Television series

The Listener

Name: The Listener
Genre: Drama, Crime, Supernatural
Released: 2009
Cast: Craig Olejnik, Ennis Esmer, Lauren Lee Smith, Rainbow Sun Francks, Peter Stebbings

A young paramedic with telepathic powers solves crimes for the Toronto police in this supernatural procedural. It's nimble and charming—part crime-of-the-week, part character study—and finds genuine warmth in its central conceit. For viewers who want procedural meat without crushing darkness, and who enjoy watching capable heroes use strange gifts to help people.

TVMaze rating

4.0

Should you watch it?

Watch it if you like procedurals where the crime-solving hinges on a strange, personal gift, and where a wry streak keeps the grim cases from sitting too heavy on you.

Skip it if you want a slow-burning mystery with serialized threads, since each hour mostly wraps its own case and the supernatural hook can feel like a conceit you have to accept first.

What it asks of you: Five seasons and sixty-five hour-long episodes, so it asks for a steady commitment rather than a single evening, with each case resolving before the next one begins.

Not sure? Find tonight's pick in a minute.

If you liked this

Psych2006

Another crime show where the lead's unusual perception—pretended psychic abilities here, actual telepathy in The Listener—becomes the framework for solving cases with style and wit. Same rhythm of humor and detection.

But Lighter and broader in comedy; if you want The Listener's deeper emotional stakes, this leans harder into the gags.

Limitless2015

A protagonist with an extraordinary ability (enhanced cognition) moonlights with law enforcement while managing the personal cost of their gift. Same blend of procedural muscle with character vulnerability.

But Only ran two seasons and was cancelled; you'll hit the end before you're ready.

The Flash2014

A hero with superhuman abilities helping the police catch criminals, balancing action with character dynamics and emotional stakes. Both shows treat their superpowers as genuine burdens, not just cool tools.

But Becomes heavily serialized and mythology-heavy; The Listener stays leaner and more episodic.

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

The wildcard

Something you would not have found on your own.

Wonderfalls2004

Both center an ordinary person with an unwanted supernatural ability who finds meaning in helping strangers, wrapped in character-driven humor that never mocks the premise.

A retail worker receives cryptic messages from inanimate objects, then reluctantly helps people through these communications. Like The Listener, it's about someone with an involuntary supernatural gift who discovers purpose through solving others' problems, laced with irreverent humor and genuine tenderness.

But Only thirteen episodes before cancellation; it ends just as you're settling in. Also leans quirkier and more absurdist than The Listener's grounded tone.

Person of Interest2011

A secretive partnership between someone with unique intelligence-gathering abilities and law enforcement, with procedural cases layered under bigger moral questions. Shares The Listener's balance of weekly mystery and deepening character stakes.

But Much more serialized and serious overall; the tone is grittier, sometimes bleak.

The Mentalist2008

Patrick Jane uses exceptional perception to solve crimes for the California Bureau of Investigation. Like Toby, he's hiding something and using his gift in ways that make him indispensable and emotionally exhausted.

But Seven seasons of will-they-won't-they romance; if you want to avoid drawn-out relationship arcs, this isn't it.

Manifest2018

Ordinary people with extraordinary abilities try to solve a mystery while building a life around the inexplicable. Matches The Listener's tone: high-concept without being grimdark, emotional without being overwrought.

But Cancelled mid-mystery with only a brief finale; the payoff may frustrate you.

Supernatural2005

Two leads with strange gifts hunting monsters in a procedural format. Both shows are episodic enough to dip in and out of, grounded in character rather than spectacle.

But Fifteen seasons long; commitment is substantial. Also far more violent and horror-focused than The Listener's procedural warmth.

Fringe2008

A team of specialists investigate unexplained phenomena for the FBI. Shares The Listener's format: case-of-the-week structure with a warm ensemble cast and genuine emotional depth beneath the procedural surface.

But Gets increasingly serialized and mythology-heavy; loses some of the accessible, episodic charm.

Haven2010

A detective returns to her hometown to investigate supernatural crimes. Balances procedural work with character history, finding humor and heart in the strange.

But Uneven quality across its five seasons and an abrupt ending that divides fans.

The OA2016

Both shows build tenderness and trust between people who stumble into extraordinary circumstances; both treat the supernatural as emotionally costly rather than thrilling.

A mysterious woman with inexplicable abilities assembles a group of ordinary people to help her understand a cosmic truth. Both shows treat the supernatural gift as genuinely complicated, not an easy tool, and build their drama around what happens when you let strangers into your secret.

But Cancelled after two seasons on a cliffhanger. Also far more abstract and experimental in structure than The Listener's procedural clarity.