The Alienist is a new psychological thriller that has started up on TNT. Like its name suggests, it is focused on a criminal psychologist, who would be the titular alienist, plus his partners looking into a series of murders that have caught hold of public imagination in New York City. There are not a lot of series that are exactly like it, but there are a number of series that share various elements with it, which might make those series worth checking out for interested individuals.
Here are five older series with some similarities to The Alienist:
Mindhunter
Mindhunter is set in the late 1970s rather than the late 19th century. However, it is interesting to note that the series is concerned with the search for serial killers by people who are not so familiar with the concept, which is something that enables both Mindhunter and The Alienist to stand out from other series out there. Furthermore, there is a shared focus on psychology, which is one more thing that stands out about them.
Murdoch Mysteries
Murdoch Mysteries is a much lighter series than the The Alienist. With that said, it is nonetheless a mystery drama set in a place that should be familiar to its viewers but has been rendered exotic through the passage of time, seeing as how it is situated in Toronto, Canada at around the turn of the 20th century. With that said, while Murdoch Mysteries has proven popular in Canada as well as more than a hundred other countries, it has no more than a minimal presence in the United States, which might be because it is found there on a small-time channel called Ovation under the name The Artful Detective.
The Frankenstein Chronicles
The nature of the content on The Frankenstein Chronicles has some significant differences from The Alienist. For example, there is a supernatural element to the series, which is perhaps unsurprising considering its name. Furthermore, it is centered around a London police officer operating the better part of a century before The Alienist. With that said, The Frankenstein Chronicles is concerned with the same sort of problems as The Alienist, which is tackled by Sean Bean playing his role with his customary excellence.
The Knick
The Knick is more a medical drama than a psychological thriller. However, it is interesting to note that it is set in a fictional New York City in the early 20th century, meaning that it is very much a period drama set in a very similar if not the same setting. Something that might make it interesting to those who are fascinated by stories set in late 19th century and early 20th century New York City as opposed to a particular kind of stories in the same.
True Detective
Those who are more interested in The Alienist because of its well-polished presentation combined with the search for an elusive killer might be interested in True Detective, which is not set in the same time and place but nonetheless shares those important characteristics. For that matter, it should be mentioned that a third season for True Detective has been confirmed, meaning that there will be more of the series for those who are interested in watching it for whatever reason.
