The Jesse Stone franchise consists of nine feature films, and viewers who are new to the series might be wondering what the best way to watch the Jesse Stone movies in order. While some detective series installments work as one-off or standalone viewing experiences, successfully watching the adaptations of Robert B. Parker’s novels benefits from a more intentional approach. With eight films from CBS (2005–12) and another movie from the Hallmark Channel (2015), the Jesse Stone series boasts a lot of characters and lore.

Magnum P.I. original series star Tom Selleck helms all nine films in the franchise. In Stone Cold, the first Jesse Stone movie, Selleck’s тιтular character is a former Los Angeles homicide detective who relocates to small-town Mᴀssachusetts after being fired from the force for his habitual alcohol use. Full of genre tropes, the made-for-TV crime dramas offer up familiar plot beats and satisfying conclusions, both of which speak to its success as a long-running, dependable franchise.

How To Watch Jesse Stone Movies In Release Order

The Order Tom Selleck’s Movies Were Released

Set in the fictional Paradise, Mᴀssachusetts, the Jesse Stone movies follow the тιтular big-city transplant as he solves small-town murders. Even so, the stakes are anything but slight. While Stone Cold sees Jesse piecing together a string of serial murders, other installments force the police chief to confront Boston mobsters, arrogant fellow officers, and cold cases that could mar the town’s reputation. One of the best ways to watch the Jesse Stone movies is as CBS (and, later, Hallmark) intended.

For fans looking to follow Jesse Stone’s journey, a release-order viewing is as follows:

The series also allowed the character to age along with Tom Selleck, as the star was 60 when the first movie aired and 70 during the last movie on Hallmark. This was a huge change from the books, since Jesse was only 35 when the series started. However, for people who only know Selleck as Frank Reagan on Blue Bloods, this offers a nice change.

What Happens In The Jesse Stone Movies

A Closer Look at Jesse Stone’s Investigative Exploits

The Jesse Stone series follows the eponymous police officer. Originally a homicide detective for the LAPD, Stone was fired due to his alcoholism, which plagues him throughout the series. With nowhere to go, Stone ends up in Paradise, Mᴀssachusetts, a small coastal town north of Boston. There, he becomes the new police chief, primarily because the corrupt town council thinks controlling a has-been cop with a drinking habit will be easy.

Much to their surprise, and even to his own, Stone is a competent and just police officer, solving many small-time and large-scale crimes throughout the series. Along with his trusty dog companion, “Reggie,” whom he meets in the first movie, Stone works to solve violent murders and rid his town and the greater Mᴀssachusetts area of corruption.

In the seventh film, Jesse Stone: Innocents Lost, Stone is replaced as police chief by the son-in-law of the town council president and is forced to work as a private investigator. However, the very next movie, Jesse Stone: Benefit of the Doubt, sees the detective reinstated. Stone lives a simple life throughout the series, and in the latest film, Jesse Stone: Lost in Paradise, just about the only thing that’s changed for the man is his new dog, “Steve.”

How To Watch Jesse Stone Movies In Chronological Order

The Ultimate Guide To Proper Viewing

Of course, the release order is just one way to watch the Jesse Stone films. Some viewers prefer to watch Jesse Stone movies in order chronologically to avoid jumping around in time too much. For example, the 2005 film Stone Cold sets up Jesse Stone’s story as a New England-based police chief, but it isn’t necessarily the one viewers need to watch first. Despite being broadcast first by CBS, Stone Cold takes place after 2006’s Jesse Stone: Night Pᴀssage.

For fans looking to follow a more accurate franchise timeline, here are the Jesse Stone movies in order of chronology:

It is often not unusual for movies to bounce around in time, telling different stories from different points in the characters’ lives. Since Tom Selleck only aged from 60 to 70 throughout the series, the Jesse Stone movies could take on any time frame in that specific decade (or slightly earlier, since he still looked younger than his actual age). That means the movies in order are not always right.

Should You Watch Jesse Stone: Night Pᴀssage Before Stone Cold?

A Dive Deeper Into Jesse Stone’s World

Parker’s Night Pᴀssage is also the first novel in the Jesse Stone series — both in terms of release and chronology. Given that Jesse is an archetypal character who’s reminiscent of hard-boiled noir detectives, his backstory isn’t all that sprawling. While working as an LAPD homicide detective, he’s caught drinking on the job. While Stone Cold provides context, Night Pᴀssage starts with Jesse’s post-firing departure.

A methodical, well-directed prequel, Night Pᴀssage is grounded by Selleck’s compelling performance, making it the stronger film and, at times, a better way to kick off a Jesse Stone movie series viewing. This is not only a good way to get to see how Jesse Stone really integrated himself into his new town, but it also delivers a great story and a solid mystery. There is nothing wrong with starting out with Stone Cold, but that movie jumps into the story, and this one eases a viewer in.

Will There Be A Tenth Jesse Stone Movie?

Hope Springs Eternal: Tom Selleck’s Revelation of a Tenth Film

In a 2022 interview with TV Express, Tom Selleck revealed that he’s writing a tenth and final Jesse Stone film,

“I’m still working on it! It isn’t the same cumulative narrative anymore. As time has pᴀssed, I’m older and the Jesse Stone audience needs to account for that. He’s at a different part of his life. That’s interesting, but that’s not the script we started to do after we finished the ninth movie. We have a deal with Hallmark Channel, but they’ve moved on to [other] shows.”

The ninth film in the Jesse Stone franchise left plenty of runway for future movies to be made, but from Selleck’s answer, it sounds like, as much as audiences are clamoring for more Jesse Stone, they are still a ways off from seeing any more additions to the franchise.

Robert B. Parker, the author of the Jesse Stone novels, pᴀssed away in 2010, but other writers continued the story of the detective. With this catalog of books, there are many more Jesse Stone stories for Selleck to star in — and write scripts for.

Which Jesse Stone Movie Is The Best?

Only One Film Earned Awards Recognition

There are several reasons why each of the Jesse Stone movies in order deserves a watch. Some people claim that Jesse Stone: Night Pᴀssage is the best movie as it shows a more vulnerable Jesse Stone as he starts off in a new situation. While it might be one of the more popular movies in the franchise, the best movie has to be the one that received the best critical praise and awards recognition. Only one Jesse Stone movie earned award recognition — Jesse Stone: Sea Change.

Sea Change sees Jesse Stone trying to remain sober while dealing with a case involving murder and Sєxual ᴀssault. As the fourth movie in the franchise, it was here that Tom Selleck completely gave himself over to the role that Robert B. Parker created in his novels. Selleck earned a Primetime Emmy Award and Satellite Award nomination for his performance in the movie, although he didn’t win either of the honors. While it only has a 68% Rotten Tomatoes score, that is also the highest in the Jesse Stone franchise.

Jesse Stone Is Among The Most Successful Made For TV Movie Franchises Ever

Few Films Made For The Small Screen Have Been As Impactful As The Jesse Stone Movies

Made-for-TV movies occupy an interesting space in the world of entertainment, and it’s difficult to measure their success. Without a box-office run, it’s impossible to rate made-for-TV movies based on their gross, but ᴀssessing by viewing figures like a standard TV show also doesn’t feel quite accurate. This is especially true when ᴀssessing made-for-TV movie franchises. However, regardless of which measure is used, it’s safe to say that the Jesse Stone films are among the most successful made-for-TV movie franchises of all time.

The fact that Jesse Stone is a recognizable brand name already speaks for CBS and Hallmark’s success when adapting the Robert B. Parker novels. They networks successfully created a detective movie franchise that can be fully enjoyed from the comfort of the living room. What’s more, thanks to Jesse Stone being a detective series, CBS and Hallmark managed to successfully compete against the multiple Sherlock Holmes and Agatha Christie adaptations that usually dominate the genre when it comes to small-screen films.

According to Variety, Jesse Stone movies can reach a viewership upwards of 15 million, which further speaks to its success. This is highly admirable for a made-for-TV detective film and shows just how popular the Jesse Stone franchise is – even if it doesn’t have the marketing power behind it of the blockbuster made-for-theater movies to propel Tom Selleck’s тιтular hero to household name status.

Where To Watch The Jesse Stone Movies

The Roku Channel, INSP Network, & To Rent At Most Retailers

The Jesse Stone movies can be purchased digitally and on physical media from various retailers. The average cost to buy each film digitally is $12.99 or $13.99 each, depending on the retailer. They can also be rented from retailers like Fandango-At-Home, Apple TV, and Microsoft for as low as $3.99 and Amazon for $3.59. Viewers can also stream the movies online. The home for the Jesse Stone movies right now is The Roku Channel, and the best news is that they are free to watch with commercials.

There is also another chance to watch the Jesse Stone movies for free. INSP (The Inspire Network) regularly airs all the films in the franchise. They even had a deal where they aired them every Friday night in January 2025 for fans. To learn when INSP is airing the Jesse Stone movies and where to find the network where you live, visit the Jesse Stone page on their official website.