Top Police and Detective Shows: Television's best
In alphabetical order...The police/detective shows that most appeal to the forensic sensibilities of theNeoplatonist.
----Excluding shows in which the crime-fighter is a superhero (Batman, Green Arrow), or operates in sci-fi mode (Flash, Fringe, The X-Files) or espionage/CIA mode (Callan, The Equalizer, Spooks). Most of these shows are grounded in the “real” world (relatively speaking!) of police/detective work.
....And I admit that many of them are rooted in childhood nostalgia.
----Excluding shows in which the crime-fighter is a superhero (Batman, Green Arrow), or operates in sci-fi mode (Flash, Fringe, The X-Files) or espionage/CIA mode (Callan, The Equalizer, Spooks). Most of these shows are grounded in the “real” world (relatively speaking!) of police/detective work.
....And I admit that many of them are rooted in childhood nostalgia.
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- CreatorJohn HawkesworthStarsJeremy BrettDavid BurkeRosalie WilliamsSherlock Holmes and Dr Watson solve the mysteries of copper beeches, a Greek interpreter, the Norwood builder, a resident patient, the red-headed league, and one final problem.Jeremy Brett - the definitive Holmes, in theNeoplatonist's humble judgment. See also "The Return of Sherlock Holmes" (1986), "The Casebook of Sherlock Holmes" (1991), and "The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes" (1994).
- StarsDavid SuchetHugh FraserPhilip JacksonHercule Poirot, a famous Belgian detective, who has an impeccable knack for getting embroiled in a mystery, solves crimes along with Captain Hastings and Scotland Yard Chief Inspector James Japp.
- CreatorMatthew GrahamAshley PharoahStarsPhilip GlenisterKeeley HawesDean AndrewsAfter being shot in 2008 while investigating DCI Sam Tyler, DI Alex Drake wakes up in 1981.The sequel to "Life on Mars" (see below). Has a paranormal element but this is kept in the background most of the time. The heart of the show is the half-troubling, half-hilarious clash between British policing styles of the present day and the 1970s/80s. The latter is personified by detective Gene Hunt, a masterful screen presence, who gets his results by beating up suspects etc, in between boozing his beer by the gallon and behaving in a most politically incorrect way towards women.
- CreatorKenneth RoyceStarsDon HendersonSiobhan RedmondThorley WaltersHaving left the police force in disgust, the eccentric and bad-tempered detective George Kitchener Bulman set himself up as a private investigator. This leads him into trouble with the hard men of London's gangland underworld, and the devious men of the secret service. Although its darker qualities persisted, by the end of the series, precious little attempt was being made to take it seriously.Great sequel to "The Strangers" in which Bulman becomes a private eye.
- CreatorJohn HawkesworthStarsPeter DavisonBrian GloverAndrew BurtIn 1930s England, a man from an aristocratic family takes up the pseudonym Albert Campion and, with the help of his ex-burglar manservant, solves mysteries.Starring the 5th Dr Who, Peter Davison.
- CreatorEdward HumeStarsWilliam ConradPatrick CullitonTom PittmanFrank Cannon, a husky ex-cop and culinary enthusiast, solves tough cases as a private investigator.A childhood favorite. The Fat Detective and his theme music are iconic.
- CreatorRichard LevinsonWilliam LinkStarsPeter FalkMike LallyJohn FinneganLos Angeles homicide detective Lieutenant Columbo uses his humble ways and ingenuous demeanor to winkle out even the most well-concealed of crimes.Can't really comment, as I regard Peter Falk's Columbo as beyond perfection. Among guest murderers, my vote goes to three-times-appearing Jack Cassidy.
- CreatorChuck AdamsonGustave ReiningerStarsDennis FarinaBill SmitrovichTony DenisonThe saga of a Chicago police detective's efforts to stop a young hood's ruthless rise in the ranks of organized crime.Two great seasons cancelled on a freeze-frame cliffhanger. Arghh!
- CreatorTed WillisStarsJack WarnerPeter ByrneGeoffrey AdamsConstable George Dixon and his colleagues at the Dock Green police station in the East End of London deal with petty crime, successfully controlling it through common sense and human understanding.Evening all. Another childhood favorite.
- StarsKenneth MoreDennis BurgessGraham CrowdenBased on the stories of G.K. Chesterton, a British Catholic Priest solves mysteries.Brilliant adaptations of the G.K.Chesterton tales. Endlessly rewatchable.
- StarsEfrem Zimbalist Jr.Philip AbbottWilliam ReynoldsThe cases of the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation.Great theme music.
- CreatorKevin WilliamsonStarsKevin BaconJames PurefoyShawn AshmoreA brilliant, charismatic, and psychotic serial killer communicates with other active serial killers and activates a cult of believers who follow his every command.Has the most charismatic villain of all time, Joe Carroll, a serial killer with an uncanny flair for attracting a cult-like following (hence the title). Played to perfection by James Purefoy.
- CreatorLeonard FreemanStarsJack LordJames MacArthurKam FongThe investigations of Hawaii Five-0, an elite branch of the Hawaii State Police answerable only to the governor and headed by stalwart Steve McGarrett.Err, great theme music again...!
- CreatorCollier YoungStarsRaymond BurrDon GallowayDon MitchellWheelchair-using, crime-fighting detective Robert T. Ironside battles the bad guys on the streets of San Francisco.Another nostalgia-inducing childhood favorite.
- CreatorIan Kennedy MartinStarsDavid EllisonNoel CollinsStephanie TurnerInspector Jean Darblay is assigned to Hartley, Lancashire. Initially facing scepticism from sergeants Joe Beck and George Parrish, she gradually earns their respect and admiration as their new female boss at the police station.Police work in realistic mode, with the charm lying in the characters rather than any spectacular crimes.
- CreatorAbby MannStarsTelly SavalasDan FrazerKevin DobsonA bald, lollipop sucking police detective with a fiery righteous attitude battles crime in his city.Comment would be superfluous. Just buy a lollipop.
- CreatorDick WolfRick EidStarsJerry OrbachJesse L. MartinDennis FarinaNew York's finest police detectives and prosecutors fight to make the city a safer place. With integrity as the guiding force from investigation to verdict, the teams weigh every perspective in their commitment to finding justice.
- CreatorMatthew GrahamTony JordanAshley PharoahStarsJohn SimmPhilip GlenisterLiz WhiteAfter a near-fatal car accident, smart, savvy, sharp-suited detective Sam is mysteriously transported back to 1973. Confused by his new surroundings, Sam tries to return to the present, but the police force of long ago needs his help.See "Ashes to Ashes" for comments.
- CreatorStirling SilliphantStarsJames FranciscusMarlyn MasonPeter Mark RichmanThe cases of a blind insurance investigator.About time this came out on DVD... A childhood favorite.
- CreatorAnthony YerkovichStarsDon JohnsonPhilip Michael ThomasSaundra Santiago-Resplendent with authentic 1980s music, fashion, and vibe, "Miami Vice" follows two undercover detectives and their extended team through the mean streets of Miami, Florida.Classic, of course. The best episodes are stunning evocations of the 1980s and just stunning on all counts.
- CreatorChris CarterStarsLance HenriksenMegan GallagherTerry O'QuinnA former FBI profiler with the ability to look inside the mind of a killer begins working for the mysterious Millennium Group which investigates serial killers, conspiracies, the occult, and those obsessed with the end of the millennium.Frank Black, the gloomy retired FBI agent now back in action as an outsider, is brought to life so compellingly by Lance Henriksen, he should get a special merit award. Some great conspiracy themes too.
- CreatorAndy BreckmanStarsTony ShalhoubJason Gray-StanfordTed LevineThe series follows Adrian Monk, a brilliant former San Francisco detective, who now consults the police as a private consultant whilst battling with an obsessive-compulsive disorder.Monk and Columbo - the most endearing of the intellectual sleuths.
- CreatorRobert L. CollinsStarsAngie DickinsonEarl HollimanCharles DierkopFollows Sergeant "Pepper" Anderson, LAPD's top undercover cop. A member of the Criminal Conspiracy Unit, Pepper works the wild side of the street, where she poses as everything from a gangster's moll to a streetwalker to a prison inmate.
- CreatorAnthony MarriottRoger MarshallStarsAlfred BurkeRay SmithPauline DelaneyCynical, dour and world-weary, private eye Frank Marker is frequently the unwitting stooge in bigger criminal wheels in his attempts to make a tenuous living on the outskirts of London.Perhaps the best for giving a genuine "feel" of the life of a private investigator. Often grim and sleazy and definitely unglamorous. Alfred Burke is brilliant as Frank Marker, the intelligent but (shall we say) unprosperous detective of the back streets.
- CreatorHarry BlythStarsLaurence PayneRoger FossDorothea PhillipsAdventures of the handsome, fencing detective Sexton Blake and his sidekick Tinker.Sexton Blake is a lesser-known, more muscular "Sherlock Holmes" type. He or other characters always seem to be plunging into a stygian pit of unconsciousness. The original stories are well worth a read.
- StarsStratford JohnsFrank WindsorNorman BowlerThie West Country police force solving local crime. its a spin-off from another BBC drama series, Z Cars (1962).A British masterpiece. The crimes and criminals terrified me as a child far more than any space-aliens ever could.
- StarsFrank WindsorNorman BowlerDavid Lloyd Meredith1970s BBC police drama with experienced cops DCS Charlie Barlow and DS John Watt who lead a task force charged with tackling the toughest cases Thamesford has to offer.See comments for previous entry.
- StarsDerren NesbittGeorge SewellMorris PerryGroundbreaking British police drama series following the exploits of the Special Branch of the Metropolitan Police: an elite group of officers tasked with protecting London from spies, terrorists, and subversives.Watch out for the two latter seasons in 1973 and 74, where a fine double act is made up by George Sewell and Patrick Mower as Inspectors Craven and Haggerty. The direct predecessor to "The Sweeney".
- StarsDavid CalderErick Ray EvansTrevor CooperThe adventures of the International Space Police Force, led by Nathan Spring, in 2027. The Star Cops are made up of officers from all over the world: the British Colin Devis, the Australian Pal Kenzy, the Russian Alexander Krivenko, the Japanese Anna Shoun and the American David Theroux.Not exactly sci-fi --- merely science. How an investigative agency in the near future might "police the spaceways". No aliens in sight....!
- CreatorMurray SmithStarsDon HendersonDennis BlanchFiona MollisonThe eccentric police detective George Kitchener Bulman is reluctantly transferred to a station in the North of England.Fantastic performances by all, especially Don Henderson as Bulman, the grouchy, left-wing, Shakespeare-spouting copper, the "Oliver Cromwell" of the British police (as he is often called).
- CreatorEdward HumeStarsKarl MaldenMichael DouglasReuben CollinsA veteran cop with more than twenty years of experience is teamed with a young Inspector to solve crimes in San Francisco, California.
- CreatorIan Kennedy MartinStarsJohn ThawDennis WatermanGarfield MorganJack Regan and George Carter are hard-edged detectives in the Flying Squad of London's Metropolitan Police. They pursue villains by methods which are underhanded and often illegal, frequently violent and - more often than not - successful.Wonderfully violent stuff. John Thaw before he became Inspector Morse.
- StarsJack DavenportSusannah HarkerIdris ElbaThe six-episode series, first aired in 1998, stars Jack Davenport as Detective Sergeant Michael Colefield, who discovers a secret government vampire-hunting unit while investigating the disappearance of his partner.Perhaps I cheat a little: the "criminals" are vampires. But otherwise a solid police-procedural series.
- StarsRobert StackWalter WinchellNicholas GeorgiadeSpecial Agent Eliot Ness and his elite team of incorruptable agents battle organized crime in 1930s Chicago.To heck with the weird anti-historical movie - watch the series!!!