Backstrom poster

Backstrom

★ 7.4 10K votes 2015–2015 1 season · 13 episodes Canceled FOX
ProceduralA case or problem of the week, solved by a formula that works.This show: 8/10Antihero leadA protagonist doing bad things you can't stop watching.This show: 8/10Detective mysteryCrime-solving from the investigator's side of the table.This show: 8/10CynicalDeeply distrustful of institutions and human motives.This show: 7/10
Rate this series
Starring
Rainn WilsonGenevieve AngelsonKristoffer PolahaPage KennedyBeatrice RosenThomas Dekker
Written by
Hart Hanson
Starring
Rainn WilsonGenevieve AngelsonKristoffer PolahaPage KennedyBeatrice RosenThomas Dekker
Written by
Hart Hanson
Ratings per Episode
246810
Votes per Episode
0150300450600

Backstrom Episode Ratings Heatmap

AvgE1E2E3E4E5E6E7E8E9E10E11E12E13
S17.57.27.47.17.18.37.07.17.37.87.87.87.68.1

Download Infographic

Backstrom episode ratings heatmap infographic

The full episode-rating heatmap as a shareable image.

About

"A miserable genius detective you can't quite root against"

Backstrom follows a brilliant but deeply unlikeable police detective in Portland, a man who drinks too much, insults everyone, and somehow still solves the cases nobody else can crack. He leads a small unit of mismatched cops through a mix of case-of-the-week investigations and dark comic bickering. The tone leans hard into antihero-as-entertainment: cynical jokes, morally messy behavior, and a lead performance that carries scenes even when the plotting is thin. It's breezy, occasionally biting, and never asks you to take it too seriously.

Watch it for

the lead performance, which turns a deeply unpleasant character into oddly compelling television.

Maybe skip if

you need your detectives likeable or your crime procedurals played straight.

Written by our AI editor to help you decide, spoiler-free by design.

All Seasons

▼
Season 12015
7.54K139h 50m
EpTitleRatingYoursVotesRuntime
▶1Dragon Slayer7.2
53044 min
▶2Bella7.4
37943 min
▶3Takes One to Know One7.1
33644 min
▶4I Am a Bird Now7.1
31644 min
▶5Bogeyman8.3
42546 min
▶6Ancient, Chinese, Secret7.0
27146 min
▶7Enemy of My Enemies7.1
27446 min
▶8Give 'Til It Hurts7.3
23646 min
▶9Inescapable Truth7.8
22746 min
▶10Love Is a Rose and You Better Not Pick It7.8
21646 min
▶11I Like to Watch7.8
20146 min
▶12Corkscrewed7.6
18746 min
▶13Rock Bottom8.1
22447 min

Full Cast & Crew

Cast

Rainn Wilson Everett Backstrom
Genevieve Angelson Nicole Gravely
Kristoffer Polaha Peter Niedermayer
Page Kennedy Frank Moto
Beatrice Rosen Nadia Paquet
Thomas Dekker Gregory Valentine
Dennis Haysbert John Almond
Sarah Chalke Amy Gazanian
Rizwan Manji Dr. Deb Chaman
Adam Beach Captain Jessie Rocha

Crew

Hart Hanson

Similar Series

Popular picks Shows that people who know this one usually know too. From our AI taste analysis.
Close in taste Nearest neighbors in our taste profile comparison: shared tone, themes and style.