MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY

Updated October 2, 2022: If you enjoy shows like Reacher, you’ll be pleased to know we’ve updated this article with additional content and entries.

Whether it’s James Bond or John Wick, everyone loves a highly-skilled warrior who can handle his own in a tough situation. Reacher is one of many series in existence that attempts to recreate the badass highly-skilled person who encounters the world’s most dangerous missions and manages to get out alive with barely a scratch on them. From vigilantes in the MCU like Daredevil to the wild antics of German police who get lost in the underworld, as seen in Dogs of Berlin, there is no shortage of action-crime shows to choose from. If you like Reacher and can’t wait for its second season (sometime in Spring 2023), then these shows may be right up your alley.

Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan (2018-)

Unlike the character of Reacher, Ryan is inexperienced, but they both kick some major ass. Tom Clancy’s work has been adapted before the release of Jack Ryan into the Rainbow Six video game franchise which kick-started in 1998 and had its latest release of Rainbow Six Extraction in January 2022. Jack Ryan kicked off in 2018 and has a total of two seasons so far, with seasons three and four on the way.

Bosch (2014-2021)

Titus Welliver went from that familiar face in Lost and The Town to a Hollywood force of nature with Bosch, which ran for seven impressive seasons. Fans of Reacher will surely binge this stellar police procedural series, which follows a Los Angeles Police detective as he works to solve the murder of a teenage boy while standing trial for the murder of a notorious serial killer.

The Punisher (2017-2019)

     Netflix Streaming Services 

Former Marine Frank Castle (Jon Bernthal) takes matters into his own hands after his family is murdered in front of his eyes and becomes the vigilante who only kills those who deserve it in The Punisher. After making an appearance in the Daredevil series, Frank got his own spin-off. Frank has his own sense of justice and works outside the law to carry it out. This action-packed series is violent and gritty, much like Reacher. The Punisher ran for two seasons and was beloved by both fans and critics alike.

Banshee (2013-2016)

     Cinemax

Justified (2010-2015)

     Rooney McP Productions

Timothy Olyphant has carved out a unique niche in Hollywood over the years, but his biggest break was Justified. Premiering on FX back in 2010, the hit show aired over six seasons. Based on Elmore Leonard’s Raylan Givens stories, the show stars Olyphant as the outlaw character, a tough deputy U.S. Marshal who enforces his own, Old-West style type of justice. Fans of Reacher’s grittiness will surely find a similar joy in Justified. Olyphant’s success in the lead role surely paved the way for his scene-stealing turns in recent hits like Fargo and The Mandalorian. Olyphant is set to reprise his role as Givens in the upcoming FX limited series Justified: City Priveval.

Blood Drive (2017)

     Universal Cable Productions

If you enjoyed Alan Ritchson’s performance in Reacher, then you may want to see what other work he’s done, and apart from Blue Mountain State, you may want to give Blood Drive a chance. In the not-so-far future, climate change has affected every way of life. With water and oil scarce, crime is rampant as citizens struggle for survival.

Protagonist Arthur, played by Ritchson, joins the dangerously capable Grace on a cross-country death race in a car that runs on human blood. When Arthur goes missing, his partner Chris leads an investigation to figure out what happened to him. While the show only ran for one season, Blood Drive was well-received as unique and poignant.

Designated Survivor (2016-2019)

     Disney-ABC Domestic Television / Netflix

American academic Tom Kirkman (Keifer Sutherland) is assigned the role of Designated Survivor, the next in line of the presidential line of succession, and finds himself in the Oval Office after an explosion kills everyone in line ahead of him. Designated Survivor is a political action drama that is more action than politics and, much like Reacher, holds the audience’s interest with both plot and action.

Designated Survivor was well-received by audiences and ran for a total of three seasons before being canceled by Netflix due to contract disputes. It received the Critics’ Choice Television Award for Most Exciting New Series, and its popularity eventually led to a South Korean remake Designated Survivor: 60 Days which premiered in 2019.

The Terminal List (2022)

Reece quickly learns there are nefarious forces at work that threaten those closest to him, and it’s up to the fierce and resilient Lieutenant Commander to race against the clock and reveal the truth. Full of adrenaline-pumping seuences and riveting conspiracies, The Terminal List features a man on a daring mission to pursue justice no matter who stands in his way. While it may not have done well with most critics, audiences have loved the exciting action thriller.

Dogs of Berlin (2018)

     Syrreal Entertainment

Dogs of Berlin is a Netflix original series following cops Kurt and Erol as they investigate the murder of Turkish-German soccer player. In order to discover the truth of who may be behind the murder, Erol and Kurt must dive deep into the German underworld. While Dogs of Berlin is in the German language, don’t let that scare you away, this dark action-crime matches the grittiness of Reacher, replicating the same level of violence and crime. Dogs of Berlin is available for streaming on Netflix and rumors have been spread about a potential season two despite it being several years old.

Taken (2017-2018)

     Universal Television

Based on the Taken film franchise starring Liam Neeson, the TV series Taken is a prequel to the films, revolving around former CIA/Green Beret Bryan Mills who specializes in carrying out the most deadly missions. Mills goes on a variety of missions to get back whatever has been taken. This action-heavy series is comparable to Reacher based on the level of expertise that both Jack Reacher and Bryan Mills have. Unfortunately, the series didn’t live up to the high expectations set by the source of the material and the show was canceled after a short two-season run.

24 (2001-2010)

     20th Television 

Kiefer Sutherland revitalized his career when he headlined the mega-popular action drama series 24, portraying lethal counter-terrorist agent Jack Bauer as he fights against the clock to stop an array of dangerous and deadly terrorist attacks that threaten the safety of the country. Bauer is not afraid to get his hands dirty and utilizes an “ends justify the means” approach to taking on the bad guys, oftentimes putting himself at odds with those around him despite the payoff of his unconventional methods.

24 was a smash hit for Fox and was a knockout with both critics and audiences alike, with fans praising the unique format (each episode represents one hour in a day), high-stakes action scenes, and thrilling cliffhangers.