Cozy Mystery TV Shows That Keep the Mood Light

Cozy mysteries put the fun back into a murder: a pretty village or a sunny island, a sleuth with quirks, a room full of suspects who all had tea with the victim, and a solution you can follow along with. Every series here keeps violence mostly off screen and lets wit, setting and character carry the hour, so you can watch after dinner and still sleep soundly. Gritty procedurals, serial-killer thrillers and grief-heavy crime dramas are left out, even very good ones, because the mood is the point. Start with Death in Paradise or Father Brown for classic comfort, Murder, She Wrote or Columbo for the American originals, Ludwig or Only Murders in the Building when you want the comedy turned up, and Bookish or The Marlow Murder Club for the newest village puzzles.