8 Best Shows Like Miami Vice That You Need Watching Update 04/2024

Shows Like Miami Vice

The best shows or those that have generated the most buzz have spanned several decades: It’s always been a Sopranos story. Seinfeld. The Mad Men era of television. New York City is home to the vast majority of these activities and events. A show based in Miami isn’t something you hear about every day. Isn’t it a city that merits a piece of writing? Although it’s true, the land of hurricanes, bad traffic, and shady characters has attracted far fewer showrunners. Look no further than these egregious Miami television blunders to see how difficult it is to do it justice. However, there have been a few productions that have done the Magic City justice. / These ten shows, all of which are set in Miami, were chosen based on whether or not they were shot here, as well as how accurately they portray our much-loved (and occasionally vilified) city.

1. Miami Vice

Miami Vice

The television series Miami Vice is one of the most forward-thinking and influential of all time. Looking at the “Vice” Department of the Miami-Dade Police Department and its ongoing fight against the city of Miami’s illegal drug, prostitution, and firearms crime underworld. It emphasized and amplified the emotional undercurrent of the drama it depicted through the use of fashion, color, and a diverse musical selection.

When Michael Mann wasn’t busy making movies like Heat, Public Enemies, or The Last of the Mohicans, the director was out and about in South Beach scouting locations for the hit TV show Miami Vice. Mann chose to film in the 305 instead of L.A. when so many other producers did. Miami in the 1980s was a very different place from what it is today. South Beach’s crime rate was out of control, and the streets were frequently deserted.

Collins Avenue and Ocean Drive are no longer suitable locations for filming an entire TV show. Before calling it a day, the cast and crew are likely to have their cars towed away. Miami Vice is unquestionably cheesy (it was the 1980s, after all), but it also feels like a love letter to the amazing city that it would one day grow into. P.S. : The entire series is available for free streaming on Hulu if you want to relive the good old days.

2. Ballers

Ballers

Ballers, a half-hour dramedy set in Miami, follows a group of football players, both current and former, as well as their families, friends and handlers. On top of looking at how current players are coping with these challenges, the show gives viewers an inside look at their lives both on and off the field.

Since the start of its second season on HBO, Ballers has quickly become a favorite among the 305’s elite for its ability to capture the lifestyle of the city’s top one percent. It’s not uncommon for expensive sports cars to be featured on a reality show about running a football team as well as “Miami snow” and sugar daddy parties. Dwayne “the Rock” Johnson, a well-known actor, attended the University of Miami and is well-versed in the culture of the city (at least when you have seemingly endless amount of cash). Although the show was not entirely filmed in Miami, it has a lot of street cred for representing the MIA.

3. The Golden Girls

The Golden Girls

The Golden Girls was one of the few sitcoms in which all of the regulars were women and none of them were under the age of 50, and it turned out to be NBC’s biggest hit of the 1985-1986 season, defying the TV industry’s “rules” that A) no viewer is interested in watching a situation comedy with an all-female cast and B) no viewer wants to see anyone over 34.

If you didn’t watch the show when it first aired, you might not have known that The Golden Girls takes place in the year 305. The house where the “girls” lived had a mailing address of 6151 Richmond St., but locals know that this address doesn’t exist. The Richmond Drive near Zoo Miami and the 6151 Richmond Lane in Homestead, on the other hand, do exist. However, let’s be honest — those witty ladies lived somewhere east of the Palmetto Expressway, weren’t they? Actually, most of the action took place on the West Coast, in the city of Los Angeles. Although it lacks authenticity, this show about rowdy and raunchy senior citizens is beloved by the majority of Miami residents despite this.

4. Magic City

It’s the new year, and Frank Sinatra is ushering it in at Miami Beach’s most luxurious dream palace, the Miramar Hotel. But as Fidel Castro assumes control of Cuba, just 200 miles away, visionary leader Ike Evans finds himself dealing with the mob, his complicated family, and a city undergoing a sea change. Even though “Magic City” is home to diving clowns and cha-cha lessons by the pool, Miami Beach at night reveals a much darker side to the city. Dealers and those who do drugs and those who are in the business of selling prostitutes are called dopers.

Magic City, a throwback to Miami’s golden age, is one of those shows that never had a chance to shine. Mad Men and Grey’s Anatomy fans, as well as residents of the real Magic City, were ecstatic when this show was announced. Those who had grown attached to the saga of the Miramar Playa were left disappointed by Starz’s decision to cancel the show. It was wonderful to see a show shot locally with sets heavily influenced by Miami architect Morris Lapidus even if it was a Miami most of us hadn’t yet experienced (responsible for iconic locales such as the Fountainbleau, Eden Roc, and Deauville Beach Resort). Showrunner Mitch Glazer was born and raised in the city, so it’s no surprise that the show captures the essence of it so well.

5. Burn Notice

Burn Notice

Michael Westen, a covert intelligence agent, has been kicked, punched, choked, and shot. It has now come to his attention that his name has been compromised due to the receipt of a “burn notice” that has placed him on the blacklist of the intelligence community. To stay alive, he’ll have to track down a faceless foe while also working as a private investigator on Miami’s seedy streets.
On Burn Notice, a spy gets “burned” as a joke (forced out of his gig). Also, it’s the show that locals have seen the most recently because the production was shot all over Miami-Dade County, from Opa-locka/Hileah to Sandbar in Coconut Grove, the Biltmore Hotel and the market in Opa-locka/Hileah.

Though Bruce Campbell (Ash from Evil Dead) and B-list actress Gabrielle Anwar (Wild Hearts Can’t Be Broken and Daddy Who?) fans may have occasionally tuned in, true devotees of Miami were the ones who stayed tuned in every week. The 305 was home to Burn Notice for about six years. When filming for this unique USA Network series, no location was off limits. Even though Burn Notice isn’t as binge-worthy as shows like Breaking Bad, it’s still regarded favorably by its audience as a whole.

6. Nip/Tuck

The old adage “beauty is only skin deep” is true. Because it goes deeper, Nip/Tuck is ideal for patients seeking cosmetic surgery because it reveals the complexities and fragility often found in those seeking treatment. Dylan Walsh and Julian McMahon play young plastic surgeons in Miami South Beach who are going through midlife crises as they deal with work, family, and romantic issues. The cutting-edge stories in the series range from funny to suspenseful to unusually powerful in their impact and originality. The surgical procedures have a strong visual impact. There is an abundance of sexual behavior.

When you watch Nip/Tuck, it’s as if you’re seeing every traffic accident in Miami happen at the same time, only slower. It’s a complete and utter disaster, but no matter how long it takes to get through it, you can’t bear to look away from it. Sadly, almost the entire series was filmed on the West Coast, making it one of the most bizarre shows to be set in Miami. While some of the locations are stunning, the MIA is by no means one of them. It was a plus that some of the episodes had big-name guest stars like Portia de Rossi and Bradley Cooper. To make a series about two young plastic surgeons in the Big Orange does not require a lot of imaginative thinking on my part.

7. Jane the Virgin

Jane the Virgin

During a routine checkup, a doctor mistakenly artificially inseminates Jane Villanueva, shattering her vow to keep her virginity until she marries. He is the new owner of the hotel where Jane works, and he used to be her teenage crush as well. He is married, a former playboy, and a cancer survivor.

For breaking down Latina stereotypes, this newer TV show inspired by a Venezuelan telenovela has received a lot of praise. It’s already won a Golden Globe and been nominated for a number of Emmys, in spite of its outlandish premise (a young woman gets accidentally artificially inseminated during a routine check-up — what?!). Jane, on the other hand, falls short when it comes to capturing the essence of Miami. New Times has previously written about all the myths, such as the idea that in an alternate Miami, the buses are always on time and Calle Ocho is a safe, family-friendly neighborhood.. A few exterior shots of Miami can be spotted in the show’s promotional materials: Mount Sinai Medical Center, downtown Miami, and PortMiami are all included. It’s a fantastic show all around.

8. Dexter

He’s got it all: intelligence, good looks, and a wicked sense of humor. The popular serial killer Dexter Morgan is back. He works as a forensics expert in Miami during the day and commits crimes at night. However, Dexter adheres to a rigid code of honor that serves as both a blessing and a curse throughout his life. He is a man torn between his desire for true happiness and his deadly compulsion, and he is at odds with both the outside world and himself.

Serial killer turned forensic technician on the side, with a burning desire for vengeance? It reads like something out of the New York Times, but it’s actually from the TV show Dexter. A large part of the show was filmed in Miami, but other parts were filmed in Long Beach and Ontario — California, that is. Even so, the show featured Miami icons like the Bayfront Park fountain and the Doral Park Country Club. The old Virginia Key dive bar Jimbo’s and Bicentennial Park, now home to Museum Park, the Pérez Art Museum Miami, and the future Frost Museum of Science, are two other Miami landmarks you can visit. While many viewers are still reeling from the disappointing series finale, most Dexter fans will tell you that it’s still worth catching up on the episodes you’ve been missing.