A delightful miniseries in just three episodes, it’s no surprise that it jumped straight into the streaming platform’s top 10 and can be absolutely devoured in one sitting (possibly before you even finish your cup of tea). If your appetite for clever whodunits isn’t quite satisfied, don’t panic: here are 6 series in the same spirit as The Seven Dials Mystery—to binge without moderation.
Sherlock—Revisit a Modern Detective Classic
Let’s start with the obvious: if you’re hungry for more of Martin Freeman's sleuthing skills after The Seven Dials Mystery, Sherlock has you covered. This cult series from the 2010s left a lasting mark on TV detective shows, thanks in large part to Benedict Cumberbatch’s mesmerizing performance (yes, Doctor Strange himself) in the titular role.
Across four seasons and just 14 episodes, the brainchild of Mark Gatiss and Steven Moffat gave Arthur Conan Doyle’s classic tales a serious facelift, all while staying true to the original investigator’s spirit. While fans continue to await a potential season 5 (someday, maybe?), now’s the perfect time to jump back into this now-iconic show that still permeates pop culture everywhere.
The Residence—A Whimsical White House Whodunit
If three bite-sized episodes of The Seven Dials Mystery weren’t enough to feed your appetite for cozy mysteries, fear not: The Residence has arrived to serve it hot. Here, we delve into the lives of the White House staff—until an unexpected murder disrupts the (more or less) tranquil halls. Enter detective Cordelia Cupp, called in to crack the case across 132 rooms and no fewer than 157 suspects.
The outstanding Uzo Aduba (Orange is the New Black) brings this uniquely quirky investigator to life, all while tossing in some sharp class commentary. While Shonda Rhimes’s latest series (Grey’s Anatomy, Bridgerton) might not be her absolute best, it’s still a guilty pleasure worth savoring.
Zero Hour & Other Cozy Delights
If you’re already missing Christie-style television, good news: there are more small-screen adaptations where that came from. Among them is Zero Hour, inspired by the novel of the same name. The plot takes us to the summer of 1936, where tennis star Nevil Strange—fresh off a divorce—invites his ex-wife, Audrey, to spend the holidays with him and his new spouse at his aunt Lady Tressilian’s grand estate. But when Lady Tressilian winds up murdered, facades crumble, and a troubled detective must find the killer before it’s too late…
Patience is truly rewarded with this four-episode, contemplative miniseries that takes its time fleshing out its cast of characters. And what a cast: Anjelica Huston (The Addams Family), Matthew Rhys (The Americans), Clarke Peters (The Wire), and Oliver Jackson-Cohen (The Haunting). The wait is worth it!
Who says classics can’t be fun? If you found The Seven Dials Mystery a bit too traditional, you’ll love the quirky flair of Agatha Christie’s Little Murders. Airing in France from 2009 to 2024, this inventive spin on Christie’s novels spans three distinct eras. The series kicks off in 1930s France with Commissioner Jean Larosière and Inspector Émile Lampion before leaping to the late 1950s, where journalist Alice Avril, detective Swen Laurence, and his perpetually stylish secretary Marlène Leroy dig into mysterious cases.
Finally, in the 1970s, cops Annie Gréco and Max Beretta team up with psychologist Rose Bellecour, bringing the French production to a stylish close. Energetic, fresh, and bursting with acting talent across time periods, this show’s three seasons are a joy to catch up on.
Only Murders in the Building & The Afterparty—For Modern Mystery Buffs
How could we talk about cozy mysteries on TV without mentioning its reigning queen: Only Murders in the Building, of course. Since 2021, the unforgettable trio of Steve Martin, Martin Short, and Selena Gomez have delivered our yearly fix of unexpected murders, offbeat investigations, and wild plot twists. It all starts when three strangers sharing an apartment building are thrown together by a murder—and their true crime podcast obsession roars back to life.
Only Murders in the Building is like a gigantic game of Clue: imperfect, yes, but endlessly rewatchable. One of Disney+’s finest series, it’s soon coming back for a sixth season—set this time in London.
We wrap things up with the small screen’s wackiest detective show: The Afterparty. Sure, on paper it’s standard fare—a mysterious murder, and Lieutenant Danner goes all in to solve it. But here’s the twist: each suspect must tell their version of that fateful night, each episode shifting genres—from musical to horror to an outlandish Fast & Furious parody, and even nods to Pride and Prejudice.
Over two seasons, The Afterparty crafted a full-on love letter to cinema in all its forms, before Apple TV cancelled it far too soon. No worries, though—it’s an anthology, and season 2 wraps up all the loose ends. Bonus point: episodes are always under half an hour, and the humor is truly hilarious. Yes, it’s an absolute gem.
