# What's the best private eye series? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 24, 2013, 8:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-private-eye-series/672094 "2013-10-24T08:25:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Evil\_Captor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f17d59/32.png) [@Evil\_Captor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evil_Captor)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2013, 8:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-private-eye-series/672094/1 "2013-10-24T08:25:11Z")
Either on TV, or in the movies from back in the day. The same male lead must have starred in the series if it was a movie series (like William Powell in “The Thin Man.”) Feel free to nominate the worst as well. To be clear, we are not talking spies, we are not talking cops, we talking private investigators. Kojak and Hawaii Five-Oh are out of the running. I’ll start by nominating the best: A&E’s excellent[Nero Wolfe](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Nero_Wolfe_Mystery) series. It really brought the light, snappy feel of the books to life. Maury Chaykin as Wolfe and Tim Hutton as Archie were just fricking BRILLIANT in their roles, and they had a good cast of supporting characters as well. Every last episode moves right along, and you never feel that the books have been shoehorned into a television format. The worst … I don’t know if it’s worth bothering. There have been so many lackluster TV detective series churning out their stories by the numbers (though far outnumbered and out-horribled by TV cop shows). Oh, how about [Blacke’s Magic.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blacke%27s_Magic) ---
**Author:** ![madmonk28](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madmonk28/32/20811_2.png) [@madmonk28](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madmonk28)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2013, 9:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-private-eye-series/672094/2 "2013-10-24T09:34:25Z")
For TV, I’d nominate The Rockford Files. The show had a sense of humor and Rockford had a low rent quality that I liked. ---
**Author:** ![Superhal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Superhal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superhal)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2013, 9:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-private-eye-series/672094/3 "2013-10-24T09:49:25Z")
Similar but not exactly the same, i think the mentalist is the best. It rarely deals with master criminals or serial killers, but the insights into human nature are priceless. ---
**Author:** ![not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/not_what_you_d_expect/32/3246_2.png) [@not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/not_what_you_d_expect)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2013, 11:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-private-eye-series/672094/4 "2013-10-24T11:32:06Z")
I’ve always enjoyed Robert B Parker and his Spenser books. I liked the show okay, but it didn’t last long. ---
**Author:** ![epbrown01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7ba0ec/32.png) [@epbrown01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/epbrown01)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2013, 11:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-private-eye-series/672094/5 "2013-10-24T11:52:04Z")
**Pushing Daisies** - the concept was hilarious, that even when you could actually revive the murder victim and ask them what happened, you’ll still have trouble solving the case. And the money-grubbing Emerson Cod, repressed Ned, and lonely tourist Charlotte Charles (the Undead Avenger!) made a fun team. ---
**Author:** ![Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/prof.pepperwinkle/32/13627_2.png) [@Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Prof.Pepperwinkle)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2013, 12:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-private-eye-series/672094/6 "2013-10-24T12:00:31Z")
Jeremy Brett’s run in _ **The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes** _. (Benedict Cumberbatch is doing a good job too.) While I enjoyed both _Moonlighting_ and _Remington Steele_, I can’t really see either show being the best. Madame P. would say _Tenspeed and Brownshoe_, just for Jeff Goldblum. ---
**Author:** ![Cyros](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a698b9/32.png) [@Cyros](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cyros)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2013, 12:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-private-eye-series/672094/7 "2013-10-24T12:07:41Z")
No list of great detective series is complete without mention of [Banacek](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Banacek). ---
**Author:** ![C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b2d939/32.png) [@C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/C_K_Dexter_Haven)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2013, 12:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-private-eye-series/672094/8 "2013-10-24T12:10:11Z")
I’ll second the Timothy Hutton series on Nero Wolfe. Rockford remembers well, but we tried to watch some recently (within the last year) and ye gods! they didn’t hold up, and were pretty much unwatchable. The old Raymond Burr/Perry Mason also remembers well, despite the fact that it went on so long that it became trite. (Although that’s technically “lawyer” rather than “private investigator”, I think it should count.) I do not like the David Suchet/Hercule Poirot, they move very VERY slowly. ---
**Author:** ![TonySinclair](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/49beb7/32.png) [@TonySinclair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TonySinclair)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2013, 12:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-private-eye-series/672094/9 "2013-10-24T12:19:45Z")
Magnum. ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2013, 12:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-private-eye-series/672094/10 "2013-10-24T12:20:51Z")
The Jeremy Brett Sherlock Holmes series was the best effort at capturing the flavor of the Doyle stories. Other P.I.'s I liked include: Peter Gunn Richard Diamond Mannix Mike Hammer and from old radio days: Boston Blackie Philo Vance Johnny Dollar ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2013, 12:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-private-eye-series/672094/11 "2013-10-24T12:30:47Z")
> [@C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](#): > > Rockford remembers well, but we tried to watch some recently (within the last year) and ye gods! they didn’t hold up, and were pretty much unwatchable. I’d say that about _The Fall Guy_, except it somehow goes so far as to come all the way back around to beer-and-popcorn enjoyable. Still, though, I opened this thread to beat the OP to the punch of _Nero Wolfe_, only to see I’m too late. ---
**Author:** ![epbrown01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7ba0ec/32.png) [@epbrown01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/epbrown01)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2013, 12:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-private-eye-series/672094/12 "2013-10-24T12:36:06Z")
> [@C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](#): > > Rockford remembers well, but we tried to watch some recently (within the last year) and ye gods! they didn’t hold up, and were pretty much unwatchable. I’ve been working thru the seasons on Netflix and still enjoy them, but that’s helped by the fact I’m a gear-head and the show is a vintage car-buff’s dream. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2013, 12:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-private-eye-series/672094/13 "2013-10-24T12:37:23Z")
> [@madmonk28](#): > > For TV, I’d nominate The Rockford Files. The show had a sense of humor and Rockford had a low rent quality that I liked. This is the answer. The thread should have been closed after this response. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2013, 12:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-private-eye-series/672094/14 "2013-10-24T12:51:47Z")
It’s hard to beat the original **Thin Man** movies. I’ll put in a vote for **Burke’s Law** , mostly because the actors in it were having so much fun. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2013, 1:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-private-eye-series/672094/15 "2013-10-24T13:34:06Z")
> [@TonySinclair](#): > > Magnum. When it was first on I was a teenager and I just dismissed it as a show for girls to swoon over Tom Selleck. As an adult I rewatched and I think it is one of the best PI shows ever. A great blend of fun/funny/serious. “Did You See the Sunrise” still holds up as one of the best episode endings ever. Even after Archer spoofed it. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2013, 1:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-private-eye-series/672094/16 "2013-10-24T13:54:52Z")
I liked _Rockford Files_ and _Mannix_. In that same vein, I would also nominate _[Harry O](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harry_O)_, with David Jansen. Wasn’t on long, but I liked it. ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2013, 1:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-private-eye-series/672094/17 "2013-10-24T13:59:51Z")
Speaking of which, how come there aren’t any private eye shows on any more? “Person of Interest” kind of wanders in some of the same territory, but it’s not really the same thing. ---
**Author:** ![Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/prof.pepperwinkle/32/13627_2.png) [@Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Prof.Pepperwinkle)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2013, 2:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-private-eye-series/672094/18 "2013-10-24T14:04:51Z")
I’m not sure, but I’m guessing with the runaway success of CSI a number of years back, the networks all shifted to procedural police dramas as a sure thing for ratings. Once a P.I. show breaks the mold and becomes popular, it’ll all shift back that way. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2013, 2:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-private-eye-series/672094/19 "2013-10-24T14:06:38Z")
> [@twickster](#): > > Speaking of which, how come there aren’t any private eye shows on any more? “Person of Interest” kind of wanders in some of the same territory, but it’s not really the same thing. Well, there’s _Psych_, doing its best to soldier on in place of _Monk_. And, of course, _The Mentalist_ and _Castle_ and _Elementary_ miss it pretty close by having an eccentric amateur sleuth work alongside the authorities. ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2013, 2:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-private-eye-series/672094/20 "2013-10-24T14:18:50Z")
Damn, how could I have forgotten _Psych_? I just binge-watched the first five seasons. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-private-eye-series/672094.md?page=2)