The Mentalist is an American drama television series that ran from September 2008 until February 2015. For seven seasons, we enjoy the adventures of former psychic Patrick Jane played by Simon Baker. He worked as a consultant to the California Bureau of Investigation. So, now that The Mentalist is off the screen, can you watch other TV shows like The Mentalist?
Well, we have a couple of ideas for you. First, let’s talk about what made the TV show so popular. It follows the life of Patrick Jane, an independent consultant for the CBI. He is not an officer of the law, but he uses his skills from his former career as a fraudulent and successful psychic medium to help the team of CBI agents.
But the real reason is quite selfish. He wants to track down the serial killer known as Red John. That man was responsible for the brutal murders of his wife Angela Ruskin Jane and his daughter, Charlotte Anne Jane.
He works closely with the CBI boss, Teresa Lisbon, and a team of other agents. And as the show progresses, the focus shifts from general cases during the first three seasons to solely catching Red John. The Red John case is solved during the middle of season six, and the show adopts a new track for two seasons and new characters.
Now that the show is over, you have two options. One is to check some other TV shows like The Mentalist. And the other is to binge-watch all seven seasons on the streaming platform Netflix. We can help you with the former.
Criminal Minds
If you are a fan of crime-solving TV series, you have to watch Criminal Minds. Chances are you have already heard about this show. It started in 2005 and the final season aired in January 2019. But there are many spinoff shows.
The drama series revolves around an elite team of Federal Bureau of Investigation profilers. They analyze and try to understand the most abhorrent criminals and predict their next move.
It has evolved over the years and the cast has shuffled.
Lie to Me
If you loved the psychic “powers” of Patrick Jane, you will love this show. It features a similar unique character in the main role.
It follows the pattern of The Mentalist in a way it is a show about a brilliant man and expert in the science of body language and micro-expressions. Sadly, the show lasted for only three seasons.
The main character is Dr. Cal Lightman, played by the brilliant actor Tim Roth. He uses his talents to solve crimes and find out the truth with applied psychology.
Castle
If you want something more lighthearted, then Castle is definitely worth a look. It follows the same pattern as many of these buddy cop police shows. This time, we have a relationship that evolves through the show between Richard Castle and police detective Kate Beckett. Nathan Fillion and Stana Katic are amazing in the two main roles.
The show lasted for eight seasons. The members signed a deal for a potential ninth season, but ABC Studios canceled it. In any case, you will love the adventures of mystery novelist Richard Castle and his unique mind.
Dexter
We now move to some crime drama television series. Dexter aired on Showtime, focusing on Dexter Morgan, played by Michael C Hall.
Dexter is a forensic technician specializing in bloodstain pattern analysis. He works for the fictional Miami Metro Police Department. But the real drama is what happens at night.
Once he finishes his work hours, Dexter turns into a vigilante serial killer, hunting down murderers who have not been adequately punished by the justice system.
Bones
There are many police procedural series out there. This one is praised for the dynamic between the two main characters. Similar to many shows, The Mentalist included, there is a romantic aspect between the forensic archeology specialist Temperance Bones Brennan and FBI agent Seeley Booth.
The series was loosely based on the life and novels of Kathy Reichs, a former forensic anthropologist. She also served as a producer on the show.
Fun fact: In the Bones universe, Dr. Brennan writes successful mystery novels featuring a fictional anthropologist named Kathy Reichs. Now that is some serious meta-reference.
Elementary
The show presents a contemporary version of the famous character, Sherlock Holmes. Robert Doherty created the show that stars Jonny Lee Miller as the Sherlock character and Lucy Liu as Dr. Joan Watson.
It is set and filmed in New York City and follows Holmes. In this universe, he is a recovering drug addict and former consultant to Scotland Yard. He is now assisting the New York Police Department in solving crimes.
Because of his indifference to police procedures, he is often in conflict with Captain Thomas Gregson.
Psych
Psych is one of the best similar shows like The Mentalist. Why? Because it also features a psychic in the main role. The plot is a bit different.
In this case, Shawn Spencer, played by James Roday, is a young crime consultant. He has heightened observational skills and impressive eidetic memory that allows him to solve cases.
The show has been so great, that it developed its own cult following. Fans of the show like to call themselves PsychOs. The popularity has led to the development of three movies, Psych The Movie, Psych 2 Lassie Come Home, and Psych 3 This is Gus.
Monk
Psych and Monk were related during their time on the air. They aired one after another. It is only logical we also put Monk on the list of shows like The Mentalist.
This show focuses on the title character, Adrian Monk. It ran from 2002 to 2009 as a police procedural series.
During its run, the show won a Golden Globe Award and eight Primetime Emmy Award trophies. Monk is one of the most unique characters you will see on television. He has numerous compulsive habits and phobias, including a fear of germs. In total, he is afraid of 312 things, including asymmetry, food touching his plate, milk, and much more.
White Collar
This show is often cited as one of the best in the genre of police procedural drama. And it is all because of the dynamic between the two main characters.
Matt Bomer stars as Neal Caffrey, the highly intelligent con artist. He works closely with FBI Special Agent Peter Burke, played by Tim DeKay. The two have an amazing dynamic that works as the overarching story of the show.
The show lasted for nine seasons, during which we saw Neal helping the FBI and tricking them at the same time.
Chuck
Here is another show about a psychic character. In this case, Chuck Bartowski is a regular citizen. But things change when he receives an email from a former friend that contains millions of secrets of the CIA and NSA.
Zachary Levi portrays the goofy nerd. And the show asks the question of what happens when governments lose their millions of secrets. Now that they are in Zachary’s mind, the CIA and NSA have to work with him and use him as a consultant.
Luther
This is a British masterpiece. Luther is a special kind of crime drama television series. It will make you think twice before traveling to London.
Jokes aside, the show will keep you glued to the screen. The story is sometimes obsessive and even violent. It follows the life of a detective who is torn between his dedication to his job and the darkness around him.
And then comes the cherry on the top. The main character is played by the sexiest man alive, Idris Elba.
Alias
J. Abrams created this show. And if you like the violence and action in his movies, you will love the show as well.
It follows the life of a double agent working for the CIA, Sydney Bristow. The amazing actress Jennifer Garner plays the main role.
She stars as an undergraduate student who is been recruited into the CIA. But seven years later, she finds out that she has been working for another organization the whole time.
Sherlock
Let’s finish off the list with another amazing actor in a masterpiece. Based on Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s novel Sherlock Holmes, this show stars Benedict Cumberbatch in the main role.
He portrays the eccentric Sherlock Holmes to perfection. Martin Freeman is the lovable sidekick, Dr. John Watson.
Sherlock is an intelligent, thrilling, and humorous masterpiece. Definitely worth watching.
