Best Detective's television or movies?

Posted by DLM on March 12, 2008 at 7:43pm in About Movies

I'm a big fan of mysteries, and always looking for new shows. What are your favorites? Mine are 1. The last Detective 2. Touch of Frost 3. Inspector Morse 4. Streets of San Fransisco. 5. Colombo 6. The Thin Man( movie series)

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Permalink Reply by dmahaffey on April 10, 2008 at 7:39am: For something a little darker, a little heavier than most of what's been listed in this thread, try the 1986 BBC miniseries The Singing Detective, written by Dennis Potter. Michael Gambon plays a hospitalized mystery writer with a crippling mix of psoriasis and arthritis who, to cope with the pain, plots out his next novel. Gambon's character, Philip Marlow, inserts himself into his own fantasy as a 1940s-era big band singer cum detective. As the patient's pain grows increasingly unbearable, he escapes more and more into this fantasy and remembrances from his childhood, eventually unable to distinguish characters in the novel (including himself) from the reality of his bedridden hospital stay. Philip Marlow starts with misanthropy and grows bleaker as his pain deepens. The character remains fascinating to watch because his passions persist in spite of his handicaps. He still flirts with nurses and spars with his psychiatrist. Michael Gambon imbues his character with a ferocity of spirit that even deep depression and near paralysis cannot subdue. This is most evident in a strident catalog of things Philip Marlow believes in, which include "cigarettes ... alcohol ... but above all else, most of all ... the one thing that can come out of people's mouths...." But to find out what that one thing is, you'll have to watch The Singing Detective.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by fleetusa on April 10, 2008 at 7:46am: I liked this and Joanne Whalley makes a nice appearance as a helpful nurse.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by fleetusa on April 11, 2008 at 8:24am: I just saw and reviewed an Inspector Lynley from 2006. It seems that Helen Lynley was not in the shows for 2005 ( I seemed to have skipped the sequence). And now Helen shows up but it is a brand new Helen -- Catherine Russell -- instead of Lesley Vickerage. Anyone know what happened. Imdb doesn't really explain it either. The show, Natural Causes, seems to vaguely indicate just estrangement. Lynley does seem to warm up to the new Helen though and she looks like a classy addition.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Inustar on April 11, 2008 at 10:53am: Good question, one I can't answer... I stopped watching right before that because the show seemed to go downhill abit for me.
But you just mean its a new actress and not a new character right?; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by fleetusa on April 11, 2008 at 11:01am: Right. Catherine Russell. A slightly more attractive actress; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by moviemom on April 11, 2008 at 11:32am: Hi
I just finished watching the Last Detective and loved Peter Davison's portrayal as the modest but tenacious Detective Dangerous. I enjoy Foyle's War as I loved the time period, Basil Rathbone as Sherlock Holmes and NIgel Bruce as Dr. Watson. (arguably the best Holmes ever). I like Hetty Wainthrop, who is a sharp no-nonsense lady much like Ms Marple. Poirot as played by David Suchet is always watchable. Did you see Jonathan Creek? Another unassuming intelligent guy who solves mysteries using his knowledge of prestidigitation and escape techniques. Enjoy!!; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by fleetusa on April 11, 2008 at 12:54pm: Agree on your choices, but what is J. Creek in?; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Inustar on April 11, 2008 at 10:34pm: Jonathan Creek is the name of the show, and the main character. He's a magician's assistant so all the mysteries are really seemingly impossible ones. Fun show.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by DLM on April 11, 2008 at 7:58pm: Have you seen Jeramey Britt as Sherlock Holmes?; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by JWnPooh on April 11, 2008 at 11:33am: I scanned through everyones comments and you have pretty much listed all that I was thinking of but here are 2 movies that are not that I thoroughly enjoyed Shock to the System & Third Man Out. Both star Chad Allen as Detective Donald Strachey; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by ChrisP on April 11, 2008 at 11:58am: For movies: 1. Philip Marlowe (Humphrey Bogart, The Big Sleep); 2. Sam Spade (Bogart, The Maltese Falcon); 3. Jake Gittes (Jack Nicholson, Chinatown); 4. Scottie Ferguson (James Stewart, Vertigo); 5. Marge Gunderson (Frances McDormand, Fargo); 6. Ed Exley, Bud White, and Jack Vincennes (Guy Pearce, Russell Crowe, and Kevin Spacey, L.A. Confidential); 7. Dave Bannion (Glenn Ford, The Big Heat); 8. Phillip Marlowe (Elliott Gould, The Long Goodbye); 9. Perry Van Shrike (Val Kilmer in the criminally-underrated Kiss Kiss Bang Bang).

Gee, I just realized, that's a bit film noir-heavy, isn't it?; ▶ Reply to This