Police Procedurals & crime-solving series

[Emelee]

What shows featuring a professional or non-professional crime-solver are your favorites?
What do you watch? What have you watched in the past?
What kind of police procedural shows do you prefer? Realistic? Humorous? Raw? Sweet? The ones featuring professionals or non-professionals?

 

[Ome]

I enjoy them a lot, they're my 'go to' TV shows when I want to watch something that's resolved in the same episode, though I don't mind them going over 2 or 3 episodes to tell a story.

The one thing that utterly disappoints me with all cop shows and that's when the detectives locate a person of interest and then shout out their name - just so the story gets to see a chase. The chasing of criminals is overused in every police show I've watched and it does my head in.

What do you watch?

Law & Order SVU
Law & Order UK
Line of Duty

What have you watched in the past?

The Bill
Homicide: Life on the Streets
Law & Order
CSI - the original
NCIS
Major Crimes
The Closer
Prime Suspect
Cracker
Waking the Dead
Blue Bloods
Happy Valley
Cops
Cuffs
Dexter
Law & Order: Criminal Intent
Life on Mars
Ashes to Ashes



I've tried THE WIRE but failed. I plan to revisit it again







The ultimate cop show has to be THE SHIELD, but you have to stick with it throughout its 7 seasons to experience a whirlwind of emotions.

 

[Karin Schill]

I haven't watched a lot of this genre. But I did see all of "Bones" and it was an amazing 12 years. That show was so good. It was often the crime of the weeks but it was character driven and some episodes were so good that they really moved me to tears too.

 

[Seaviewer]

There was a time when detective shows of one stripe or another seemed to be just about all that was on but in the post-Dallas period I've lost a lot of interest in that type of show.

Off the top of my head I'd probably name Columbo as one of the best of the past.

More recently I've been watching The Closer/Major Crimes, New Tricks, Elementary all of which are more for the continuing characters than the actual mysteries.

 

[Toni]

I have watched few procedurals in my long life as a TV addict, and I have no regret about it. I only fell in love with one: "Moonlighting", and it had a very old-fashioned vibe which I adored. Sadly enough, like some love affairs, I fell out of love after the first 3 seasons though I was faithful until the very end.

Karin, I also followed "Bones" and probably because of the same reasons abovementioned. The characters were relatable, interesting and very appealing. I must finish the journey though because I still have the last 6 seasons pending to watch.

Apart from those, I did like "Remington Steele" (the poor man´s version of "Moonlighting"), and took a look at a few more, but didn´t get hooked on them. I don´t know if gems like BBC´s "Sherlock" or "Dexter" can be included here, because if so, I do love them and a lot, from beginning to end.

Da Pig didn´t miss an episode of RS. Ever.​

 

[Mel O'Drama]

The Gentle Touch is a favourite of mine:

But I'm not sure if it counts. It's really a drama series about a professional who happens to be a police officer whose daily activities involve crime and police procedure.


Ditto Cagney & Lacey, which I think of as a drama series rather than a police procedural or crime-solving.


Of the more formulaic series, Columbo was just wonderful. Very well made.


It's many years since I've watched one, but I like to think I'd enjoy Maggie Forbes's peer Juliet Bravo at least as much today as I did in the Eighties.


Favourite non-professionals include Miss Marple (but it has to be Joan Hickson) and Poirot (but it has to be David Suchet). And I enjoy a Murder She Wrote when I want something a bit less challenging.

 

[Toni]

I forgot "Charlie´s Angels". If guilty pleasures for gay children count, of course...

And, of course, Da Pig was Team Kris!!!​

 

[Willie Oleson]

Dempsey & Makepeace, and I've also watched some of Bergerac.

And Adam Dalgliesh, Derrick and Der Alte, but these were murder mysteries (not just any crime)

 

[tommie]

I can't say that I really *follow* a lot of them per se, but they are good fodder when you're bored and have nothing else to watch as they're on all the time - I used to watch Cold Case and Law & Order: SVU when I still had a television.

 

[Willie Oleson]

True Detective was awesome, I thought there was going to be a third series.

 

[Emelee]

True Detective was awesome, I thought there was going to be a third series.

Season 3 premieres this month
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/True_Detective_(season_3)

 

[Seaviewer]

"Remington Steele" (the poor man´s version of "Moonlighting")

Remington Steele actually preceded Moonlighting. Glen Gordon Caron had been a writer on it so I think of the latter as a rip-off of the former, although the basic formula dates back at least to The Thin Man and perhaps earlier.

Cagney & Lacey, which I think of as a drama series rather than a police procedural or crime-solving.

Yes, I never even thought of C&L in relation to this topic.

I forgot "Charlie´s Angels".

I watched that, too, back when it was the "big thing".

 

[Angela Channing]

Off the top of my head I'd probably name Columbo as one of the best of the past.

Of the more formulaic series, Columbo was just wonderful. Very well made.

I completely agree, Columbo was one of the best police show ever and still stands up well today.

I also would like to extend some love to Murder She Wrote. Yes, it was a bit twee, always followed the same formula and the murderer was usually identified with unrealistic speed but it was a really charming and entertaining show.

 

[Willie Oleson]

 

[Willie Oleson]

I also liked

and ORLEANS starring Larry Hagman

 

[Toni]

I loved the first season of "Hart to Hart" too, but I haven´t seen the rest of it (neither of "Remington"...). I might give it a try one of these days...Both were classy and clever, and played so perfectly.

I don´t know if continuing mystery dramas like "The Killing" are valid here. If so, I loved it. And also "Eyewitness", both "Secrets & Lies" seasons, "The Fall", "24", "Top of the Lake", "Fargo", David Suchet´s "Poirot", etc.

Now that I think about it, I liked a lot of other cop/detective shows since I was a child: "Get Christie Love" (brief but groundbreaking), "The X-Files", and I did like the few episodes I watched of the NBC Mystery Hour, "McMillan & Wife", "Columbo" and so on.

 

[Willie Oleson]

I don´t know if continuing mystery dramas like "The Killing" are valid here. If so, I loved it. And also "Eyewitness", both "Secrets & Lies" seasons, "The Fall", "24", "Top of the Lake", "Fargo", David Suchet´s "Poirot", etc.

You forgot DAMAGES, I know it's one of your favourites (and mine too).

 

[Emelee]

I prefer those series with long and/or few episodes.

- Midsomer Murders
- Lewis
- Martin Beck
- Wallander (the Swedish version)
- Vera
- No Offence
- Columbo
- Poirot
- Homeland

Mini-series, such as:
- Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
- House of Cards (UK)

Denmark produced a number of great series. For instance:
- Unit One (Rejseholdet) 2000-2004
- The Killing (Forbrydelsen) 2007-2012
- Those Who Kill (Den som dræber) 2011
- Follow The Money (Bedrag) 2016-
- Below The Surface (Gidseltagningen) 2017-

Also, the Swedish-Danish co-productions tend to be very good;
- The Bridge (Bron|Broen) 2011-2018
- The Lawyer (Advokaten) 2018-
- Greyzone (Gråzon) 2018-


But of those with ~22 episodes/seasons, I sometimes watched CSI, CSI: NY, Criminal Minds, Law & Order, Law & Order: SVU. Not every episode though. And only some seasons. I prefered Law & Order with Jerry Orbach, Sam Waterston & Benjamin Bratt. Mid 90s to around year 2004-ish.

PS: Does X-files count? If so, then that's my favorite.

 

[Willie Oleson]

PS: Does X-files count? If so, then that's my favorite.

Not Twin Peaks?

 

[Emelee]

Not Twin Peaks?

Interestingly enough, I don't count Twin Peaks as a police series. Probably because there's only one of many storylines that actually is about crime solving. All others have nothing to do with solving crimes.