Fox’s Hit Crime Drama Based On 9-Book Series Is A Streaming Behemoth At The Perfect Time

Published Oct 1, 2026, 2:00 PM EDT Nick Bythrow is a Lead Writer for ScreenRant. He has been writing for the site since September 2022. He graduated from Hampshire College in 2022, where he triple majored in Journalism, Communications, and Media Studies. When he's not writing about TV and movies for ScreenRant and his blog, Frayed Branches, Nick is penning speculative fiction and poetry on Amazon. He lives outside Boston, Massachusetts. Fox's hit crime drama that's based on a nine-book series has turned into a streaming behemoth at just the right time. Fox has had a number of crime drama TV shows in recent years, some of which remain notable parts of the larger network TV landscape. This includes Memory of a Killer, starring Patrick Dempsey as a contract killer suffering from Alzheimer's, and the recently-ended The Cleaning Lady, which was a core facet of the network for some time. But these are just two of the crime shows defining Fox's lineup in recent years. Another is Murder in a Small Town, a co-production between Fox and Canada's Global. Based on L.R. Wright's novel series, Murder in a Small Town stars Rossif Sutherland as Karl Alberg, a new police chief in the town of Gibsons, British Columbia, Canada, who begins to solve a series of murders happening across the seemingly small, quiet town. He's joined by a number of other crucial characters, many of whom know the town better than he does, assisting in his investigations while he slowly uncovers old secrets about his new home. Murder In A Small Town Is Crushing Netflix's Top 10 Now, following Murder in a Small Town's arrival on Netflix in the United States, the show has very quickly reached the Top 10 on the platform. According to data from October 1, 2026, the series has become the Number 3 TV show in the US, just two days after its arrival. The show's performance outpaces numerous Netflix originals, from Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story to The Gentlemen, while falling behind reality TV show Wonka's The Golden Ticket and the revival of A Different World. The show's popularity isn't too surprising, considering how well crime dramas perform on Netflix. The series is also relatively short in contrast to a number of other network TV shows: season 1 consists of eight episodes while season 2 is 10 episodes, a total of 18 episodes that makes it easy to binge. It helps that reviews for Murder in a Small Town have been consistently positive, the show scoring a 70% from critics on Rotten Tomatoes. Audiences are clearly enthralled by its twisted mysteries, all centered around the same characters and town. What's The Latest On The Show's Future? As of writing, Murder in a Small Town's future is looking bright. Season 3 has been confirmed, with filming already having wrapped. While the show has typically returned in September, that wasn't the case this year. Instead, season 3 will be part of Fox's midseason lineup, expected to air sometime in 2027. Details about the story remain under wraps, but if it's anything like previous seasons, then expect to see familiar elements from Wright's books in the upcoming episodes. Luckily, it seems plenty of Netflix audience members will be ready for when Murder in a Small Town comes back. The series' popularity in the US might be a good sign for when it returns on Fox, especially if audiences have caught up with the series before its premiere next year. The show's streaming success might just be the start of how well it can perform once new episodes finally arrive. Release Date September 24, 2024 Network Global TV, FOX Directors Amanda Tapping Cast Rossif Sutherland Karl Alberg