10 TV Shows Like The Penguin You Should Watch Next

The first season of Penguins has ended, and it was just as beautiful as we expected. Watching Oswald Cobblepot emerge alive after messing with dangerous crime families was an experience unlike any other. Undoubtedly, we’ll see the character back in The Batman movies and, hopefully, in the second season. However, it is also true that we will have to wait for a long time to see the character back on screen. But don’t worry: there are plenty of other TV shows like The Penguins that you can watch in the meantime. Yes, these shows are incredibly good and will make you appreciate the crime drama genre even more.

1. Messenger of Peace

• IMDb: 8.3
• Starring: John Cena, Danielle Brooks
• season’s: 1
• Episode: 8

Of course, you might think we’re suggesting Peacemaker because, like the Penguin, it also comes from DC Comics. However, this is not the only similarity between these two shows. Like Oz, Christopher Smith (Peacemaker) also had a troubled past. He suffered a lot at the hands of his father, who was racist and wanted to raise his son to be the same way.

Like Penguin, Peacemaker does not shy away from violence and its emotional value. Even though Peacemaker takes a comedic approach, it will definitely remind you of the penguins in each episode. It will make you wonder or wish for a scenario where Oz goes the path of peacemaker and becomes an anti-hero instead of an adversary.

2. watchman

• IMDb: 8.2
• Starring: Regina King, Dawn Johnson
• season’s: 1
• Episode: 9

We all remember Zack Snyder’s Watchmen, that masterpiece that never got enough recognition. However, with time, fans began to acknowledge the beauty of the film, and thus, the creators decided to shed more light on these underrated characters through a TV show.

Like The Penguin, Watchmen is a dark and violent series that will make you fear for your favorite characters. This will keep you on your toes and always wondering what might happen next and which character might be killed.

3. Titans

• IMDb: 7.5
• Starring: Brenton Thwaites, Anna Diop
• season’s: 4
• Episode: 49

The Penguins TV show tells you that not all villains are completely bad, and the Titans series tells fans that not all heroes are perfect. Every bad guy has a little bit of goodness in his heart and every hero has a little bit of darkness in his heart.

Titans comes with some supernatural elements and is not as grounded as Penguins, but it is similar to the latest HBO Max shows. The TV show focuses on the dark side of Gotham and all the crime families. Instead of focusing on any one villain or hero, Titans gives each hero and villain multiple chances to shine. Jason Todd, in particular, will remind you of Oz. Jason is also a broken boy like Oz, but unlike Cobblepot, Jason finds the right guiding hand at the right time.

4. Gangs of London

• IMDb: 8
• Starring: Joe Cole, Colm Meaney
• season’s: 2
• Episode: 17

In The Penguin, following the death of Carmine Falcone, his daughter Sophia must take matters into her own hands to stop forces trying to take over her father’s empire. Similarly, Gangs of London sees Shawn Wallace have to fight for his rights after his father dies, leaving behind his entire criminal empire.

Finn Wallace, London’s most influential crime boss, is murdered. After the unfortunate incident, his son Shawn Wallace had to take his place in the family and the organization. However, as a newcomer, he faces many challenges in achieving what he wants.

5. Gotham

• IMDb: 7.8
• Starring: Ben McKenzie, Donal Logue
• season’s: 5
• Episode: 100

Gotham isn’t anywhere near canon to the Penguin or Batman, but it’s definitely one of the best crime drama series for DC fans. We’ve always seen Gotham from Batman’s perspective, with Bruce Wayne always taking a back seat.

However, the Gotham TV show focuses most of its attention on Bruce Wayne’s childhood. It introduces you to younger versions of many popular characters, including Rachel and Cat Woman. Like The Penguin, the Gotham TV series takes you to the bottom of crime families.

6. Pennyworth

• IMDb: 7.8
• Starring: Jack Bannon, Ben Aldridge
• season’s: 3
• Episode: 30

Despite featuring different themes and storylines, the one aspect in which Pennyworth and The Penguin match is the absence of our beloved Caped Crusader. Both shows take place in Batman’s universe, so the first thing fans will notice is Batman’s involvement.

Do you remember Wayne’s family butler, Alfred Pennyworth? The show is based on his early days when he was not a servant but an ex-serviceman trying to set up his own security agency in London. However, his dreams draw the attention of a mob that wants nothing more than the fall of the British government. Therefore, Alfred must fight against all odds to reach his aspirations.

7. Breaking Bad

• IMDb: 9.5
• Starring: bryan cranston
• season’s: 5
• Episode: 62

Breaking Bad is not based on any comic book series, but if it had a comic book series, it would definitely fit best in the DC Universe. Walter White’s journey is similar to Oz in many ways – both characters decide to dive into the underworld to prove their worth to the world.

Penguin is about big crime families, and Breaking Bad is full of them. Both the TV shows are about underdogs who are making big name for themselves by playing mind games and killing some of the most dangerous drug lords. The Penguins have you rooting for Oz, who is not a nice guy. Well, Walter White is no saint either. He claims to have taken the lives of countless innocent people so he can become the largest meth distributor in all of America.

8. Peaky Blinders

• IMDb: 8.7
• Starring: cillian murphy
• season’s: 6
• Episode: 36

Peaky Blinders is definitely one of the best crime drama series of all time. The series received numerous awards due to its unique story and unforgettable characters, especially Tommy Shelby. To be fair, Cillian Murphy’s portrayal of Thomas Shelby has become so famous that the character now deserves his own comic book series.

Of course, this is a pipe dream, but if it does come to reality, we would love to see it become a part of DC Comics. Why? Well, because it would be incredibly thrilling to see Thomas Shelby and the Penguin play mind games with each other. Both the characters are not physically strong, but they take advantage of their beautiful but dangerous minds to commit large-scale crimes and become crime lords.

9. Boardwalk Empire

• IMDb: 8.6
• Starring: steve buscemi
• season’s: 5
• Episode: 56

Critically acclaimed for its visual style and storytelling, Boardwalk Empire is a series in which its main protagonist also manipulates influential political figures to get his way. Don’t you think Oz Cobb, the main character on HBO’s The Penguin, does the same? Penguin is all about crime families dominating the system and law of an entire city, and Boardwalk Empire doesn’t shy away from shining a light on dangerous crime families.

Boardway Empire revolves around Nucky Thompson, who has to reach out to political figures and gangsters from time to time for business. The show never quite reached the heights that other shows like Peacemaker and Watchmen did, but it’s definitely one you shouldn’t miss as a fan of the genre.

10. Sugar

• IMDb: 7.4
• Starring: Colin Farrell
• season’s: 1
• Episode: 8

Sugar is a crime drama series that will never fail to shock the fanatics with its twists and turns, just like The Penguin. Furthermore, Sugar’s dark tone and unpredictable characters compel us to add this show to this list. Also, don’t forget that this is one of the best TV shows Colin Farrell Have worked on.

The series revolves around a detective, John Sugar, who has to solve the mystery of the disappearance of the granddaughter of a famous and wealthy film producer.