10 Witty Crime Dramas And Con-Artist TV Shows To Watch If You Loved White Collar

Are you searching for a new series to fill the stylish, witty, and high-stakes void left by Neal Caffrey and Peter Burke? As of December 2025, the demand for sophisticated crime procedurals featuring an unlikely partnership between a charming criminal and a straight-laced law enforcement agent is higher than ever, and luckily, the television landscape is rich with perfect substitutes. The core appeal of White Collar lies in its seamless blend of a thrilling FBI procedural with the glamour of high-end con artistry, all anchored by the electric chemistry of its two leads. This curated list focuses on shows that nail that specific formula, offering everything from fresh 2024 releases to beloved classics with a similar blend of sharp dialogue, intricate scams, and the "will-they-or-won't-they-trust-each-other" dynamic.

We've broken down the must-watch series that share White Collar's DNA—whether it’s the charming protagonist, the procedural structure, the focus on cons and heists, or the elegant, New York-based aesthetic. Get ready to dive into your next binge-worthy obsession, featuring master criminals, brilliant consultants, and the law enforcement teams trying to keep them on a short leash.

The Essential Con-Artist and Law Enforcement Duo Alternatives

These shows are the most direct spiritual successors to White Collar, featuring a brilliant, morally ambiguous protagonist forced to work with a dedicated government agent to solve crimes. The tension, trust, and mutual respect between the leads are the main draw, mirroring the dynamic between Neal Caffrey and FBI Agent Peter Burke.

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1. Wild Cards (2024): The Newest Take on the Formula

If you are looking for the absolute freshest take on the White Collar premise, look no further than the 2024 series Wild Cards. It follows the formula so closely it feels like a deliberate homage.

• The Premise: Max Mitchell, a spirited and clever con woman, is caught after a major heist. Instead of prison, she is forced into a partnership with Cole Ellis, a gruff, demoted detective.
• The Dynamic: Just like Neal and Peter, Max and Ellis are polar opposites who must rely on each other’s unique skills—her scams and street smarts versus his by-the-book police work—to solve crimes.
• Key Entities: Max Mitchell (Vanessa Morgan), Cole Ellis (Giacomo Gianniotti), Detective Ellis, Con Woman, Police Procedural.

2. The Blacklist: The High-Stakes, Darker Counterpart

While significantly darker and more dramatic than White Collar, The Blacklist features arguably the most iconic master criminal working with the FBI. The long-running series is a must-watch for fans of the "criminal consultant" trope.

• The Premise: Raymond "Red" Reddington, one of the world's most wanted fugitives, voluntarily surrenders to the FBI and offers to help them catch a "blacklist" of dangerous criminals, but only if he gets to work with rookie profiler Elizabeth Keen.
• The Dynamic: Red is a charming, witty, and impeccably dressed criminal mastermind, much like Neal Caffrey, but with much higher stakes and a far more mysterious past. The procedural element is strong, but the overarching mythology is the true draw.
• Key Entities: Raymond Reddington (James Spader), Elizabeth Keen (Megan Boone), FBI Profiler, Master Criminal, Donald Ressler, Tom Keen.

3. The Mentalist: The Observational Genius

This series swaps out con artistry for hyper-observational skills, but the core dynamic remains: a charming, brilliant, non-law-enforcement consultant solving crimes with a skeptical but trusting partner.

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• The Premise: Patrick Jane, a former celebrity "psychic" whose family was murdered by a serial killer named Red John, uses his extraordinary powers of observation and deduction to consult for the California Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
• The Dynamic: Jane (Simon Baker) is the witty, often rule-breaking, and impeccably dressed genius, while Agent Teresa Lisbon (Robin Tunney) is the straight-laced agent who keeps him grounded, perfectly echoing the Neal/Peter relationship.
• Key Entities: Patrick Jane (Simon Baker), Teresa Lisbon (Robin Tunney), CBI, Kimball Cho, Wayne Rigsby, Grace Van Pelt, Red John.

Witty Procedurals and Stylish Workplace Dramas

If you enjoyed the fast-paced, case-of-the-week structure of White Collar, along with its focus on high-end professionals and sharp dialogue, these series will scratch that itch. They feature clever protagonists who use their intellect and charm to navigate complex legal and criminal landscapes.

4. Suits: The High-End Legal Drama

While not a crime procedural, Suits captures the sophisticated New York setting, the sharp-dressed aesthetic, and the central secret/con that defined Neal Caffrey’s life.

• The Premise: Harvey Specter, a top corporate lawyer, hires Mike Ross, a brilliant college dropout with an eidetic memory, as his associate. The catch? Mike never attended law school, and they must keep his secret hidden from everyone.
• The Dynamic: The banter between Harvey and Mike is legendary, built on mutual respect and a shared secret, much like Neal and Peter’s partnership. The show is packed with witty dialogue, complex schemes, and a focus on high-stakes professional life.
• Key Entities: Harvey Specter (Gabriel Macht), Mike Ross (Patrick J. Adams), Jessica Pearson (Gina Torres), Louis Litt (Rick Hoffman), Donna Paulsen (Sarah Rafferty), Legal Drama.

5. Psych: The Light-Hearted Comedy Procedural

Psych is often cited as the comedy-forward sibling of White Collar. It features a brilliant, charming, and often childish protagonist who uses his unique skills to consult for the police, with his best friend as his reluctant partner.

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• The Premise: Shawn Spencer, a hyper-observant man who grew up with an ex-cop father, pretends to be a psychic to help the Santa Barbara Police Department solve crimes. He is aided by his best friend and business partner, Burton "Gus" Guster.
• The Dynamic: The bromance between Shawn and Gus is the heart of the show, delivering the witty banter and light-hearted procedural fun that White Collar fans adore. The cases are clever, and the comedy is constant.
• Key Entities: Shawn Spencer (James Roday Rodriguez), Burton "Gus" Guster (Dulé Hill), Santa Barbara Police Department, Detective Juliet O'Hara, Carlton Lassiter, Fake Psychic.

6. Burn Notice: The Spy with Style

If you loved Neal Caffrey’s ability to use his cons and unique skills to get out of any situation, Burn Notice offers a similar thrill with a spy twist. It’s essentially a "burned" spy using his skills for good.

• The Premise: Michael Westen is a spy who is suddenly "burned"—cut off from his agency without money or resources—and stranded in Miami. To survive, he works as an unlicensed, unofficial private investigator, using his spy tradecraft to help people who can't go to the police.
• The Dynamic: Michael is a smooth operator who uses cons, disguises, and espionage tactics to solve cases, making him a more action-oriented version of Neal Caffrey. He has a tight-knit team, including his ex-girlfriend Fiona and former Navy SEAL Sam Axe.
• Key Entities: Michael Westen (Jeffrey Donovan), Fiona Glenanne, Sam Axe (Bruce Campbell), Madeline Westen, Burned Spy, Miami, Tradecraft.

The Mastermind and The Team Heist Series

For fans who loved the intricate planning and execution of Neal’s cons and heists, these shows focus on a team of specialists—often former criminals themselves—who use their skills to pull off complex schemes, typically targeting the wealthy and corrupt.

7. Leverage: The Criminals Who Help People

Leverage is a pure "good guy con artist" show, where a team of specialists uses their criminal skills to right wrongs that the justice system can’t touch.

• The Premise: A former insurance investigator, Nathan Ford, leads a team of five specialists—a thief, a grifter, a hacker, and a hitter—who work together to pull off elaborate cons and heists against corrupt individuals and corporations.
• The Dynamic: The show is a fantastic ensemble piece, with each member having a specialized role (Parker the thief, Sophie Devereaux the grifter, Alec Hardison the hacker, Eliot Spencer the hitter). It’s a fun, satisfying "Robin Hood" style caper series.
• Key Entities: Nathan Ford (Timothy Hutton), Sophie Devereaux (Gina Bellman), Eliot Spencer (Christian Kane), Parker (Beth Riesgraf), Alec Hardison (Aldis Hodge), Grifter, Thief, Hitter, Hacker.

8. Castle: The Writer and The Detective

Castle is a quintessential witty procedural, following the "unlikely partnership" trope with a crime novelist consulting for the NYPD.

• The Premise: Best-selling mystery novelist Richard Castle is brought in to consult with the NYPD after a copycat killer uses methods from his books. He then shadows Detective Kate Beckett for research, becoming her permanent, unofficial partner.
• The Dynamic: The playful, flirtatious banter and the "opposites attract" dynamic between the charming, wealthy, and impulsive Castle and the serious, by-the-book Beckett is the show’s main engine, a perfect match for fans of the Neal and Peter relationship.
• Key Entities: Richard Castle (Nathan Fillion), Detective Kate Beckett (Stana Katic), NYPD, Captain Roy Montgomery, Detectives Javier Esposito and Kevin Ryan, Mystery Novelist.

9. Lie to Me: The Human Lie Detector

This series focuses on a highly specialized consultant who works with law enforcement, but instead of forgery or observation, his skill is reading micro-expressions to detect deception.

• The Premise: Dr. Cal Lightman and his team at The Lightman Group work with the FBI, local police, and government agencies, using applied psychology and facial micro-expressions to determine if a person is lying.
• The Dynamic: Dr. Lightman (Tim Roth) is the brilliant, arrogant, and often abrasive genius who has to be managed by his partner and team, giving the show a similar "genius-among-cops" feel to The Mentalist and White Collar.
• Key Entities: Dr. Cal Lightman (Tim Roth), Dr. Gillian Foster, Eli Loker, Ria Torres, Micro-expressions, Deception Expert, Applied Psychology.

10. Numbers (Numb3rs): The Mathematical Genius

For fans who appreciated the intellectual complexity of White Collar's cons, Numbers offers a procedural where complex crimes are solved using advanced mathematics.

• The Premise: FBI Agent Don Eppes enlists the help of his younger brother, Charlie Eppes, a mathematical genius and university professor, to solve a wide range of challenging FBI cases.
• The Dynamic: The core of the show is the relationship between the two brothers—the practical FBI agent and the theoretical genius—who must bridge the gap between their worlds to catch criminals. It’s a great example of a non-traditional consultant solving crimes.
• Key Entities: Don Eppes (Rob Morrow), Charlie Eppes (David Krumholtz), Larry Fleinhardt, Amita Ramanujan, FBI, CalSci, Applied Mathematics, Theoretical Genius.