Fun
Frisky
Nostalgic
Intense
Adventurous
Choked Up
Curious
Romantic
Weird
It’s hard to be a fan of Big Sky. The ABC thriller only premiered five episodes of its freshman season before it took a break. And just as soon as it returned, it seems that Big Sky is back to being on hiatus.
But wipe those tears because we have some good news for you. We know for a fact that Big Sky is set to come back this spring. In the grand scheme of things that’s not too far away. And while you wait, there’s plenty of excellent television to sate your crime drama appetite.
Why do you love Big Sky? Is it the show’s focus on terrible crimes inside the cramped, idyllic world of a small town? Its operatic drama? That beautiful camerawork? Do you just like homages to Psycho? No matter your reason, there’s a show for you. As we all wait for new episodes here are seven shows like Big Sky that will help hold you over until the new episodes premiere.
'Twin Peaks'
You can’t talk about small town crime dramas without mentioning the grandfather of the genre. Mark Frost and David Lynch’s creepy thriller has haunted fans and critics alike for decades. It may lure you in with the mystery of Laura Palmer, a seemingly innocent high school girl who’s found murdered. Yet in no time you’ll be captivated by all the oddities of this world including the Red Room and the Log Lady. But a word of caution about this one: Since Twin Peaks premiered in 1990, it’s a bit slow by modern TV standards. Just keep watching and you’ll be rewarded.
'Riverdale'
Is your complaint about Big Sky that it’s too normal and makes too much sense? Boy, do we have a show for you. The CW’s take on the Archie Comics presumably starts with another murdered teenager. Cut to several questionable sleuthing attempts, a bear attack, and too many bonkers names to count. We promise this one will never leave you bored.
'Fargo'
When it comes to the hidden complexities of small town crimes, you simply cannot beat Fargo. Created by Noah Hawley, each season of this anthology series centers around a different string of criminal activity. Though this show is packed full of murder and war, it’s rarely about those subjects at all. Like the movie that serves as its namesake, Fargo is always about ordinary people who get swept up in something extraordinary. What’s not to love about that?
'Big Little Lies'
Are you more interested in Big Sky for how it couples gorgeous directing with soap opera-worthy drama? Then you need to check out David E. Kelley’s other big-name series. Starring Reese Witherspoon, Nicole Kidman, Laura Dern, Shailene Woodley, and Zoë Kravitz, both seasons revolve around one parents’ night that gets way out of hand. You can’t fully appreciate the goddess that is Laura Dern without watching this series.
'Bloodline'
They’re not bad people; they just did a bad thing. That’s the chorus that colors this Netflix original starring Kyle Chandler, Ben Mendelsohn, Linda Cardellini, and Sissy Spacek. Most of the small town murders on this list at least give equal time to the cops and the killers. Not Bloodline. If you needed another reason to be terrified of Florida Man, this is it.
'Bates Motel'
You know how Ronald (Brian Geraghty) routinely goes full Psycho when he’s around his abusive mom? Well, there’s a whole show about that. Starring Freddie Highmore and Vera Farmiga, Bates Motel tells the story of Norman Bates before he was the center of Hitchcock’s 1960 thriller. There are no lovable, misunderstood villains here. There’s just a chilling backstory and some truly cool death scenes.
'Broadchurch'
We all know that Big Sky is a fun, addicting take on small town drama. But what if you’re ready to advance to something a bit more serious? Olivia Colman and David Tennant have you covered. When an 11-year-old British boy goes missing in a small town it’s up to the local Detective Sergeant and a hardened, out-of-town Detective to get to the bottom of this mystery. What they will learn will test the limits of this once sheltered community.
