15 Best TV Shows Like Taylor Sheridan’s Special Ops: Lioness

More than just being the creator of the enormously successful “Yellowstone” franchise, prolific producer and screenwriter Taylor Sheridan is also the creator of “Special Ops: Lioness.” The espionage military thriller has quickly proven popular on Paramount+, with its global scope and all-star cast. Fortunately, for fans who have already binged all available “Lioness” episodes, there are plenty of similar thriller shows available to enjoy. With the genre a television mainstay throughout the 21st century, these series provide their own unique twist on military action and international intrigue.

From counter-terrorist ensemble shows to military procedurals that delve into contemporary realpolitik, “Lioness” fans have a wealth of similar shows to choose from. In addition to American productions, there is also a growing number of British spy and military thrillers that have found global success. These shows are all tautly paced and often feature shadowy conspiracies ready to upset the status quo. Here are the best shows like Taylor Sheridan’s “Special Ops: Lioness” for those looking to keep the action going.

The show that perfectly epitomized post-9/11 America, though its first season was produced just before the attacks, “24” was one of the biggest action thriller franchises on television. The series stars Kiefer Sutherland as Jack Bauer, a counter-terrorism operative based out of Los Angeles working for the American government. Each season has Bauer trying to stop various terrorist plots, both foreign and domestic, with his family often caught in the crossfire. True to its title, every season of “24” unfolds over a single 24-hour period, with each episode representing a different hour unfolding.

Even years since its last installment, “24” remains the bar against which all modern television action thrillers will be judged. The show perfectly tapped into post-9/11 anxieties about terrorism, political corruption, and the ephemeral ethics of espionage-driven warfare. The series also gave Sutherland a complete career resurgence, repositioning him as the ultimate television action hero through his performance as Bauer. At its peak, “24” was must-watch television and many of its themes hold just as true today as they did over 20 years ago.

The exploits of the British Special Air Service (SAS), are the subject of the 2002 television series “Ultimate Force,” co-created by former SAS soldier Chris Ryan. The show follows Red Troop, a unit within the SAS that faces everything from homegrown threats domestically to raging war zones and covert operations abroad. The team faces both internal and external pressures as they work with other units and branches of the British government. Throughout the series, the team’s field leader is Staff Sergeant Henno Garvie (Ross Kemp), guiding his soldiers on missions worldwide.

Running for four seasons from 2002 to 2006, “Ultimate Force” is a more brass-tacks military action show compared to its glossier, Hollywoodized counterparts. While many of the episodes are self-contained, the character arcs and consequences of more disastrous missions feed into a larger narrative. The underlying emotional core of “Ultimate Force” is Henno’s relationship with his unit, including commanding officer Colonel Dempsey (Miles Anderson), with all drama outgrowths of this dynamic. A down-to-business action show, “Ultimate Force” offers plenty of global intrigue and relatable characters across its special forces combat.

After appearing in the action movie “Navy SEALs,” Dennis Haysbert played an even more action-focused role on the CBS military action series “The Unit.” Haysbert plays Sergeant Major Jonas Blane, who leads a secret American special forces unit, modeled after the real-world analog, Delta Force. Missions range from stopping terrorist attacks in the United States to engaging in rescue and recovery assignments abroad. Given the immense pressure and level of confidentiality ascribed to the unit at all times, the show examines the toll this takes on its operators’ personal lives.

“The Unit” offered a more grounded balance to other military and action thrillers at the time through the incorporation of its characters’ domestic dynamics. This focus on the characters helps break up the potential monotony that comes with episodic storytelling, which “The Unit” largely relied on. Through it all, Haysbert maintains a constant, steadying presence as one of the handful of main cast members throughout its four-season run. Elevated from its mission-of-the-week formula by its writing and cast, “The Unit” is a straight-laced, sharply made military action series.

The long-running British military thriller series “Strike Back” — which was also inspired by a novel from the aforementioned Chris Ryan — ran for eight seasons from 2010 to 2020. The show follows the adventures of Section 20, a clandestine branch of the British Secret Intelligence Service specializing in black ops missions around the world. Each season features its own subtitle and relatively self-contained mission against different enemies in various international hotspots. While several seasons feature recurring characters from previous “Strike Back” stories, the ensemble cast does rotate between missions.

With its globe-trotting scope and solid action sequences, “Strike Back” is an enduring mix of intrigue and frenetic combat. The show was at its peak with protagonists Michael Stonebridge (Philip Winchester) and Damian Scott (Sullivan Stapleton), who led the show from its second through its fifth season. The rapport between the two soldiers and the complicated interpersonal lives they led gave “Strike Back” a firm foundation, grounding its stakes. Thanks to a veritable who’s who of British television actors, “Strike Back” set the action thriller bar for all U.K. productions moving forward.

The 2011 political thriller “Homeland” officially brought the genre into the realm of prestige television. The series initially focuses on CIA operative Carrie Mathison (Claire Danes), who suspects war hero Nicholas Brody (Damian Lewis) of being turned by al-Qaeda during captivity. This is complicated by Brody’s growing political career after he’s elected to Congress and his own nuanced loyalties. Following the fourth season, “Homeland” shifts to Mathison’s career outside of the CIA, working in various security and political organizations.

Even in its weaker seasons, “Homeland” is elevated and carried by Danes and co-star Mandy Patinkin, with the latter playing Mathison’s mentor in the CIA. The first two seasons especially weave a twist-filled tale, with Lewis bringing enormous pathos to Brody rather than playing him as a simple sleeper agent. The latter seasons are earnest attempts to rectify criticisms of the show promoting islamophobia while presenting different kinds of adversaries for Mathison. Though it takes some getting there, “Homeland” regains its quality to stick the landing after its final two impressive seasons, creating a rollicking ride through the intelligence community.

The Navy SEALs are among the most elite special forces in the world and they’re the focus of the long-running series “SEAL Team.” Running for seven seasons, the show depicted the exploits of the Bravo Team, a particularly renowned unit within the SEALs. The unit is led by Master Chief Jason Hayes (David Boreanaz), with the team recently dealing with the loss of one of their own. Bravo Team takes on assignments around the globe, which puts constant pressure on themselves and their families.

Though “SEAL Team” certainly doesn’t reinvent the military action formula, it also doesn’t actively try to, in its defense. What makes the show stand out is its ensemble cast and the tight writing for its characters when they’re not in the field. Just as he was on “Angel” and “Bones,” Boreanaz remains as effective as ever as the series lead. While not particularly prone to narrative surprises, “SEAL Team” efficiently gets the job done, just like its eponymous ensemble.

After starting out as a classic ’70s show and getting adapted into a 2003 action movie, the “S.W.A.T.” franchise returned to television for a reboot series in 2017. Like preceding versions of the franchise, the rebooted “S.W.A.T.” follows the Special Weapons and Tactics branch of the Los Angeles Police Department. The unit is led by Sergeant Daniel “Hondo” Harrelson (Shemar Moore), who seeks to build an LAPD that better serves the neighborhood trust. Across the show’s run, the unit endures everything from challenges to their personal lives to the LAPD facing heightened scrutiny for misconduct.

“S.W.A.T.” is a police procedural that places a greater emphasis on action than many of its contemporaries, like “Law & Order” or “NCIS.” It’s also a series that’s acutely aware of public perception of law enforcement, with the show taking on a greater community focus, primarily through Hondo. It’s really Moore’s magnetic performance as Hondo that enhances “S.W.A.T.” rather than relegating it to a formulaic procedural. For fans of the genre looking for more high-octane thrills, “S.W.A.T.” has been a reliable presence on television for eight seasons as of this writing.

Of all the memorable characters that prolific best-selling author Tom Clancy created, none loom larger than Jack Ryan. After being adapted into a series of movies, played by a variety of actors, the character made the leap to television on the Prime Video series “Jack Ryan.” John Krasinski stars as the literary protagonist, with the show covering Ryan’s career in the CIA, with each season involving a different global crisis point. The series ran for four seasons, with a continuation movie and a spin-off series featuring Ryan’s colleague Ding Chavez (Michael Peña) reportedly in the works.

“Jack Ryan” works best when it presents its title character as an everyman rather than a de facto action hero. Krasinski delivers on that aspect well, especially in the show’s latter two seasons, playing Ryan as competent and analytical without losing sight of his grounded charm. Krasinski is backed by a fantastic supporting cast, with Wendell Pierce and Michael Kelly as particular standouts, both playing Ryan’s CIA colleagues. With its global scope and well-plotted story and action, “Jack Ryan” is one of the better Clancy on-screen adaptations.

Author Lee Child’s hard-hitting literary hero Jack Reacher seamlessly makes the transition to television with the Prime Video series “Reacher.” A former U.S. Army officer who has since become a drifter and de facto problem-solver after returning to civilian life, Reacher constantly finds himself in trouble. Each season of “Reacher” adapts a different novel by Child, often involving the character stumbling across a murderous conspiracy in various locations. As he takes down the well-connected bad guys, elements of his personal history come to light.

“Reacher” really is a showcase for lead actor Alan Ritchson, who maintains a strong screen presence even when his character says nothing at all. Reacher relies heavily on his powers of deduction to get the job done, backing up his efforts with the unstoppable physical force he’s capable of. The second season of “Reacher” wisely teams him up with surviving members from his old unit, giving him entertaining foils to play off of. Another streaming success for Prime Video, “Reacher” keeps its action largely straitlaced behind its magnetic protagonist.

British author Mick Herron’s “Slough House” novel series has been adapted into the acclaimed Apple TV+ original spy series “Slow Horses.” The show focuses on disgraced British intelligence operatives who are relegated to working out of a London office named Slough House. The office is run by Jackson Lamb (Gary Oldman), a slovenly curmudgeon who treats his staff horribly as they sift through menial bureaucratic tasks. Despite their lowly status in the intelligence community, however, the operatives in Slough House find themselves involved in crises impacting the British government.

“Slow Horses” has steadily pumped out new episodes since its launch in 2022, with each season adapting a different novel by Herron. The show offers Gary Oldman a role like audiences have never seen him in before, with the Academy Award-winning actor clearly relishing playing such a sloppy and grumpy character. While co-star Jack Lowden handles the more conventional espionage action as River Cartwright, Oldman’s Lamb provides the series with a surprising amount of dark humor. Across Apple TV+’s entire library of original programming, “Slow Horses” has been its most consistent in terms of quality and release schedule and deserves far more attention.

After penning and producing the award-winning movies “The Hurt Locker” and “Zero Dark Thirty,” producer and screenwriter Mark Boal created the 2022 series “Echo 3.” The Apple TV+ original series features Delta Force operators Prince (Michiel Huisman) and Bambi (Luke Evans), with Prince marrying Bambi’s sister Amber (Jessica Ann Collins). After Amber is kidnaped while on a research assignment in Colombia, Prince and Bambi reunite for an unsanctioned operation to rescue her. Meanwhile, Amber is brought to a Venezuelan prison compound involved with local drug trafficking syndicates.

One of the things that makes “Echo 3” so compelling is that Prince and Bambi’s initial attempts to rescue Amber aren’t successful. So many military thrillers involving special forces have them able to save the day with careful planning and precise execution. Despite their training and experiences, Prince and Bambi find themselves outmaneuvered and in over their heads as they venture to Colombia. That unpredictability and strong performances from its core trio makes “Echo 3” stand a cut above many of its contemporaries.

While the Troubles in Northern Ireland may not be as violent as they were in the ’80s and ’90s, tensions remain high in the region. The British television series “Blue Lights” follows a group of newly trained police officers in the Northern Irish capital of Belfast. This group investigates everything from everyday street crime to more violent gangs rooted in the country’s sectarian strife. In the face of constant danger, the three rookies quickly grow to become experienced officers ready to keep the peace under pressure.

“Blue Lights” proves there is plenty of life in police procedurals, with its engaging core cast and smartly written stories. The modern Belfast setting offers a fresh take on the genre, while always keeping the heart of its protagonists squarely in sight of its storytelling. With its authentic grit, “Blue Lights” brings all the intensity and heartbreaking twists of “The Wire,” albeit through its Northern Irish perspective. Unrelentingly riveting, “Blue Lights” is one of the best crime shows to come out of the United Kingdom in years.

Frederick Forsyth’s 1971 novel “The Day of the Jackal” has been adapted into film on several occasions, but gets new life in a 2024 television series of the same name. Updated to a present-day setting, the Peacock series has MI6 agent Bianca Pullman (Lashawna Lynch) pursue an assassin known only as the Jackal (Eddie Redmayne). This hunt takes place across Europe, with the Jackal always managing to stay one step ahead of Pullman. As the chase escalates, flashbacks reveal the Jackal’s past as a soldier in Afghanistan.

After an award-winning career of playing largely nice and sympathetic characters, Redmayne gets to embrace his dark side as the Jackal. He and Lynch power a shadowy cat-and-mouse game that keeps the audience’s attention as they flit around the globe. Like its titular assassin, there is a cold efficiency to “The Day of the Jackal” that keeps the thrills coming as its story progresses. Come for the cloak-and-dagger hunt and stay for Redmayne’s most chilling performance in his career to date.

The Paramount+ with Showtime original series “The Agency” assembles an all-star cast in its twisty and paranoia-driven espionage tale. Michael Fassbender stars as Brandon, an undercover CIA operative codenamed Martian who had been stationed in Africa for six years. As Martian is summoned back to the CIA station in London, Sami (Jodie Turner-Smith), a former lover from Sudan, resurfaces in his life. This coincides with an escalating incident in Belarus, with the CIA scrambling to defuse the crisis.

Fassbender’s career highlights include numerous projects where he plays characters haunted by their inner demons and past traumas. This remains true on “The Agency,” as Martian feels the extended toll that his career working for the CIA has taken on his life. This soul-searching undercurrent is paralleled by the methodical look at the CIA responding to incidents abroad, with the show taking a workmanlike approach to these sequences. Cinematically shot and with its leads joined by reliably strong performances from Jeffrey Wright, Katherine Waterston, and Richard Gere, “The Agency” is an understated thrill.

Celebrated English actor Keira Knightley pivots into espionage thriller territory with the 2024 Netflix original series “Black Doves.” Knightley plays Helen Webb, a spy who is married to the British Secretary of State for Defence, selling information to external sources. After Helen’s identity is compromised, she reunites with an old colleague, Sam Young (Ben Whishaw). The pair of spies investigate who exposed Helen as flashbacks reveal their origins and background with their mercenary intelligence organization, the Black Doves.

Knightley proves herself quite adept at playing in the spycraft and action thrill genres while maintaining Helen’s elusive humanity. She finds a natural rapport with co-star Whishaw, fresh off playing the bookish Q to Daniel Craig’s James Bond, now in the thick of it himself. Between all the bloody gunplay and backroom investigations, “Black Doves” distinguishes itself with its dramatic scenes focusing on Helen’s personal life. A spy thriller with a surprising amount of interpersonal vulnerability, “Black Doves” offers Knightley a vehicle to showcase her versatility.