1970s TV Detective Shows
by skonto-70240 | created - 5 months ago | updated - 5 months ago | PublicPopular and long forgotten TV detective / police shows of the 1970s from both sides of the pond - some started to air earlier than 1970, but all were being made and airing during the 1970s
- Instant Watch Options
- Genres
- Movies or TV
- IMDb Rating
- In Theaters
- Release Year
- Keywords
1. Petrocelli (1974–1976)
60 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
A Harvard-educated lawyer from Boston sets up shop in a small Arizona town.
Stars: Barry Newman, Susan Howard, Albert Salmi, Arnold Jeffers
Votes: 1,048
2. Switch (1975–1978)
90 min | Action, Crime, Drama
Ex-cop Frank McBride and ex-con Pete Ryan start their own detective agency.
Stars: Robert Wagner, Eddie Albert, Charlie Callas, Sharon Gless
Votes: 482
3. 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: 10,872
4. 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: 41,990
5. Starsky and Hutch (1975–1979)
TV-14 | 60 min | Action, Crime, Drama
Two streetwise cops bust criminals in their red-and-white Ford Gran Torino, with the help of police snitch, Huggy Bear.
Stars: David Soul, Paul Michael Glaser, Antonio Fargas, Bernie Hamilton
Votes: 10,642
6. Kojak (1973–1978)
TV-PG | 60 min | Action, Crime, Drama
A bald, lollipop sucking police detective with a fiery righteous attitude battles crime in his city.
Stars: Telly Savalas, Dan Frazer, Kevin Dobson, George Savalas
Votes: 8,883
7. McCloud (1970–1977)
TV-PG | 120 min | Action, Crime, Drama
A New Mexico deputy marshal gets assigned to Manhattan's 27th Precinct.
Stars: Dennis Weaver, J.D. Cannon, Terry Carter, Ken Lynch
Votes: 3,762
8. The Streets of San Francisco (1972–1977)
TV-PG | 60 min | Action, Crime, Drama
A veteran cop with more than twenty years of experience is teamed with a young Inspector to solve crimes in San Francisco, California.
Stars: Karl Malden, Michael Douglas, Reuben Collins, Richard Hatch
Votes: 6,903
9. Hawaii Five-O (1968–1980)
TV-PG | 60 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
The investigations of Hawaii Five-0, an elite branch of the Hawaii State Police answerable only to the governor and headed by stalwart Steve McGarrett.
Stars: Jack Lord, James MacArthur, Kam Fong, Herman Wedemeyer
Votes: 8,182
10. Hart to Hart (1979–1984)
TV-PG | 60 min | Action, Adventure, Crime
The globe-trotting adventures of amateur detectives Jonathan and Jennifer Hart.
Stars: Robert Wagner, Stefanie Powers, Lionel Stander, Lee Wilkof
Votes: 8,793
11. CHiPs (1977–1983)
TV-PG | 60 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
The adventures of two California Highway Patrol motorcycle officers.
Stars: Erik Estrada, Larry Wilcox, Robert Pine, Paul Linke
Votes: 11,501
12. Charlie's Angels (1976–1981)
TV-PG | 60 min | Action, Adventure, Crime
A wealthy mystery man named Charlie runs a detective agency via a speakerphone and his personal assistant, John Bosley. His detectives are three beautiful women, who end up in a variety of difficult situations.
Stars: Kate Jackson, Farrah Fawcett, Jaclyn Smith, David Doyle
Votes: 14,381
13. Harry O (1973–1976)
60 min | Action, Crime, Drama
After being shot in the line of duty, Harry Orwell was forced to retire from the San Diego Police Department. To supplement his police pension, Harry runs a private detective agency out of his beach house.
Stars: David Janssen, Anthony Zerbe, Paul Tulley, Henry Darrow
Votes: 928
14. Ironside (1967–1975)
TV-PG | 60 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
Wheelchair-using, crime-fighting detective Robert T. Ironside battles the bad guys on the streets of San Francisco.
Stars: Raymond Burr, Don Galloway, Don Mitchell, Barbara Anderson
Votes: 4,098
15. Cannon (1971–1976)
TV-PG | 60 min | Action, Crime, Drama
Frank Cannon, a husky ex-cop and culinary enthusiast, solves tough cases as a private investigator.
Stars: William Conrad, Patrick Culliton, Tom Pittman, Charles Bateman
Votes: 3,611
16. Barlow at Large (1971–1975)
50 min | Drama
Spin-off from Softly Softly Task Force, in which Detective Chief Superintendent Barlow undertakes special assignments for the Home Office.
Stars: Stratford Johns, Neil Stacy, Derek Newark, Norman Comer
Votes: 25
17. Fraud Squad (1969–1970)
60 min | Crime, Drama
A well-remembered police procedural drama from the late 1960s, this show showcases the exploits of Detective Inspector Gamble (Patrick O'Connell) and his aide, Detective Sergeant Vicky ... See full summary »
Stars: Patrick O'Connell, Joanna Van Gyseghem, Ralph Nossek, Elizabeth Weaver
Votes: 43
18. The Sweeney (1975–1978)
TV-PG | 51 min | Action, Crime, Drama
Jack Regan and George Carter are hard-edged detectives in the Flying Squad of London's Metropolitan Police. They pursue villains by methods which are underhanded and often illegal, frequently violent and - more often than not - successful.
Stars: John Thaw, Dennis Waterman, Garfield Morgan, John Alkin
Votes: 2,651
19. Dixon of Dock Green (1955–1976)
Crime, Drama
Constable George Dixon and his colleagues at the Dock Green police station in the East End of London deal with petty crime, successfully controlling it through common sense and human understanding.
Stars: Jack Warner, Peter Byrne, Geoffrey Adams, Arthur Rigby
Votes: 309
20. Van der Valk (1972–1992)
120 min | Crime, Drama
Cynical Dutch Detective Commissaris and his colleagues investigate murders, kidnappings, and political corruption.
Stars: Barry Foster, Michael Latimer, Joanna Dunham, Susan Travers
Votes: 538
21. Z Cars (1962–1978)
TV-14 | Crime, Drama
A gritty drama which follows the work of the police force in the fictional town of Newtown in the North of England.
Stars: James Ellis, John Slater, Douglas Fielding, Bernard Holley
Votes: 381
22. Public Eye (1965–1975)
60 min | Crime, Drama
Cynical, dour and world-weary, private eye Frank Marker is frequently the unwitting stooge in bigger criminal wheels in his attempts to make a tenuous living on the outskirts of London.
Stars: Alfred Burke, Ray Smith, Pauline Delaney, Brenda Cavendish
Votes: 427
23. Second Verdict (1976)
Crime
The popular pair of detectives from Softly, Softly, Barlow and Watt, lend their expertise to solving famous real-life cases.
Stars: Stratford Johns, Frank Windsor, Robert Henderson, Ronald Lacey
Votes: 7
24. Special Branch (1969–1974)
60 min | Action, Crime, Drama
Groundbreaking British police drama series following the exploits of the Special Branch of the Metropolitan Police: an elite group of officers tasked with protecting London from spies, terrorists, and subversives.
Stars: Derren Nesbitt, George Sewell, Morris Perry, Fulton Mackay
Votes: 195
25. Softly Softly (1966–1969)
50 min | Crime, Drama
Thie West Country police force solving local crime. its a spin-off from another BBC drama series, Z Cars (1962).
Stars: Stratford Johns, Frank Windsor, Norman Bowler, John Barron
Votes: 123
26. Parkin's Patch (1969–1970)
30 min | Crime, Drama
Shown at Saturday teatime, this series centred around a village policeman and the drama that his everyday duties brought him into contact with. A sort of forerunner to "Heartbeat", it was also set in Yorkshire.
Stars: John Flanagan, Heather Page, Gareth Thomas, Robert Urquhart
Votes: 27
27. Quincy M.E. (1976–1983)
TV-PG | 60 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
The cases of a brilliant, if Irascible, coroner who investigates suspicious deaths which usually suggest murder.
Stars: Jack Klugman, John S. Ragin, Robert Ito, Joseph Roman
Votes: 7,328
28. My Partner the Ghost (1969–1971)
Not Rated | 60 min | Action, Comedy, Crime
When Hopkirk gets killed, he reappears as a ghost - pretty handy to have around in this line of work.
Stars: Mike Pratt, Kenneth Cope, Annette Andre, Ivor Dean
Votes: 1,509
Tell Your Friends