I want to formulate a list of the very best fictional detectives - literary (including comics, graphic novels, etc), film, TV or stage - it doesn’t matter.
‘Best’ can be defined in many different ways - popularity, quality of writing, likeability of the character, etc. - and that’s fine. They don’t have to be good for the same reasons as each other.
My list currently includes:
-Philip Marlowe (in fact, as a genre, as much as a specific character)
-Sherlock Holmes
-Hercule Poirot
-Columbo
-Clouseau
-Morse
-Frost (maybe)
Feel free to add to the list, or argue for the removal of any character you feel is unworthy.
I do have a personal motive for asking this - I’m in the first stages of planning a light-hearted sketch which I think will feature multiple famous detectives in a room together - I intend to perform it single-handed, by means of fast changes of costume and possibly double-half costumes (one character when viewed from the left, another from the right).
Jane Tennison (Prime Suspect - played by Helen Mirren)
Adam Dalgliesh (P.D. James’ detective) - the best poet/detective
Sam Spade and/or the Continental Op (Dashiel Hammett’s detectives) - my favourites of the hard-boiled genre, with apologies to Mr. Chandler
Steve Carella, from the 54th Precinct novels by Ed McBain.
Lucas Davenport, from the “Prey” novels by John Sandford.
Dave Robicheaux, from James Lee Burkes wonderful books.
Oh, and Mike Hammer!!!
Constable Benton Fraser, from Due South. A master tracker, almost unparalleled at surviving and thriving in the wilderness, and his constant good-samaratin-izing make him numerous friends and allies on the streets of Chicago. He also has a mean combination of an acute eye for detail, super-fast thinking, and nigh-untarnishable integrity.
As for why this mountie is exiled to the Canadian Consulate in Chicago, well, that is a story that does not warrant explaining at this juncture.
Oh, and Micheal Garibaldi, especially when he went all noir in the 4th season of Babylon 5.
I think Nero Wolfe is a particularly excellent choice for your project, as you could do a bit where you quickly switch back and forth between Wolfe and Archie for a bit of Rex Stout’s trademark quick and witty banter. I would think that would be delightfully theatrical. (Sorry, that sounds a bit…fey, but I can’t think of another way to put it )
You may also want to consider Poe’s Dupin - not because he’s the best by any stretch, but he was the first, and thus may warrant an appearance.
