Ranking the TV Detectives We’d Want Solving Crimes for Us
For as long as television has been a medium, TV detectives have been solving cases. But if we were wronged by a crime, we wouldn’t just call up any small-screen sleuth. We’d enlist the detectives below, a selection of brilliant minds from three continents and more than a half-century of television. (In fact, one of these characters has been on the job for almost a quarter-century!)
Here are the detectives, inspectors, and private eyes we’d trust to get us out of a pinch — or to find those responsible for our untimely demise!
11. Catherine Willows
If this CSI: Crime Scene Investigation and CSI: Vegas lead is working our case, it means we’re already a goner. But with Marg Helgenberger character’s dogged pursuit of the truth and her hard-earned knowledge of human behavior, we’d trust her to find justice on our behalf!
10. Lt. Columbo
Never mind his rumpled appearance and his circuitous questions, Columbo’s titular homicide detective is one of the greatest crime solvers of the small screen. When the Peter Falk character says he has “just one more thing,” you know he’s got it all worked out.
9. Precious Ramotswe
In the short-lived series The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency, Jill Scott played Botswana’s first female detective, a woman whose powers of deduction are matched only by her compassion. Whether investigating mysterious deaths or missing dogs, Precious roots out the facts of each case.
8. Adrian Monk
San Francisco’s greatest sleuth may be this detective-turned-consultant from Monk, whose obsessive-compulsive disorder coexists with a finely-tuned attention to detail. That said, the Tony Shalhoub character works best when not confronted with any of his 312 phobias.
7. Shawn Spencer
Speaking of detail-oriented consultants working with California police departments, we would be Psych-ed to have this Santa Barbara dude working our case. James Roday Rodriguez‘s character is quirky, yes, and motormouthed, sure, but he’s also hyper-observant with an eidetic memory.
6. John Luther
For brains and brawn, we’d turn to the eponymous Detective Chief Inspector from Luther, who rushes headlong into dangerous situations to catch bad blokes and keep the people of London safe. Where can you find the Idris Elba character? Start with any rooftop with a panoramic view.
5. Jessica Fletcher
The woman with the Guinness World Record for most prolific amateur sleuth, this Murder, She Wrote detective novelist solves crimes that flummox cops in the picturesque but murder-plagued Cabot Cove, Maine. Plus, the Angela Lansbury character is just so dang poised and polite!
4. Jessica Jones
The other Jessica on our ranking is Jessica Jones’ lead, a private eye with super-heroic strength and speed and an impressive invulnerability to injury. Find Krysten Ritter‘s character under the listing for Alias Investigations — and don’t be put off by her sarcastic wit!
3. Olivia Benson
Again, we’d hate to have reason to need this detective, but at least we know we’d have one of New York’s finest — and longest-serving — on the case. For close to 24 years now, Mariska Hargitay’s Law & Order: Special Victims Unit character has been solving violent crimes in the Big Apple, leading with heart each time.
2. Veronica Mars
She’s an admitted “marshmallow,” but don’t think this native of Neptune, California, can’t be tough when she needs to be. The title character of Veronica Mars, played by Kristen Bell, has been cracking cases since she was a teen who helped out her gumshoe dad at Mars Investigations, occasionally assisted by friends and canines. (R.I.P. Backup.)
1. Sherlock Holmes
In Sherlock, Benedict Cumberbatch offered a modern-day take on Arthur Conan Doyle’s “consulting detective.” He calls himself a “high-functioning sociopath” and has an off-putting drive to prove that he’s the smartest person in the room. Still, when it comes to powers of observation, deduction, and logical reasoning, no one does it better!
Watchlist Easy access to only the shows you care about — all in one simple place
Alerts Only important notifications — when a show is returning, when it becomes available to stream, and more.
Special Offers Exclusive products we release related to your favorite shows and streaming services