Can You Name These TV/Movie Detectives?
- by Benjamin Welton
- – on
- in Movies and TV
Few things are more popular than detective stories. Ever since the 19th century, fictional detectives have been a staple of novels, plays, movies, and television shows. Originally created by American writer Edgar Allan Poe, who penned "The Murder in the Rue Morgue" in 1841, the detective story is now truly international, with popular detective writers coming from such diverse places as Bangladesh, Japan, Sweden, and Zimbabwe.
Fictional detectives come in many different stripes. Some are eccentrics who collect rare manuscripts or pass the time by taking cocaine and playing the violin. Some dabble in academic pursuits outside of fighting crime, while others are bon vivants with gigantic appetites.
More earthly detectives include professional lawmen who have to abide by the written rules. However, many have a fondness for stepping beyond these rules and pursuing extralegal justice in order to put the bad guys away for good.
Finally, there are those detectives who do not fit into any neat category at all. Some of these examples have clear mental impairments, while others are described as drug addicts, social outsiders, or pariahs. Whatever the case though, all of the following detectives are extremely popular and have been consumed with gusto by eager readers and watchers for generations.
This LAPD detective was the star of "The Shield"
Like the actor who played him, this fictional detective is a Boston-area native who relocated to Los Angeles. A veteran of the Los Angeles Police Department, this slightly corrupt cop is prone to violent outbursts. Like "Dirty" Harry Callahan, this character is a brash, blue-collar lawman who has no time for the niceties of civil rights and civil law. This detective not only beats up his suspects, but he is also responsible for the extra legal killing of several L.A. gangsters.
This hard-nosed detective worked out of the NYPD's 15th Precinct
"NYPD Blue" was once one of the most celebrated shows on television. An unflinching portrayal of the New York Police Department, this show frequently examined the tumultuous lives of his primary detectives. One such detective is this man--a Brooklyn-born son of working-class immigrants from Poland. Often described as a "drunken, racist goon," this detective is known for having a "heart of gold." He is thought to be based on Bill Clark, the Canadian immigrant and Vietnam veteran who worked for decades as an NYPD detective.
This cartoon boy detective was created by Belgian artist Herge
Apparently, Herge (real name Georges Remi) was inspired by a Danish boy named Palle Huld, who used a newspaper award to travel the world and write about his adventures. The Belgian artist used this inspiration to create one of the most recognizable cartoon characters in the history of modern literature. Although the character began his life in a right-wing Catholic newspaper, he is best known for appearing in a popular 1960s cartoon show and a recent film directed by Steven Spielberg.
This detective is known as the "Great Detective"
This character is without question the most recognizable detective in the history of fiction. After first appearing in the novel "A Study in Scarlet" in 1887, this bohemian private eye has stalked the streets of London with his close friend Dr. Watson. Supposedly based on Scottish medical doctor, this character has been portrayed by numerous actors on the big and little screens. Famous performances include Benedict Cumberbatch, Robert Downey, Jr., Peter Cushing, Christopher Lee, and Basil Rathbone. Only Count Dracula has appeared in more films.
This Hawaiian P.I. starred in a hit TV show in the 1980s
This P.I. was the epitome of manliness in the 1980s. Played by the hirsute American actor Tom Selleck, this rough-neck detective has one heck of a backstory. Born in the Tidewater region of Virginia, this private detective was a standout high school football player. However, rather than join the NFL, he became a U.S. Navy SEAL. Thanks to several tours of duty in Vietnam, this P.I. can speak both French and Vietnamese. This history frequently comes up during this detective's cases.
This San Francisco PD Inspector carries a .44 Magnum revolver
Clint Eastwood played arguably the most hard-boiled detective in history when he appeared in this 1971 film. Set in San Francisco when that city was already synonymous with political radicalism and youth crime, the first film in this series features a friend-less homicide investigator who must track down the Scorpio Killer. Scorpio is a thinly-veiled version of the Zodiac Killer, a real serial murderer who terrorized the Bay Area between 1968 and 1969. Eastwood's character famous asked: "Do you feel lucky, punk?"
This high school detective was created by Edward Stratemeyer
During the 1920s, detective fiction was ascending in popularity. As such, even authors of children's fiction tried to get in on the action. This was the case of Edward Stratemeyer, who wanted to create a female counterpart to the popular Hardy Boys series of detective novels for kids. During the 1970s, this character received a second life thanks to a television show that also featured the Hardy Boys. At that time, the character was portrayed by actress Pamela Sue Martin.
This French investigator is the laughingstock of the "Pink Panther" series
A 1963 comedy film made by Blake Edwards marks the first time that this comedic character appeared on the screen. Played best by the British actor Peter Sellers, this Parisian oddball never manages to get the better of his opponents. Whether his cases involved jewel heists or murder, this detective never has a clue. A mid-2000s reboot of this character featured Steve Martin in the title role. Here's a little known fact: this character was apparently a resistance fighter during World War II.
This detective is a sort of cyborg who debuted in 1983
Most kids who watched this cartoon in the 1980s probably had no idea that that this character was partially a mocking send-up of an earlier television detective. This detective was played by Don Adams on the show "Get Smart." Funny enough, the same Don Adams voiced this character when he debuted in 1983. Much like Inspector Clouseau, this investigator is better known for his incompetence than his deductive or forensic skills. Also, like Batman, this character relies on an army of gadgets.
This TV detective was played by Peter Falk
The obviously New York born and bred Peter Falk made a career out of playing this unassuming detective with the Los Angeles Police Department. A scruffy Italian American who loves nothing more than a good cigar, this fictional detective is neither a genius or an eccentric weirdo. His is a proud everyman who solves his cases by being persistent and being able to play of the vanity of his opponents. From the late 1960s until the 1990s, this detective was a staple of primetime television.
This detective pretends to be a psychic
For eight seasons on the USA Network, this sarcastic and witty sleuth made fools out of his criminal opponents. A consultant with the Santa Barbara Police Department, this private investigator utilizes his almost supernatural observational abilities to solve seemingly unsolvable cases. This character was clearly inspired by Sherlock Holmes, the fictional detective who routinely baffles his friends, colleagues, and foes because of his ability to take simple clues and spin entire explanations from them. American actor James Roday played this character.
This married French detective is known for his trademark pipe
This European detective has appeared in an ungodly amount of novels. All of these books were cranked out by the Belgian writer Georges Simenon, who based the character of a real French detective named Marcel Guillaume. Between 1931 and 1972, this character appeared in seventy-five novels. On the screen, he has been portrayed by actors Rowan Atkinson, Bruno Cremer, Rupert Davies, and Pierre Renoir. The most famous portrayal of this character was done by French national hero and veteran of the Free French Army, Jean Gabin.
This detective is the described as the world's greatest detective in "Death Note"
Like Nero Wolfe, this brilliant detective works best in solitude. A disheveled young man who has a habit of taking off his shoes, this Japanese detective, who is best known for using a single initial, is obsessed with tracking down the seemingly ordinary youth who uses a demon and a magical book to rid the world of serial killers, rapists, and other undesirable elements. In the upcoming American version of the manga series, this detective will be played by actor Keith Stanfield.
This detective first appeared on the silver screen in 1970
During the 1970s, "Blaxploitation" cinema chased in on the radicalism of the Black Panthers and other far-Left groups. As a result, several films from the early to mid 1970s feature seemingly radical black protagonists who almost always face off against "The man" (see: white authority figures). Blaxploitation also introduced middle America to colorful pimps, drug dealers, and "soul brothers." This New York P.I. embodies both radical chic and classic cool in his titular film from 1970. A later sequel would this character to Africa.
This detective is the star of "Murder, She Wrote"
"Murder, She Wrote" was a long-running American television series that lasted from 1984 until 1996. The main character, played by veteran actress Angela Landsbury, is a somewhat lonely former English teacher who has found a second career as a successful writer of mystery novels. In the show, the main character's local village in coastal Maine is plagued by murderers. The local police are almost always clueless about the true facts, whereas the nosy mystery writer and former school marm is always right.
This private eye was played by James Garner
Between 1974 and 1980, this hit television show followed the exploits of a former inmate turned private detective. Produced and released by NBC, this show tried to portray a realistic version of Los Angeles and a realistic version of private investigator. The protagonist is a down-to-earth and decidedly un-eccentric Korean War veteran who was falsely imprisoned in California's San Quentin prison. From his headquarters in plush Malibu, California, this private eye specializes in missing persons cases and cases that have gone cold.
Before he was James Bond, Pierce Brosnan played this detective
Between 1983 and 1987, this somewhat cheesy detective show helped to launch Irish actor Pierce Brosnan into the stratosphere. However, the true main character of this show is Laura Holt (played by Stephanie Zimbalist), a struggling private eye who cannot land jobs because so few clients want to hire a female P.I. Desperate for work, Holt invents a fictional male detective in order to land clients. However, this fictional P.I. becomes real when a debonair thief and conman picks up his name and begins working with Holt.
This Boston P.I. is friends with Hawk
Before writing his first detective novel, Massachusetts native Robert B. Parker lived quite a full time. He served in Korea as a member of the U.S. Army, he worked in advertising, and he earned a doctorate in English from Boston University. His Ph.D. dissertation was about the myth of the Western cowboy essentially created the later private detective character in American literature. Parker's most famous fictional detective certainly fits the mold of an urban cowboy, although Boston in the 1970s and 1980s is certainly more wild than the Wild West ever was.
This Detective Chief Inspector is the lead in "Midsomer Murders"
"Midsomer Murders" is a long-running British television show that first debuted in 1997. The lead character is a member of the Criminal Investigation Department in the bucolic county of Midsomer. Although fictional, Midsomer is meant to represent such quaint regions of rural England like Oxfordshire, Cambridgeshire, and Wiltshire. Despite being a cozy little area full of idyllic villages, Midsomer seems to be the murder capital of the United Kingdom. Fortunately, this plucky detective always gets his nemesis in the end.
This unique detective is a Roman Catholic priest
G.K. Chesterton was born into an Anglican family in London, but he is best known today for being one of the most outspoken Catholic converts in the history of Great Britain. Chesterton's 1925 book "The Everlasting Man" is widely considered one of the best written examples of Christian apologetics. Chesterton created this rumpled, chubby Catholic priest-detective as a way to refute the secular "scientism" of Sherlock Holmes. This sleuth solves cases by examining the sinfulness in the hearts of his opponents.
This detective always wanted "Just the facts"
Badge No. 714. That is the famous badge number that belongs to this fictional member of the Los Angeles Police Department. Originally a character made for the radio, this tough-as-nails and laconic officer became best known for his appearances on the hit television show "Dragnet." This character helped to humanize real-life police officers at a time when America's crime rate began to soar. Played by the actor Jack Webb, this fictional character is still popular among working police officers today.
This bald detective always said: "Who loves you, baby"
Set in the fictional eleventh precinct of the New York Police Department, this gritty police procedural show from the 1970s made a star out of Telly Savalas. Like Savalas himself, this character is a Greek American who is known for wearing good-looking suits, stylish hats, and and a fondness for lollipops. His trademark phrase ("Who loves you, baby") is recognizable today, even if most people cannot name the original source. The titular show aired on NBC from 1973 until 1978.
This New York detective always shot first, asked questions later
American writer Mickey Spillane debuted this character in 1947 with the pulpy action novel "I, The Jury." Unlike Sherlock Holmes, this detective relies more on muscle and his gut than on his brains. And unlike Philip Marlowe, this detective is no chaste knight errant who refuses to sleep with his clients. In total, this no nonsense detective is known for his fedora, his Colt .45, and his two quick fists. American actor Stacy Keach played the best known version of this P.I.
This San Francisco detective had a famous car chase scene in 1966
1966 was the pivotal year when wayward youths began streaming into the Haight-Ashbury neighborhood of San Francisco. The "Summer of Love" would follow suit. If you look close enough, hippies and longhairs can be found in this tough crime film featuring Steve McQueen as a member of the San Francisco Police Department. In the film's most famous scene, McQueen chases down two thugs in his black Ford Mustang. This long chase sequence became the blueprint for later action films in the 1970s and '80s.
This British aristocrat is recognizable thanks to his monocle
This upper crust sleuth embodies the snootiness of the British aristocracy. A World War I veteran who collects arcane trinkets when not solving crimes, this detective was created by the academic Dorothy L. Sayers. After first appearing in the 1923 novel "Whose Body?," this detective would go on to star in a string of popular novels until 1937. On television, this character has been portrayed by actors Edward Petherbridge and Ian Carmichael. The first films starring this character actually began in the 1930s.
John Wayne played this Seattle detective in 1974
"The Duke" is best known for playing lonesome cowboys out in the American West. However, near the end of his career, Wayne branched out and started playing different occupations. In this 1974 film, Wayne plays a detective who is kicked out of the Seattle Police Department for being too rough and tumble. The character solves this dilemma by becoming a private eye. Now free from official restraints, this cop uncovers the fact that dirty SPD detectives are involved in the drug trade.
This Swedish detective was created by author Henning Mankell
"Nordic noir" is almost a genre onto itself. This bleak crime novels set in Scandinavia almost always revolve around damaged police officers who nevertheless manage to solve tough cases. This character is no different. A cop primarily concerned with protecting the dangerous Swedish city of Malmo, he is a divorced intellectual who likes listening to Maria Callas and classical music when he's not working on a case. On Swedish TV, he has been portrayed by Rolf Lassgard and Krister Henriksson. British actor Kenneth Branagh played him for the BBC.
This detective is the hard-boiled sleuth of Los Angeles
Created by Raymond Chandler for the novel "The Big Sleep" in 1939, this private eye was formed from the ashes of several characters used in Chandler's first short stories. A heavy smoker who prefers to play chess alone, this noir detective was played by Humphrey Bogart in the classic adaptation of "The Big Sleep." A much later interpretation of the character was made by the actor Elliot Gould. Other works featuring this character include "The High Window" and "The Long Goodbye."
This corpulent detective rarely leaves his Manhattan apartment
This unique detective made a Manhattan brownstone his home, but he was actually born in the Balkan nation of Montenegro. After immigrating to the United States after World War I, this eccentric genius somehow made a fortune as a private investigator who rarely if ever leaves his home. Indeed, this detective has a very strict schedule about when he wakes up in the morning, plus he's particular about what he eats and drinks. This character is also known for his fondness form orchids.
This detective is described as a "Belgian fop"
This character was inspired by the numerous Belgian refugees that flooded southern England during World War I. Created by English novelist Agatha Christie, this detective first appeared in print in 1920 with "The Mysterious Affair at Styles." His final print appearance was in the 1975 novel "Curtain." Known as a fastidious dresser who puts wax in his mustache, this French-speaking private eye was played best by British actor David Suchet. Many may know this character best from the novel and film "The Murder on the Orient Express."
Who is the high school detective in "Case Closed"?
Few manga series are as prolific as "Cased Closed." These fun graphic novels feature a boyish detectives who becomes a genius sleuth. Each story by animator/writer Gosho Aoyama is small tribute to the world of detective fiction. Indeed, this detective creates a pseudonym using the names of Arthur Conan Doyle, the creator of Sherlock Holmes, and Edogawa Rampo, the pen name of the Japanese detective and horror fiction writer who first brought the genre to the "Land of the Rising Sun."
This detective is the gossip queen of St. Mary Mead
While other detectives can be described as cowboys stuck in the modern metropolis, this detective is always portrayed as a nosy spinster. Whereas other investigators rely on clues or scientific analysis, this British sleuth solves most of her cases by simply collecting all of the active and available gossip in her quaint village. This character first appeared in Agatha Christie's 1930 novel "The Murder at the Vicarage." Actresses as diverse as Helen Hayes and Angela Lansbury have portrayed this popular detective.
This detective hunted down the Maltese Falcon
Described as a "blond Satan" in the novel "The Maltese Falcon," this San Francisco private eye was created by author Dashiell Hammett. Prior to becoming a full-time writer, Hammett had been a real-life private eye in Baltimore, Spokane, Washington, and San Francisco. Although 1930's "The Maltese Falcon" was the only major appearance of this detective, his amorality and toughness made him an instant hit with international audiences. Humphrey Bogart portrayed the best known version of this character in the 1941 version of "The Maltese Falcon."
This Chinese American detective works out of Honolulu
Created by Ohio native Earl Derr Biggers, this fictional detective is widely believed to have been based on a real Chinese immigrant detective who patrolled the streets of Honolulu with a bull whip. The first appearance of this character on film occurred in the silent era when he was played by Japanese American actor George Kuwa. The most famous portrayal of this character was done by Swedish actor Warner Oland. Despite being white, Oland was often mistaken for Asian because he had some Mongolian ancestry.
This married couple are the lighthearted detectives of "The Thin Man"
The 1934 novel "The Thin Man" was the last serious work of fiction that writer Dashiell Hammett ever produced. At the time, Hammett was an alcoholic screenwriter in Hollywood who was getting deeper and deeper into political activism on behalf of the American Communist Party. While "The Thin Man" is meant to be a hilarious pastiche of popular British detective novels, its on-screen adaptation in 1934 launched a string of films featuring William Powell and Myrna Low as the chief detectives.