Television series

Terriers

Name: Terriers
Genre: Drama, Comedy, Crime
Released: 2010
Cast: Donal Logue, Michael Raymond-James, Laura Allen, Kimberly Quinn, Jamie Denbo

Police procedural

A scrappy San Diego crime dramedy about an ex-cop and his charming ex-con best friend running an unlicensed PI outfit. It's lighter than it sounds—funny, messy, deeply character-driven—with the kind of chemistry that makes you root for disasters to keep happening. For anyone who wants their crime stories to breathe and their comedy to have weight.

TVMaze rating

4.0

If you liked this

It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia2005

Chaotic ensemble of terrible people doing terrible things in a confined world, finding comedy and genuine pathos in their failures. The chemistry and the writers' willingness to let scenes breathe feels remarkably similar.

But Cruder and more relentlessly dark than Terriers; it can feel formless and mean-spirited if the cast isn't clicking for you that week.

It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia poster

My Name Is Earl2005

A lovable ex-criminal trying to make good while solving small mysteries in a Southern town. The warmth, the weirdness, the way it balances ridiculous plots with real heart—it's exactly the tone Terriers nails.

But Declined sharply in later seasons; the quirky-town aesthetic feels contrived to some viewers from the jump.

Brooklyn Nine-Nine2013

Cops solving crimes with genuine affection for each other and their work. Lighter than Terriers but with the same refusal to make cops into cynical bastards—these people actually like what they do and like each other.

But Network sitcom brightness; none of the scuff marks or real adult dysfunction that gives Terriers its weight.

Not sure tonight? Get a pick in a minute, starting from Terriers

The wildcard

Something you would not have found on your own.

The Last Man on Earth2015

Both are fundamentally about friendship and incompetent people muddling through, but LMOE makes that partnership the entire structure of survival—every moment has weight because being alone means death.

A sprawling ensemble comedy about broken people learning to live together after apocalypse. Same DNA of lovable screwups doing their best, but zoomed out so the relationships become civilization itself.

But Tonal whiplash between sitcom zaniness and actual pathos; sometimes the jokes undercut the genuine loneliness and loss.

Leverage2008

A team of grifters and criminals pulling off heists with genuine craft. It's fundamentally about friendship and skill, with the same pleasure in watching people work together toward something.

But More plot-heavy and less interested in character pain; the cons sometimes matter more than the people pulling them.

Banshee2013

An ex-con and a woman form an unlikely partnership in a corrupt small town, solving crimes and accumulating a web of complications. Rougher and more violent than Terriers but with similar relationship stakes.

But Gratuitously brutal and sexual; the tone is much harder, less interested in kindness or warmth.

Burn Notice2007

A burned spy and his civilian friends run an unlicensed investigation business solving Miami crimes. Charming procedural with ensemble warmth and a protagonist learning to be a person, not just a tool.

But Often feels like a puzzle-box with interchangeable cases; Terriers is messier and more interested in who these people are than what they're solving.

Southland2009

Gritty ensemble cop drama that treats officers as flawed humans managing impossible jobs. Raw and unstinting, with none of Terriers' humour but the same respect for how hard it is to stay good.

But Relentlessly dark and brutal; no levity, no fun, just the weight of things. A different tool for a different job.

The Finder2012

A former Marine finds missing people in Atlanta with the help of friends, a more grounded take on the misfits-with-skills format. Warm and eccentric without abandoning the actual stakes.

But Cancelled after one season; feels incomplete and sometimes overly cute about its own weirdness.

Kiss Kiss Bang Bang2005

The exact template Terriers found: two guys with bad chemistry who become the centre of each other's lives, using crime as the engine for relationship-building instead of the point.

A failed actor and a gay PI in LA solve a murder. A fast, funny, profane noir with a narrator voice that won't shut up, and two men learning to actually care about each other under the case they're working.

But Not a TV series—it's a tight 100-minute film; the energy is more manic and arch than Terriers' steadier warmth.

Inherent Vice2014

Both treat crime investigation as an excuse for character study, and both find tenderness in failure—Hank and Britt muddle; Doc Sportello surrenders to the muddle. Same fundamental refusal to make being lost into a tragedy.

A stoner PI in 1970s LA drifting through impossible cases, more interested in the texture of his world than solving anything. Shaggy, warm, funny—about being adrift with people you care about.

But Deliberately sluggy pacing; plot collapses under its own weight; requires patience and affection for the era and the mood over narrative satisfaction.