Bodyguard was a massive hit when it was originally broadcast by the BBC in the UK, where it achieved the highest viewing figures of any new drama in the multichannel era and created interest for other shows like Bodyguard. It was hailed as the drama of the decade by many viewers, and while it has been over five years since its first season, the second has still yet to arrive. When it was released internationally on Netflix the success kept growing, with US audiences becoming hooked on its heart-pounding story.
Bodyguard follows a war veteran turned Specialist Protection Officer (played by Richard Madden) who is tasked with protecting a controversial Home Secretary (Keeley Hawes), whose politics stand for everything he despises. The show received several awards and great acclaim, with Madden winning the Golden Globes Award for his performance and the big twist halfway through the first season picking up the British Academy Television Awards “Must-See Moment.” With the second season still in development, there are still plenty of shows like Bodyguard for fans to watch in the meantime.
Doctor Foster (2015-2017)
Doctor Foster stars Suranne Jones in the titular role of Dr. Gemma Foster, a notable general practitioner who lives a picturesque life, or so she thinks. The mystery drama follows Gemma after she begins to believe that her husband is having an affair, and she begins investigating further. Unfortunately in the process, Gemma uncovers a whole host of other mysterious secrets that trigger a train reaction that affects her world and everyone in it. The series received several nominations and is short with a quick page, similar to shows like Bodyguard.
Peaky Blinders (2013-2022)
Peaky Blinders is a crime drama series that stars Cillian Murphy and features guest stars like Tom Hardy. It is set after the Great War in 1919 Britain when soldiers and criminal gangs are duking it out for control in the streets after catastrophic economic crises. The Peaky Blinders is a notorious gang run by Thomas Shelby and the Shelby crime family. But Thomas wants more in life than simply running a gang. Unfortunately, he soon realizes that it won’t be easy to change his path. Both shows have characters with wartime experiences that can’t fit into society as a whole, making this a great option for fans of shows like Bodyguard.
Medici (2016-2019)
Medici: Masters of Florence is substantially different from shows like Bodyguard. in tone but it’s worth watching if you’re a major Richard Madden fan. The series tells the story of the real Medici family and their rise to power in medieval Italy. Madden played Cosmo de Medici in season 1, and it charted his journey as he moved to succeed his father as head of the family. There are three seasons in total and each is about a different chapter in the Medici saga, although Madden is only in the first season, it is still a series worth watching.
Unforgotten (2015- )
Unforgotten is a compelling crime drama that follows DCI Cassie Stuart and DS Sunny Khan as they try to solve a murder that happened 39 years ago. The case is opened after the bones of their victim are discovered beneath a newly-demolished house. Solving the murder won’t be easy and as the detectives begin digging around in the decades-old case, they uncover dark secrets, sinister suspects, and a conspiracy that may have been better off if it remained buried for good. Both this and shows like Bodyguard received critical acclaim and the show share a star in Mark Bonnar.
Ozark (2017-2022)
Ozark is surprisingly underrated in the world of crime dramas despite it being one of Netflix’s best original series. The show stars Jason Bateman and Laura Linney as a couple that gets wrapped up in the world of money laundering. Family patriarch, Marty Byrd, forces his family to relocate after the scheme goes wrong but finds that he can’t escape the criminal life, even in his new home in the Ozarks. It doesn’t take long for Marty to become embroiled with more dangerous criminals and crime families. Much like shows like Bodyguard, Ozark uses action to enhance the tension and both build to almost unbearable levels.
Line Of Duty (2003-2004)
- Stream on Prime Video & Hulu
Fans of the intricate plotting and sweaty-palmed tension of shows like Bodyguard should love Line Of Duty, which was also created by writer Jed Mercurio. Over the course of its time on the air it has become one of the most popular BBC dramas around. The show follows the AC-12, a police anti-corruption unit headed up by Superintendent Ted Hastings (Adrian Dunbar), DS Steve Arnott (Martin Compston), and DC Kate Fleming (Vicky McClure). The first series featured The Walking Dead actor Lennie James, and subsequent seasons saw Thandie Newton (Westworld) and Stephen Graham (Boardwalk Empire) join the cast, along with Bodyguard’s own Keeley Hawes.
Luther (2010-2019)
For anyone who likes British cop thrillers that embrace their pulpy nature more than the likes of shows like Bodyguard, Luther is the perfect option. It stars Idris Elba as DCI John Luther, a troubled London detective who is almost impossibly brilliant, with an unrivaled deductive mind, and the adversaries he goes up against are exaggerated to almost comic book-level villains. It makes the show devilishly dark, brooding, and, above all, wildly entertaining. Perhaps what really puts the show over the top, though, is Luther’s relationship with brilliant psychopath Alice Morgan (The Affair’s Ruth Wilson), who functions as the Catwoman to his Batman.
Jack Ryan (2018- )
- Stream now on Prime Video
If watching shows like Bodyguard ignites a desire for more spy-based thrills, Prime Video’s Jack Ryan should be the next port of call. It stars John Krasinski (A Quiet Place) as the titular CIA analyst-turned-action-hero, alongside his gruff-but-with-a-heart-of-gold boss James Greer (played by The Wire actor Wendell Pierce). Abbie Cornish (Limitless) provides the love interest and the show was co-created by Carlton Cuse (Lost).
It’s a winningly old-fashioned spy thriller that makes the audience care deeply about Ryan, a man who is out of his element but just trying to do the right thing. But the show also takes time to present a fairly nuanced portrayal of Mousa Bin Suleiman and his family life. He is not a one-note villain, and the why’s and how’s of what led to him becoming radicalized are shown.
Homeland (2011-2020)
Homeland aired its eighth and final season in 2020 and was one of the best shows to hit Showtime in that network’s history. The first two seasons were particularly strong, receiving universal critical acclaim and racking up several Emmy Awards. Claire Danes stars as Carrie Mathison, a CIA officer with bipolar disorder who becomes convinced that Damian Lewis’ US Marine Nicholas Brody has been ‘turned’ by Al-Qaeda, who had held him captive as a prisoner of war. Fans of shows like Bodyguard should love the national security elements of both shows, with its great acting a strong plus.
24 (2001-2014)
24 ran for eight seasons, had a TV movie and a revival season, and then introduced a short-lived spin-off. For fans looking for shows like Bodyguard, this is the longest-running US espionage/counter-terrorism-themed drama ever. It gave Kiefer Sutherland both a late-career renaissance and a career-defining character in CTU Agent Jack Bauer. 24 was truly groundbreaking, with each episode taking place in ‘real time’ and each season showing audiences 24 hours in the lives of Bauer and his CTU colleagues. It meant there was always a ticking clock working against them.
Broadchurch (2013-2017)
Broadchurch is a British series that should appeal to fans of shows like Bodyguard. Starring Olivia Colman and Doctor Who’s David Tennant, the show followed two detectives as they investigated the murder of 11-year-old boy Danny Latimer in the fictional seaside town of Broadchurch. It explores how a child’s murder affects the close-knit local community and how the characters react to the media attention and mutual suspicion that arises. The acting is phenomenal throughout and the story truly hits hard emotionally. Much like Bodyguard, this show became a can’t-miss weekly detective series that keeps viewers enraptured throughout.
Killing Eve (2018-2022)
Killing Eve is a spy thriller about a desk-bound MI5 Officer named Eve Polastri who becomes obsessed with assassin Villanelle, who in turn becomes obsessed with her pursuer. The two then play out a deadly game of cat-and-mouse. But the show is so much more because of its off-kilter, oddball tone and truly incredible performances from leads Sandra Oh and Jodie Comer. The show is as funny as it is thrilling, as sexy as it is frightening, and as mundane as it is glamorous. Not only does Killing Eve have the same story style as shows like Bodyguard, but it also has a shocking twist halfway through that is similar to Bodyguard.
House Of Cards (2013-2018)
House Of Cards was the first ever Netflix Original series when it debuted in 2013, and it was at the forefront of the changing television landscape of the streaming era. It could not be ignored, with David Fincher (Fight Club) directing the first two episodes and assembling a tremendous cast led by Robin Wright. It concluded its run with a sixth season that put Claire Underwood at the forefront of the show and features a powerful female president. Shows like Bodyguard are thrillers with House of Cards-styled politics and share a similar audience.
The Blacklist (2013- )
The Blacklist is an espionage-based action thriller that skews toward 24, but that is precisely why fans love it. It features James Spader as Raymond ‘Red’ Reddington, a former US Navy Officer turned international criminal mastermind. He agrees to work with the FBI to capture dangerous criminals they’d never have access to without his ‘blacklist’, which he has compiled over the years, in exchange for immunity from prosecution. Of course, he also has his own motives, which are often nefarious (and very complicated). For fans of shows like Bodyguard who want to binge-watch something, this chase to bring down criminals has 10 seasons to catch up on.
Happy Valley (2014-2023)
Happy Valley is another British crime drama that achieved significant critical acclaim and fans of shows like Bodyguard should definitely check it out. It starred Sarah Lancashire as strong-willed police sergeant Catherine, who finds out that the man who assaulted her teenage daughter (and drove her to suicide) has been released from prison. She becomes obsessed with finding him, unaware that he has also become embroiled in the capture plot of a local woman. Lanchashire’s performance is genuinely astonishing, and the show is a harrowing yet fascinating journey.
