Mindhunter (2017 — 2019)

Mindhunter (2017–2019), the 2017 American crime thriller series created by Joe Penhall, is based on John E. Douglas and Mark Olshaker’s 1995 true-crime book Mindhunter: Inside the FBI’s Elite Serial Crime Unit. The show follows FBI agents Holden Ford and Bill Tench, along with psychologist Wendy Carr, as they conduct interviews with imprisoned serial killers for research. With the hope of applying this knowledge to solve ongoing cases, they operate within the FBI Academy in Quantico, Virginia as part of the Behavioral Science Unit in the Training Division. Set in the late 1970s to early 1980s, during the early days of criminal psychology and profiling at the FBI, Mindhunter features notable recurring serial killer characters such as Edmund Kemper played by Cameron Britton. Other first season appearances include Sam Strike as Montie Rissell, Happy Anderson as Jerry Brudos, Jack Erdie as Richard Speck, and Sonny Valicenti as Dennis Rader (also known as BTK).

Set in the years 1980 and 1981, Ford and Tench delve into the Atlanta killings of 1979 to 1981, which claimed the lives of at least 28 individuals, mostly young ones. The notorious case of Wayne Williams serves as the foundation for this season, where he was charged and found guilty for two deaths of adult men, but his involvement in the children’s deaths remains unproven, sparking widespread anger and raising doubts about his culpability. The second installment also features renowned murderers like David Berkowitz or Son of Sam, William Pierce Jr., Elmer Wayne Henley Jr., and Charles Manson.