One of the main things classic mystery shows like Columbo and modern crime dramas like Sherlock have in common is that they center around not just good detectives, but incredibly intelligent investigators who find unique ways to solve crimes or other mysteries.
But who are the smartest detectives to ever grace the small screen? Well, let us solve that mystery for you as we break down a few dozen of the greatest of all time.
Inspector Columbo (Columbo)
“One more thing” is a phrase that viewers of Columbo loved to hear just as much as the show’s various criminals and bad players feared it. Peter Falk’s titular detective often put on the impression that he wasn’t putting it all together, but in that brain of his, he had it all figured out, which makes him seem even brighter.
Theo Kojak (Kojak)
Telly Savalas’ Theo Kojak wasn’t just a tough-as-nails, no-nonsense detective, he was also one who had the perfect mix of street and book smarts. Don’t let his iconic lollipop fool you, this NYPD investigator didn’t mess around one bit and could stand up to anyone and everyone both with his brawn and his brain.
Luther (Luther)
John Luther, played by Idris Elba throughout the duration of the BBC series’ run plus a Netflix movie, wasn’t necessarily a morally superior detective, but the high-ranking and embattled member of London’s SCU was the best when it came to solving crimes. He always had a plan, as well as one on the back burner when stuff eventually hit the fan.
Jimmy McNulty (The Wire)
Dominic West’s Jimmy McNulty, a character from The Wire who appeared in the most episodes, could have probably been Baltimore’s greatest police officer if he didn’t allow himself to get in the way. Despite his relationship issues, insubordination, and morally questionable decisions, he was a cop through and through and an extremely intelligent investigator.
Batman (Batman: The Animated Series)
They don’t call Batman the world’s greatest detective for no reason. Throughout Batman: The Animated Series, the Caped Crusader gets to the bottom of a myriad of crimes, disappearances, and strange happenings in his tireless fight to clean the streets of Gotham and put no-gooders in Arkham.
Jessica Fletcher (Murder, She Wrote)
There are countless reasons why we miss Murder, She Wrote, but at the top of that list is the intelligence, warmth, and pure likeability of the series’ main character, Jessica Fletcher (Angela Lansbury). The idea of a mystery writer becoming a detective and solving all manner of crimes seems far-fetched, but the qualities listed above made Fletcher one of TV’s great criminal minds.
Rustin "Rust" Cohle (True Detective)
Do you think a big dummy could come up with something like “Time is a flat circle”? Nah, Rustin “Rust” Cohle (Matthew McConaughey) in True Detective’s first season is without a doubt one of the smartest detectives to ever take the screen. This guy spent decades getting to the bottom of what some thought was an unsolvable crime. Was he odd? Totally. Dumb? Not at all.
Sherlock Holmes (Sherlock)
There have been so many different Sherlock Holmes movies and TV shows over the years, but one of the best representations of the iconic detective is Benedict Cumberbatch’s portrayal in Sherlock. Though rude and hard to deal with at times, this remarkably talented sleuth with an unparalleled intellect was in a league of his own.
Adrian Monk (Monk)
Tony Shalhoub’s Adrian Monk could very well be one of the greatest TV detectives of all time, no matter how you cut it. Tasked with solving all kinds of unconventional cases, this private detective with obsessive-compulsive disorder and a range of other issues could do just about anything unless his various phobias got in the way.
James "Sonny" Crockett and Ricardo "Rico" Tubbs (Miami Vice)
James “Sonny” Crockett and Richard “Rico” Tubbs from Miami Vice were good detectives on their own, but together they were the best South Florida had to offer. Throughout the series, the due balanced their personal issues with those of the department all while getting to the bottom of some nasty crimes requiring both their brains.
Olivia Benson (Law & Order: Special Victims Unit)
Mariska Hargitay’s Olivia Benson has been a major force on Law and Order: SVU ever since the show’s debut back in 1999, and during that time, she’s been instrumental in solving some serious crimes. Though she can sometimes lose her cool, the detective-turned-commanding officer can get to the bottom of some perilous situations better than most.
Hercule Poirot (Agatha Christie's Poirot)
There have been some great portrayals of Hercule Poirot over the years, including David Suchet’s take on the famous character in Agatha Christie’s Poirot. Throughout the show’s 13 seasons, the legendary detective used his brains and wits to bring an end to all kinds of mysteries. And just when it looked like Poirot was about to be outdone, the mustached detective would pull off some trick and bring it home.
Lennie Briscoe (Law & Order)
If there is one character from the original Law and Order series that folks remember the most (at least on the detective side of the show), it would have to be Jerry Orbach’s Lennie Briscoe. Despite his rough-and-tumble demeanor and hardened attitude, this homicide detective had no problem solving murders, even if he had to put someone in a corner.
Lester Freamon (The Wire)
Behind just about every great idea in The Wire was Clarke Peters’ Lester Freamon, an intelligent, wise, and loyal detective from the Baltimore Police Department. Though a bit prickly at times (aren’t they all?), Lester was essentially the father figure of the Major Crimes Unit and had decades of experience.
Frank Pembleton (Homicide: Life On The Street)
Frank Pembleton, played by the late, great Andre Braughter, was essentially the key member of the Homicide: Life on the Street ensemble cast and one of the smartest characters ever created by Tom Fontana and David Simon. Both eccentric and intelligent, the young detective constantly found new and unorthodox ways to go about murder investigations.
Veronica Mars (Veronica Mars)
Don’t let Veronica Mars’ (Kristen Bell) age make you think she’s not a capable, or smart, detective, as this crafty private eye is probably one of the best to ever do it on the small screen. Throughout the original Veronica Mars series, the film adaptation, and the revival series years later, this sleuth was wise beyond her years.
Jim Rockford (The Rockford Files)
On top of having a banger of a theme song, The Rockford Files also featured one of the best TV detectives with James Garner’s Jim Rockford. Brash, daring, and wildly smart, this private eye could hold his own both physically and mentally.
Bunk Moreland (The Wire)
Though prone to make mistakes and lapses in judgment alongside Jimmy McNulty, Bunk Moreland (Wendell Piere) was honestly one of the smartest and hardest-working detectives featured on The Wire. Plus, that one scene in “Old Cases” is perhaps one of the greatest TV moments of all time.
Virgil Tibbs (In The Heat Of The Night)
Taking over a role made famous by Sidney Poitier two decades earlier was no easy task, but Howard Rollins did a masterful job of playing Virgil Tibbs on In the Heat of the Night. Not only was he great when solving cases, but his mental chess with Carroll O’Connor’s Police Chief Bill Gillespie was about as good as it gets.
Dale Cooper (Twin Peaks)
Dale Cooper (Kyle MacLachlan) is technically an FBI special agent on Twin Peaks, but there’s no way we could make a list of the smartest TV detectives and not include the iconic character. His idiosyncrasies, his love of coffee and pie, and his inability to let things go all make Agent Cooper someone anyone would want investigating a case.
John Munch (Homicide: Life On The Street)
Richard Belzer’s John Munch is undeniably one of the most annoying detectives to ever grace the small screen, but part of that is because he’s also undeniably one of the smartest. Throughout Homicide: Life on the Street and Law and Order: SVU.
Thomas Magnum (Magnum, P.I.)
Thomas Magnum is up there in the rankings of the best Tom Selleck characters, and it’s not just because he looked cool and kicked a lot of butt on Magnum, P.I. Behind the mustache, behind the cool shirts, behind the great cars there was a big brain, one who knew that nuns don’t work on Sundays.
Shawn Spencer (Psych)
Did Shawn Spencer (James Roday Rodriguez) actually have psychic abilities that allowed him to solve “unsolvable” crimes? It’s debatable. What isn’t though is the fact that this crime consultant was outrageously smart, had a photographic memory, and used unmatched observational skills to pull off some impressive feats.
Peter Burke (White Collar)
The more by-the-books and old-fashioned member of White Collar’s FBI White Collar Crime Unit, Peter Burke (Tim DeKay) is as smart as he is thorough in anything he does. He definitely takes a more no-nonsense approach to his day-to-day than Matt Bomer’s Neal Caffrey, which makes them a dynamic duo.
Kima Greggs (The Wire)
When talking about incredibly smart characters from The Wire, Kima Greggs (Sonja Sohn) is near the top of the list. Throughout the show’s five seasons, she constantly pushed herself to the next level, both physically and mentally. One of the most dedicated members of the show’s core unit, she was also one of the most articulate and methodical.
Stella Gibson (The Fall)
Detective Superintendent Stella Gibson (Gillian Anderson) from The Fall is not only one of the smartest TV detectives, she’s also one of the best. Her tactics in tracking down serial killer Paul Spector (Jamie Dornan) were both unorthodox and ahead of the curve, and it’s hard to imagine the killings would have stopped without her.
Sergeant Philip Fish (Barney Miller)
Though some will remember the late Abe Vigoda more from his portrayal of Salvatore Tessio in The Godfather, for the sake of this story we’re going to focus on his brilliant take on Sergeant Philip K. Fish on Barney Miller and the spinoff series, Fish. He didn’t appear in every episode of the classic sitcom, but the wise-cracking detective did make his mark on the series throughout its run. Grumpy, smart, seasoned, and hilarious, Fish knew how to solve a case while also making us laugh.
Danny Reagan (Blue Bloods)
Whenever the conversation comes up about the Blue Bloods cast, it doesn’t take all that long before Donnie Wahlberg’s Danny Reagan enters the conversation. One of the major characters throughout the show’s historic run on CBS, this hard-nosed NYPD detective has both street smarts and keen police skills up his sleeve and is ready to use both whenever and wherever needed. If there’s a CBS detective you’d want on your case (or not covering it if you’re a perp), this would be the guy.
Gil Grissom (CSI)
Even though Gil Grissom (William Petersen) is technically a forensic entomologist and not a detective, he’s still a worthy addition to this list. For the first nine seasons of CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, Gil was the man of the CBS crime drama. With a high level of expertise, an unmatched intellect, and attention to detail, this Las Vegas-based investigator could solve just about anything that crossed his desk.
Patrick Jane (The Mentalist)
Simon Baker, who was great in George A. Romero’s Land of the Dead, was also superb in his portrayal of Patrick Jane on CBS’ The Mentalist. Jane, a psychic-turned-consultant for the California Bureau of Investigation, used his unique set of skills and mental abilities to help the CBI solve all kinds of murders, most of which couldn’t have been wrapped up if not for him.
Jim Brass (CSI)
Played by Paul Guilfoyle, Jim Brass was a dedicated Las Vegas Police detective who worked closely with the key team on CSI: Crime Scene Investigation. Though not soft on crime, Brass did play things by the book and preferred to use conversation and other non-violent police skills over more aggressive and violent methods.
Spencer Reid (Criminal Minds)
Portrayed by Matthew Gray Gubler, Dr. Spencer Reid was a quirky and hyper-intelligent special agent who was crucial to the happenings of Criminal Minds. Though his personality rubbed some the wrong way, there’s no denying the fact that he was legitimately the smartest person in any given room.
