Curator Watchlist
A stylish, influential 1980s crime series that helped define the glossy, music-driven procedural. It’s worth watching for the chemistry of the leads, the neon-soaked atmosphere, and the way it blends undercover cases with a surprisingly melancholy sense of burnout and moral drift.
Where to watch: Buy
Sun
Created by: Anthony Yerkovich
Starring: Don Johnson, Philip Michael Thomas, Saundra Santiago
The story of the Miami Police Department's vice squad and its efforts to end drug trafficking and prostitution, centered on the unlikely partnership of Sonny Crockett and Ricardo Tubbs - who first meet when Tubbs is undercover in a drug cartel.
Anthony Yerkovich
Don Johnson, Philip Michael Thomas, Saundra Santiago, Olivia Brown, Michael Talbott, Edward James Olmos
A stylish, influential 1980s crime series that helped define the glossy, music-driven procedural. It’s worth watching for the chemistry of the leads, the neon-soaked atmosphere, and the way it blends undercover cases with a surprisingly melancholy sense of burnout and moral drift.
Miami Vice is one of the defining TV shows of the 1980s, and its reputation is well earned. The series made the city itself part of the storytelling, using Miami’s nightlife, color, and heat as a constant backdrop for undercover crime stories that often felt more atmospheric than procedural.
What keeps it from feeling like a pure relic is the chemistry between Don Johnson and Philip Michael Thomas, plus the show’s willingness to let cases unfold with a moody, almost cinematic rhythm. It can be uneven, and some episodes lean more on vibe than plot, but the best installments still feel strikingly modern in their visual confidence.
The first few seasons are the essential run, when the show’s style and identity are most fully formed. Later seasons remain watchable, but the series becomes a bit more variable as the novelty of its look and sound gives way to repetition. Even so, as a landmark of TV style and a hugely influential crime drama, it remains easy to recommend.
A landmark police drama with ensemble depth, street-level realism, and the same era’s willingness to mix casework with character fallout.
For viewers who want a tougher, more character-driven police series with moral grime and strong partnership dynamics.
A hard-edged, morally compromised cop drama that pushes the undercover and corruption themes into darker territory.
Smart, textured, and character-first, with a similar interest in the emotional cost of police work.
An undercover-crime series with a strong serialized spine and a similar fascination with criminal ecosystems.
Another undercover procedural from the same broad era, with a lighter surface but a comparable format.
A sleek 1980s crime series with a cool, self-contained case structure and strong atmosphere.
For the sun-drenched setting, relaxed swagger, and breezy but stylish 1980s network energy.
A classic buddy-cop series that shares the accessible partnership appeal and pop-culture imprint.
A witty, case-driven crime series with a laid-back lead and strong episodic momentum.
If you want a durable procedural engine and a clean, case-focused structure, this is the benchmark.
A modern crime series with sharp dialogue, charismatic leads, and a strong sense of place.
undercover policing, drug trafficking, vice squad investigations, crime and corruption, urban nightlife, moral ambiguity, brotherhood and partnership, 1980s excess
crime drama, procedural, undercover, 1980s television, stylish, neo-noir, Miami setting, synth soundtrack, police partnership, moral ambiguity