# Who's the Coolest TV Detective or Cop? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 14, 2010, 1:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-the-coolest-tv-detective-or-cop/524867 "2010-01-14T01:38:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Markxxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@Markxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Markxxx)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2010, 1:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-the-coolest-tv-detective-or-cop/524867/1 "2010-01-14T01:38:18Z")
When I was a kid, I loved the show _Vegas_, I thought Dan Tanna was the coolest guy ever. I wanted to live in a flat like his, with the car, to a teenager, it was just so cool. So I was wondering who, to you, is the coolest TV detective. I don’t mean just goodlooking, but has a total amount of “coolness,” in your opinion. For the purposes of this thread I want to limit it to TV cops or detectives, that have their own show, not part of an ensamble cast. Like _Starsky and Hutch_ is OK, but not someone for instance in Hill Street Blues. I am looking for someone who is basically the star. Like Heather Locklear wasn’t really the star or co-star of TJ Hooker, so I wouldn’t count her. Coming in second is Christy Love of _Get Christy Love_, I loved the way she called people “Sugah” 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Maserschmidt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/maserschmidt/32/18829_2.png) [@Maserschmidt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maserschmidt)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2010, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-the-coolest-tv-detective-or-cop/524867/2 "2010-01-14T01:42:50Z")
Columbo. He may not be your kind of cool, but he was certainly mine. “Uh, sir…if I could ask one more question.” ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2010, 1:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-the-coolest-tv-detective-or-cop/524867/3 "2010-01-14T01:43:22Z")
Columbo. OK, next thread… ETA: Beaten by seconds! ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2010, 1:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-the-coolest-tv-detective-or-cop/524867/4 "2010-01-14T01:48:55Z")
> [@beowulff](#): > > Columbo. > > OK, next thread… > > ETA: Beaten by seconds! Agreed though Jim Rockford could give the Rumpled One a run for his money. ---
**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:** [January 14, 2010, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-the-coolest-tv-detective-or-cop/524867/5 "2010-01-14T02:00:33Z")
[Amos Burke](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0056745/). Had by far the coolest car, and had better clothes than anyone. ---
**Author:** ![Super\_Kapowzler](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a698b9/32.png) [@Super\_Kapowzler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Super_Kapowzler)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2010, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-the-coolest-tv-detective-or-cop/524867/6 "2010-01-14T02:04:06Z")
Thomas Magnum, Private Investigator, Heisman winner from USNA, SEAL, MACSOG. 308 GT Ferarri, beaches, sun, chicks. ---
**Author:** ![breezman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4491bb/32.png) [@breezman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/breezman)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2010, 2:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-the-coolest-tv-detective-or-cop/524867/7 "2010-01-14T02:55:32Z")
What? 6 replies in and no one has mentioned Barney Fife? ---
**Author:** ![Odesio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/odesio/32/20003_2.png) [@Odesio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Odesio)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2010, 2:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-the-coolest-tv-detective-or-cop/524867/8 "2010-01-14T02:59:40Z")
> [@breezman](#): > > What? 6 replies in and no one has mentioned Barney Fife? He was such a bad ass that he only carried one bullet. In his shirt pocket! ---
**Author:** ![Rrose\_Selavy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bcef8e/32.png) [@Rrose\_Selavy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rrose_Selavy)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2010, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-the-coolest-tv-detective-or-cop/524867/9 "2010-01-14T03:10:22Z")
[Jason King](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jason_King_(TV_series)) ---
**Author:** ![Horatio\_Hellpop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Horatio\_Hellpop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatio_Hellpop)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2010, 3:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-the-coolest-tv-detective-or-cop/524867/10 "2010-01-14T03:12:07Z")
Batman (Bruce Timm version). ---
**Author:** ![Lumpy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lumpy/32/446_2.png) [@Lumpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lumpy)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2010, 3:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-the-coolest-tv-detective-or-cop/524867/11 "2010-01-14T03:19:32Z")
Starsky and Hutch? You gotta’ be kidding me. They look like clowns next to Crockett and Tubbs of **Miami Vice**. (And don’t tell me that was an “ensemble” show just because it wasn’t named after the two leads). ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2010, 3:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-the-coolest-tv-detective-or-cop/524867/12 "2010-01-14T03:35:13Z")
Harry O ETA: “His MG was always in the shop so he had to ride the bus to investigate? Wouldn’t that make him the UNcoolest detective?” “No, he was played by David Janssen, who was the personification of cool.” ---
**Author:** ![Markxxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@Markxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Markxxx)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2010, 3:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-the-coolest-tv-detective-or-cop/524867/13 "2010-01-14T03:48:36Z")
> [@Lumpy](#): > > Starsky and Hutch? You gotta’ be kidding me. They look like clowns next to Crockett and Tubbs of **Miami Vice**. (And don’t tell me that was an “ensemble” show just because it wasn’t named after the two leads). David Soul had a #1 song “Don’t Give Up On Us,” while Don Johnson had to settle for a remake of an old Helen Reddy song called “Heartbeat,” which wasn’t nearly as good as hers. So now which one of them’s cooler 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Taomist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/53a042/32.png) [@Taomist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Taomist)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2010, 3:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-the-coolest-tv-detective-or-cop/524867/14 "2010-01-14T03:51:39Z")
Hrm, I wonder if Harry Dresden counts… …Kolchak, perhaps? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Dallas\_Jones](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dallas_jones/32/3277_2.png) [@Dallas\_Jones](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dallas_Jones)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2010, 3:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-the-coolest-tv-detective-or-cop/524867/15 "2010-01-14T03:59:08Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#): > > [Amos Burke](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0056745/). Had by far the coolest car, and had better clothes than anyone. The show, Burke’s Law spun off **Honey West**. > **[Honey West / Honey West TV show](http://www.tvparty.com/acthoney.html)** Smoking hot Anne Francis, spy gadgets. martial arts, and a pet ocelot named Bruce. Showed that strong female leads could succeed on TV. ---
**Author:** ![Maserschmidt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/maserschmidt/32/18829_2.png) [@Maserschmidt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maserschmidt)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2010, 4:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-the-coolest-tv-detective-or-cop/524867/16 "2010-01-14T04:02:35Z")
> [@dropzone](#): > > Harry O > > ETA: “His MG was always in the shop so he had to ride the bus to investigate? Wouldn’t that make him the UNcoolest detective?” > > “No, he was played by David Janssen, who was the personification of cool.” I’d forgotten that - I was a huge fan. David Janssen was great at world-weary but not-yet-jaded. ---
**Author:** ![Argent\_Towers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e8c25b/32.png) [@Argent\_Towers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Argent_Towers)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2010, 4:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-the-coolest-tv-detective-or-cop/524867/17 "2010-01-14T04:06:16Z")
I’m going cult on this one - my vote is for Ronnie Gardocki from _The Shield_. The beard, the peerless investigation skills, the beard, the shrewdly intelligent, secretive demeanor, the beard, the technical wizardry, the beard, all in one awesome, bearded package. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Second\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bbe5ce/32.png) [@The\_Second\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Second_Stone)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2010, 4:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-the-coolest-tv-detective-or-cop/524867/18 "2010-01-14T04:11:12Z")
Jim Rockford. He was tough like Grendel, but when the bad guys were too tough for Jimmy, his Daddy, Rocky, came along and kicked ass. Stuart Margolin as Angel and Joe Santos as Dennis were great too. ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2010, 4:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-the-coolest-tv-detective-or-cop/524867/19 "2010-01-14T04:11:28Z")
**Jim Rockford** gets picked up by a couple of thugs and shoved, at gunpoint, into the back of a gray Chevy. He turns to one of the thugs, “does your mother know what you do for a living?” Now, that’s cool. ---
**Author:** ![JThunder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e95f7d/32.png) [@JThunder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JThunder)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2010, 4:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-the-coolest-tv-detective-or-cop/524867/20 "2010-01-14T04:35:38Z")
Columbo followed by Emma Peel. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-the-coolest-tv-detective-or-cop/524867.md?page=2)