The Most Brilliant TV Detectives

Ranker ^ | no date given | no author given

[Leaning Right]

Just for fun, here's a list of the top 100 TV detectives as determined by the Ranker community.

[yarddog]

Have those idiots never heard of “Sgt. Preston of the Yukon”?

[Robert DeLong]

Bond, James Bond Action , Comedy , Music | TV Series (2012– )

See also:

Casino Royale (Climax!)

"Casino Royale" is a live 1954 television adaptation of the novel of the same name by Ian Fleming. An episode of the American dramatic anthology series Climax!, the show is the first screen adaptation of a James Bond novel and stars Barry Nelson, Peter Lorre, and Linda Christian. Though this marks the first onscreen appearance of the secret agent, Nelson's Bond is played as an American spy with "Combined Intelligence Agency" and is referred to as "Jimmy" by several characters.

But you are correct, not a detective.

[yarddog]

I always liked Columbo and Peter Faulk until I heard Columbo say, “I don’t like guns”. Suddenly lost interest.

Also, Columbo was a knock off of Porfiry Petrovitch from “Crime and Punishment”.

[Leaning Right]

I am a huge Charlie Chan fan. His movies are available on DVD. The “collection” ones I bought on Amazon were remastered. The movies look crisp, and brand new.

https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_c_1_12?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=charlie+chan+dvd+collection&sprefix=charlie+chan%2Caps%2C212&crid=3C3M92FUQDX5W

[Savrola]

Love The Detectorists. It’s possibly the most ‘English’ show on TV. Always makes me long for a countryside pub. Guaranteed to make an exiled Brit feel homesick.

On the detective front, I think Morse is the best British one, Columbo the best American, and Holmes is the granddaddy of them all.

[Leaning Right]

I always liked Columbo and Peter Faulk until I heard Columbo say, “I don’t like guns”. Suddenly lost interest. <

Yep, that’s a big strike against that show. Columbo would show up at the murderer’s house alone, and unarmed. In the real world, a murderer would - shall we say - take advantage of that.

[Savrola]

I don’t agree that Holmes never shone on TV.

For me, at least, the Jeremy Brett series was close to perfection.

[yarddog]

I agree, Brett was very good.

The best actor was Basil Rathbone unfortunately he was saddled with what the British call “Quota Quickies”. Low budget but great acting.

BTW, Nigel Bruce was a great singer.

[JoeSixPack1]

Charlie Chan
Columbo
Doctor Blake Mysteries
Frankie Drake Mysteries
Midsomer Murders
Miss Fishers Murder Mysteries
Mr Moto
Mr Wong
Murdoch Mysteries
Sherlock Holmes
The Thin Man

My “current” favorites,,,, Alphabeticaly

[Leaning Right]

Interesting list there. I’ve never heard of “Miss Fishers Murder Mysteries”. But I see that there are clips of the show on YouTube. As Miss Fisher looks kinda cute, I think it might be worth further investigation on my part.

[Savrola]

‘BTW, Nigel Bruce was a great singer.’

Was he, really? Clearly a talented guy. Also a decent cricketer in his youth I think I read. He later played for the star-studded Hollywood Cricket Club, which included Errol Flynn, Cary Grant, Basil Rathbone, David Niven, Boris Karloff, and it seems any other British Commonwealth types that strayed too close. Would have loved to have watched them.

[Eric in the Ozarks]

Peter Gunn..?

[hanamizu]

Any fans of the British TV show The Detectorists here?

---

Binge watched seasons 1 & 2, have to wait for season 3 to come to YouTube. Nice escape from politics. Almost makes me want to buy a detector but I doubt I’ll find Saxon or Roman treasure here in SE Missouri.

[pax_et_bonum]

[yarddog]

In one of the Sherlock Holmes movies, Bruce and a girl who was supposed to be a professional singer do “Loch Lomond”. Holmes declares that they are good enough for Royal Albert Hall.

He was right.

[Savrola]

Season 3 of The Detectorists is really worth the wait. Hope you catch it soon. Just a magnificently gentle piece of television (how often to we get to say that these days?).

If you do get detecting in SE Missouri, don’t forget to do a little dance if you find any gold!

[Leaning Right]

> Bruce and a girl who was supposed to be a professional singer do “Loch Lomond” <

Here ya go. It starts at the 51:10 mark.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_2DgG4KWr54

[ridesthemiles]

There is ONLY ONE Thomas Magnum......

CBS is riding Sellek’s coattails.

He is still sexy—in Blue Bloods.

[trisham]

He’s good in Blue Bloods. I never watched Magnum.

[yarddog]

Thanks, I will get around to watching that.

I actually have most of those movies on DVD including a maybe 10 minute film of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. He really does remind me of Bruce.