Best detective series
by moniquette333 | created - 04 Dec 2012 | updated - 09 Sep 2018 | Public- Instant Watch Options
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1. Columbo (1971–2003)
TV-PG | 100 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
Los Angeles homicide detective Lieutenant Columbo uses his humble ways and ingenuous demeanor to winkle out even the most well-concealed of crimes.
Stars: Peter Falk, Mike Lally, John Finnegan, Bruce Kirby
Votes: 41,963
2. Poirot (1989–2013)
TV-14 | 100 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
Hercule 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.
Stars: David Suchet, Hugh Fraser, Philip Jackson, Pauline Moran
Votes: 52,053
3. Twin Peaks (1990–1991)
TV-MA | 50 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
An idiosyncratic FBI agent investigates the murder of a young woman in the even more idiosyncratic town of Twin Peaks.
Stars: Kyle MacLachlan, Michael Ontkean, Mädchen Amick, Dana Ashbrook
Votes: 215,326
4. Criminal Minds (2005– )
TV-14 | 42 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
A group of criminal profilers who work for the FBI as members of its Behavioral Analysis Unit (BAU) using behavioral analysis and profiling to help investigate crimes and find the suspect known as the unsub.
Stars: Kirsten Vangsness, Matthew Gray Gubler, A.J. Cook, Joe Mantegna
Votes: 218,617
5. Person of Interest (2011–2016)
TV-14 | 43 min | Action, Crime, Drama
An ex-CIA agent and a wealthy programmer save lives via a surveillance AI that sends them the identities of civilians involved in impending crimes. However, the details of the crimes, including the civilians' roles, are left a mystery.
Stars: Jim Caviezel, Taraji P. Henson, Kevin Chapman, Michael Emerson
Votes: 188,943
6. Elementary (2012–2019)
TV-14 | 60 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
A crime-solving duo that cracks the NYPD's most impossible cases. Following his fall from grace in London, eccentric Sherlock escapes to New York where his father forces him to live with his worst nightmare - a sober companion, Dr. Watson.
Stars: Jonny Lee Miller, Lucy Liu, Aidan Quinn, Jon Michael Hill
Votes: 119,009
7. Perception (2012–2015)
TV-14 | 42 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
Dr. Daniel Pierce is an eccentric neuropsychiatrist who uses his unique outlook to help the federal government solve complex criminal cases.
Stars: Eric McCormack, Rachael Leigh Cook, Kelly Rowan, Arjay Smith
Votes: 22,847
8. Dexter (2006–2013)
TV-MA | 60 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
He's smart. He's lovable. He's Dexter Morgan, America's favorite serial killer, who spends his days solving crimes and nights committing them.
Stars: Michael C. Hall, Jennifer Carpenter, David Zayas, James Remar
Votes: 765,503
9. Monk (2002–2009)
TV-PG | 44 min | Comedy, Crime, Drama
The 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.
Stars: Tony Shalhoub, Jason Gray-Stanford, Ted Levine, Traylor Howard
Votes: 88,348
10. Life (I) (2007–2009)
TV-14 | 45 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
Detective Charlie Crews was framed, convicted and cleared for a crime he didn't commit. Twelve years of hard time have given him a unique philosophy on life and criminal investigation. Now he's readjusting to a world that's moved on.
Stars: Damian Lewis, Sarah Shahi, Adam Arkin, Brent Sexton
Votes: 35,279
11. Castle (2009–2016)
TV-14 | 43 min | Comedy, Crime, Drama
When a psychopath commits murders based on novelist Castle's books, Detective Beckett seeks his help to solve the case. He decides to work with her and uses his experiences as research for his novels.
Stars: Nathan Fillion, Stana Katic, Susan Sullivan, Jon Huertas
Votes: 174,347
12. Boston Legal (2004–2008)
TV-14 | 44 min | Comedy, Crime, Drama
Boston Legal is a spin-off of the long-running David E. Kelley series The Practice (1997), following the exploits of former Practice character Alan Shore (James Spader) at the legal firm of Crane, Poole, and Schmidt.
Stars: James Spader, William Shatner, Candice Bergen, Rene Auberjonois
Votes: 49,995
13. The Rockford Files (1974–1980)
TV-PG | 50 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
The cases of an easy-going ex-convict turned private investigator.
Stars: James Garner, Noah Beery Jr., Joe Santos, Luis Delgado
Votes: 10,866
14. Numb3rs (2005–2010)
TV-PG | 43 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
Working for the F.B.I., a mathematician uses equations to help solve various crimes.
Stars: Rob Morrow, David Krumholtz, Judd Hirsch, Alimi Ballard
Votes: 45,735
15. Remington Steele (1982–1987)
TV-PG | 60 min | Action, Adventure, Comedy
The cases of a female private detective partnered with a former thief who assumes the role of a fictitious detective in the business.
Stars: Stephanie Zimbalist, Pierce Brosnan, Doris Roberts, James Read
Votes: 9,975
16. Miss Marple: A Pocketful of Rye (1985)
Not Rated | 103 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
When a handful of grain is found in the pocket of a murdered businessman, Miss Marple seeks a murderer with a penchant for nursery rhymes.
Stars: Joan Hickson, Fabia Drake, Stacy Dorning, Martyn Stanbridge
Votes: 2,292
17. Rosemary & Thyme (2003–2006)
TV-PG | 48 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
Set amongst the stunning gardens of Europe, Rosemary Boxer and Laura Thyme, two professional gardeners, find themselves drawn into solving mysterious crimes.
Stars: Felicity Kendal, Pam Ferris, Ryan Philpott, Daisy Dunlop
Votes: 5,324
18. Inspector George Gently (2007–2017)
TV-MA | 89 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
With the help of DS John Bacchus, Inspector George Gently spends his days bringing to justice members of the criminal underworld who are unfortunate enough to have the intrepid investigator assigned to their cases.
Stars: Martin Shaw, Lee Ingleby, Simon Hubbard, Lisa McGrillis
Votes: 8,520
19. Foyle's War (2002–2015)
TV-14 | 90 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
As WWII rages, DCS Foyle fights his own war on the home-front; investigating crime on the south coast of England. Later series, see the retired detective working as an MI5 agent in the aftermath of the war.
Stars: Michael Kitchen, Honeysuckle Weeks, Anthony Howell, Ellie Haddington
Votes: 18,256
20. Inspector Lewis (2006–2015)
TV-PG | 90 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
DI Robert Lewis and DS James Hathaway solve the tough cases that the learned inhabitants of Oxford throw at them.
Stars: Kevin Whately, Laurence Fox, Clare Holman, Rebecca Front
Votes: 15,862
21. A Touch of Frost (1992–2010)
TV-MA | 105 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
DI Jack Frost is an unconventional policeman with sympathy for the underdog and an instinct for moral justice. Sloppy, disorganized, and disrespectful, he attracts trouble like a magnet.
Stars: David Jason, Bruce Alexander, John Lyons, Arthur White
Votes: 8,740
22. Midsomer Murders (1997– )
TV-14 | 90 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
A veteran Detective Chief Inspector and his young Sergeant investigate murders around the regional community of Midsomer County.
Stars: John Nettles, Jane Wymark, Barry Jackson, Neil Dudgeon
Votes: 39,412
23. The Inspector Lynley Mysteries (2001–2007)
TV-14 | 90 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
British crime investigation series based around aristocratic, Oxford-educated Detective Inspector Thomas Lynley and his working-class assistant Sergeant Barbara Havers.
Stars: Nathaniel Parker, Sharon Small, Lesley Vickerage, Paul Hickey
Votes: 5,745
24. Dalziel and Pascoe (1996–2007)
TV-14 | 120 min | Crime, Mystery, Drama
Superintendent Dalziel and partner DI Pascoe investigate murder, and find a bond forming between them despite their blatantly different personalities.
Stars: Warren Clarke, Colin Buchanan, David Royle, Jennifer James
Votes: 3,305
25. White Collar (2009–2014)
TV-PG | 40 min | Comedy, Crime, Drama
A white-collar criminal agrees to help the FBI catch other white-collar criminals using his expertise as an art and securities thief, counterfeiter, and conman.
Stars: Matt Bomer, Tim DeKay, Willie Garson, Tiffani Thiessen
Votes: 141,206
26. Cold Case (2003–2010)
TV-14 | 44 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
The Philadelphia homicide squad's lone female detective finds her calling when she's assigned "cold cases," older crimes that have never been solved.
Stars: Kathryn Morris, Danny Pino, John Finn, Jeremy Ratchford
Votes: 31,465
27. Law & Order (1990– )
TV-14 | 45 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
New 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.
Stars: Jerry Orbach, Jesse L. Martin, Dennis Farina, Sam Waterston
Votes: 44,548
28. NYPD Blue (1993–2005)
TV-14 | 45 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
Detectives from NYPD's 15th Precinct investigate homicides within their precinct.
Stars: Dennis Franz, Jimmy Smits, Gordon Clapp, James McDaniel
Votes: 16,329
29. CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (2000–2015)
TV-14 | 60 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
In Las Vegas, a squad of forensic investigators are trained to solve crimes by meticulously examining the evidence. They employ advanced technology and their rationality to detect the perpetrators.
Stars: William Petersen, Laurence Fishburne, Ted Danson, George Eads
Votes: 89,090
30. The Mentalist (2008–2015)
TV-14 | 43 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
A famous "psychic" outs himself as a fake, and starts working as a consultant for the California Bureau of Investigation so he can find "Red John", the madman who killed his wife and daughter.
Stars: Simon Baker, Robin Tunney, Tim Kang, Owain Yeoman
Votes: 200,527
31. Bones (2005–2017)
TV-14 | 40 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
F.B.I. Special Agent Seeley Booth teams up with the Jeffersonian's top anthropologist, Dr. Temperance Brennan, to investigate cases where all that's left of the victims are their bones.
Stars: Emily Deschanel, David Boreanaz, Michaela Conlin, T.J. Thyne
Votes: 176,169
32. Crossing Jordan (2001–2007)
TV-14 | 60 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
Brash, stubborn and resourceful ME Jordan Cavanaugh revives her career in Boston, occasionally breaking the rules and ticking off the cops or her co-workers. On the home front, she gets crime-solving help from her retired-cop dad.
Stars: Jill Hennessy, Miguel Ferrer, Ravi Kapoor, Steve Valentine
Votes: 12,281
33. Rizzoli & Isles (2010–2016)
TV-14 | Crime, Drama, Mystery
Detective Jane Rizzoli and Chief Medical Examiner Dr. Maura Isles team up to solve crimes in Boston.
Stars: Angie Harmon, Sasha Alexander, Jordan Bridges, Bruce McGill
Votes: 38,020
34. The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes (1984–1985)
TV-PG | 688 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
Sherlock 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.
Stars: Jeremy Brett, David Burke, Rosalie Williams, Eric Porter
Votes: 24,210
35. The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes (1994)
TV-PG | 51 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
The last installment of Sherlock Holmes' investigations.
Stars: Jeremy Brett, Rosalie Williams, Edward Hardwicke, Charles Gray
Votes: 8,323
36. Waking the Dead (2000–2011)
TV-14 | 100 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
Drama series following a team of detectives who investigate unsolved murders using modern technology.
Stars: Trevor Eve, Sue Johnston, Wil Johnson, Tara Fitzgerald
Votes: 6,432
37. Murdoch Mysteries (2008– )
TV-PG | 48 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
In the 1890s, William Murdoch uses radical forensic techniques for the time, including fingerprinting and trace evidence, to solve some of the city's most gruesome murders.
Stars: Yannick Bisson, Helene Joy, Thomas Craig, Jonny Harris
Votes: 17,456
38. Psych (2006–2014)
TV-PG | 44 min | Comedy, Crime, Mystery
When a novice sleuth convinces the police he has psychic powers, he and his reluctant best friend are hired on as consultants to help solve complicated cases.
Stars: James Roday Rodriguez, Dulé Hill, Timothy Omundson, Corbin Bernsen
Votes: 105,713
39. Crossing Lines (2013–2015)
TV-14 | 1,530 min | Action, Crime, Drama
A special crime unit investigates serialized crimes that cross over European borders, to hunt down criminals and bring them to justice.
Stars: Tom Wlaschiha, Donald Sutherland, Lara Rossi, William Fichtner
Votes: 13,803
40. Lie to Me (2009–2011)
TV-14 | 43 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
About Cal Lightman, the world's leading deception expert who studies facial expressions and involuntary body language to expose the truth behind the lies.
Stars: Tim Roth, Kelli Williams, Brendan Hines, Monica Raymund
Votes: 127,825
41. The Closer (2005–2012)
TV-14 | 46 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
Deputy Police Chief Brenda Johnson runs the Priority Homicide Division of the LAPD with an unorthodox style. Her innate ability to read people and obtain confessions helps her and her team solve the city's toughest, most sensitive cases.
Stars: Kyra Sedgwick, J.K. Simmons, Corey Reynolds, Robert Gossett
Votes: 28,912
42. Prime Suspect (2011–2012)
TV-14 | 60 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller
Jane Timoney, an iconoclastic female detective, must make her bones in a tough New York precinct that is dominated by men.
Stars: Maria Bello, Brían F. O'Byrne, Kirk Acevedo, Peter Gerety
Votes: 4,083
43. Luther (2010–2019)
TV-MA | 60 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
John Luther is a brilliant homicide detective with a knack for getting inside the minds of murderers. Unfortunately, his unconventional methods and personal demons put him at odds with his team.
Stars: Idris Elba, Dermot Crowley, Michael Smiley, Warren Brown
Votes: 154,262
44. Grantchester (2014–2025)
TV-14 | 45 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
A Cambridgeshire clergyman finds himself investigating a series of mysterious wrongdoings in his small village of Grantchester.
Stars: Robson Green, Tessa Peake-Jones, Al Weaver, Kacey Ainsworth
Votes: 17,176
45. Vera (2011–2025)
TV-PG | 90 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
With her caustic wit and singular charm, DCI Vera Stanhope leads her team as they face a series of captivating murder mysteries set against the breathtaking Northumberland landscape.
Stars: Brenda Blethyn, Jon Morrison, Riley Jones, Kenny Doughty
Votes: 20,035
46. Ruth Rendell Mysteries (1987–2000)
TV-14 | 60 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
From cold, rock-strewn moors to comfortable suburban estates, award-winning writer Ruth Rendell explores the dark fissures between friends and family members that motivate murder.
Stars: George Baker, Christopher Ravenscroft, Louie Ramsay, Ken Kitson
Votes: 693
47. Mystery!: Cadfael (1994–1998)
TV-14 | 983 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
The medieval era cases of a Crusader-turned-Monk who investigates mysteries in the Norman English town of Shrewsbury.
Stars: Derek Jacobi, Michael Culver, Julian Firth, Terrence Hardiman
Votes: 3,110
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