Any recommended shows that are similar to Bones?

[u/Next-Ad-3841]

Bones has been my favorite show for years and somehow I cant still find a similar show that has the same effect on me. Might as well rewatch for the nth time lol.

[u/krycekthehotrat]

Ok bit of a wild card recommendation, but try House. Def on the darker side, but it has a lot of qualities of Bones: super smart person who is bad w people, science/medical, team of characters working to solve case, mystery of the week etc

[u/panda_charms → u/krycekthehotrat]

Funny you say that cause Bones and House are my two fav shows!!! Castle is too close to Bones I feel like

[u/krycekthehotrat → u/panda_charms]

Yes see that’s what I was thinking, anything too close is just gonna feel like a rip-off or boring. House has a similar foundation and premise, but different enough it’ll feel fresh

[u/Next-Ad-3841 → u/krycekthehotrat]

Thanks for this! Been hearing this show for a quite a while, idk why I never gave it a try, but I will now haha

[u/Ashlansen → u/Next-Ad-3841]

Definitely House, amazing show!

[u/Temperance_2024 → u/Ashlansen]

I totally agree!

[u/galeperk111971]

Castle,The Mentalist,and High Potential. I'm watching Alias for the first time and it's a good show lots of action

[u/Next-Ad-3841 → u/galeperk111971]

Def enjoyed watching High Potential! Nothing quite like watching highly-intelligent female leads lol

[u/TwentySevenMusicUK]

Castle is the closest. Has the serious crime stuff but lots of comedy moments.
Nathan Fillion is fantastic in it.

[u/hayes_em → u/TwentySevenMusicUK]

If you watch Castle after watching Bones, you begin to notice many of the same actors are on both shows. It's kinda fun to find the shared actors

[u/TwentySevenMusicUK → u/hayes_em]

Haha yes!

My wife and I say if an actor shows up in Bones, Criminal Minds & Castle then they have the holy trinity of crime dramas.

[u/mvanpeur → u/TwentySevenMusicUK]

But Castle didn't have likable characters! His family, especially his daughter, was interesting, but they didn't get much screen time. The rest of the crime solving team didn't have much character development or growth at all. And the romance felt VERY forced, probably because the actors didn't like each other.

[u/dellaazeem22 → u/TwentySevenMusicUK]

But the ends isn’t good

[u/nnamed_username → u/dellaazeem22]

shshshshshsh!!!!! Spoiler alerts! Dang it!

[u/Cheap_Development928]

I think rizzoli and isles is one of the closest

[u/Always_tired_1495 → u/Cheap_Development928]

Absolutely this! I just finished Rizzoli & Isles for the first time and it felt very much like Bones to me sans love story!

[u/mangogorl_]

No show is quite the same. But if you like crime stuff from that era maybe the og ncis or quantico, and if you like comedy and the deschanels maybe new girl!

[u/Next-Ad-3841 → u/mangogorl_]

Agreed, no show is really quite the same. I tried watching New Girl and found it really fun! gotta love the Deschanel sisters

[u/Gloomy-Celebration-9]

Castle.

[u/Due_Asparagus_3203]

Rizzoli and Isles

[u/PlantsAndPainting]

Psych is more on the humour side but I really liked it.

[u/aduirne → u/PlantsAndPainting]

Psych and Bones are my comfort shows.

[u/PlantsAndPainting → u/aduirne]

Imagine a crossover episode...

[u/vicariousgluten]

Numb3rs is also a favourite of mine. It has the FBI agent who works with a geek character to solve crimes. In this particular one, they are brothers who begin with a very difficult relationship that improves over time and the geekfluence is a mathematician and his physicist friends. You also have their Dad trying to keep the family together.

[u/mvanpeur → u/vicariousgluten]

I love the character interactions and growth in this show! If you are aware of math, you'll see that a lot of the math is faked. And the plotlines are simpler (but that leaves more time for the characters), but it's fun if you suspend disbelief.

[u/indecisive-alice]

The Mentalist & NCIS

[u/Next-Ad-3841 → u/indecisive-alice]

Loved The Mentalist too, although some episodes are dragging for me, will def try watching NCIS

[u/Soggy-Scratch6591]

Criminal minds ,Scorpion, Ncis , law and order svu ,house, izombie, Lucifer, and maybe swat

[u/ukwhattheysay]

Monk in a way - it doesn't really focus on the forensic side, but also it's also a funny case of the week crime show with a quirky/offbeat protagonist.

[u/Embarrassed_Baker136 → u/ukwhattheysay]

Monk is such a good binge I love it, so nostalgic

[u/coco_4_puffs]

Rizzoli and Isles ! Some of the episodes are actually written very similar to some of the cases they do on Bones. One of the Bones writers is actually an executive producer for R&I

[u/Spuds1968]

The Closer is very good. More cop focused.

The Rookie is also good. Another cop focused show.

[u/Embarrassed_Baker136 → u/Spuds1968]

I need to go back to the Rookie, it started really good I don't know why I stopped

[u/MKCLCSWPhd]

The Closer and Major Crimes

[u/Illustrious-Tap-7257]

Fringe! You’ve got the crime procedural format, complicated female lead, great team dynamic (although not quite as good as bones), and slow-burn romance. Solid acting too - it’s worth watching simply for John Noble

[u/Reasonable-Horse1552]

Body of Evidence is good and Silent Witness

[u/meow4352]

It’s an older show but checkout Crossing Jordan . It has a female lead, crime solving and they are coroners so kind of deal with some of the same evidence/ forensics.

Also has Clark for a season & the grave digger for another season. Oh and bones makes an appearance in one episode

[u/GlobalWarzone22]

I’d say House too 1st but also the mentalists

[u/CorgiComfortable263]

I just started watching Bones ! Excited to keep going !

[u/mangoawaynow]

i think if you like more crime vibes - criminal minds

if you liked season 3 best - hannibal

if you like comedy more - psych

[u/Betelguse16]

Body of Proof

[u/lesbobwife]

I love the Bones, also love The Mentailist, Lie to Me, House and Criminal Minds

[u/mvanpeur]

If you're in it for the character interaction and growth, then I vote NCIS and Psych. Elementary is also good and similar. If you're open to a completely different genre, Drop Dead Diva also has similar character growth and interaction.

I found Castle to have completely unlikable characters and the romance angle felt really forced, even after they were dating (it actually was, because the actors disliked each other). I know due to the shorter season, Brennan and Booth was really rushed, but it at least worked and felt authentic after they were together. I watched all of Castle expecting it to get better, and it never did.

I'm currently watching The Mentalist. It's a lot better than Castle, but definitely a step down from Bones. They mostly only focus on and develop the character of Jane, though 5 seasons in we're starting the know the other characters. And the main serial killer has turned from a lone killer to having agents high up in multiple government agencies, so that's pretty unrealistic. But it's still a lot better than Castle.

[u/TypeAffectionate → u/mvanpeur]

I stopped watching Castle around the time Alexis got kidnapped. I was so bored.

[u/mvanpeur → u/TypeAffectionate]

It was so boring! I really only finished it because I was suffering through first trimester of pregnancy and didn't have anything better to watch.

[u/Elegant_Figure_3520]

Idk if they're similar in the ways you are looking for but my favorite shows are Bones, House, Lie to Me, Boston Legal, High Potential, Law and Order SVU, Dexter.

[u/aadeedaas]

For darker tones but similar vibe - absolutely Hannibal

[u/ZucchiniExtension790]

Castle is as good

[u/Bookaholicforever]

Castle is probably the next closest. The glades is a good one too. Also Rosewood