5 Great Gangster TV Shows Nobody Talks About

The gangster genre has been a staple of TV for decades now, with many of the most popular prestige shows focusing on various aspects of the world of organized crime. While filmmakers like Martin Scorsese and Francis Ford Coppola have explored gangster stories through a feature-length lens, TV shows like The Sopranos, Peaky Blinders, and Boardwalk Empire have defined the modern television landscape by further fleshing out these beloved gangster stories.

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However, these classic shows are far from the only gangster stories that TV has to offer. Even today, new crime shows are being released regularly, with Godfather of Harlem, Mayor of Kingstown, Tulsa King, and more still running. Due to the consistent stream of gangster TV shows that are released, it is inevitable that some would be forgotten as time has passed. Despite this, these five gangster shows are just as good as the aforementioned series, even if they aren’t talked about as much.

5. Get Shorty

Barry Sonnenfeld’s 1995 movie Get Shorty is a classic crime movie, with it starring major names like John Travolta, Danny DeVito, Gene Hackman, and The Sopranos‘ own James Gandolfini. However, many fans of the movie and the 1990 book that it is based on don’t know that Get Shorty was actually adapted into a TV show of the same name.

Get Shorty ran for three seasons from 2017 to 2019, and it starred Chris O’Dowd and Ray Romano. The show tells the story of O’Dowd’s Miles Daly, a mob enforcer who decides to join the film industry as a producer. Although it varies heavily from the book and movie, it has received a similar level of critical acclaim, sitting at 78% on Rotten Tomatoes.

Unfortunately, Get Shorty was released on Epix, which was far from the most successful streaming service. The show is now available to watch on Tubi, meaning that gangster fans looking for a new show can watch it for free.

4. Lilyhammer

Although it is rarely talked about now, Netflix’s first exclusive TV show was a crime series titled Lilyhammer. The show stars Steven Van Zandt as Frank Tagliano, a New York mob boss who goes into witness protection and moves to Lillehammer, Norway, after testifying against his associates. Once there, Frank gets into comedic situations as he attempts to adjust to his new life and stay away from his criminal past.

Although Lilyhammer is not officially associated with The Sopranos, some have considered Lilyhammer to be a spiritual successor to Van Zandt’s first TV gangster hit. Frank Tagliano shares a lot of similarities with Van Zandt’s The Sopranos character, Silvio Dante, such as their shared mannerisms and similar backstories. So, fans of the HBO hit should definitely give Lilyhammer a try.

3. Banshee

While Anthony Starr may now be more known for his starring role as Homelander in The Boys, he previously starred in a Cinemax crime series known as Banshee. The series released four seasons from 2013 to 2016 and follows a paroled master thief who relocates to a Pennsylvania town where he takes up the identity of its sheriff. His former partner in crime also lives there, causing a vengeful mob boss to hunt the duo down.

Banshee‘s lack of notoriety is most likely caused by its original release being on Cinemax. However, the series is now available to watch on HBO Max, making it available for a much wider audience. Banshee sits at 90% on Rotten Tomatoes, making it a fantastic pick for viewers looking for a lengthy crime series of quality.

2. Gomorrah

Gomorrah is an Italian crime series set in Naples, Italy, which explores the Camorra crime organization. The show explores the conflicts within the crime family as various figures struggle for power, with Gomorrah covering an epic saga across its five seasons.

Gomorrah is critically acclaimed, with it holding 85% on Rotten Tomatoes. The show’s Italian setting makes it a unique offering when compared to other iconic crime shows. However, this also may have hurt its popularity, as the series being Italian may have prevented it from catching on with many English-speaking audiences. Luckily, Gomorrah is now streaming on HBO Max, making it easily accessible for viewers who want to check it out.

1. Mr Inbetween

Mr Inbetween is a series that is almost exclusively brought up in conversations about underrated gangster shows, which is why it has to top our list. The Australian FX series tells the story of Scott Ryan’s Ray Shoesmith, a hitman for hire who struggles to balance his life of crime with his responsibilities as a father, a brother, a boyfriend, and a caretaker for his terminally ill brother.

Mr Inbetween ran for three seasons on FX from 2018 to 2021, and the series was nominated and won all kinds of Australian awards during this time. However, it never caught on with mainstream audiences in the same way that shows like The Sopranos did. Luckily, it has developed a cult following and is now streaming on Hulu.