City on a Hill is a gritty crime-drama series created by Charlie MacLean, set in early 1990s Boston. The Showtime series does a really good job of portraying the city at the time – rife with crime and corruption. The story revolves around DeCourcy Ward, a righteous attorney played by Aldis Hodge and Jackie Rohr, a crooked FBI veteran played by Kevin Bacon. The two form an unlikely alliance to take on a case that may change their city’s criminal justice system.
The series premiered on June 16, 2019 on Showtime. It has two seasons so far and the first episode of the third season was just released on July 31, 2022. Fans are excited to see what’s to come especially after the trailer for the new season dropped on June 25, 2022.
Over the course of the series, topics like race relations, drug-abuse, power-imbalances, and flawed police systems were depicted through a 90s lens. The third season will expand the crime-ridden world of City on a hill as Jackie and DeCourcy encounter new challenges. An excerpt from Showtime’s description of season 3 reads:
"Season three of City on a Hill brings us to Boston's high society, Beacon Hill. Having left the FBI and thrown his badge into Boston Harbor, Jackie Rohr lands a lavish new gig running security for a wealthy family. Life is good until secrets begin to unravel."If you're a fan of this brilliantly written slow-burn crime drama, you should definitely consider checking out some of the other titles we’ve listed below.
Peaky Blinders and 4 other crime-dramas like City on a Hill to add to your watchlist
1) True Detective
True Detective is a critically acclaimed searing crime drama television series created and written by Nic Pizzolatto. It premiered on HBO on January 12, 2014 and currently has three seasons. Each season of the series is a stand-alone narrative, with a new ensemble cast in various settings. The show follows troubled cops who investigate cases all over America that drive them to the edge.
Similar to City on a Hill, the first season of True Detective follows two polar opposite detectives played by Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson. They investigate a serial killer case from the 90s in Louisiana that develops into something more sinister involving the occult. The themes of corruption and politics from the show's second and third seasons are also woven into the storyline of City on a Hill.
HBO renewed the show for a fourth season in March 2022. Fans of the show are excited for what's to come.
2) Your Honor
Your Honor is an American crime drama series that premiered on Showtime on December 6, 2020. It was released as a miniseries but has been renewed for a second season. In July 2022, it was reported that it would be its last.
The series follows Adam (Hunter Doohan), the son of New Orleans judge Michael Desiato, played by Breaking Bad actor Bryan Cranston, who gets entangled in a hit-and-run case involving a member of a mafia family. He is horrified and turns to his father for help to protect him from the law. Things quickly get out of hand, which leads to more death and destruction along the way.
The show is filled with twists and turns as the characters go off their moral rails to defend themselves. Your Honor, similar to City on a Hill, explores pressing issues such as broken justice systems and systemic racism. Its themes are more relevant than ever, portraying a society with corruption at every level wherein poor black folk have little future outside of the world of crime.
3) Peaky Blinders
Peaky Blinders is a British crime drama series created by Steven Knight that originally premiered on BBC one in 2013. Set in post-World War I England, the show follows a crime gang by the name of Peaky Blinders. The show has a large ensemble cast, with Cillian Murphy playing the protagonist Tommy Shelby, leader of the dangerous gang.
Netflix bought the rights to release the show worldwide and audiences can stream all six seasons of the show on the platform. Viewership for the critically-acclaimed show on the platform never seems to dip. Fans were excited last month when episodes of the final sixth season started releasing. Reportedly, the franchise will expand with a spin-off film that will reportedly be released sometime in 2024.
City on a Hill and Peaky Blinders might be set in starkly different locations and timelines, but both the shows are equally brooding and gritty as they deal with crime-ridden cities rampant with issues of corruption, nationalism and racism.
4) How to Get Away with Murder
How to Get Away with Murder is a legal crime-thriller series that premiered on ABC in 2014. The series finale was released on May 14, 2020, and has six seasons. The show centers on Annalise Keating, played by Viola Davis, a criminal defense lawyer and professor, as she gets involved in a twisted murder plot along with some of her law students, after which the course of their lives change.
The show is consistently thrilling, driven by its morally-grey characters and unpredictablity as the storyline takes dramatic twists and turns. Many of the incidents in the series are loosely based on the flawed American justice system with its biased juries, disproportionate sentencing of minorities, broken prison system, etc.
If you're a fan of the themes in City on a Hill, you will definitely enjoy the series as they have similar tropes.
5) Seven Seconds
Netflix’s Seven Seconds is an American crime drama limited-series, based on the Russian film The Major, that premiered on February 23, 2018 on the streaming platform. The show follows an investigation into the death of a black teenager and his family as they deal with the grief of their loss.
In this series, Brenton Butler, a young black teenager, loses his life in a tragic hit-and-run accident. Racial tension explodes in the city when it's discovered that a white cop was behind the wheel that caused Butler's death. The crime drama explores the aftermath of the incident as malicious attempts to bury the truth are made by the police department, leading to a volatile court trial.
The show is a slow but high intensity burn as personal tragedies painfully intertwine with broader societal issues. The storyline has been suspenseful throughout its course, making this a gripping watch.
Your watchlist is now equipped with five thrilling crime-drama series for when you finish watching Season 3 of City on a Hill.
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