10 Shows Like 'Reacher' You Should Watch Next
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After a couple of middling movies, Reacher, the series based on a series of more than 30 novels by Lee Childs, has been a breakout hit for Prime Video. It has been renewed through at least a fifth season, and there's a spin-off on the way—Neagley, starring Maria Sten. It's not hard to understand why audiences have connected to the story of an alarmingly large man who travels from town to town getting himself into trouble while helping others out of scrapes: The plotting is fun, the show doesn't take itself too seriously, and Alan Ritchson is a great physical match for the character while also selling the drifter-with-a-heart-of-gold vibe.
If you've finished your season four binge and need something new to watch, try one of the series below. Not all of them focus on outright loners like Reacher, and none of them are quite so large, but they all are more than capable of getting the job done solo.
The Night Agent (2023 – )
An action drama that plays a bit like a spy thriller, The Night Agent stars Gabriel Basso as Peter Sutherland, an FBI agent who works overnights in the basement of the White House watching a phone that never, ever rings. Until...it does. Peter gets a call from Rose Larkin, a cybersecurity expert whose aunt and uncle were just killed and, unbeknownst to her, were also government operatives. Rescuing Rose puts Peter deep inside a web of conspiracy and official corruption. (This is why I never answer the phone.) Stream The Night Agent on Netflix.
The Night Agent (2023 – ) at Netflix Learn More Learn More at NetflixCross (2024 – )
There are like three dozen Alex Cross books (and counting), so there's plenty of material for this ongoing series (previously adapted into a series of films back in the '90s starring Morgan Freeman). Here, the D.C.-based homicide detective and forensic psychologist is played by Aldis Hodge as a guy every bit as committed to justice as Reacher. What sets Cross apart is the fact that he's also deeply committed to his family, which, rather than adding a charming bit of domesticity to the show, only ups the stakes as Cross's investigations frequently threaten to involve his kids. Stream Cross on Prime Video and Paramount+.
Cross (2024 – ) at Prime Video Learn More Learn More at Prime VideoTom Clancy's Jack Ryan (2018 – 2023)
Tom Clancy's signature hero has been the star of books and films (starting with The Hunt for Red October) and has, at this point, outlived his creator by over a decade—despite the fact that he is never not in mortal danger. The latest incarnation, Prime Video's streaming series, stars John Krasinski as America's favorite CIA analyst, pulled from his desk job into the field after he discovers a pattern of suspicious bank transfers involving Islamic extremists. The show has ended, but the rather awkwardly titled Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan: Ghost War movie continues the series. Stream Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan on Prime Video.
Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan (2018 – 2023) at Prime Video Learn More Learn More at Prime VideoThe Equalizer (2021 – 2025)
The Queen Latifah-led Equalizer reboots the 1980s series (and sidesteps the Denzel Washington movies) by spinning the premise in a slightly different direction: Latifah plays single mom Robyn McCall, an impossibly skilled former CIA operative who puts her talents to work for those in need. It splits the difference between crime and spy drama, with some episodes involving close-to-home cases and others dealing with international espionage. While the original's vibe was more about the cops being handcuffed by things like "rules" and "giving perps their basic human dignity," this one is more about those who've been failed by systems that don't care about them—and who might benefit from the help of a woman who can beat just about anyone's ass. Stream The Equalizer on Paramount+ and Tubi.
The Equalizer (2021 – 2025) at Paramount+ Learn More Learn More at Paramount+Hap and Leonard (2016 – 2018)
Based on a popular novel series from Joe R. Lansdale, perhaps best known for his horror and western (and horror western) books, the show rather deftly blends genres—it's a heist show, a crime drama, and a buddy comedy set in the swamps around Baton Rouge in the 1980s. James Purefoy is Hap, a blue-collar ex-con (for avoiding the Vietnam draft) trying to live a quiet life, while the late Michael Kenneth Williams is Leonard, an openly gay vet with major anger management problems. One day, Hap's ex-wife shows up with an offer: the proceeds of a bank heist were lost, and if the two help her retrieve it, they'll get a cut, while she'll use the rest of money to fund her underground leftist group. Naturally, things get complicated rather quickly. Stream Hap and Leonard on AMC+.
Hap and Leonard (2016 – 2018) at AMC+ Learn More Learn More at AMC+The Night Manager (2016 – )
Coming, as it does, from John le Carré, the wellspring of many modern spy sagas, it's probably no surprise that The Night Manager (from a 1993 novel, and not to be confused with The Night Agent up above) was successful—though it certainly doesn't hurt to have a cast led by Tom Hiddleston, Hugh Laurie, and Olivia Colman. Hiddleston is Jonathan Pine, working the night shift at a luxury hotel in Switzerland when he encounters an unexpected guest: arms dealer Richard Roper (Laurie). Former Army veteran Pine had previous dealings with Roper in Cairo, and the reluctant night manager is persuaded by Foreign Office head Angela Burr (Colman) to infiltrate the criminal's organization. Though he's been recruited by British intelligence, he remains an outsider, and perpetually on his own. The second season took about ten years to come about, but a third (and final?) should arrive a bit sooner. Stream The Night Manager on Prime Video.
The Night Manager (2016 – ) at Prime Video Learn More Learn More at Prime VideoBosch (2014 – 2021)
Bosch is a more traditional crime drama, though one that wears its neo-noir aspirations on its sleeve. Titus Welliver is in the title role as LAPD detective Harry Bosch (star of the Michael Connelly novels), kicking off the series on trial for shooting a suspect in self-defense while investigating the murder of a 12-year-old. Like Reacher, Bosch draws on skills honed in the military and pursues criminals well beyond the limits, which is not always a great thing. Stream Bosch on Prime Video.
Bosch (2014 – 2021) at Prime Video Learn More Learn More at Prime VideoBanshee (2013 – 2016)
A usually engaging combination of smart plotting and lurid sex and violence, Banshee stars Antony Starr as Sheriff Lucas Hood...kinda. A man recently released from prison takes over that identity when the new sheriff in the small town of Banshee is killed. It's all part of a complicated plan to get back the $15 million in diamonds he lost when he went to jail. The new sheriff dispenses brutal justice without ever giving up his criminal ways, making him one of the greyest of TV's morally grey law-types. Stream Banshee on HBO Max.
Banshee (2013 – 2016) at HBO Max Learn More Learn More at HBO MaxLuther (2010 – 2019)
Where Reacher is a loner from the jump, Luther's arc is one of one of increasing isolation, even as he cultivates an unsavory but steadfast ally. Idris Elba is DCI John Luther—a crime-solving genius whose preexisting inner demons are enabled by his work in investigating some of the darkest and most brutal crimes. Early on, he's unable to bring murderer Alice Morgan (Ruth Wilson) to justice, and the two become entangled in ways that benefit Luther's investigations while also threatening to bring him down entirely. The series proper is concluded, but there's a second spin-off film on the way, following The Fallen Sun. Stream Luther on Hulu.
Luther (2010 – 2019) at Hulu Learn More Learn More at HuluTracker (2024 – )
Another hero of a long-running book series (this one from Jeffery Deaver), the tracker in question is Colter Shaw (Justin Hartley), a survivalist who travels the country (in his RV, naturally) selling his skills in finding missing persons. He's joined, remotely, by a team that includes a lawyer, handler, and the requisite computer guy—but they're all just the support team. At the end of the day, Shaw's the one who's gonna find your lost uncle. Stream Tracker on Paramount+.
Tracker (2024 – ) at Paramount+ Learn More Learn More at Paramount+