Best Detectives/Private Investigators/Film Noir
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- CreatorRobert DohertyStarsJonny Lee MillerLucy LiuAidan QuinnA 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.
- CreatorIan La FrenaisStarsIan McShaneDudley SuttonChris JuryLovejoy is an irresistible rogue with a keen eye for antiques. The part-time detective scours the murky salerooms, auction halls and stately homes of Britain, always on the lookout for a find.
- StarsDavid SuchetHugh FraserPhilip JacksonHercule 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.
- DirectorRian JohnsonStarsDaniel CraigChris EvansAna de ArmasA detective investigates the death of the patriarch of an eccentric, combative family.
- CreatorRichard Alan SimmonsStarsKate MulgrewHenry JonesLili HaydnMrs. Kate Columbo, wife of the famous lieutenant, solves crimes as a reporter, while raising her little daughter.
- CreatorPeter S. FischerRichard LevinsonWilliam LinkStarsAngela LansburyWilliam WindomRon MasakProfessional writer and amateur sleuth Jessica Fletcher uses her intellect, charm, and persistence to get to the bottom of every crime she encounters.
- CreatorAndy BreckmanStarsTony ShalhoubJason Gray-StanfordTed LevineThe 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.
- CreatorSteve FranksStarsJames Roday RodriguezDulé HillTimothy OmundsonWhen 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.
- DirectorAlfred HitchcockStarsCary GrantGrace KellyJessie Royce LandisA retired jewel thief sets out to prove his innocence after being suspected of returning to his former occupation.
- CreatorDonald P. BellisarioGlen A. LarsonStarsTom SelleckJohn HillermanRoger E. MosleyThe adventures of a Hawaii-based private investigator.
- CreatorRichard LindheimMichael SloanStarsEdward WoodwardKeith SzarabajkaRobert LansingA retired Intelligence Agent turned private detective helps various threatened clients to equalize the odds.
- CreatorJohn HoffmanSteve MartinStarsSteve MartinMartin ShortSelena GomezThree strangers - who live in the same New York City apartment building and share an obsession with true crime - suddenly find themselves embroiled in a murder.
- CreatorJohn HawkesworthStarsJeremy BrettEdward HardwickeRosalie WilliamsSherlock Holmes and Dr Watson solve the mysteries of the devil's foot, Silver Blaze, Wisteria Lodge and the Bruce-Partington Plans.
- CreatorGlen A. LarsonStarsShaun CassidyParker StevensonEd GilbertThe cases of a pair of teen detective brothers and a teen girl amateur sleuth.
- CreatorAnthony WilsonStarsGeorge PeppardRalph ManzaMurray MathesonThe adventures of proud Polish-American freelance insurance investigator Thomas Banacek.
- CreatorJohn WilderStarsRobert UrichAvery BrooksRon McLartyMystery and suspense series based on Robert Parker's "Spenser" novels. Spenser, a private investigator living in Boston, gets involved in a new murder mystery each episode.
- CreatorMarti NoxonStarsAmy AdamsPatricia ClarksonChris MessinaAfter treating her mental illness, crime reporter Camille Preaker returns to her hometown to solve the murder of two young girls. However, she is forced to face and deal with her own demons too.
- DirectorBrian MillsStarsJeremy BrettEdward HardwickeRaymond AdamsonWhen the latest heir to the Baskerville estate seems to be threatened by a family curse, only the master detective, Sherlock Holmes, can find out the truth.
- DirectorJean-Jacques AnnaudStarsSean ConneryChristian SlaterHelmut QualtingerAn intellectually nonconformist friar investigates a series of mysterious deaths in an isolated abbey.
- StarsRoger MooreIvor DeanLeslie CrawfordSimon "The Saint" Templar, a wealthy adventurer and 20th-century Robin Hood, travels the world in his white Volvo P1800S, solving unsolvable problems and righting wrongs.
- CreatorAnthony HorowitzStarsMichael KitchenHoneysuckle WeeksAnthony HowellAs 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.
- StarsRonald HowardHoward Marion-CrawfordArchie DuncanThe adventures of master detective Sherlock Holmes as he and his assistant, Dr. Watson--and, somewhat reluctantly, the bumbling Inspector Lestrade--battle criminals in London.
- CreatorKrister JohnsonStarsWill ArnettHaneefah WoodLilan BowdenEccentric detective Terry Seattle teams up with clueless celebrity guest stars to investigate a series of murders in this improvisational crime comedy.
- CreatorRichard LevinsonWilliam LinkStarsPeter FalkMike LallyJohn FinneganLos Angeles homicide detective Lieutenant Columbo uses his humble ways and ingenuous demeanor to winkle out even the most well-concealed of crimes.
- CreatorSidney SheldonStarsRobert WagnerStefanie PowersLionel StanderThe globe-trotting adventures of amateur detectives Jonathan and Jennifer Hart.
- StarsJeremy BrettRosalie WilliamsEdward HardwickeThe last installment of Sherlock Holmes' investigations.
- DirectorRoger YoungStarsTom SelleckJane SeymourLauren HuttonA handsome jewel thief is arrested and in order to avoid prison, must break into the heavily guarded German Embassy to steal millions in gems.
- CreatorElizabeth CraftSarah FainStarsAngie HarmonLaura HarrisPaula NewsomeA homicide detective, a medical examiner, a newspaper reporter and a young assistant district attorney work together to solve homicide investigations.
- CreatorBruno HellerStarsSimon BakerRobin TunneyTim KangA 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.
- CreatorGlenn Gordon CaronStarsCybill ShepherdBruce WillisAllyce BeasleyThe quirky cases of a former model and a smart aleck detective who manage a private detective agency.
- StarsEdward WoodwardMartin ReeveMichael WardleA series of murders from all periods introduced by Edward Woodward
- CreatorRian JohnsonStarsNatasha LyonneBenjamin BrattSimon HelbergCharlie has an extraordinary ability to determine when someone is lying. She hits the road with her Plymouth Barracuda and with every stop encounters a new cast of characters and strange crimes she can't help but investigate and solve.
- CreatorRoland KibbeeStarsRobert WagnerFred AstaireMalachi ThroneThe adventures of suave cat burglar Alexander Mundy, who plies his trade for the U.S. Government.
- StarsJohn ThawKevin WhatelyJames GroutChief Inspector Morse has an ear for Western classical music, a taste for beer, and a nose for crime. He and Detective Sergeant Robert Lewis solve intriguing cases in and around the Oxford area.
- DirectorPaul BogartStarsJames GarnerGayle HunnicuttCarroll O'ConnorA young woman from Kansas hires LA private detective Philip Marlowe to find her missing brother.
- DirectorShane BlackStarsRobert Downey Jr.Val KilmerMichelle MonaghanAfter being mistaken for an actor, a New York thief is sent to Hollywood to train under a private eye for a potential movie role, but the duo are thrown together with a struggling actress into a murder mystery.
- DirectorJohn GuillerminStarsPeter UstinovMia FarrowSimon MacCorkindaleAs Hercule Poirot enjoys a luxurious cruise down the Nile, a newlywed heiress is found murdered on board. Can Poirot identify the killer before the ship reaches the end of its journey?
- DirectorWilliam ClemensStarsBonita GranvilleJohn LitelJames StephensonAfter a wealthy dowager who has made a substantial donation to her alma mater suddenly disappears, Nancy Drew sets out to solve the mystery.
- DirectorFrançois OzonStarsFanny ArdantEmmanuelle BéartDanielle DarrieuxA man is murdered in an isolated chalet, and the eight female residents are all suspects; their secrets are revealed as they try to determine who is guilty.
- DirectorRoy Del RuthStarsBebe DanielsRicardo CortezDudley DiggesA lovely dame with dangerous lies employs the services of a private detective, who is quickly caught up in the mystery and intrigue of a statuette known as the Maltese Falcon.
- DirectorFranklin J. SchaffnerStarsLesley-Anne DownFrank LangellaMaurice RonetEgyptologist Erica Baron finds more than she bargained for during her long-planned trip to The Land of the Pharoahs: murder, theft, betrayal, love, and a mummy's curse.
- DirectorRian JohnsonStarsDaniel CraigEdward NortonKate HudsonTech billionaire Miles Bron invites his friends for a getaway on his private Greek island. When someone turns up dead, Detective Benoit Blanc is put on the case.
- CreatorRichard LevinsonWilliam LinkStarsJim HuttonDavid WayneTom ReeseThe son of a police detective solves baffling crimes.
- CreatorLawrence GordonStarsLee HorsleyPamela HensleyLincoln KilpatrickMatt Houston is a wealthy Texan who moves to California to oversee his family's offshore drilling enterprises but spends most of his time dabbling in his private investigator hobby.
- CreatorPhilip DeGuere Jr.StarsJameson ParkerGerald McRaneyMary CarverTwo brothers of disparate tastes and manners run a private detective agency.
- CreatorEdward HumeStarsBuddy EbsenLee MeriwetherMark SheraPrivate eye Barnaby Jones works with his widowed daughter-in-law to solve cases.
- CreatorEric GuggenheimPeter M. LenkovStarsJay HernandezPerdita WeeksZachary KnightonAn ex-Navy SEAL returns from Afghanistan and uses his military skills to become a private investigator in Hawaii.
- StarsBruno CremerAlexandre BrasseurJean-Claude FrissungThe pragmatic, reserved and refined Maigret investigates murders in his singular unhurried manner and inevitably discovers the truth.
- DirectorKyle NewacheckStarsAdam SandlerJennifer AnistonLuke EvansA New York cop and his wife go on a European vacation to reinvigorate the spark in their marriage, but end up getting framed and on the run for the death of an elderly billionaire.
- CreatorRob ThomasStarsKristen BellJason DohringEnrico ColantoniAfter her best friend is murdered, and her father is removed as county Sheriff, Veronica Mars dedicates her life to cracking the toughest mysteries in the affluent town of Neptune.
- DirectorJohn HustonStarsHumphrey BogartMary AstorGladys GeorgeSan Francisco private detective Sam Spade takes on a case that involves him with three eccentric criminals, a gorgeous liar and their quest for a priceless statuette, with the stakes rising after his partner is murdered.
- CreatorAndrew W. MarloweStarsNathan FillionStana KaticSusan SullivanWhen 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.
- CreatorAndrew LoweryGlenn LundPeter SettmanStarsPeter StormareJohan GlansVivian BangTwo unlicensed Swedish private investigators try to make a living in Los Angeles.
- CreatorMark GatissSteven MoffatStarsBenedict CumberbatchMartin FreemanUna StubbsThe quirky spin on Conan Doyle's iconic sleuth pitches him as a "high-functioning sociopath" in modern-day London. Assisting him in his investigations: Afghanistan War vet John Watson, who's introduced to Holmes by a mutual acquaintance.
- DirectorHerbert RossStarsKathleen TurnerDennis QuaidFiona ShawA spy couple on maternity leave in New Orleans, entertained by a mugger named Muerte, is called in when Novacek steals explosives.
- DirectorHarry BradbeerStarsMillie Bobby BrownHenry CavillSam ClaflinWhen Enola Holmes (Sherlock's teen sister) discovers her mother is missing, she endeavours to find her, becoming a super-sleuth in her own right as she outwits her famous brother and unravels a dangerous conspiracy.
- StarsGeraldine McEwanJulia McKenzieStephen ChurchettAn elderly spinster living in the village of St. Mary Mead helps her friends and relatives solve mysterious murders.
- StarsStacy KeachShane ConradShannon WhirryStacy Keach's original portrayal of the title character is revived with a new Velda and a different cop as his friend. Mike's cases are arranged to reflect the times of the late '90's.
- StarsNigel StockPeter CushingDouglas WilmerA series of Sherlock Holmes adaptations, based on the stories of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.
- StarsMichael CaineArmand AssanteRay McAnallyA Scotland Yard police inspector, battling the booze, investigates the Jack the Ripper murders and discovers a conspiracy that leads all the way up to the Queen.
- CreatorJohn HawkesworthStarsJeremy BrettDavid BurkeRosalie WilliamsSherlock 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.
- CreatorCaroline GrahamStarsJohn NettlesJane WymarkBarry JacksonA veteran Detective Chief Inspector and his young Sergeant investigate murders around the regional community of Midsomer County.
- DirectorRandy ZiskStarsTony ShalhoubTraylor HowardJason Gray-StanfordIt follows Monk, a brilliant detective with obsessive-compulsive disorder. He returns to solve one last case involving his stepdaughter Molly, a journalist preparing for her wedding.
- DirectorRoman PolanskiStarsJack NicholsonFaye DunawayJohn HustonA private detective hired to expose an adulterer in 1930s Los Angeles finds himself caught up in a web of deceit, corruption, and murder.
- StarsKen StottFrances GreyJamie DravenAfter two horribly mutilated bodies are discovered, DCI Red Metcalfe is assigned to the case and plunged head-on into a nightmare.
- CreatorAndrew W. MarloweTerri Edda MillerStarsQueen LatifahTory KittlesAdam GoldbergAn enigmatic figure uses her extensive skills to help those with nowhere else to turn.
- CreatorDavid E. KelleyStarsKatheryn WinnickKylie BunburyDedee PfeifferA private detective and ex-cop solve crimes in Montana.
- CreatorDon FlynnSonny GrossoStarsScott HylandsAllan RoyalJeff WincottThe exploits of the detectives of the Mid South Precinct, in a generic North American city not unlike New York (but a lot like Toronto), chronicled through the eyes of newspaper columnist Tom Kirkwood and his "Night Heat" column.
- CreatorAndrew PayneStarsRichard GriffithsMaggie SteedMalcolm SinclairDI Crabbe retires from the police force after being shot and sets up his own restaurant. However, his ex-boss, Assistant Chief Constable Fisher constantly calls Crabbe back on duty.
- CreatorFred DryerVictor A. SchiroStarsGeoffrey LewisTim ThomersonPamela BowenMike Land is a disgruntled ex-Los Angeles police officer who moves to a Mexican resort to work as a private investigator. Attractive Courtney is his boss and he occasionally enlists his buddies Willis and Dave in his cases.
- CreatorLeon GriffithsStarsGeorge ColeGlynn EdwardsDennis WatermanRoguish comedy drama following the misadventures of small-time crook Arthur Daley. Can his ex-boxer bodyguard Terry stay level-headed whilst working for the King of Dodgy Deals?
- StarsWilliam SimonsPatrick MalahideBelinda LangDrawing on her love of theatre and art, New Zealand author Ngaio Marsh created elegant crime-puzzlers full of quirky characters with hidden agendas, all brought meticulously to life in this BBC series.
- CreatorPerry ChafeAllan HawcoMalcolm MacRuryStarsAllan HawcoKrystin PellerinMark O'BrienJake Doyle and his father Malachy run a private investigations agency in St. John's, Newfoundland. Their cases involve them in all sorts of dealings - not all of them on the right side of the law.
- StarsShaun EvansRoger AllamJames BradshawSet from 1965 into the 1970s, the show follows Endeavour Morse in his early years as a police constable. Working alongside his senior partner DI Fred Thursday, Morse engages in a number of investigations around Oxford.
- CreatorRaymond ChandlerStarsPhilip CareyWilliam SchallertEd KemmerA short-lived crime series, featuring the cases of the fictional detective Philip Marlowe. The series was based on the detective novels of Raymond Chandler,, but failed to find an audience.
- StarsKevin WhatelyLaurence FoxClare HolmanDI Robert Lewis and DS James Hathaway solve the tough cases that the learned inhabitants of Oxford throw at them.
- StarsNathaniel ParkerSharon SmallLesley VickerageBritish crime investigation series based around aristocratic, Oxford-educated Detective Inspector Thomas Lynley and his working-class assistant Sergeant Barbara Havers.
- DirectorGuy HamiltonStarsPeter UstinovJames MasonMaggie SmithTrying to find how a millionaire wound up with a phony diamond brings Hercule Poirot to an exclusive island resort frequented by the rich and famous. When a murder is committed, everyone has an alibi.
- StarsFrancesca AnnisJames WarwickReece DinsdaleAgatha Christie's husband-and-wife sleuthing team take on a series of short whodunit mysteries.
- StarsDerek JacobiMichael CulverJulian FirthThe medieval era cases of a Crusader-turned-Monk who investigates mysteries in the Norman English town of Shrewsbury.
- DirectorMark JeanStarsJesse MetcalfeSarah LindEric KeenleysideA retired Boston PD detective and the acting medical examiner at Martha's Vineyard work together to solve the murder of a mysterious young man.
- StarsDavid JasonBruce AlexanderJohn LyonsDI 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.
- CreatorStephen J. CannellRoy HugginsStarsJames GarnerNoah Beery Jr.Joe SantosThe cases of an easy-going ex-convict turned private investigator.
- StarsMichael GambonGeoffrey HutchingsJack GallowayFrom Montmartre to the remote French countryside, Maigret encounters the dark side of the human psyche. Yet, he manages to maintain both compassion and a sense of humor as he explores the complex motives that lie behind every crime.
- CreatorLarry BrodyStarsStacy KeachLindsay BloomDon StroudThe cases of Mickey Spillane's classic private eye character.
- StarsTimothy HuttonMaury ChaykinColin FoxGenius detective Nero Wolfe and his right-hand man: Archie Goodwin, solve seemingly impossible crimes, in 1950's New York.
- DirectorJames TinlingStarsPeter LorreKeye LukeDick BaldwinWhen the #1 heavyweight contender is mysteriously poisoned during a bout, Moto knows that identifying the gambler who placed large bets against him is the key to solving the murder.
- CreatorLarry CohenStarsLorne GreeneBen MurphyPatricia StichWade Griffin quits the police force after three decades to become a private eye.
- CreatorHarley PeytonStarsBilly CampbellAlly WalkerAgustin RodriguezIn this detective series, qualified, independent, self-made Miami private investigator Walter Tatum gets stuck with Gwen Cross, a spoiled but intelligent rich girl, first as a case, then as his partner in countless investigations. She makes both his private and professional lives much more difficult, but also more interesting, so they gradually get closer, according to the complementary principle 'opposites attract' and always get the job done, for their clients and/or for justice.
- StarsRichard RoundtreeEddie BarthJudie SteinBased on the films of the same name, John Shaft is a two-fisted black private eye modeled on Mike Hammer and Phillip Marlowe.
- CreatorBlake EdwardsStarsCraig StevensHerschel BernardiLola AlbrightPeter Gunn is a private detective with a knack for finding trouble. His cases often mean he runs into the shadiest characters, most vicious thugs and the most powerful crime bosses. Cool and resourceful, he always gets the guilty party.
- StarsRichard WidmarkRonny CoxGeorge ColeA dedicated New York police officer named Madigan hunts down lawbreakers locally and internationally.
- StarsDarren McGavinBart BurnsVito ScottiThe adventures of Mickey Spillane's tough-talking, brawling, skirt-chasing private detective Mike Hammer, who's always ready to use his fists on a "mug" or his charm on a "skirt" to get the case solved.
- DirectorStanley KubrickStarsSterling HaydenColeen GrayVince EdwardsCrook Johnny Clay assembles a five-man team to plan and execute a daring racetrack robbery.
- DirectorBradford MayStarsEdward WoodwardMelissa Sue AndersonKeith SzarabajkaPhilipe Marcel is told he can see Manon again if he kills McCall and Control.
- StarsRobert TaylorTige AndrewsRussell ThorsonCaptain Matt Holbrook leads a squad of brave and tough detectives in a large, unnamed city. Instead of leading personal lives, they spend all of their time tracking murderers, thieves, corrupt cops, con-men and other lawbreakers. Holbrook's squad always consisted of three detectives, and rarely were all four men on a case at the same time.
- CreatorChris FedakSam SklaverStarsTom PayneLou Diamond PhillipsHalston SageMalcolm Bright, a former FBI profiler, is the son of a serial killer and suspects that he himself might become a sociopath. He solves crimes for the NYPD as a form of absolution for his upbringing.
- DirectorCarl FranklinStarsDenzel WashingtonTom SizemoreJennifer BealsA Black war hero is hired to find a mysterious woman, and gets mixed up in a murderous political scandal in 1948 Los Angeles.
- StarsCameron DaddoChristina CoxRichard WaughRollie Tyler, a special effects expert, helps his detective friend solve crimes by making criminals see what they want to see. But what is real and what is illusion?
- DirectorLarry CohenWilliam TannenStarsBilly Dee WilliamsVanityMorgan FairchildA detective is framed for a murder he didn't commit.