# Who's Your Favorite Televison Detective? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 27, 2003, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-your-favorite-televison-detective/191275 "2003-07-27T16:55:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![peterW](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/bb73d2/32.png) [@peterW](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/peterW)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2003, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-your-favorite-televison-detective/191275/21 "2003-07-27T20:10:14Z")
**Remington Steele**. A great show back in the 80’s. Many tears were shed when it was cancelled. **Thomas Magnum** would be a close second. **David Addison** from **Moonlighting** would be third. They just don’t make detective shows like they use to. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Icerigger](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/icerigger/32/432_2.png) [@Icerigger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Icerigger)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2003, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-your-favorite-televison-detective/191275/22 "2003-07-27T20:19:40Z")
Another vote for Columbo…the 70’s Columbo especially. ---
**Author:** ![Lisa-go-Blind](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7c8e57/32.png) [@Lisa-go-Blind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lisa-go-Blind)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2003, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-your-favorite-televison-detective/191275/23 "2003-07-27T20:21:39Z")
Lenny Briscoe. ---
**Author:** ![Mockingbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c68b51/32.png) [@Mockingbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mockingbird)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2003, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-your-favorite-televison-detective/191275/24 "2003-07-27T20:36:48Z")
Either Jim Rockford or Wojo. ---
**Author:** ![Crunchy\_Frog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ebca7d/32.png) [@Crunchy\_Frog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crunchy_Frog)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2003, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-your-favorite-televison-detective/191275/25 "2003-07-27T23:02:16Z")
Another vote for Monk. Tony Shalhoub is perfect. It’s the only TV show I tape while working nights. ---
**Author:** ![Delly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/85f322/32.png) [@Delly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Delly)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2003, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-your-favorite-televison-detective/191275/26 "2003-07-27T23:16:32Z")
I cant remember his name but the Guy who plays the main Detective on Law & Order: Ciminal Intent. ---
**Author:** ![Merla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9de0a6/32.png) [@Merla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Merla)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2003, 11:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-your-favorite-televison-detective/191275/27 "2003-07-27T23:23:10Z")
Remington Steele, of COURSE. Best damn detective show ever. It had romance, mystery, drama, humor, and you could cut the sexual tension with a knife. I’ve devoted many a story and website to it, I belong to a weekly chat about it and a yahoo group. Question is, how did I come to be so obsessed with the show when it aired when I was a mere infant? I have to catch myself nowawadays from making typos such as calling things “steele mills”. Merla (whose alternate name and IM handle is MerlaSteele, for homage) ---
**Author:** ![Monstre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e274bd/32.png) [@Monstre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monstre)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2003, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-your-favorite-televison-detective/191275/28 "2003-07-27T23:24:59Z")
I don’t know if the OP is limiting to “police department detectives”, but I’d have to say… Jack Bauer (“24”) ---
**Author:** ![Rick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9f8e36/32.png) [@Rick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2003, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-your-favorite-televison-detective/191275/29 "2003-07-27T23:34:09Z")
[list=1] [li]Harry O David Jannson’s world weary detective was a classic[/li][li]Jim Rockford James Garner makes it look easy[/li][li]Banachek. Had you wondering the entire hour “How did they do that?”[/li][li]Joe Friday Just the fact please[/li][li]McGarrett Book-em Dan-o[/li][li]Honey West drove a Cobra, need I say more?[/li][/list=1] ---
**Author:** ![LookitMe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7bcc69/32.png) [@LookitMe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LookitMe)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2003, 1:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-your-favorite-televison-detective/191275/30 "2003-07-28T01:40:45Z")
Monk. ---
**Author:** ![JThunder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e95f7d/32.png) [@JThunder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JThunder)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2003, 8:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-your-favorite-televison-detective/191275/31 "2003-07-28T08:23:32Z")
Emma Peel!!! ---
**Author:** ![Silentgoldfish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@Silentgoldfish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Silentgoldfish)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2003, 9:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-your-favorite-televison-detective/191275/32 "2003-07-28T09:28:35Z")
Frank Drebin. ---
**Author:** ![Nightingale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ecae2f/32.png) [@Nightingale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nightingale)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2003, 11:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-your-favorite-televison-detective/191275/33 "2003-07-28T11:33:42Z")
Monk! with honorable mention to Lenny Briscoe of Law and Order and to Elliot Stabler of Law and Order: SVU. ---
**Author:** ![Bad\_News\_Baboon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/5fc32e/32.png) [@Bad\_News\_Baboon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bad_News_Baboon)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2003, 12:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-your-favorite-televison-detective/191275/34 "2003-07-28T12:13:28Z")
Jeremy Brett as Sherlock Holmes. ---
**Author:** ![refusal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ac91a4/32.png) [@refusal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/refusal)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2003, 12:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-your-favorite-televison-detective/191275/35 "2003-07-28T12:26:35Z")
Ironside. More moral authority than any other man on television. Plus the socially responsible plots, where he always saw past the superficial view. Definitely the 1970s anti-particle to Richard Nixon. Columbo and Bulman as runners up. ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2003, 12:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-your-favorite-televison-detective/191275/36 "2003-07-28T12:27:33Z")
Nick Yamana Dietrich Holmes (PBS version) ---
**Author:** ![Miss\_Mapp](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miss_mapp/32/369_2.png) [@Miss\_Mapp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miss_Mapp)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2003, 1:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-your-favorite-televison-detective/191275/37 "2003-07-28T13:13:46Z")
Most of my favorites have already been mentioned: Columbo, Jim Hutton’s Ellery Queen, Jeremy Brett’s Holmes, Inspector Morse (but it’s really Sgt. Lewis that I love). What about Robbie Coltrane as the detective psychologist in _Cracker_? ---
**Author:** ![One\_And\_Only\_Wanderers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/838e76/32.png) [@One\_And\_Only\_Wanderers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/One_And_Only_Wanderers)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2003, 1:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-your-favorite-televison-detective/191275/38 "2003-07-28T13:20:03Z")
David Jason as Inspector Frost. also i second Robbie Coltrane as Edward Fitzgerald (Fitz) ---
**Author:** ![Miss\_Mapp](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miss_mapp/32/369_2.png) [@Miss\_Mapp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miss_Mapp)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2003, 1:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-your-favorite-televison-detective/191275/39 "2003-07-28T13:24:30Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Carl\_A\_Norris \* > \*\*David Jason as Inspector Frost. also i second Robbie Coltrane as Edward Fitzgerald (Fitz) \*\* Thank you. It’s been awhile since I’ve seen them, and couldn’t recall what the character’s name was. I wish A&E or someone would rerun this series. ---
**Author:** ![roadrunner70](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e19b73/32.png) [@roadrunner70](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/roadrunner70)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2003, 1:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-your-favorite-televison-detective/191275/40 "2003-07-28T13:41:35Z")
Columbo by a mile. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-your-favorite-televison-detective/191275.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-your-favorite-televison-detective/191275.md?page=3)