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Andree Vandestreek
Narcos continued to impress viewers years after its finale with its tense storylines, heavy subject matter, and incredible performances. If fans of the show are looking for more content that includes some similar elements, there are plenty of shows like Narcos to enjoy. A highly regarded spin-off show, Narcos: Mexico, took up where the original left off, and its popularity shows that series with similar themes connect heavily with audiences. The best shows like Narcos offer engrossing stories that should entertain audiences for years to come.
Easily, one of the best shows about the illegal drug trade was HBO's The Wire. However, there was so much more to this show than just a look at drug lords. The Wire took place in Baltimore and each season represented a different aspect of society there.
The other seasons focus on the port system, the government, the schools, and the media. However, the first season is where this compares well to shows like Narcos, as it focuses on the illegal drug trade run by drug kingpin Avon Barksdale (Wood Harris).
What makes The Wire such a compelling show is how it gives a realistic look at the war on drugs in which the lines between good guys and bad guys are blurred and victories are short-lived. The police investigation into Barksdale is refreshingly honest as well with tedium and red tape being more common than shootouts and raids. All in all, The Wire as a complete series is considered one of the best dramas that HBO ever produced.
The Italian crime drama Gomorrah is based on the non-fiction book by Roberto Saviano about the Camorra criminal organization. An award-winning movie was released in 2008 based on the book (with a Criterion Collection release) and the TV show hit in 2014.
While both are based on the book, neither the movie nor the show is connected in any other way. The series takes place in Naples and focuses on the Camorra clan, specifically after its leader Pietro Savastano is arrested, and a power struggle breaks out between rival clans, and within his own crime family as well.
The series feels Shakespearean in certain ways and like a drug trade version of Succession in others. Like The Wire, it stands out in the genre for being realistic and gritty in its portrayal of this world with atmospheric storytelling add incredible tension throughout the story.
The Deuce is another Max crime drama, and it had The Wire creator David Simon behind it. This show takes place in New York City during the 1970s and 80s and follows twin brothers who work for the mafia while operating out of Times Square.
The cast was impressive for television, with James Franco starring as the twin brothers Vincent and Frankie, and Maggie Gyllenhaal stars as Candy Renee, a sex worker who wants to get in on the ground floor of the growing porn industry in New York City.
With government and police corruption and the violence surrounding the NYC drug trade, this is a show that fans of Narcos should love. The period setting is brought to life with exciting detail as the series three-season run jumps through decades, showing the changes to this area over time and the end of a certain era in the New York City drug trade.
Gangs of London is a British crime drama series co-created by Gareth Evans (The Raid) and based on a video game franchise called The Getaway. Despite the video game connection, this is a gritty and brutal series about rival gangs and criminal organizations in London and the fight for power when the most powerful crime boss is assassinated.
When one crime family decides to take power, it creates an all-out war between different crime families, which erupts in the streets of London, both from within and from outsiders wanting to move in and take over.
There are two seasons and the show has received universal acclaim with the brutal fight sequences being highlighted as offering some of the best action sequences on television. However, the look at modern organized crime is also fascinating with undercover officers, dark family secrets, and those attempting to escape the world building a complex story.
Snowfall was an addition to the crime drama genre from FX, with the first season premiering in 2017. The show is set in Los Angeles in the 1980s and focuses on the crack epidemic at the time and how it affected the city.
After the first season focused on the epidemic on a wide scale, the second season became more like shows like Narcos because it narrowed the focus to one drug dealer on the rise in L.A. Snowfall received an impressive six seasons and 60 episodes, and it might have also received a spinoff series focusing on Gail Bean's character of Wanda Simmons.
It is a powerful drama that examines a real-world issue that still has lasting implications on communities decades later. The rise of Franklin Saint (played by Damson Idris) through the drug trade is a heartbreaking and thrilling journey.
Power has quickly become a very popular series that has proven that drug-related shows are what people are looking for right now with the extended universe of stories it has spawned. It is a gripping series that brings two worlds colliding into one and showcases the lies and deceit many drug lords push in order to hide their identities.
Focusing on James St. Patrick, a feared major drug lord, the series follows him as he tries to get out of that life. Despite his successes in the criminal world, he pushes for a legitimate life as a nightclub owner, but things do not work out quite that simply.
Such stories are not uncommon in this subgenre, but Power's focus on the family at the center of the story is what really elevates it. Though the original show ended in 2020, the Power universe continues with three spinoffs and more on the way.
With the immense popularity of Narcos, it is not surprising that the show earned a spinoff with Narcos: Mexico. The show is similar to the original in many ways, with some of the most powerful main characters of Narcos: Mexico being equally terrifying as those in Narcos.
Concentrating on the growth of the drug empire in Mexico, there is just as much drama, politics, and heated moments within this as there is in the original. Because of its familiar tone and style, it is easy to assume fans of Narcos will be equally impressed with Narcos: Mexico.
Thankfully, there are enough differences to make this show unique in itself, and there may be more spinoffs in the future after Narcos: Mexico. While fans of Narcos may miss the performances of the likes of Pedro Pascal and Wagner Moura, Narcos: Mexico is bolstered by the likes of Michael Pea and Diego Luna.
While Narcos and other shows about the drug trade can be fun dramatizations of this world, sometimes it is just as interesting to explore the historical facts. Drug Lords is a documentary series based on reality and facts and is not about over-dramatization.
However, because the drug world is jam-packed with heightened drama, there is plenty here to entertain, while also educating viewers. Each episode touches on a different famous drug kingpin, and fans of series like Narcos will particularly enjoy this one because the very first episode is all about the life of Pablo Escobar.
With interviews, documented instances, and a look at the larger story in its entirety, Drug Lords can be an eye-opening look into some of the most notorious criminals in the world. While Narcos may cover some similar aspects of the story, they offer two very different looks at the stories that still grip the public's attention.
Narcos makes for an interesting period piece that explores a time when Pablo Escobar was perhaps the most influential drug lord in the world. However, there is another series for fans to check out about a more modern example of a similarly notorious figure.
The series focuses on how he grows his status within the criminal world, which leads him to become a true drug lord himself. Being in charge of a major cartel, the series showcases how he deals with those who defy him and how he becomes as powerful as he was.
Another show that is loosely based on real life, Peaky Blinders is an intense crime drama starring Cillian Murphy in one of his greatest roles. The series follows the Shelby family as they build their empire through various means, whether that be drugs, alcohol, or gambling.
The show is incredibly gripping as Tommy Shelby tries to lead the family into prosperity, but they must overcome plenty of hurdles to get there. Whether that be other gangs or even those in the political world, both of which provide some of the most vicious antagonists in Peaky Blinders, the family is forced to get violent at various points, adding real excitement to the show.
Murphy's Tommy makes for a complicated protagonist, a broken man filled with darkness who is trying desperately to climb out. It makes for a fascinating story which will continue in the upcoming Peaky Blinders movie.
Initially running for two seasons and then getting revived in 2019, Top Boy is all about rival drug gangs competing against each other in London. This show is not about glitz and glamour like others in the genre. Instead, it is gritty and honest, offering a sense of realism to the gripping series.
It also focuses on how the younger people in this world get caught up with the violence leading to tragedy. The first two seasons are listed as Top Boy: Summerhouse, with the third listed as Top Boy.
There is violence, emotion, and plenty of drama that highlights just how important power and being the top dog is within the world of drugs. However, it is the characters that stand out as the best aspect of the series with them feeling like real creations rather than just typical genre caricatures.
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