“The Penguin” might be over but there are a lot of shows about criminal dirtbags to help fill the void.
HBO’s spinoff of Matt Reeves’ “The Batman film didn’t really have any right to be as good as it was but award-contending performances by Colin Farrell and Cristin Milioti helped make it one of the most talked about shows of 2024. Now that it’s finished, people are likely clamoring for another crime drama that ticks the same boxes as “The Penguin.”
Below are seven options for shows like “The Penguin” to try if you’re trying to capture the same vibes that made it such a great watch.
The Sopranos
The parallels between “The Penguin” and “The Sopranos” were talked about ad nauseam throughout the show’s run that this recommendation is a no-brainer. Oz and Tony share a number of similarities from a need to climb higher in their city down to a somewhat troubling relationship with their mother.
“The Sopranos” sits near the top of the All-Time TV pantheon so if you haven’t already seen the show then at least use the excuse of needing more “Penguin” vibes to check a great off your list.
Gotham
If what you crave is another dive into The Penguin’s backstory then a binge of Fox’s “Gotham” is what you need. The series serves as a prequel to much of what people are familiar of when they think of Batman’s City. Bruce Wayne is still a young boy, Jim Gordon is a new cop for GCPD and several of the most iconic Batman villains are just finding their footing.
Robin Taylor Lord’s turn as Oswald Cobblepot often steals the show and while many other villains came and went through the series, Lord and his portrayal were a constant.
Batman: The Caped Crusader
“The Penguin” is likely to spark a lot more interest in Batman’s world and it wasn’t even the only new show set in Gotham to land in 2024. A spiritual successor to the beloved ’90s “Batman: The Animated Series,” the new Prime Video show “Batman: The Caped Crusader” hits all of those highs while expanding on an alternate reality Gotham where there is free reign to try new and fresh story angles for familiar characters.
Boardwalk Empire
Oz Cobb doesn’t just want to be a career criminal. He also has his eye on Gotham’s political world as we see in the show’s final episodes. “Boardwalk Empire” main character Nucky Thompson walks a similar line in the series set in Prohibition Era Atlantic City. If what you’re craving is a crime drama that’s just as much about the political maneuvers as it is pushing whatever the illicit substance of the week is than HBO’s “Boardwalk Empire” is your pick.
Plus, Steve Buscemi puts in some career-best work playing Thompson.
Peaky Blinders
The last 15 years in TV has largely been led by captivating anti-heroes. Oz Cobb will definitely be remembered as one of the greats but he’ll still have to do some climbing to stand aside a Mount Rushmore of TV anti-hero contenders in “Peaky Blinders” main character Tommy Shelby.
The Netflix series follows a London gang through the early 1900s, Cillian Murphy puts in a legendary performance as the leader of a family of gangsters. If you love watching Oscar-winners soak up a TV performance give “Peaky Blinders” a go.
Daredevil
We’re crossing comic book family lines by suggesting “Daredevil” but it definitely fits the bill. Matt Murdock may not be a villain like Oz Cobb but you’ll find a lot of parallels between the Batman villain and Wilson Fisk – The Kingpin. Both clawed from nothing to become an influential power in their respective city and in this case it’s up to Daredevil to come up against that power.
Unlike many Marvel shows, there’s a level of grit to “Daredevil” that will make fans of “The Penguin” feel right at home.
Sons of Anarchy
If there’s one thing about Oz Cobb it’s that he’s a scrappy criminal. He’s going to do what it takes, however it takes, to get what he wants out of life. If what you’re looking for is a bit of that scrappy, ground level crime look no further than “Sons of Anarchy.” The FX series follows a California motorcycle club and their many criminal dealings.
The show boasts Ron Perlman as a lead and was one of Charlie Hunnam’s big breaks.
