15 Best Detective Shows Of All Time, Ranked

While there are many sub-genres to crime television, from police procedurals to psychological thrillers, there is a certain appeal to detective shows. Whether revolving around a police detective or a freelance private investigator, seeing an individual or small team solve a puzzling mystery has a reliable thrill to it. Even within the detective show sub-genre, there is a multitude of narrative tones, with some ranging from outright comedy to borderline horror stories. Like the wider crime genre itself, detective series are malleable, keeping them feeling fresh and effective.

Detective shows have been around as long as there's been crime fiction on television and remain a popular draw even as audience sensibilities evolve. With so many great shows to choose from, everyone's bound to have their own favorite, but we've narrowed it down to the cream of the crop. These span different eras of the detective sub-genre and viewing platforms, with the older shows still holding up long after their respective debuts. 

Here are the 15 best detective shows of all time ranked, representing the crime sub-genre at its creative apex.

A remake of the 2007 Danish series of the same name, "The Killing" is a moody murder mystery, with the 2011 series transposing the story to Seattle. After local high schooler Rosie Larsen (Katie Findlay) is found dead, police detectives Sarah Linden (Mireille Enos) and Stephen Holder (Joel Kinnaman) team up to find the killer. What they uncover is a conspiracy that spreads to the city's high-profile mayoral campaign as they search for the culprit. The show's final two seasons feature different homicide cases for Linden and Holder to explore, with Linden especially being uncomfortably close to the investigations.

"The Killing" explores the wider implications of its initial murder, particularly on the victim's family as suspicions mount over who's responsible for the crime. The show also uses its Pacific Northwestern setting well, creating a shadowy and haunting environment for its characters to delve into as the case escalates. Though the series initially took on some criticism for its deliberate pacing, stretching out its inciting mystery to two seasons to solve, it did maintain the suspense and tension well. A star-making role for Joel Kinnaman, "The Killing" is a somber detective show that explores the messy and far-reaching impact of muder.

The oldest and most prolific recurring character in the work of enormously influential crime fiction author Agatha Christie is Hercule Poirot. Though Kenneth Branagh has had continued success playing Poirot in a recent set of films on the big screen, he is far from the longest-running actor associated with the role. That distinction goes to David Suchet, who played the character in the British television series "Poirot" from 1989 to 2013. Also known as "Agatha Christie's Poirot," the multi-decade run adapted virtually every major Poirot story penned by Christie, with Suchet playing his fan-favorite character to the hilt.

Suchet's secret to playing Poirot is that he refused to make the character funny in his portrayal, often focusing on Poirot carrying a touch of annoyance. That not only distinguishes Suchet's depiction from Branagh's but feels truer to the character as Christie originally envisioned him. There's also a subtle charm in seeing Suchet grow into his character over 14 years, carrying him into later stages of his life, something only possible in a long run. A steady presence on British television for over 20 years, "Poirot" is an Agatha Christie adaptation done undeniably right.

The late, great James Garner was one of the epitomes of laidback silver screen cool throughout the '60s. In 1974, Garner returned to the television medium where his career first got its start, starring in "The Rockford Files" as its protagonist Jim Rockford. Based out of a mobile home parked in Malibu parking lots, which doubles as his office, Rockford accepts clients with varying cases for him to solve. Though Rockford personally detests direct confrontations and police attention, trying to avoid both, he often finds himself getting into the very type of trouble he has an aversion to.

"The Rockford Files" really is tailor-made for Garner's wry charm and easygoing on-screen nature, with the actor leaning into both consistently throughout the series. Jim Rockford helped set the template for detectives working outside of the conventional law enforcement system or the self-serious protagonists that often defined the genre. Garner reprised his role as Rockford in television movies throughout the '90s, effortlessly sliding back into his hard-luck detective character. A cozy watch that leans more on its protagonist being cool and relatable than consistently heroic and intense, "The Rockford Files" perfectly showcases Garner's on-screen appeal.

One of Britain's most prolific crime fiction authors of the past several decades is Ann Cleaves, who has written dozens of mystery novels and stories. Among the most popular are a line of stories featuring recurring police detective Vera Stanhope, which was then adapted into the British television series "Vera." The show stars Brenda Blethyn as the titular detective, who nears her retirement while working in northern England. Despite Stanhope's frumpy appearance and demeanor, she is a keen crime-solver through her observational skills and rapport with her colleagues.

"Vera" takes advantage of its sweeping picturesque setting as Stanhope and her colleagues traverse the English countryside solving various crimes. But the real constant appeal is Blethyn's performance as Stanhope herself, playing off Vera's rotating set of partners well while capturing her razor-sharp instincts. There's a reason why "Vera" ran for 14 seasons, maintaining its consistent quality for over a decade. As unassuming yet effective as its protagonist, "Vera" is a solid British detective series favoring coziness over intensity.

Even in its rare lesser seasons and episodes, "True Detective" still feels like event television whenever a new season arrives on HBO. The anthology crime series weaves a different standalone mystery each season, often hinged on grisly murders being examined by small teams of police detectives. Several seasons play around with these mysteries spanning years, with the main characters revisiting them throughout progressive stages of their lives before they're finally resolved. Additionally, every season takes place in different locations around the United States, retaining the darkly evocative atmosphere as a new cast of characters are plunged into nightmarish crimes.

Every season of "True Detective" boasts impressive casts, with the actors very much working at the top of their respective games. This helps lend to the driven focus of the show, often marrying neo-noir tones with psychological thriller-based mysteries. Though there are purists who insist the show has gone downhill since its breathtakingly great first season, the truth is "True Detective" is almost always firing on all cylinders creatively. A moody masterpiece that always changes its creative stakes up each season, "True Detective" remains one of the best HBO crime dramas around.

There are just some television roles that indelibly define an actor, even if they come at the tail end of their career. This was certainly the case for Angela Lansbury, who starred as amateur detective Jessica Fletcher in the long-running crime series "Murder, She Wrote." Fletcher is a successful crime fiction author living in small-town Maine who becomes embroiled in numerous murder mysteries. Drawing from her keen observational skills and deductive reasoning, Fletcher is able to solve this constant stream of crimes.

"Murder, She Wrote" is a genre staple and the American heir apparent to the whodunits popularized by Christie decades prior. Lansbury is consistently great as Fletcher, bringing a warm familiarity to her crime-solving in every episode. Though there's been talk of a "Murder, She Wrote" cinematic reboot, so much of the series' charm is fueled by Lansbury's performance and the television scope of the show, so that's a tall order. Arguably the coziest detective show ever made, at least in the United States, "Murder, She Wrote" is as relaxingly low-stakes as murder mysteries get.

Though Tony Shalhoub has been working diligently in film and television for years, his definitive role will always be Adrian Monk. The protagonist of the USA Network series "Monk," Adrian is a San Francisco Bay Area detective suffering from severe obsessive-compulsive disorder. Monk's condition is exacerbated by the murder of his wife, leading to him leaving the police force and becoming a private investigator. Over the show's lengthy run, Monk gradually rebuilds his life and eventually rejoins the police, bringing his sharpened skills back to direct law enforcement.

Detective shows built on a case-of-the-week format rely heavily on how realized they're protagonists are realized and "Monk" is no different. It's impossible to think of another actor who could play the character of Adrian Monk as engagingly as Shalhoub. Delightfully neurotic, Shalhoub effortlessly captures the comedic potential of his character without compromising his moments of emotional vulnerability or professional competency. Shalhoub reprised his iconic role in a continuation movie, "Mr. Monk's Last Case," reminding audiences that he hadn't lost a step. A standout in the USA Network's library of original crime shows, "Monk" maintains its sterling reputation.

While reinventing whodunits on the big screen with his "Knives Out" movies, filmmaker Rian Johnson also has been working within the drama on television as the creator of "Poker Face." The Peacock original series stars Natasha Lyonne as Charlie Cale, a casino worker with an uncanny knack for telling when people are lying. After being involved with a suspicious death, Charlie ditches her casino job and takes her unique skills on the road, driving cross-country in her Plymouth Barracuda. While solving mysteries across her travels, Charlie is pursued by the head of security (Benjamin Bratt) over his role in the death at the beginning of the series.

"Poker Face" retains Johnson's flair for self-aware deconstruction of the genres his stories are set in as he simultaneously celebrates them. He finds a creative simpatico in Lyonne who delivers the performance of her career as Charlie, perfectly suited for her usual dry wit. The case-of-the-week format also helps the show mix up its formula, with the second season really dialing up the experimentation. A fantastic showcase for Lyonne's many creative talents, "Poker Face" is one of the best original series streaming on Peacock.

Jamie Dornan eschews his charming leading man image to play a calculating serial killer in the popular thriller series "The Fall." Dornan stars as murderer Paul Spector, who preys on young women in Belfast at the start of the show. When the authorities realize that they're dealing with a serial killer, they coordinate with police superintendent Stella Gibson (Gillian Anderson) to identify and stop him. Intrigued by Gibson, Spector makes the cat-and-mouse game more personal as the two try to outwit and outmaneuver each other.

On the surface, "The Fall" looks and feels like a British take on "You," despite coming out years earlier, and frankly, it's executed better  and more consistently. A lot of that comes from the dueling perspectives between Anderson and Dornan's characters, building suspense and differentiating it from "You" further. This is a murder mystery where the killer's identity is revealed right from the opening episode, and it's a matter of how Gibson and her team finally foil their culprit. Tautly staged and led by two actors at the top of their craft, "The Fall" is one of the best shows on BritBox.

Though Idris Elba may have delivered a standout performance as Stringer Bell in the first three seasons of "The Wire," it was "Luther" that cemented his crime drama bonafides. Elba stars as John Luther, a London police detective who primarily investigates violent crimes in and around the city. Intensely obsessed with his work, Luther's proactive investigative style often places him directly in harm's way of the serial killers and murderous crooks he pursues. This also invariably bleeds into Luther's personal life on several occasions, including being framed for murder by the culprits, several times himself.

Idris Elba is a magnetic presence throughout "Luther," absolutely commanding every scene that he appears on-screen for. Though a more hands-on detective than his colleagues, Luther still employs strong deductive reasoning and understanding of criminal psychology to get the job done. This proactive approach and impact on Luther's personal life are also strongly evident in the Netflix original continuation movie "Luther: Fallen Sun." A dark crime thriller that features some genuinely terrifying antagonists, "Luther" remains Elba's best television-based performance.

Kate Winslet turns in one of the best performances of her career in the 2021 HBO limited series "Mare of Easttown," created by Brad Ingelsby. Winslet stars as Mare Sheehan, a police detective in the fictional Philadelphia suburb of Easttown who investigates the murder of a local teen mother. This is complicated by the community still holding her accountable for an unsolved child disappearance the prior year while Mare is reeling from her son's recent suicide. As Mare delves into the case, she finally reconciles her own trauma while solving the murder mystery.

Despite its proximity to Philadelphia, "Mare of Easttown" really is a small-town crime drama, featuring a community where everyone knows each other and all the angst that comes with it. At the center of these messy interpersonal dynamics is Mare, whose personal life is completely in shambles itself. Winslet does a phenomenal job of capturing those qualities in her performance as Mare, finding redemption amidst small-town intrigue and murder. Breathing fresh life into a familiar genre, "Mare of Easttown" combines its murder mystery with emotionally nuanced stakes.

When it comes to British detective shows, it's really hard to top the 2013 series "Broadchurch," created by Chris Chibnall. Running for three seasons, the show focuses on a fictional English coastal town that's rocked by the shocking murder of a local boy. As the killing brings unwanted press attention to the quiet community, police detectives Ellie Miller (Olivia Colman) and Alec Hardy (David Tennant) try to solve the case. The show's later seasons continue to explore the murder's fallout on the entire community as Miller and Hardy take on new mysteries.

Where "Broadchurch" excels is its humanist approach to the genre, touching on a murder mystery's impact not just on those primarily involved but a whole town. The story is incited by a grave tragedy and seeing how the individual characters react and try to move on with their lives provides the show with its emotional grounding. Unlike "The Killing," "Broadchurch" solves its central mystery in a single season, but its lingering trauma continues to play a role moving forward. This distinction, along with a genuinely gripping set of cases, helps elevate the material making "Broadchurch" one of the best British crime dramas ever made.

For all the talk about "Mindhunter" not getting a third season, it's easy to overlook that the first two seasons are stellar crime storytelling on their own. The Netflix original series follows FBI criminal profilers Holden Ford (Jonathan Groff) and Bill Tench (Holt McCallany) as they try to better understand the psyche of serial killers. This involves them interviewing some of the most dangerous incarcerated murderers extensively, getting up close and personal with these deadly individuals. Ford and Tench then use what they've learned with psychologist Wendy Carr (Anna Torv) to identify and apprehend serial killers currently on the loose.

Set in the early days of criminal profiling being embraced by federal law enforcement, "Mindhunter" offers a fresh approach to the genre. Though shows starring criminal profilers, most notably in "Criminal Minds," had existed before, "Mindhunter" brings an unmatched pedigree to this crime-solving perspective. The show also boasts the creative talents of filmmaker David Fincher, whose demanding work reputation helps inform the show's tone and attention to detail. As fans cling to hope for a possible return, the seasons of "Mindhunter" that we did get stand among the best television of any genre that Netflix has ever produced.

One of the best TV shows of all time, "The Wire" takes audiences into the heart of Baltimore through multiple perspectives. The show primarily follows the city's police department as they face a growing illegal drug presence, organized crime syndicates, and other rampant criminal activities. Cedric Daniels (Lance Reddick) leads his team to make headway against groups like the Barksdale crime family and international smugglers using the port of Baltimore for their illicit trade. These efforts are shown to have ripple effects on the wider community, with municipal politics, public schools, and local news media spotlighted in particular.

Though "The Wire" has a larger scope than the police detectives supervised by Daniels, it is still very much a detective show. Every step of the way, cops like Jimmy McNulty (Dominic West) lead investigations that target the city's biggest criminals, making up the crux of the series' conflicts. And given the grounded tone, attention to detail, and heavy verisimilitude, the show depicts a realistically thankless and cyclical nature of police detective work in an urban setting. A creative triumph that holds up decades after its conclusion, "The Wire" is also one of the greatest crime shows ever made.

If there was ever a television detective that epitomized the genre's appeal it's Frank Columbo, masterfully played by Peter Falk. After debuting as the unassuming Los Angeles police detective in 1968, Falk played the character intermittently until 2003. Usually appearing slightly disheveled and constantly wearing a wrinkled raincoat, Columbo solved a different murder in every episode. These homicides were usually committed by the rich and powerful smugly trying to cover their tracks, with Columbo's amiable demeanor concealing his eye for clues and inconsistencies from the suspects.

"Columbo" is a comfort watch that brought an easygoing sense of fun to the predominantly dour crime genre. A lot of that charm comes from Falk's performance, playing Columbo as a mumbling sleuth that always catches his culprits off-guard. The show also reveals who the murderer is up front, with each episode's appeal seeing how exactly Columbo was going to crack the case this time. The definitive television detective show, with its adventures still presenting the genre at its best, "Columbo" is still so widely beloved and anchored by an unbeatable central performance.