The best detective dramas of all time

Wonderfully lavish period drama, based on Agatha Christie's bestselling books. David Suchet simply *is* Poirot.

Derek Jacobi is marvellous in this series of medieval murder mysteries.

These charming adaptations of Margery Allingham's wonderful novels are brought to life by the excellent Peter Davison as eccentric sleuth Albert Campion.

This is the greatest of them all: clever plots, wonderful scenery, and an amazing performance by John Thaw as the protagonist. This series has never lost its power and ability to wow.

Brilliant, funny, clever series of 'locked-room' mysteries. Although some of the acting leaves a lot to be desired, the stories are so good that one forgets this!

Spin-off from Inspector Morse, this series is just as brilliant as the original.

Michael Gambon excels as the patient, calm, but intelligent French policeman. The stories are very real, and stay close to the tone of Georges Simenon's novels.

Agatha Christie-esque plots in a modern-day setting! This impeccable series, now boasting over 80 two-hour episodes, is often humorous, and the quirky inhabitants of the world's most dangerous county never fail to delight.

Joan Hickson is perfect for the role of Miss Marple in the third, and best, of the BBC's Marple series. This plot is ingenious, and is one of Agatha Christie's best. On script duty is the late, great Alan Plater, who injects some of his characteristic dry humour in as well.

A fantastic period drama, with Diana Rigg stealing the show as Mrs Adela Bradley, an elegant psychoanalyst who investigates the various crimes that she comes across. Very funny - with Mrs B breaking the fourth wall, a nice little touch - and with excellent plots, somewhat altered, however, from Gladys Mitchell's original books...

The 1970s adaptations of Dorothy L. Sayers's Lord Peter Wimsey mysteries are all excellent (though quite slow, but they benefit from this, as it allows them to be incredibly faithful to the novels), and Ian Carmichael is a wonderful Wimsey. This is the best of the five, but they are all marvellous in their own ways.

The best, most powerful, most realistic police drama ever to have been made. This is a long drama - almost three and a half hours - but goodness it's brilliant. The acting, led by the superb Helen Mirren and supported by the excellent Tom Bell, John Bowe and Zoe Wanamaker, is top-notch, and the plot full of twists and incredibly tense. No drama has ever surpassed it.

David Jason is excellent as the curmudgeonly yet comic Inspector Jack Frost, based on the brilliant books by the late R.D.Wingfield. There are some excellent episodes, particularly from the superlative fifth series.

One of the highest-budgeted British TV programmes ever, this beautifully filmed and directed Swedish-set series is masterly. Kenneth Branagh delivers an astonishing performance as Kurt Wallander, a detective teetering on the edge of a nervous breakdown. The stories are clever and intricate.

And now for my personal favourite. Since Inspector Morse ITV has always done crime drama better than the BBC, but here the BBC bite back with an incredibly good cold-case series. Each episode runs over two hours, allowing complex plots to be woven. Some are too ambitious for their own good, but most episodes are clever and well-scripted. Acting is always of the very best quality, though kudos goes to the magnificent Trevor Eve as DSI Boyd. Not to be missed.