Best Detective Shows Ever Made

The show follows a group of deception experts who consult with the police to help them catch criminals by using applied psychology to interpret people’s behavior and involuntary body language.

“The Blacklist” follows a former Navy officer turned master criminal who surrenders to the FBI and begins helping them catch dangerous spies, mafia bosses, and terrorists.

Inspector Robbie Lewis is a character from the popular Inspector Morse detective novels and their TV adaptation. Lewis is Morse’s partner in the books, but after the series ended, this new show was spun off, in which Lewis, now an inspector himself, leads a team solving crimes in Oxford, England.

Viola Davis, the first African-American to win a Tony, an Oscar, and an Emmy, stars in this popular series, which follows a brilliant defense lawyer and law professor and her students who become involved in a murder plot.

“The Mentalist” features a former psychic who works as a consultant for the police. He helps law enforcement by using his observational skills to solve crimes.

“Castle” is a crime drama with elements of comedy based in New York City. The titular character, mystery writer Richard Castle, shadows a homicide detective at work for research purposes, helping to solve crimes in the process.

In this police procedural drama, a group of FBI agents who work as profilers investigate heinous crimes using behavioral analysis.

“Jonathan Creek” is a British crime drama on the list about a stage magician who works with a journalist to solve supernatural mysteries using logical deduction.

The British crime drama is based on a series of novels by Colin Dexter. In each episode, music-loving Chief Inspector Morse solves intriguing cases with his partner, Detective Sergeant Robbie Lewis.

The Canadian drama series is based on the Detective Murdoch novels by Maureen Jennings. The titular character, William Murdoch, works as a police detective in Toronto in the late 19th and early 20th century and uses forensic techniques unheard of at the time.

“Unforgotten” is a British crime drama about a team of London detectives who investigate mysteries, usually a long-unsolved missing persons case or a murder committed years, even decades, previously.

Based on the Danish series “Forbrydelsen,” “The Killing” is a police procedural about the murder of a 17-year-old girl and the homicide detectives investigating it.

“Pushing Daisies” is about a baker who has the ability to bring dead people back to life just by touching them. He uses this ability to help the police solve murder cases.

Idris Elba plays the titular “Luther,” a detective chief inspector who is one of the best criminal investigators, but who does not always play by the rules and is haunted by his tragic past.

“Broadchurch” follows the investigation of a young boy’s murder and the effects is has on the town and everyone in it.

“Cracker” is a British crime drama about an arrogant and antisocial but also brilliant criminal psychologist who works as a consultant for the police.

In “Bosch,” an LAPD detective works to solve complicated cases while struggling with the stresses of the job.

This British show is one of the most popular and successful on-screen depictions of Agatha Christie’s great fictional detective Hercule Poirot as he solves various crimes.

“The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes” is one of the best-reviewed detective shows of all time, recounting the deductive triumphs of one of the greatest fictional sleuths ever.

A gritty portrayal of a corrupt police officer in Los Angeles, “The Shield” was an incredibly popular show for its seven-season run. Michael Chiklis won an Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series for his portrayal of Vic Mackey.

In “Dexter,” a serial killer channels his dark urges for good, pledging to only kill other murderers – all while hiding in plain sight as a member of the Miami Police Department. The show was recently rebooted for 2021, picking up 10 years after where the original show ended.

“Fargo” is a dark anthology series in the same vein as the Coen Brothers film of the same name. It follows Midwestern crooks, cops, and the civilians who get caught in the middle of their schemes.

“True Detective” is an anthology series that follows different heinous crimes and the police departments that investigate them. Over its run, it has featured A-list stars like Mahershala Ali, Matthew McConaughey, Rachel McAdams, and more.

“Sherlock” is the BBC’s modern adaptation of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s famous detective series. It follows an eccentric but brilliant sleuth and his partner as they seek to solve the most difficult cases.

With an IMDb user rating of 9.3/10, “The Wire” ranks as the best detective show in TV history. The HBO drama follows Baltimore detectives as well as the drug dealers they pursue.