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Countdown is an American crime drama television series that began streaming on Amazon Prime Video on June 25, 2025. When a Department of Homeland Security agent is killed in broad daylight, LAPD detective Mark Meachum is assigned to an undercover task force. He is partnered with undercover detectives from a variety of other law enforcement units to hunt down the killer.
But the pursuit uncovers something much more sinister than anyone might have dreamed, and it provokes a desperate struggle to save a city of millions.
If viewers enjoyed Countdown for its themes of covert missions, intense investigations, and conspiracies, then here is a list of seven similar crime shows to watch.
Disclaimer: The following list is ranked in no particular order, and the opinions expressed belong solely to the author.
24, Shooter, and 5 other crime shows to watch like Prime Video's Countdown
1) 24 (2001-2010)
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24 is an action drama television series produced by Joel Surnow and Robert Cochran. The series is in real time about Counter Terrorist Unit agent Jack Bauer as he fights to prevent danger to America.
Each season takes place over 24 hours, with clocks on screen and split screens depicting simultaneous action. Acclaimed for hairpin plot turns, ethical questions, and daredevil action, the show also deals with psychological manipulation and personal sacrifice by its characters.
Similar to Countdown, 24 is a constant race against time, where an agent discovers sinister plots that jeopardize thousands of lives. Both shows live on suspenseful investigations and quick action.
Where to watch: Amazon Prime Video, Hulu, Netflix, Disney+, Apple TV+
2) The Blacklist (2013-2024)
The Blacklist is a crime thriller TV series written by Jon Bokenkamp and produced by John Eisendrath.
The series has James Spader playing the titular role of Raymond Reddington, a global crime lord and one of the FBI's Ten Most Wanted fugitives who assists the FBI in capturing other criminals on his "Blacklist."
The Blacklist recalls Countdown in its preoccupation with a nefarious criminal syndicate and the uneasy alliances that are forged to combat it. The increasing conspiracies that are revealed with each show have resonances with the escalating conspiracy of Countdown.
Where to watch: Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV+, NBC
3) S.W.A.T. (2017-present)
S.W.A.T. is an action drama television series based on the 1975-76 series of the same title, created by Aaron Rahsaan Thomas and Shawn Ryan.
It premiered in 2017 on CBS and is produced by Original Film, CBS Studios, and Sony Pictures Television. Shemar Moore is in the lead role in an ensemble cast as Sergeant Daniel "Hondo" Harrelson. The series depicts the dangerous operations of Los Angeles's top SWAT team.
The show is set around Hondo, a South L.A.-born native and a veteran Marine, who is a rock-solid leader among his officers and community. Treading on the thin line between social causes and action-packed scripts, the show portrays the life of a law enforcement officer with trust in the communities they serve.
A Los Angeles-based show like Countdown, S.W.A.T. mixes missions with faith between the public and law enforcement, and law enforcement issues, showing how tactical units deal with building threats.
Where to watch: Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Paramount+
4) Shooter (2016-2018)
Shooter is an American television drama series developed from the 2007 film of the same title and the first three novels by writer Stephen Hunter in the Bob Lee Swagger series.
The series features Ryan Phillippe playing the leading role of title character Bob Lee Swagger, a retired United States Marine Corps Scout Sniper from MARSOC with a reclusive life, and brought back into retirement when he is discovered by a conspiracy to assassinate the President.
Shooter is similar to Countdown with a lone hero pulled into a deadly conspiracy that goes beyond what it first appears, combining military action with personal stakes.
Where to watch: Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV+, Paramount+
5) Strike Back (2010-2020)
Strike Back is a British action-adventure series adapted from the 2007 novel of the same name by former Special Air Service soldier Chris Ryan. It follows the activities of Section 20, an undercover section of the British Secret Intelligence Service (SIS, otherwise known as MI6), who carry out a number of high-risk, high-priority operations globally.
Like Countdown, Strike Back involves undercover operatives fighting international threats with intense action sequences and constant twists that increase the stakes.
Where to watch: Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV+
6) SEAL Team (2017-2024)
SEAL Team is a drama television series written by Benjamin Cavell and CBS Studios. The show includes David Boreanaz, Max Thieriot, Jessica Paré, Neil Brown Jr., A.J. Buckley, and Toni Trucks, and follows a team of highly skilled U.S. Navy SEALs.
It tracks Bravo Team, the Navy's elite force's most dangerous sub-unit, when they are dispatched on very short notice all over the world, and asks the soldiers and their families about personal challenges and sacrifices.
SEAL Team is in the same league as Countdown so far as exposing special forces with unstable missions, both professional risk and the personal cost to those involved.
Where to watch: Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV+, Paramount+
7) NCIS: Los Angeles (2009-2023)
NCIS: Los Angeles is an American military drama television series police procedural developed by Shane Brennan and features Chris O'Donnell, LL Cool J, and Daniela Ruah. The show is centered around the Office of Special Projects (OSP), a clandestine NCIS division that conducts undercover operations.
It is the initial spin-off of NCIS and the second franchise series.
The shows track Special Agents Sam Hanna and Grisha Callen as they deal with high-stakes covert missions in Los Angeles. Merging action, investigation, and group dynamics, the series showcases the cases they work through together and the personal issues that arise from their job.
Similar to Countdown being set in Los Angeles, NCIS: Los Angeles is centered on an elite team performing undercover work to disrupt intricate crime schemes, merging action and investigation.
Where to watch: Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV+, Paramount+, Netflix
Interested viewers can stream Countdown on Amazon Prime Video.
