Author Michael Connelly had his first big screen adaptation back in 2002, when Clint Eastwood directed and starred in the crime thriller “Blood Work,” based on his 1997 novel of the same name. He didn’t get another until “The Lincoln Lawyer” nearly a decade later. But it’s on television where his books have come fully to life, starting in 2014 when Prime Video premiered “Bosch,” a crime drama based on a series of novels centering on the tightly-wound former special forces soldier Harry Bosch, who now serves as a homicide detective in the LAPD.

“Lost” alum Titus Welliver starred in the title role, and as soon as it debuted, he and the series were collecting accolades from critics for its taut suspense and engrossing character drama. Bosch was a new breed of TV detective, a darker, more complicated hero than those on popular prime-time police procedurals. The series was embraced by audiences too, leading to a lengthy run on the streaming service that came to a close in 2021.

But you can’t keep a good detective down, and in short order, “Bosch” was followed by a sequel series, “Bosch: Legacy,” which proved every bit as good as its predecessor. The world of “Bosch” has continued to expand after that, most recently with the spin-off “Ballard,” starring Maggie Q. Whether you’ve watched the adventures of Harry Bosch or you’re just dipping your toes into his world, you might be wondering which one is the best, so let’s rank all three shows from great to spectacular. 

The show that started it all, “Bosch” debuted in 2014, more than 30 years after author Michael Connelly first published the adventures of Harry Bosch in his first novel, “The Black Echo.” Like its counterpart from the page, the Prime Video series follows the exploits of the dedicated but complicated LAPD homicide detective who will do whatever it takes to solve the most impossible cases, but has trouble following the rules.

Season 1 of the series is largely inspired by the events of three different Bosch books: “City of Bones,” “Echo Park,” and “The Concrete Blonde,” with Bosch taking on a case involving the murder of a young boy, while also embroiled in the investigation of a police shooting that left a man dead. Running for seven seasons, the show was a critical darling, thanks to both its expertly crafted crime noir stories and the impressive performances from its star cast. While leading man Titus Wellever rightly gets the lion’s share of praise, the supporting cast — including Jeri Ryan, Jamie Hector, and Amy Wersching — helps the series soar. Lance Reddick, meanwhile, plays Bosch’s no-nonsense commanding officer Irvin Irving, which remains one of the late actor’s best roles. 

Though you might have expected the original to be at the top of the heap, don’t make the mistake of thinking that — just because it’s technically at the bottom — it isn’t one of the best crime dramas of all time.

The series finale of “Bosch: Legacy” introduced international action star Maggie Q (perhaps best known for leading the cast of “Nikita”) as Detective Renée Ballard, the protagonist of a different series of novels by author Michael Connelly. Though the episode proved divisive among fans, it did its job, and within a few months’ time, “Ballard” debuted on Prime Video in July 2025 as the latest entry in the “Bosch” universe of shows.

In its inaugural season, Ballard is shown to be a very different kind of detective than we’re used to. She certainly has very little in common with Harry Bosch, at least, who typically approaches cases with a cold, harsh view of the facts and a ruthless dedication to putting people behind bars. Ballard, by contrast, is led by compassion, but is no less dedicated to solving the most grisly murders. Still, she is more concerned with getting to the truth — no matter where it might lead — than doling out blind punishment.

“Ballard” also introduces fans to a newly formed unit of the Robbery-Homicide Division that focuses on cold cases — years and sometimes decades-old unsolved murders. Her team is comprised of volunteers, and she doesn’t get the same level of resources as the more glamorous police divisions. Yet over the course of the season, she not only tracks down murderers, but also manages to discover a conspiracy within the LAPD itself. It’s a gripping new show that does things differently, but in doing so proves to be even better than “Bosch.” Variety called it “smartly acted, beautifully paced and genuinely engaging … a thrilling ride from start to finish.”

Following the conclusion of “Bosch” in 2021, Harry Bosch had retired and put his days as an LAPD homicide detective behind him. But he wasn’t done catching crooks, because just a year later, he was back on Amazon Prime Video with a sequel series, “Bosch: Legacy.” A more world-weary investigator this time around, Bosch may have been off the LAPD’s books, but he wasn’t done solving crimes — only now he was doing it as a private eye.

“Bosch: Legacy” focuses as much on Bosch’s home life as on his cases, while Bosch’s daughter Maddie (Madison Lintz) — who audiences watched grow up on screen in the original series — is now a rookie patrol officer in the LAPD. Balancing his life as a criminal investigator with his role as a father, while helping his daughter navigate the complicated world of policing, Bosch works cases for a local defense attorney named Honey “Money” Chandler (Mimi Rogers). But Bosch isn’t alone — he’s aided by computer expert Mo Bassi (Stephen Chang) and gets frequent help from his old buddy Detective Robertson (Paul Calderón). 

“Bosch: Legacy” is essentially three more seasons of its predecessor, but focusing on the life of an older, wiser, and more beleaguered Harry Bosch. That only makes the series better, because “Bosch” was always at its best when it dug deep into the psyche of the maverick detective. The show’s tighter run of stories never lags or wastes time, cutting the fat and delivering the best stories the “Bosch” universe has ever seen.