Detective & Mystery Drama

Intelligent writing and well-drawn characters help to make Poker Girls one of the most compelling drama series on the web. The series goes far beyond card games as undercover cop Summer uses the poker world to become closer to the crims she's attempting to put away. There's a strong emphasis on girl power, but there should still be enough here to encourage blokes to tune in.

AIDAN 5 pushes the boundaries of the futuristic science fiction webseries with its gritty narrative, mix of hand-drawn art and live action footage, and shoestring budget. It's clearly a labor of love for the cast and crew of volunteers, and their passion shows. Every episode seems to end on a cliffhanger which has us hanging out for the next.

Long before he was The Thing in Fantastic Four, Michael Chiklis was a good-natured New York police commissioner in the drama series The Commish. Its YouTube channel features full episodes from the first two seasons of this 90s hit. Hopefully episodes from the final three seasons are added to the rest soon!

Before he was one of the bankable stars in Hollywood, Johnny Depp was Officer Tom Hanson in crime drama 21 Jump Street. Thanks to YouTube, you can see where Johnny began his career with full episodes. Sadly though the channel's only got episodes to the end of season three. Hopefully they'll add the final two soon!

Descendants of Darkness takes the detective genre to the world of anime. Unlike the typical detective series which neatly wraps up a case in an episode, this series takes a few eps to conclude a case. That in depth approach works well, so it’s a shame the series was axed after one season!

NCIS: Los Angeles brings us the best bits of each episode with its YouTube channel. It's no substitute for catching the complete episodes of the crime drama series, a spin-off of NCIS. But if you've missed it, the range of short YouTube videos found here can help bring you back up to speed.

Young teens are often neglected in the world of online entertainment, so it's refreshing to see a new series like Ruby Skye P.I. released. The Spam Scam is the first in a series of 12-episode seasons, which see Ruby cracking a mystery in her neighborhood. The creators have got the right mix of comedy and intrigue here to get children hooked.

Webseries Animus Cross is so compelling because it's like nothing else online, or on television for that matter. There's a dash of western, a few parts thriller, and even historical drama thrown in the mix. And best of all, there's not a hint of college humor or scantily clad women to be seen. If you're looking for something truly unique online, this could be it.

The dark and brooding film noir series, Dice Noir, comes as a welcome change from the crass comedies and how-to videos we typically see online. Lizzie Maguire actor Kyle J Downes has never really made a splash in Hollywood, but in this self-penned drama series he shows us what he can really do. There's only one episode online at this point, but it's good enough to encourage me to tune in next week.

NBC's gritty new cop drama Southland takes us to the mean streets of Los Angeles, delivering an unflinching look at the hardened criminals, and the police officers who chase them.

But this is more than just another police drama. While action abounds, the real focus here is the characters and their relationships.

This channel offers full episodes of the series to date.