Jodie Foster plays a special agent and behavioral scientist whom during her investigation works with Special Agent Jack Crawford who is largely based on the FBI's former elite profiler John Douglas. Anthony Hopkins plays a psychotic sociopath that seems to be based loosely upon a number of infamous killers.

PROFILE OF MURDER

    This thriller is only being included as an example of a film with which appears to have done absolutely no research what so ever. Joan Severance stars as a psychiatrists whom's client list includes a suspected serial killer. This film has no enduring qualities other then the fact that Lance Henrikson (Millennium) stars as the suspected killer.

KISS THE GIRLS

    Morgan Freeman is a police detective and forensic psychologists whom must use all of his resources in order to track down the serial kidnapper/killer that has abducted his niece.

CRACKER
 
    This is a series of british mystery movies based on a character whom is a police criminal profiler.  I have not had the opportunity to see one yet, however I do know that they are on the A&E Mystery Movie every month or so.

MANHUNTER
 
    The original story of Hannibal Lecture

THE MURDERS IN THE RUE MORGUE

    It was just announced that A&E is producing a mini-series based on this Edgar Allan Poe classic.  As soon as a date of airing is announced I will list it here. 

Dupin appears to have been fictions first criminal profiler. Poe also used a proactive technique (a method often used to bring the criminal out of hiding) similar to those employed by modern day law enforcement.

Sherlock Holmes (collected works) - Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

Perhaps one of fictions most abundant and best examples of criminal profiling.  Sherlock Holmes was the ideal forensic investigator.  The only problem is Holmes just seems to know to much seemingly useless information.

The Woman in White & The Moonstone - Wilkie Collins

Deadly Sins - Lawrence Sanders

This four book series doesn't have a forensic psychologist per se.  However, it does involve strong psychological motivations and behavioural analysis of such crimes.

The Works of Jeffrey Deaver

Including: The Bone Collector, a Maiden's Grave, and the Coffin Dancer.  All of which are criminal profiling related.  He features a character named Lincoln Rhymes, who is a quadriplegic, and has the ability to profile criminals from his home through other police officers.  Thanks to Jason Kanz for this info!

The Works of James Patterson

Including: Along came a Spider, Jack and Jill, Hide and Seek, Cat and Mouse, Kiss the Girls.  These books feature Patterson's forensic psychologist character Alex Cross whom could be seen in the movie "Kiss the Girls".  Word is Morgan Freeman has been asked to reprise the role for a new film!

The Works of Patricia Cornwell
Including: The Body Farm, From Potter's Field, Point of Origin, Cause of Death, Postmortem, Hornet's Nest

    This may be the finest and most accurate fictional example of criminal profiling and behavioral science on televisions. Like silence of the lambs, profiler's forensic psychologist, Dr. Sam Walters (Alley Walker), does seem to take a more active role then is likely realistic.

    FRIDAY 9 PM eastern (FOX)

    The second of televisions highly acclaimed profiler series, millennium appears to be well researched and is comparable to profiler. However the show does drift some what into the supernatural.

    Both of these shows, especially Millennium, are guilty of suggesting that there profiler's have some sort of sixth sense or psychic ability. It could be interpreted that in the case of profiler what appears to be psychic flashbacks is simply a symbolic representations of a profiler's ability to envision the crime. Though these are simply story lines that can not be taken seriously, real criminal profiler's make consistently accurate analysis without any supernatural intervention.
 

    This show was the only forensic psychology based program that I know of that did not feature criminal profiling as its primary story line. Dr. Maloney is a police department psychologists that deals with court cases, internal police problems, post-capture therapy, as well as crisis intervention. Unfortunately this show was canceled in its first year.

CRACKER 
 
    Cracker was probably the most accurate (from a profiling point of view) forensic psychology program on television.  Though I doubt that most psychologists are quite the basket cases that the main character FRITZ is.  When asked to describe how he gets into the minds of these psychopaths he responded, "Takes one to know one."
 
HALIFAX

    This is a foreign (english language) profiling show that is an australian product.  It is quite comparable to the Brits Cracker.  In Canada it is shown on the cable channel "Showcase".  In Australia episodes are show periodically as 'telefilms', so check your local listings.

American Justice
A&E, DAILY - CHECK LOCAL LISTINGS

    This is not a fictional show, and it isn't always about forensics.  However, there has been a past episode (which is repeated occasionally) all about Criminal Profiling.  It featured the big names in the discipline (ex. Douglas, Ressler, Hazelwood) ...  American Justice also often has complete episodes on different serial offenders.  Could be a good introduction for people interested in case studies on such offenders.

The Pretender
SATURDAY 9PM eastern, NBC

    An honorary member of our listing, the 1998-99 season on the pretender has featured two different forensic psychology related story lines.  The Pretender is a show that revolves around a genius name Jarrod.  Jarrod has the somewhat unique ability to become an expert in any field with just a little bit of research.  He has been a doctor, a cop, a hitman, a fireman etc. etc. etc..  The first example of forensic psych was regarding Criminal Profiling.  In that episode he became FBI behavioral science unit agent Jarrod Ressler (the name was an inside joke obviously).  The second feature of forensics involved Jarrod as a psychology prof who taught graduate studies in the criminal mind!
 
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
CHECK LOCAL LISTINGS (SYNDICATED)

    Another honorary member to the list.  The second Febuary espisode of the 1999 season sort of was profiling based.  There was a serial killer on the station and the ships counselor (Star Trek's psychologists) was asked to recall her Forensic Psychology training from the academy.  She used this training (and the experiences of one of her past lives [her species lives many lives through a two species sympbiosis relationship] whom was a killer) to create a profile of the killer and identify the possible suspects.  It was a very layman's few of forensics but it was an attempt none the less.

    CHECK LOCAL LISTINGS

    Believe it or not, this shows paranormal research group did at one time have a criminal profiler on there team. Though this character was not seen in every episode and rarely uses his talents on the show, one complete episode, in season one, was based on this characters abilities.