Criming in Prime Time: 20 Pilot Scripts to Download and Study

5AM StoryTalk has curated a tour through a quarter-century of great crime series for you to learn from

Apr 02, 2025

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Are you thinking about writing a crime series for television? Maybe you’re even trying to crack that pilot right now. I mean, of course you are — crime is our culture’s new favorite obsession, more than it’s ever been, and it’s selling and actually getting made.

Well, the best way to learn how to write a script about anything — whether it’s a family drama set on a corn farm or a family drama set on a cocoa plantation where every member is vying to take over the business — is to read a lot of scripts and, specifically, read the best examples in your chosen narrative arena. Don’t worry, 5AM StoryTalk has got you covered.

I’ve personally curated this compilation of 20 of the best examples of TV pilots for crime series. They’re culled from the past quarter-century, and are divided between pilots about criminals and pilots about the police determined to stop them. Sometimes, the lines between these are blurred; I’m thinking “The Wire” (2002) and “Fargo” (2014), for example. Organized crime and drugs are going to play a big part in this list; we’re talking “The Sopranos” (1999), “Ozark” (2017), and more. Serial killers show up, too; the pilot for my favorite TV series of all time is in here.

All of these screenplays tend to vanish, as all things do on the Internet. Download ASAP for your personal study. And if you want more resources like this one, be sure to check out my other articles:

Enjoy the reads!

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