If murdered, which fictional TV detective do you want on the case?

  • Thread starter George Jones
  • Start date
  • #1
George Jones
Staff Emeritus
Science Advisor
Gold Member
7,643
1,600
If you get murdered, which fictional TV detective (from any country) do you want to investigate the case?
 
  • Love
Likes apostolosdt
Physics news on Phys.org
  • #2
  • Like
Likes JurassicOwl, DrClaude and sandy stone
  • #3
George Jones said:
If you get murdered, which fictional TV detective (from any country) do you want to investigate the case?
Columbo!
 
  • Like
  • Love
Likes DrClaude, Astronuc, pinball1970 and 5 others
  • #4
PeroK said:
Columbo!
Absolutely!
 
  • Like
Likes pinball1970 and DennisN
  • #6
PeroK said:
There's a "pub quiz" question that comes up from time to time in the UK. What do Lieutenant Columbo, Captain Mainwaring and Arthur Daley have in common?
I'm afraid I'd flunk that quiz.
 
  • #7
Doc Al said:
I'm afraid I'd flunk that quiz.
They all have a wife that we never see!
 
  • Like
Likes pinball1970 and Doc Al
  • #8
PeroK said:
They all have a wife that we never see!
That would have been my guess! (So maybe I would have passed after all...)

I'm very familiar with Columbo but never heard of the others. (I suppose I should get out more.)
 
  • #9
Sherlock of course!
 
  • Like
Likes AlexB23, pinball1970, DennisN and 1 other person
  • #10
BillTre said:
Sherlock of course!
Another fine choice. I don't usually associate Sherlock with TV detectives, but Benedict Cumberbatch was great as a modern-day Sherlock.
 
  • Like
Likes StatGuy2000, AlexB23 and BillTre
  • #11
Doc Al said:
That would have been my guess! (So maybe I would have passed after all...)

I'm very familiar with Columbo but never heard of the others. (I suppose I should get out more.)
The other two are great comic creations from British TV.
 
  • #12
So was
Doc Al said:
Another fine choice. I don't usually associate Sherlock with TV detectives, but Benedict Cumberbatch was great as a modern-day Sherlock.
Jeremy Brett was another actor who did a great job of Sherlock (in a classic setting, on PBS).
 
  • Like
Likes PeterDonis, AlexB23, diogenesNY and 1 other person
  • #13
BillTre said:
So was

Jeremy Brett was another actor who did a great job of Sherlock (in a classic setting, on PBS).
The definite Holmes, IMO. Absolutely true to the original.
 
  • Like
Likes BillTre
  • #14
Columbo. Because then I'd find out who murdered me in the first twenty minutes. :wink:
 
  • Haha
  • Like
Likes nuuskur, Borg, Doc Al and 1 other person
  • #15
Ibix said:
Columbo. Because then I'd find out who murdered me in the first twenty minutes. :wink:
You would probably know that already! And, from your heavenly perch, you could watch the wily lieutenant gradually wear him down!
 
  • Like
Likes Doc Al, Ibix and BillTre
  • #16
Just in case somebody reading this is thinking about murdering me, I want Dexter to take care of business.

You have been warned.
 
  • Haha
  • Like
Likes StatGuy2000, sbrothy, pinball1970 and 4 others
  • #17
PeroK said:
They all have a wife that we never see!
Actually, there was Mrs Columbo (a young Kate Mulgrew) that was on for about a season.

To heck with all the big names. I'd want Harry Dresden. Of course, that would mean I'd've been killed by some Troll, or the Summer Knight (or worse), but he'd kick someone's butt before he was done.

-Dan
 
  • Like
  • Wow
Likes hutchphd, pinball1970 and Ibix
  • #18
There's always Frank Drubbin

Screenshot 2023-12-01 at 11.18.59 AM.png
 
  • Haha
  • Like
Likes DrClaude, pinball1970, DennisN and 2 others
  • #19
BillTre said:
There's always Frank Drubbin

View attachment 336458
...I'm not sure about him...

Frank: Hey! Look at that. The missing evidence in the Kelner case. My God! He was innocent!
Ed: He went to the chair 2 years ago, Frank.

On the other hand,
 
  • Haha
Likes DrClaude, pinball1970 and BillTre
  • #20
That's like the who's on first routine.
 
  • Like
Likes pinball1970 and Ibix
  • #22
1701496061779.jpeg

He knows nothing, but he gets extremely lucky and I’ll have a laugh from above.
 
  • Haha
  • Like
Likes Astronuc, jack action, berkeman and 1 other person
  • #23
PeroK said:
Columbo!
I second that! :smile:
 
  • Like
Likes pinball1970
  • #24
If I'm murdered I'm pretty certain I wouldn't have any opinion whatsoever.

Otherwise I'll say Adrian Monk. I've been re-watching those old shows recently.And my favorite color at the moment is green-blue.
 
  • Like
Likes StatGuy2000, jack action and BillTre
  • #25
PeroK said:
Columbo!
Well, just one more thing.

In the 1993 It's All In The Game, he lets one murderer (Claudia Christian - a young Claudis Christian) in order to catch the other (Faye Dunaway). So he's only got a 99% success rate.

I then thought about Batman - the World's Greateste Detective (it says so right on the cover). That way my killer would not only get caught, but there'd be a decent chance of a grisly end. But the rules say "TV" and the Adam West version of Batman couldn't catch a cold.

So I'll go with Jim Rockford. He needs the money, great theme song by Pete Carpenter and Mike Post (impress me, someone, and tell me who played harmonica) and only costs $200/day plus expenses.

<ring> "Hi, Jim, it's Jamie at the police impound. They picked up your car again. Lately, they've been driving it more than you have."

<ring> "That number four you just picked up from Angelo's Pizza? Some scouring powder fell in there. Don't eat it. Hey, I hope you try your phone machine before dinner."
 
  • Like
Likes collinsmark, Astronuc, pinball1970 and 3 others
  • #26
Vanadium 50 said:
In the 1993 It's All In The Game, he lets one murderer (Claudia Christian - a young Claudis Christian) in order to catch the other (Faye Dunaway). So he's only got a 99% success rate.
Sherlock Holmes often lets the criminal off. For example, from the Blue Carbuncle:

“After all, Watson,” said Holmes, reaching up his hand for his clay pipe, “I am not retained by the police to supply their deficiencies. If Horner were in danger it would be another thing; but this fellow will not appear against him, and the case must collapse. I suppose that I am commuting a felony, but it is just possible that I am saving a soul. This fellow will not go wrong again; he is too terribly frightened. Send him to jail now, and you make him a jail-bird for life. Besides, it is the season of forgiveness."
 
  • Like
Likes PeterDonis, pinball1970 and BillTre
  • #27
PeroK said:
Sherlock Holmes often lets the criminal off.
He wasn't on my list either. :smile:

I don't want my murderer getting off. I want him coming to a very bad end.
 
  • #28
Vanadium 50 said:
He wasn't on my list either. :smile:

I don;t want my murder getting off. I want him coming to a very bad end.
May I suggest this one then?
1701539080830.jpeg
 
  • Like
Likes pinball1970, BillTre, PeroK and 1 other person
  • #29
Or, this one:

1701542616378.jpeg
 
  • Like
  • Love
Likes PeterDonis, pinball1970, DennisN and 2 others
  • #31
Vanadium 50 said:
So I'll go with Jim Rockford.
Woah, I had completely forgot about that tv series. I watched it a loooong time ago.
Nice to be reminded of it! :smile:
 
  • Like
Likes BillTre
  • #33
Orodruin said:
That’s the same guy as this guy:

🤔
I guess he is. I didn't recognize the cartoon version. My apologies!

-Dan
 
  • #34
Orodruin said:
View attachment 336473
He knows nothing, but he gets extremely lucky and I’ll have a laugh from above.
I don't recall every watching that, but he sounds a lot like Dirk Gently, holistic detective.
I would chose between Dirk and Jonny Lee Miller's Sherlock.
 
  • Like
Likes DennisN and pinball1970
  • #35
Columbo for me and Bill voted for Frank Drubbin, Leslie Nielsen was in one Columbo episode.
Can you name it?
 
  • Haha
Likes BillTre

Similar threads

Replies
10
Views
2K
Replies
14
Views
2K
Replies
2
Views
2K
Replies
1
Views
1K
Replies
2
Views
851
Replies
3
Views
619
Replies
12
Views
2K
Back
Top