10 Best TV Shows Like The Gentlemen

One of the most stylish crime shows on television these days is "The Gentlemen," which premiered on Netflix in 2024. Based on the 2019 movie by filmmaker Guy Ritchie, the series follows Eddie Horniman (Theo James) as he becomes increasingly involved in the criminal underworld after inheriting his family estate. This new venture pairs Eddie with Susie Glass (Kaya Scodelario), who runs her father's drug empire secretly housed on the estate. The show's blend of dark comedy and slick action has proved to be a hit with audiences, with "The Gentlemen" renewed for a third season before its Season 2 premiere.

Of course, "The Gentlemen" isn't the only flashy British crime-action comedy nor is it the only one based on a preexisting movie. With this list, we're highlighting shows with similar tonal qualities and a visible flair with how they execute their own thrills. This expands to stories beyond the United Kingdom, including memorable American crime comedies that also have a strong sense of style. These are the best TV shows like "The Gentlemen" that you should consider making it onto your watchlist next.

"Peaky Blinders" may not seem that much like "The Gentlemen" at first glance, aside from both being British crime shows on Netflix. After all, the former series is a period piece crime drama set in the immediate aftermath of World War I, following its titular crime syndicate in Birmingham, England. But "Peaky Blinders" has its own sense of style for sure and there are similarities between the two shows' protagonists. Like Eddie Horniman, Tommy Shelby (Cillian Murphy) is a recent war veteran back home and finding himself building an ambitious criminal empire.

What sets "Peaky Blinders" apart to great effect is how it organically takes advantage of the history around its premise. Seeing Tommy and his associates involved in everything from arms trafficking to unrest around the rise of communism naturally feeds into the sweeping saga. Tommy Shelby's story continues in the "Peaky Blinders" movie on Netflix, setting up the future of the violent street gang beyond its original protagonist. An enduring presence in the crime genre for years, "Peaky Blinders" feels like a spiritual predecessor to shows like "The Gentlemen."

The show that cemented series creator Noah Hawley as one of the most interesting voices in modern television is "Fargo." Premiering in 2014, the anthology series weaves a different standalone crime story every season spanning various locations and time periods. Like its cinematic source material, there is a strong undercurrent of dark comedy, but the life-and-death stakes remain very much intact. And like the Coen Brothers' movies that inspired it, there is an understated sense of style to the show, both in its period piece design and overall cinematography.

"Fargo" is one of the best TV crime dramas of all time, consistently maintaining a higher level of quality compared to its contemporaries. Looking back, the best seasons of "Fargo" feel like a true ensemble piece, with nuanced and flawed characters interconnected by a web of criminal activity. This makes the comedic beats feel all the more earned and natural to the story and raises the emotional stakes for the characters involved. Hopefully, once Hawley's commitments to "Alien: Earth" are completed, we'll see "Fargo" make a return but, in the meantime, the seasons that we've seen so far are fantastic.

"The Gentlemen" isn't the only Guy Ritchie movie to get adapted for television, with the Netflix series predated by "Snatch." Loosely based on Ritchie's 2000 movie of the same name, the show follows a group of small-time crooks who suddenly come into possession of stolen gold bullion. This haul not only draws them deeper into the British criminal underworld but interacting with some truly dangerous figures. The show is led by an impressive ensemble cast including Rupert Grint, Lucien Laviscount, and a pre "Bridgerton" Phoebe Dynevor.

Like its cinematic source material, there is a lot of foul-mouthed fun to be had with "Snatch," along with appropriately dark humor. Audiences expecting a more faithful adaptation of Ritchie's movie are in for a disappointment, with the show instead using it as a tonal and thematic springboard. After premiering in 2017, the series ran for two seasons, providing viewers with a slickly presented tour of England's dark side. A slightly more irreverent alternative to most self-serious British crime shows, "Snatch" presents audiences with a freewheeling good time.

Matt Berry is a legend when it comes to British comedy television, starring in many of the best TV shows streaming on Britbox. Among Berry's work available on the digital platform is the 2019 crime comedy series "Year of the Rabbit," a period piece sitcom. Berry stars as Eli Rabbit, a world-weary police detective in Victorian London partnered with bookish colleague Wilbur Strauss (Freddie Fox). These two work together on everything from serial killer investigations to uncovering conspiracies involving London's high society.

Looking at his work on shows like "What We Do in the Shadows," there's something about Berry's work that excels whenever he plays characters from bygone eras. Berry is very much in his element in "Year of the Rabbit," and particularly plays well opposite Susan Wokoma as his colleague and boss' daughter. The show itself is a bit more violent than most of Berry's other comedic work, really leaning into the bleakness of its Victorian setting. But if you can stomach the more graphic crimes that the characters find themselves investigating, "Year of the Rabbit" is a solid watch.

What's probably not widely known about "Gangs of London" is that the 2020 series is actually one of the best TV shows based on a video game. True to its title, the show revolves around the power struggles and complex web of alliances and rivalries between London's criminal organizations. The series opens with the assassination of powerful crime boss Finn Wallace (Colm Meaney), leaving a power vacuum among England's illicit enterprises. Finn's son Sean (Joe Cole) tries to continue his father's legacy while contending with rivals looking to take advantage of the high-profile murder and its fallout.

"Gangs of London" was originally planned as a movie franchise and the resulting show maintains that cinematic quality to its presentation. Like "The Gentlemen," the series follows a young man trying to find their way after suddenly being thrust into a life of crime in the modern United Kingdom. The difference is that the 2020 series is largely played seriously, really digging into the drama and intense stakes of Sean's new status quo. One of the more violent shows on this list, "Gangs of London" really explores the bloody lifestyle that comes with its crime-ridden premise.

One of the leading voices in British comedy on television since, at least, the original version of "The Office" is Stephen Merchant. In the 2021 Prime Video and BBC co-production "The Outlaws," Merchant skewers crime stories in his usual self-effacing manner. In addition to co-creating the show with "Mayans F.C." co-creator Elgin James, Merchant stars as Greg Dillard, who is sentenced to community service for a petty offense. Greg and his crew of unassuming delinquents find a parcel of money, unaware that it belongs to some genuinely deadly crooks.

As with several other shows on this list, including "Year of the Rabbit," "The Outlaws" is a comedy first and foremost. The show is very much in line with Merchant's past work, with Merchant playing a lovable loser who finds himself in a situation beyond his capabilities. Giving the show its true MVP is Christopher Walken as an American con artist who is part of Greg's court-mandated community service crew. An amiable overlooked gem in Prime Video's original programming library, "The Outlaws" offers its own funny take on British crime tropes.

Of all the TV shows created by Taylor Sheridan, "Tulsa King" is the one that has the most visible fun with its premise. The 2022 Paramount+ original series stars Sylvester Stallone as mobster Dwight Manfredi, who is sent by the crime family he works for to expand their operations to Oklahoma. Dwight grows resentful of his old mob bosses for how they've treated him and goes independent to become his own crime lord. The series initially mixes fish-out-of-water comedy with intense mobster thrills, but leans more into building an engrossing crime saga as it progresses.

So much of the appeal of "Tulsa King" comes from Stallone, bringing his silver screen charisma to Paramount+. Seeing him capture the different dimensions of Dwight and square up against fresh rivals every season provides the bulk of the entertainment. But more than Stallone's performance, "Tulsa King" makes this list because of its protagonist's narrative arc and its balance of tones compared to "The Gentlemen." Both shows feature a protagonist initially in over their heads building a criminal empire, with ample comedy lightening the mood.

Another dark British comedy to include here is the BBC-Amazon Freevee series "Boat Story," which premiered in 2023. The show centers on hard-luck pair Janet Campbell (Daisy Haggard) and Samuel Wells (Paterson Joseph) who find a parcel of cocaine on the titular boat. Deciding to sell the drug, the duo find themselves on the radar of not just the authorities but deadly figures linked to the contraband. Across six episodes, Janet and Samuel try to stay ahead of arrest and murder as the body count piles up around them.

While there is a clear wit to "Boat Story," it also brings a surprising amount of brutal violence to the proceedings. To be clear, this is nowhere near as light tonally as something like "The Outlaws," leaving quite a bit of human carnage in its wake. But Haggard does a good job of keeping things from becoming overly grim, doing much of the heavy lifting in regard to the show's humor. A stylish and bloody crime comedy, "Boat Story" brings a real edge to the blend of genres and tones.

Predating the debut of "The Gentlemen" by two months was another family-centric crime comedy Netflix original, "The Brothers Sun." The show centers on Bruce Sun (Sam Song Li), whose sunny Southern Californian life is overturned when his older brother Charles (Justin Chien) returns from Taiwan. This leads Bruce to discover he's part of one of the most powerful crime families in Taiwan, something his mother (Michelle Yeoh) kept a secret from him. The show's comedy is fueled by Bruce being drawn deeper into his family's illicit activities, while Charles handles the more action-oriented elements of the premise.

Unfortunately, "The Brothers Sun" was cancelled at Netflix after one season, bringing its crime family saga to a premature end. This cancellation still hurts years later, with the show providing audiences with its own sibling odd couple, often played for action comedy effect. Just as "The Gentlemen" involved its protagonist learning about his family's shady side, so too does "The Brothers Sun." The difference is, "The Brothers Sun" leans harder into its comedic potential and that helps distinguish it in all the right ways, along with Yeoh's steadying performance.

One last modern British crime movie that was adapted for television to include here is "Sexy Beast." The 2024 Paramount+ original series is actually a prequel to the 2000 movie of the same name, following slightly younger iterations of its main characters. The show details the origins of the criminal partnership between Gal Dove (James McArdle) and Don Logan (Emun Elliott) in 1990s London. This journey through the city's crime scene includes conniving mob boss Teddy Bass (Stephen Moyer) and Gal's femme fatale love interest Deedee Harrison (Sarah Greene).

"Sexy Beast" is perfectly accessible to those who have never seen the movie, but certainly more rewarding for those who have. Where the show excels, regardless of its cinematic connections, is its overarching sense of style across its eight episodes. At the same time, for all of its visual ticks, the show doesn't hold back on the brutal violence of its premise nor just how volatile Don truly is. A curious expansion of a movie that's over 20 years old, "Sexy Beast" doesn't quite feel necessary but it does bring its own thrills.