Shows about con artists are some of the most fun and memorable TV content, and we just love to see charming and intelligent people use their powers for bad things. Whether you find con artists positive or negative characters, shows and movies about them are always incredibly entertaining, sometimes because we’re impressed, and other times because we simply can’t believe our eyes.
Many shows about hustlers, cons, and people doing illegal things are among the most iconic series ever made. This awakens a certain rebellion in people watching the series, often finding inspiration in people who so ardently say “f*** the system.” Though the system usually wins, we can still cheer for characters in the best shows about con artists.
10
‘Burn Notice’ (2007–2013)
Created by Matt Nix
Burn Notice is one of the biggest shows of the transition between the 2000s and the 2010s. It followed the waves of change splendidly and was critically acclaimed for its directing style, inventive and witty storytelling, and great casting choices. It’s an underrated series, and though it may not be 100% about con artists, it is about a man working illegally as an investigator, hustling his way to truth and a better life.
Burn Notice follows Michael Westen (Jeffrey Donovan), a former spy in an intelligence agency who got “burned,” or excluded from his job, because he was deemed unfit for further missions. When someone gets “burned,” or a “burn notice,” they are no longer part of the agency nor its network; they’re excommunicated completely. Westen is unsure of who burned him, so he decides to start working as an illegal investigator to con his way through and find out who did it. Burn Notice blends con artistry with spycraft, and it’s smart, witty, and action-packed.
9
‘Imposters’ (2017–2018)
Created by Adam Brooks and Paul Adelstein
The Bravo dark comedy Imposters is a greatly underrated show about con artists, and it lasted for only two seasons. It was canceled prematurely, but won audiences over with its great writing and chemistry between the leads. The show is twisty, engaging, and clever, and counts as one of the more underappreciated series in the genre. Uma Thurman is among the recurring cast members, and even Mikey Madison makes an appearance as the lead’s younger version.
Imposters follows Maddie, a female con artist who works with a team of hustlers for the elusive Doctor, a man who came up with the scheme. Maddie seduces and marries people and then escapes with their wealth and belongings, sharing the loot with her team. One day, the three victims of her scams band together to try and turn the tables on her, but most become con artists themselves. With only 20 episodes, Imposters will be easy to binge-watch on a weekend.
8
‘Leverage’ (2008–2012)
Created by John Rogers and Chris Downey
Leverage is a modern Robin Hood story that’s slick, stylish, and ensemble-driven. Creators of the show devised the story to last for one season, but it became so popular and loved that it lasted for five seasons; continuous great viewership numbers helped turn Leverage into a modern cult show that has aged pretty well. It’s one of the quintessential team-assembling series and is also a must-watch show about heists being used for a sort of greater good. There’s even a reboot with Noah Wyle, titled Leverage: Redemption.
Leverage follows a five-member team, led by “The Brain,” Nate Ford (Timothy Hutton). Ford is a former insurance fraud agent who lost his son to an illness that could’ve been treated by his company, but wasn’t. Ford decides to go rogue and assemble a team of ex-cons, from an art thief, Sophie (Gina Bellman), to hacker Alec (Aldis Hodge). Their goal is to organize heists that help fight corporate and institutional injustices that ordinary citizens suffer from. In this day and age, Leverage is among the best programs to enjoy for some anti-corruption enjoyment.
Leverage
- Release Date
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2008 – 2011
- Showrunner
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Chris Downey
- Directors
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Dean Devlin
- Writers
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Chris Downey
7
‘Sneaky Pete’ (2015–2019)
Created by David Shore and Bryan Cranston
If you didn’t know, Bryan Cranston is also a writer sometimes, and he created the highly underrated Sneaky Pete, a series led by the fantastic Giovanni Ribisi, who was always meant for a lead role like that. Cranston also stars in season one in a recurring role, and Amazon picked up Sneaky Pete for four seasons in a row, canceling it after the fourth. Sneaky Pete is a layered series filled with multi-level cons, some intense family drama, and exceptional performances by all the cast, but most notably Ribisi.
Sneaky Pete follows Marius (Ribisi), a former conman who gets out of prison only to find out the man he conned is still out to get him. To escape a narrow death, Marius assumes the identity of his cellmate, Pete Murphy, and reunites with Pete’s estranged family. This show is a caper, a dramedy, and a captivating little watch that might have slipped under your radar but deserves your full attention.
6
‘The Mentalist’ (2008–2015)
Created by Bruno Heller
The Mentalist is another show that marked the transition between the 2000s and 2010s, similarly to Burn Notice and Leverage; all three shows were made with similar kinds of transitions, filming styles, and editing, meant to evoke a stylish and sleek series with an exceptionally cool protagonist. In The Mentalist, the very cool protagonist is Patrick Jane (Simon Baker), a former celebrity who conned people by making them believe he was psychic.
After his con results in a man murdering his wife and daughter, Jane joins the Californian Bureau of Investigation to assist the agents with his exceptional and keen observational skills—and deception—to solve crimes and find the elusive killer of his family. This is one of the best blends of con artistry and detective work, and Baker is charming and seductive as Jane, often being the highlight of the series. The Mentalist is still a highly popular show, and plenty of audiences remember it and recommend it to new viewers.
5
‘Lupin’ (2021–)
Created by George Kay and François Uzan
We may be seeing Omar Sy everywhere nowadays, but for a great reason—he’s just so cool and fun to watch in anything. Effortlessly charming and funny, Sy fills big shoes as the lead in Lupin, a modern story of a gentleman thief inspired by Arsène Lupin, the art thief. The show received great critical praise, with a 98% critical approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
The lead’s name is Assane Diop, and Lupin is his hero; Assane meticulously plans long cons against the wealthy elite as a form of vengeance for his father’s death, but his story takes him to different avenues with each new season. Assane is highly intelligent and always plans several steps ahead, having the ability to predict many people’s actions. Lupin is stylish, cerebral, and thrilling; there’s an overlapping mystery in each season, and Assane’s family is often at the forefront of his story. Several episodes in the first season were directed by Louis Leterrier, known for the Transporter movies and Fast X, among many other credits.
Lupin
- Release Date
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January 8, 2021
- Showrunner
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George Kay
- Writers
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François Uzan, George Kay, Eliane Montane, Sumerah Srivastav
4
‘White Collar’ (2009–2014)
Created by Jeff Eastin
The world fell for Matt Bomer hard when White Collar started airing; this long-running series swept international audiences off their feet for its stylish looks, intelligent storytelling, sharp dialogue, and immersive plot. The chemistry and energy between Bomer and Tim DeKay are off the charts, too, and everything just works in White Collar. This series is often hailed as the quintessential con artist crime drama TV series.
White Collar follows Neal Caffrey (Bomer), an elite forger and thief, who partners with the FBI to catch white-collar criminals as both an informant and consultant. Caffrey works with Special Agent Peter Burke (DeKay), who captured him after a three-year-long chase. Four years after Caffrey’s release, Burke decides to take him on as a consultant, with Caffrey hustling his way out of going to prison again. White Collar has six seasons, and most of them have a 100% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes; the show gets better with every watch, and it’s aged pretty well, so it’s still highly watchable.
3
‘Hustle’ (2004–2012)
Created by Tony Jordan
Hustle is one of the most iconic British series of the 2000s, and if you ask anyone who was an avid television watcher at the time, they’ll tell you Hustle was the series that felt like watching an effortlessly cool group of people doing things in an effortlessly cool way. Hustle shows a crew of con artists in London executing elaborate long cons with theatrical flair and charm; it feels like watching Ocean’s Eleven in series format, except British. It’s one of the longest-running UK series and has remained consistently great and critically approved throughout all eight seasons.
Hustle follows a group of cons led by Mickey Bricks (Adrian Lester), a charming and highly intelligent conman who harbors great anger towards the establishment; his mentor, Albert (Robert Vaughn), works as the roper of the group, while other members are added and interchanged over the seasons. The group is highly organized and does extensive research, with each episode showing them engaging in a different long con. Hustle is a visual and storytelling delight, engaging and entertaining with each episode.
Hustle
- Release Date
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2004 – 2011
- Network
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BBC One
- Directors
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Alrick Riley, Roger Goldby, Otto Bathurst, Lee MacIntosh, S.J. Clarkson, Luke Watson, James Strong, Iain B. MacDonald, Colm McCarthy, Sarah O’Gorman, Stefan Schwartz, Minkie Spiro, Martin Hutchings, Julian Simpson, John Strickland, John McKay, Colin Teague, Rob Bailey
- Writers
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Tony Jordan, Fintan Ryan, Chris Bucknall, Chris Lang, Matthew Graham, Ashley Pharoah, Danny Brown, Colin Bytheway, Nick Fisher, Ryan Craig, Howard Overman, Mark Chappell, Chris Hurford, Tom Butterworth, Steve Coombes, Marston Bloom, Julie Rutterford, David Cummings
2
‘Money Heist,’ aka ‘La Casa de Papel’ (2017–2021)
Created by Álex Pina
Money Heist, aka La Casa de Papel, is one of the greatest Netflix sensations ever made. It’s incredible how popular the show became, which was likely surprising for its cast and creator, Álex Pina, too. Pina wrote the series for the Spanish network, Antena 3, and the show aired without too much fanfare. After Netflix acquired the rights for it, viewership numbers exploded, and Money Heist became an intricate global sensation. The story was initially meant to have two parts, but the show’s huge success prompted Netflix to order more episodes.
Money Heist follows a group of con artists and criminals led and mentored by an elusive figure only known as The Professor (Álvaro Morte). He handpicks a group of criminals with various skill sets, nicknames them after a different global city (to hide their real identities from each other), and teaches them how to pull off one of the most elaborate heists of all time—robbing the Royal Mint of Spain. The show is strategic, charismatic, and highly emotional, written with the intention of pulling you in right after the very first episode. A caper on crack, and a brilliant one at that.
1
‘Better Call Saul’ (2015–2022)
Created by Vince Gilligan and Peter Gould
One of the best series of the past decade is Better Call Saul, and it fortunately falls under the con artist category. If you ever wanted a captivating, tightly written, incredibly acted con-master origin story, look no further than Better Call Saul, a spin-off/prequel that reached the same quality as the series it stemmed from, Breaking Bad. Bob Odenkirk, who we know is a brilliant actor, delivers an incredibly dedicated performance as Saul Goodman (or, better said, Jimmy McGill). It’s not much of a heist series, but it’s scam 101, showing a man honing his craft with diligence and dedication.
Better Call Saul is about Jimmy McGill (Odenkirk), once a con artist and now an aspiring lawyer, establishing a career as defense attorney Saul Goodman. The show depicts Jimmy/Saul trying to establish a business while experiencing an ethical and moral decline over time. Better Call Saul also includes Mike Ehrmantraut (Jonathan Banks), the fixer for various criminals we’ve watched in Breaking Bad. Better Call Saul lasted for six seasons, with each getting better reviews than the previous; it’s a masterclass in legal cons, sleazy scams, and moral ambiguity.