10 TV Shows To Watch If You Like Burn Notice

The USA Network series Burn Notice stars Jeffrey Donovan in the role of Michael Weston, an ex-CIA agent who has been issued with a burn notice and has no idea why. The burn notice deems him an unreliable agent and dismisses him from his post, whilst simultaneously stripping him of his contacts and assets, and anything else he might need.

Weston is forced to stay in his hometown of Miami, Florida, or face arrest. With little left to do, Weston turns his hand to being a private investigator, and at the same time is determined to figure out who is responsible for the destruction of his career, and his life. As an investigator, Weston solves the problems of ordinary citizens, and as such, the show crosses genres and bears similarities to a host of other television series.

10 White Collar

The upbeat crime-drama White Collar ran from 2009 to 2014 and stars Matt Bomer as Neal Caffrey. Caffrey is a con-artist and skilled forger who is captured by FBI agent Peter Burke. Caffrey manages to convince Burke to release him from prison, in exchange for his services as a consultant.

White Collar follows Caffrey as he assists the FBI in tracking down white-collar criminals like himself, in exchange for his eventual freedom. As if it is an inverted version of Burn Notice, Caffrey is a criminal thrown into law enforcement, while Weston is a CIA officer treated like a criminal.

9 Covert Affairs

Covert Affairs is a USA network action-drama that ran from 2010 to 2015 and was canceled after 5 seasons. The show stars Piper Perabo as Annie Walker, a trainee CIA agent. As a result of her exceptional language skills, Walker is unexpectedly promoted to the post of a field agent, while still in training.

Walker is assigned to the Domestic Protection Division, and despite her lack of field experience is forced to step up to the post. Walker carries out her work under the cover of working at the Smithsonian Museum and soon suspects that her speedy promotion may be linked to someone from her past.

8 Blindspot

Blindspot is a crime drama series that follows a young woman who is found by FBI agents inside a duffel bag in Times Square and has no recollection of who she is. The series stars Jaimie Alexander as Jane Doe, and Sullivan Stapleton as FBI agent Kurt Weller.

In much the same way that Burn Notice‘s Weston is trying to figure out who is responsible for destroying his life and career, Jane Doe sets out to understand how she has ended up in this position. Suffering from amnesia, and covered in mysterious tattoos, Jane is protected by the FBI as they investigate her situation.

7 Condor

The thriller TV series Condor is based on the 1974 novel Six Days of the Condor by James Grady, and the subsequent 1975 film adaptation Three Days of the Condor, that differs significantly from the original text. The television adaptation stars Max Irons, son of actor Jeremy Irons, as CIA agent Joe Turner.

After Joe becomes the sole survivor of a terrible, violent incident, that takes the lives of his colleagues, he finds himself in the middle of a large conspiracy. As a CIA analyst, with no field experience, Joe is forced into a world that he is entirely unprepared for.

6 Alias

Alias is an ABC action thriller created by J.J. Abrams, and starring Jennifer Garner as Sidney Bristow. As well as Garner in the lead role, Alias features an exceptional host of well-known actors throughout its five-year run, such as Bradley Cooper, Ethan Hawke, and Faye Dunaway.

Alias follows Bristow, a CIA double agent who was recruited as an undergraduate seven years prior. As the title suggests, Bristow must assume different aliases to carry out her work, and she learns early on the importance of keeping her professional life a secret.

5 Shut Eye

In the Hulu drama Shut Eye,Burn Notice‘s Jeffrey Donovan plays an altogether different character – Charlie Haverford, a mediocre con artist. Fans of Donovan’s performance in Burn Notice are sure to enjoy his portrayal of Charlie Haverford.

Haverford runs a selection of fortune-telling venues, and poses as a psychic himself. Haverford’s status as a con artist is challenged after a violent incident with a client’s boyfriend leaves him experiencing what he believes to be real visions, and suddenly his claims become less fraudulent.

4 The Enemy Within

The NBC drama The Enemy Within stars Jennifer Carpenter as an ex-CIA operative, and was canceled after one season. Carpenter’s character Erica Shepherd is serving time in a maximum-security prison, having been deemed a traitor and subsequently losing her career.

Much like White Collar, however, while serving her time in prison Shepherd is approached by FBI agent Will Keaton and is offered a deal for her freedom. Shepherd is given the option to be released from prison on the condition that she uses her skills to assist Keaton in tracking down a terrorist.

3 Nikita

The CW series Nikita, is an adaptation of the 1990 French film La Femme Nikita, written and directed by Luc Besson. Nikita revolves around the title character Nikita Mears, played by Maggie Q, a spy who was trained by the secret U.S government organization Division.

After going rogue and spending a few years in hiding, Nikita returns to take down Division. In much the same way as Burn Notice, Nikita finds herself on the opposite side of a powerful organization that once trained her, but is now out to get her.

2 Leverage

The action-drama Leverage follows ex-insurance fraud investigator Nathan Ford who assembles a team of criminals to carry out a heist for a client. The series follows the team of specialists who in each episode set out to take down a larger power, be it a powerful individual or corporation, who has wronged an individual.

Using their skills, the Leverage team works on behalf of citizens who do not have the means to exact their own revenge. The team consists of a former insurance fraud investigator, a con-artst, a thief, a computer specialist, and a weapons expert.

1 Person of Interest

The CBS science-fiction drama Person of Interest was created by Jonathan Nolan, co-creator of HBO’s Westworld. Person Of Interest stars Michael Emerson as billionaire computer programmer Harold Finch, who has created a program to assist the government in fighting terrorism.

The Machine was built with the intention to stop acts of violence before they happen, Finch, however, is not content with how the government is using the technology. As a result, Finch teams up with ex-CIA agent John Reese, to prevent the crimes that The Machine exposes, but the government chooses to overlook.

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