TV Detectives

the sweeney,  guv guv guv.

Minolta

The Sweeney. It is a shame production values were a bit low by modern standards.

Morse. Beautifully filmed, even if (like most classic detective series) completely unrealistic as to how murders are investigated.

Come to think of it, maybe one of the best features of The Sweeney is the Flying Squad investigated robberies, not murders.

James Garner the Rockford Files for me , and of course Columbo

Garner was so laid back he suited the part perfectly . And it could be funny
“ I’m not going in there I might get killed “ : )

Columbo
DCI Banks
Poirot

apart from columbo didn't go much for the American ones.

As a youngster The Professionals. 

As an adult The Cops which starred John Henshaw as PC Roy Bramwell.  It was really about the day to day life of the police rather than about solving crimes.  One of my favourite series ever.

If that doesn't count Helen Mirren in Prime Suspect.  I like period stuff like Poirot or Foyles War too.  Not a fan of the US stuff generally

Police :  The Sweeney, Taggart, Inspector Morse

Private Detectives : Shoestring, 

International TV Detectives :  'Spiral'  (Parisian serious crime squad led by Capt Laure Berthaud), "The Killing" (Danish police team headed by DI Sarah Lund)

I'm not a huge fan of detective series but I did watch The Rockford Files and Petrocelli back in the day. Of the British ones the only ones that I watched on a regular basis was Cracker and The Chinese Detective when they was on, the latter was ages ago, late 80's maybe.

george gently .should drop the dodgy accent though !

Haven't got a favourite, but the one I find the most tedious is Murder She Wrote.

Actors and actresses should be easy on the eye, or have something about them which makes them stand out from others.

I find the lead in Murder She Wrote, whatever her name, to be absolutely average in every respect.

Frank Marker , Public Eye .

Hazell, written or co-written by Terry Venables.

Public Eye was a cracker and the early Taggarts

Been watching  the Streets Of San Francisco dvds and I must admit thoroughly enjoying them. Big nose was very good in the part and I think it was first break in films/tv for Michael Douglas. Simon and Simon was another good one.

Columbo="he knew the murderer ate Cheese"

Trying to think of the comedy detective series with Robert Powell.Anyone help.

Was it The Detectives? also starring Jasper Carrot and George Sewell?

That's the one Mac.

I enjoyed The Detectives, it was very funny.

Victor starring Ray Winston, maybe not a detective more of a bloke who sorts things out, legally or otherwise.

Don't know if you could call him a detective but i liked "the mentalist" A bit different from the usual stuff and he got the girl in the last episode

Hazell mentioned earlier was very good.

Mike Hammer

Hong kong Phoey

Chief Ironside.....

Kojack.....Who loves ya, baby?

Very good Capt>

faster than human eye

Anyone remember 'The Travelling Man' Leigh Lawson? That was a good series.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Travelling_Man_(TV_series)

Kojak was superb and a must watch for me. Only other one I watched regularly had Angie Dickinson in it. Can't remember it's name.

Police Woman

aka

Pepper Anderson

Thanks Mac, was just about to google. She was some looker

She sure was

She was married to Burt Bacharach. Not a lot of people know that

Aka, you are not going to believe this - she is 86 now

Tis unbelievable.  Googled Angie Dickinson Now.
Still a looker and belies her age.

Columbo no 1, but The Untouchables was superb. cheers.

Inch High Private Eye was very well done. Inspector Gadget too.

"Book him, Danno.  Murder One."

Street of San Francisco's another fav from the 70's.  Karl Malden & a very young Michael Douglas.

Starsky & Hutch yet another

Bodie & Doyle

Scooby Doo?

"Book 'em, Danno" - sorry!

McLeod, McMillan, charlies angels

Or was it mcmillan and wife

Hart to Hart with the delectable Steph Powers

Sergeant George Dixon a massive omission imo. Played by Jack Warner, I was told  he broke the law himself a few years later, worked for FIFA and was investigated and sacked for fiddling, same as all fifa officials

The Fugitive with David Jansen in the 60s has never been bettered. Watched by over half the nation.

The Fugitive was brilliant and still well worth a watch. David Jansen later had a good detective series which many have forgot. It was called Harry O.

Dennis Weaver as McCloud was very good and Cagney & Lacey was ok.

Vera

Jack

themightymac • September 6, 2018 12:34 AM BST
Dennis Weaver as McCloud was very good and Cagney & Lacey was ok.

Dennis Weaver was a very good actor as well, he was in Steven Speilbergs first ever film. Duel

Duel was a classic thriller dambuster. Haven`t seen it for years. Will need to look it out now that you have reminded me of it. Cheers!

Going a bit of track here but Dial M For Murder was a brilliant crime thriller. Hitchcock was a master of suspense. Came from Leytonstone, I think.

*off

*off yerself mac.

Mannix and Barnaby Jones were another two good ones. Buddy Ebsen (Jed Clampett) was great as BJ. I met him once. He was about 7ft tall and had two beautiful daughters. Nice family they were. He died in 2003 aged 95.

aka

Prime Suspect was a no miss for me.

I loved Columbo, quite comical as well.

Banacek.

If they drive a Ford, you know you've got a proper TV detective. So for me it's a dead heat between Eddie Shoestring



and, of course:

Jock Weir and Fancy Smith in Z Cars drove a Ford Zephyr, pwoper detectives!!!

Fancy smith was Brian Blessed and Jock Weir was John Inman if i remember rightly

Vera    - ah  pet

used to love the sweeny  and the films too

Let me throw in
Rebus
Waking The Dead
Hill Street Blues

Serpico.

Serpico, great film, Pacino was brilliant.

I think I read that Inman turned down the role for fear of being typecast.

Serpico was a brave man and a man of scruples who stood up against the corruption in N.Y. Police Department. Pacino was indeed brilliant in the part.

The Saint was very good private detective series.

As was The Baron with Steve Forest playing the antique dealer turned private detective.

The Persuaders, if for the theme tune alone

Andy sipowicz
Lenny Briscoe