Search results
A curated list of 42 TV shows that feature detectives, investigations, and mysteries. From Fargo to True Detective, see the ratings, genres, creators, and stars of each series.
- EW Staff
- Jessica Fletcher (Murder, She Wrote) From the catchy intro to the cavalcade of guest stars with delightfully daffy Maine accents, rewatching Murder, She Wrote now is as cozy as sipping a warm cup of tea on a snowy night.
- Columbo. He could be anybody or nobody. Shabby hair, jacket big enough to swim in, one of those faces, a voice that mumbles a low tobacco rasp. The killers barely notice the unkempt LAPD detective.
- Sherlock and Watson. No list of pop culture detectives would be complete without the boys of Baker Street. In the last century, Arthur Conan Doyle's legendary heroes have been adapted so many times, they're practically synonymous with the word "mystery."
- Philip Marlowe. If Sam Spade invented the hardboiled detective, Philip Marlowe perfected it. As wisecracking and hard-drinking as Spade, Marlowe also has a touch of something gentler about him, as a philosophical creature with a soft spot for chess and poetry.
- Columbo. The archetypical TV detective, Lt. Columbo is portrayed in all his frumpled-ness by Peter Falk, with a voice as rusty as the transmission on his Peugot 403.
- Poker Face. Detective shows may have never really left TV, but Poker Face is definitely one of the most talked-about new titles in the category. While the bulk of the series is a a murder-of-the-week procedural crime drama, the murders that Charlie Cale (Natasha Lyonne) investigates are anything but routine.
- The Wire. The Wire isn't just a great detective show, but to quote Elvis Costello it also showed us what it's like when you're the criminals watching the detectives.
- Broadchurch. 2013 was a banner year for crime dramas, with Broadchurch at the head of class. Each of the episodes peeled away another layer of the complicated mystery of the murder of a young boy named Danny Latimer in a small beach community.
The top 100 crime shows on television from the late 1980s until the present day.
- Agatha Christie's Poirot. David Suchet, Hugh Fraser, Philip Jackson. 1,412 votes. This classic detective show features the brilliant Belgian sleuth Hercule Poirot, played by David Suchet.
- Sherlock. Benedict Cumberbatch, Martin Freeman, Andrew Scott. 2,845 votes. Dive into the thrilling world of Sherlock, where the genius detective, played by Benedict Cumberbatch, unravels mysteries alongside his loyal friend Dr. John Watson (Martin Freeman).
- Columbo. Peter Falk, Mike Lally, John Finnegan. 1,921 votes. Step back in time to witness Lieutenant Columbo (Peter Falk) solving crimes with his unassuming demeanor and seemingly disorganized approach.
- Monk. Tony Shalhoub, Ted Levine, Traylor Howard. 1,858 votes. Meet Adrian Monk (Tony Shalhoub), a former police detective turned private consultant whose obsessive-compulsive disorder both hinders and enhances his crime-solving abilities.
True Detective: Created by Nic Pizzolatto, Issa López. With Matthew McConaughey, Colin Farrell, Mahershala Ali, Woody Harrelson. Anthology series in which police investigations unearth the personal and professional secrets of those involved, both within and outside the law.
May 28, 2024 · Detective series have been the staple of most television networks due to their high viewership. Recently, Netflix has done a great job producing original works and bringing in other shows to a broad international audience.
