Let’s be honest—there’s something magical about a good TV detective. They make it seem like solving a complex murder requires nothing more than a well-timed hunch and maybe a steaming mug of tea. Over the years, our screens have been graced with all kinds of sleuths: clever, quirky, tortured, hilarious, and sometimes all of the above. Whether they’re hunting down murderers or simply hunting down their demons, these are the TV detectives who’ve stayed with us. So here’s a top ten countdown of the greatest TV detectives—beginning with the latest crop and heading right back to the old masters.
10. River (2015)
If tortured geniuses are your cup of tea, River pays dividends. Stellan Skarsgård stars as Detective John River, a man tormented—literally and emotionally—by the murder of his partner. He has visions, converses with the dead (or maybe his guilty conscience), and toes the thin line between genius and collapse. Abi Morgan’s brooding six-parter is gripping and unshakeable. Just don’t hold out for much comic relief.
9. Castle (2009– )
What happens when a mystery writer teams up with the NYPD? Castle, that’s what. Nathan Fillion brings his trademark charm as the title character, a best-selling novelist who tags along with detective Kate Beckett (Stana Katic) and turns the partnership into something more. With witty dialogue, romantic tension, and surprisingly solid mysteries, Castle made murder look like a blast—well, almost.
8. Medium (2005–2011)
Allison DuBois doesn’t only crack cases—she dreams them up. Patricia Arquette stars as the sleep-starved psychic who aids detectives in catching killers while navigating a dysfunctional domestic life. One moment, she’s having visions of murder; the next, she’s confronting a toddler tantrum. Medium teeters between supernatural thriller and family drama, and succeeds where few shows even attempt it.
7. Veronica Mars (2004–2007)
Teen noir? Heaven, yes. Kristen Bell plays Veronica Mars, a brainy high school student with a smart mouth and smarter put-downs. Balancing homework and private eyes, she exposes the seedy underbelly of her sun-kissed SoCal suburb. Each season is like one long mystery novel, and Veronica’s combination of tough-love grit, sentiment, and sarcasm made her a legend before the film and reboot arrived.
6. The Last Detective (2003–2007)
Say hello to Dangerous Davies—he’s the nicest cop to ever cross your television screen. Brought to life with kindness by Peter Davison, Davies is the one person who underestimates him, but that’s his trump card. Based on the novels of Leslie Thomas, this unassuming gem presents low-key charm, kind humor, and a sleuth who shows that niceness and persistence can solve the case just as well.
5. A Nero Wolfe Mystery (2001–2002)
Imagine Sherlock Holmes with a passion for orchids and haute cuisine. Nero Wolfe (Maury Chaykin) is a genius, hermit-like detective who cracks killings without venturing beyond his New York brownstone. Archie Goodwin (Tim Hutton), his dashing, wit-loving sidekick, enters the picture. An adaptation of Rex Stout’s books, this brief-lived series is packed with wisecracking patter, period detail, and quirky charm.
4. Inspector Montalbano (1999– )
Sun, seafood, and sleuthing—Montalbano brings a decidedly Mediterranean flavor to the crime drama. Luca Zingaretti stars as the quick but relaxed detective dealing with corruption, crime, and food in Sicily. It’s got humor, heart, and an awful lot of Italian flavor. You may not catch every other word of the dialect, but the atmosphere is indelible.
3. Jonathan Creek (1997– )
What’s a magician’s assistant do when they are solving murders? A delightfully strange mystery series. Alan Davies stars as Jonathan Creek, a stranger who uses logic and wonder to solve impossible crimes. The initial seasons, particularly those featuring Caroline Quentin, are brimming with deadpan humor and intelligent “howdunit” tricks. It’s a mite quirky—and the better for it.
2. Cracker (1993–1995)
Robbie Coltrane’s Fitz is not your average hero. He’s obese, a chain smoker, has a drinking problem, and is frequently his own worst enemy. But he’s also an incisive psychologist who can read people like a book. Cracker is gritty, bleak, and uncompromising—a character study as well as a detective series. Few heroes are as human or as intriguing as Fitz.
1. Inspector Morse (1987–2000)
First on the list is the iconic Morse, acted with seriousness by John Thaw. A cantankerous, educated detective with an opera and crossword obsession, Morse is as mysterious as the murder mysteries he solves. Against the beautiful backdrop of Oxford’s dreaming spires, Inspector Morse set the standard for British detective programming. The cases are complicated, the prose is acidic, and the collaboration with dependable Sergeant Lewis gives Morse’s sharp intellect a human face.
Brainy, broken, or just weird, no matter what your taste in detectives, these ten left an indelible mark on the history of television. They solved the case, they captured our hearts, and they made us believe—just long enough—that we, too, could crack a murder from the comfort of our living rooms.