Best TV crime solver/detective (1 Viewer)

[parasaurolophus]

Been watching The Mentalist on Amazon Prime. I really like the show (minus the lame hypnosis stuff). Got me wondering if there was one crime to solve and you could have any TV detective who would you want? Assume that their abilities are real as presented on TV. 

 

[AAABatteries]

Barney Fife

 

[AAABatteries]

Serious answer - I love Cumberbatch as Sherlock.  LOVE.

 

[jon_mx]

Columbo solved a lot of murders.  Great acting dumb shtick.  

 

[The General]

Super high version of Matthew Mcconaughey True Detective Season 1.

 

[identikit]

Rockford...Jim Rockford

 

[Sullie]

1.) Columbo is my best/favorite closely
2.) Magnum P.I. - because I spent my teenage years trying to figure out how I could live in paradise, be a beach bum detective, have tons of hot girlfriends and drive someone else's exotic cars while I live in their mansion. . . with endless use of their expensive toys, wine cellar, etc.
3.) Midsomer Murders (seasons 1-13 w/John Nettles)
4.) Sherlock is just an amazing series - I get the impression Cumberbatch is mostly being himself though
5.) Foyles War is pretty excellent

Others:
6.) If The Wire is considered a detective series then The Wire
7.) Rockford Files - I haven't watched this since I was a kid but I was glued to the tube when it was on t.v. way back when.
8.) True Detective first season was amazing

 

[whoknew]

Alec Hardy and Ellie MILLAH!

The last one I'd want is Olivia Benson. She has to be the worst non-corrupt cop on TV.

 

[Ditkaless Wonders]

Nancy Drew.  I do respect her butt, I loved to watch her strut.

 

[Barry]

Veronica

 

[Leroy Hoard]

Columbo solved a lot of murders.  Great acting dumb shtick.  

Plus he drove a cooler car than Magnum.

 

[Dan Lambskin]

The gang from Scooby-Doo

 

[General Malaise]

Murder She Wrote, down?

 

[Leroy Hoard]

The gang from Scooby-Doo

Those darn meddling kids.

 

[Osaurus]

Monk

 

[Spike]

Tough to choose between Angie Harmon and Stana Katic. 

 

[otb_lifer]

Cousin Oliver and Cindy (the great Kitty Carry-All Caper).

 

[wikkidpissah]

Philip Marlowe would be my choice but he's a movie detective, so i'll go with one of the great underdogs in crime fiction, DCS Foyle of BBC's Foyle's War

 

[belljr]

Quincy  - 

 

[Ditkaless Wonders]

Tough to choose between Angie Harmon and . 

 

[Scoresman]

Come on guys... you're all wrong.

 

[General Malaise]

I believe we are all forgetting the genius of a one Encyclopedia Brown.

 

@Encyclopedia Brown

 

[Gally]

There are a lot of options and here are some that weren't mentioned:

Shawn & Gus of Psych

Simon & Simon

NCIS Crew

Criminal Minds group

Sherlock from Elementary

Castle

A-Team (although not really sure they are solving crimes but it is a side effect for them)

Sam Beckett from Quantum Leap (he does make right what once was wrong)

Starsky & Hutch

Ponch & John

Charlies Angels

 

[zamboni]

Cousin Oliver and Cindy (the great Kitty Carry-All Caper).

Come on man, that was way before Cousin Oliver ruined the show. You're thinking of Peter, Cindy and Oliver finding mom's earrings.

 

[zamboni]

Take a bite out of crime

 

[JoeSteeler]

I believe we are all forgetting the genius of a one Encyclopedia Brown.

 

@Encyclopedia Brown

huh, had no idea there was an EB TV show

 

[JoeSteeler]

Gil Grissom

 

[otb_lifer]

Come on man, that was way before Cousin Oliver ruined the show. You're thinking of Peter, Cindy and Oliver finding mom's earrings.

Cousin Oliver = Veal John Denver 

 

[brun]

I'll go with Charlie's Angels 

 

[Tom Servo]

Murder She Wrote, down?

No no no no no.  It’s Murder...She Wrote.

 

[hagmania]

No no no, we must entrust solving this crime to the little grey cells of Hercule Poirot.

David Suchet was perfect.

 

[zamboni]

No no no no no.  It’s Murder...She Wrote.

That was a great running gag between Madden and Summerall:

https://youtu.be/qnzP1W2vSQI

 

[General Malaise]

That was a great running gag between Madden and Summerall:

https://youtu.be/qnzP1W2vSQI

That was great!

 

[The Big Donkey]

That was a great running gag between Madden and Summerall:

https://youtu.be/qnzP1W2vSQI

I miss those two in the booth.    

 

[Gally]

If its for a murder that happened months or years ago where the body has decayed then you probably have to go with the crew from Bones

 

[parrot]

Hank F'n Schrader

 

[otb_lifer]

I miss those two in the booth.    

i miss Summerall/Brookshire much, much more ... not to mention Gowdy/DeRogatis and Frank/Howie/Dandy Don - all better than any booth(s) Madden worked.  

once he (Madden) morphed from legit, fresh personality into  brand schtick it was all over, and he became a tedious watch/listen. 

 

[Mr. Ected]

Monk

There are a lot of options and here are some that weren't mentioned:

Shawn & Gus of Psych

My two favorites!

 

[Gally]

Magnum PI was always a personal hero.

I remember watching a lot of Murder She Wrote as a kid but I believe they tended to cheat, making the final solution rely on a piece of information Jessica knew but the viewer did not have until nearly the end. 

There was a Murder She Wrote/Magnum PI crossover event at one time too.

But if anyone had to solve a crime for me, just might have to be Lennie Briscoe and Mike Logan. 

Plus they always had to have it wrapped up in about 25 minutes so the lawyers could take over and prosecute the case.  They were way more efficient than these hour long detectives....

 

[pollardsvision]

Chuck Bartowski.

 

[Gally]

My two favorites!

If you liked those shows you would probably like the Mentalist as well. 

 

[Cjw_55106]

Hank F'n Schrader

You mean the guy that didn’t know his own brother-in-law was the biggest meth dealer in the world? Seems like a terrible choice.

 

[Mr. Ected]

My two favorites!

If you liked those shows you would probably like the Mentalist as well. 

Will have to look at that then! Thanks!

 

[zamboni]

Maybe not best, but big fans of Malden/Douglas growing up.

 

[Gally]

I assume that superheroes are out of the running because they are not considered detectives even if they are crime solvers.  That means no Greatest American Hero...……...

But what about MacGyver? 

 

[jrt103]

ace ventura

 

[parrot]

You mean the guy that didn’t know his own brother-in-law was the biggest meth dealer in the world? Seems like a terrible choice.

Well if he had caught on right off the bat it wouldn't have been much of a series, would it now?

 

[Osaurus]

Sledgehammer

 

[saintfool]

Not a perfect show but also in the same vein as "Rockford" and "Veronica Mars" was "Terriers". Some of the best work Donal Logue has done since the "Tao of Steve". Catchy theme song too.

 

[jabarony]

Mannix?

Barnaby Jones?

Somebody say Columbo?