Hunter Parrish, Alexander Gould, Kevin Nealon, and Elizabeth Perkins as main characters. The show's mix of dark crime drama and the daily life of its upper-middle-class characters allowed for drama similar to The Sopranos, while also delivering storylines comparable to Breaking Bad years before it aired. However, while the show's early seasons are an immediate draw, it did struggle as the story went on, with later seasons of Weeds getting less favorable critic reviews. This led to season 8, which currently sits at the lowest-rated season of the show on Rotten Tomatoes, scoring a disappointing 40% from critics. Luckily, audience scores remained positive throughout its run. The Series Is Perfect For Fans Of Breaking Bad & Ozark Image via MovieStillsDB On the outset, the premise is very similar to Breaking Bad, focusing on someone going through a time of tragedy turning to a life of crime to provide for their family. However, it also has a very similar streak of darkness to Ozark, as the continued buildup of various criminal activities causes the show's characters to fall into deeper pits they need to crawl out of. It also has a family-centric focus, with each of the Botwins having their own storylines that weave their way into the larger narrative at play. Because the story provides such key narrative elements shared with both series, Weeds is a perfect supplement to both Breaking Bad and Ozark in terms of characters and storylines. The show doesn't shy away from criminal activity, but also revels in giving each of its main cast members an important role to play. This is why it's performed so well on Paramount+, and why it's the perfect binge-watch for anyone seeking a new crime drama comparable to the best ever made. Release Date 2005 - 2012-00-00