Who is the greatest detective of all time?

Message Bookmarked

Bookmark Removed

I'm pretty sure it's Columbo, but it's a toss-up whether this is due to the character himself or Peter Falk's performance.

― remy (x Jeremy), Tuesday, 7 February 2006 21:57 (thirteen years ago) Permalink

Sherlock Holmes!

― Forest Pines (ForestPines), Tuesday, 7 February 2006 21:59 (thirteen years ago) Permalink

the character IS peter falk's performance!

― s1ocki (slutsky), Tuesday, 7 February 2006 22:00 (thirteen years ago) Permalink

My second -- and it's a strong second -- is Philip Marlowe in either of the Leigh Brackett-scripted Chandler adaptations. I mean… the character's brilliant and fascinating and believable when played by Humphrey Bogart AND by Elliot Gould.

― remy (x Jeremy), Tuesday, 7 February 2006 22:00 (thirteen years ago) Permalink

Basil the Great Mouse Detective!

― ailsa (ailsa), Tuesday, 7 February 2006 22:02 (thirteen years ago) Permalink

What detectives did Donald Sutherland play? Because I'm betting they're pretty bad-ass.

― remy (x Jeremy), Tuesday, 7 February 2006 22:05 (thirteen years ago) Permalink

http://www.comicimoc.de/h_cover/art_bilder/107/1070121.png

― Sparkle Motion's Rising Force, Tuesday, 7 February 2006 22:09 (thirteen years ago) Permalink

Real inconspicious, there.

― Tracer Hand (tracerhand), Tuesday, 7 February 2006 22:13 (thirteen years ago) Permalink

CHIEF inspector Closeau!

― kingfish has gene rayburn's mic (kingfish 2.0), Tuesday, 7 February 2006 22:15 (thirteen years ago) Permalink

It's a toss-up between Buffy and Veronica Mars.

― Tracer Hand (tracerhand), Tuesday, 7 February 2006 22:17 (thirteen years ago) Permalink

http://www.cardhaus.com/images/101153.jpg

― Jordan (Jordan), Tuesday, 7 February 2006 22:24 (thirteen years ago) Permalink

real-life detectives are crying, now.

― hstencil (hstencil), Tuesday, 7 February 2006 22:25 (thirteen years ago) Permalink

What do you suppose 'Activate -> KO target ongoing plot twist' means?

― chap who would dare to be completely sober on the internet (chap), Tuesday, 7 February 2006 22:32 (thirteen years ago) Permalink

I have actually met a robbery detective whose name was "Detective R3cup3r0" - I defy anyone to find a more perfect name for a guy whose job it is to get your shit back.

― Tracer Hand (tracerhand), Tuesday, 7 February 2006 22:34 (thirteen years ago) Permalink

encyclopedia brown

― Special Agent Gene Krupa (orion), Tuesday, 7 February 2006 22:34 (thirteen years ago) Permalink

leisure suit larry

― elmo, patron saint of nausea (allocryptic), Tuesday, 7 February 2006 22:35 (thirteen years ago) Permalink

http://images.art.com/images/-/Hardy-Boys--C10030981.jpeg

― Jordan (Jordan), Tuesday, 7 February 2006 22:40 (thirteen years ago) Permalink

yous all bonkers. nero wolfe's the greatest, maaaaan!
"greatest" as in mroe ways than one, yeah.

― t\'\'t (t\'\'t), Tuesday, 7 February 2006 22:43 (thirteen years ago) Permalink

SPECIAL
AGENT
DALE
COOPER

WHAT!!

― Special Agent Gene Krupa (orion), Tuesday, 7 February 2006 22:44 (thirteen years ago) Permalink

http://www.geocities.com/Hollywood/Bungalow/1350/pp2.gif

― adam (adam), Tuesday, 7 February 2006 22:56 (thirteen years ago) Permalink

Tie between

and

― Austin Still (Austin, Still), Tuesday, 7 February 2006 23:06 (thirteen years ago) Permalink

case closed: ihttp://www.timemachinetoys.com/toypics/shatner.JPG

― DV (dirtyvicar), Tuesday, 7 February 2006 23:24 (thirteen years ago) Permalink

CURSE YOU HTML CODE!

― DV (dirtyvicar), Tuesday, 7 February 2006 23:25 (thirteen years ago) Permalink

Tintin! Ostensibly a 'journalist,' but I never saw him dispatch a scoop.

― andy --, Tuesday, 7 February 2006 23:26 (thirteen years ago) Permalink

yeah nero wolfe! he never even had to leave his office to solve the crime!

― teeny (teeny), Tuesday, 7 February 2006 23:29 (thirteen years ago) Permalink

http://www.sherylfranklin.com/images/sherlock/othersh/data.jpg

― Jordan (Jordan), Tuesday, 7 February 2006 23:31 (thirteen years ago) Permalink

Irwin R. Fletcher

― kingfish, Wednesday, 8 February 2006 02:36 (thirteen years ago) Permalink

inspector rex. obviously.

― gem (trisk), Wednesday, 8 February 2006 02:37 (thirteen years ago) Permalink

http://www.filmforum.org/films/serpico/serpicocolhead_02.jpg

― it's not me, i only post on ILM (blunt), Wednesday, 8 February 2006 02:55 (thirteen years ago) Permalink

http://stealthboy.dyndns.org/~msherman/images/emptg01.gif

He was so amused by those creatures called humans.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Wednesday, 8 February 2006 03:03 (thirteen years ago) Permalink

welcome to the thread that is pwned by:

http://www.hbo.com/thewire/img/orgchart/freamon.jpg

― tobo (tobo), Wednesday, 8 February 2006 03:04 (thirteen years ago) Permalink

I like Chesterton's Father Brown rather a lot.

― Øystein (Øystein), Wednesday, 8 February 2006 03:05 (thirteen years ago) Permalink

i pick WHO IS HARRY CRUMB? or FLETCH

― shadeball (chaki), Wednesday, 8 February 2006 04:52 (thirteen years ago) Permalink

Freamon's great, but did he ever burn his clothes to hide an adulterous dalliance with his wife? NO! His partner w1nz0rs.

― Austin Still (Austin, Still), Wednesday, 8 February 2006 04:55 (thirteen years ago) Permalink

FLETCH!!!!!!!!!

― killy (baby lenin pin), Wednesday, 8 February 2006 04:57 (thirteen years ago) Permalink

erg, FROM his wife.

― Austin Still (Austin, Still), Wednesday, 8 February 2006 04:57 (thirteen years ago) Permalink

http://members.shaw.ca/gorillagallery/myweb2/bobo1.jpg

(or possibly Meldrick Lewis)

― Huk-L (Huk-L), Wednesday, 8 February 2006 05:01 (thirteen years ago) Permalink

http://benjanaway.users.btopenworld.com/Graphics/Gadget.gif

― s1ocki (slutsky), Wednesday, 8 February 2006 05:11 (thirteen years ago) Permalink

http://www.austinchronicle.com/binary/0a7fdace/f.fletch.jpg

― killy (baby lenin pin), Wednesday, 8 February 2006 05:17 (thirteen years ago) Permalink

cheers for bunk!!

― Tracer Hand (tracerhand), Wednesday, 8 February 2006 06:15 (thirteen years ago) Permalink

my friend kate, who solved her own burglary and landed the perps up in jail. (this episode included a late-night visit from a still unidentified man with a lead pipe on her porch, as she was in the midst of untangling the mystery -- the dog chased him away.) she recovered her cell phone (which was key to the detection, as the idiot burglars kept calling even after she had the phone back) and computer, with other goods hopefully to come.

― gypsy mothra (gypsy mothra), Wednesday, 8 February 2006 06:45 (thirteen years ago) Permalink

well obviously the real answer is Holmes, but I would like to see 'the dude' solve more crimes.

― Ste (Fuzzy), Wednesday, 8 February 2006 09:54 (thirteen years ago) Permalink

Frank Pembleton is the best ever at getting someone to confess, but I'd go for Monk. There is one episode where a newspaper is thought to be a key to the mystery, so he starts reading it to see if he can spot why. Every other page he's telling his assistant to call NYC or Paris or somewhere because he has solved the murder reported in the paper, in passing.

― Martin Skidmore (Martin Skidmore), Wednesday, 8 February 2006 13:27 (thirteen years ago) Permalink

http://www.jewishworldreview.com/images/kinky_friedman.jpg

― robster (robster), Wednesday, 8 February 2006 13:31 (thirteen years ago) Permalink

jaymc.

― StanM (StanM), Wednesday, 8 February 2006 13:32 (thirteen years ago) Permalink

now if this question were asking who the greatest 'secret agent' was, well that would be easy.

― Ste (Fuzzy), Wednesday, 8 February 2006 13:56 (thirteen years ago) Permalink

Of course you mean Maxwell Smart..

― Dave will do (dave225.3), Wednesday, 8 February 2006 13:59 (thirteen years ago) Permalink

http://www.toonhound.com/agaton-1.jpg

― Markelby (Mark C), Wednesday, 8 February 2006 14:10 (thirteen years ago) Permalink

http://www.oxfordphil.com/concerts/2000-1/photos00-01/inspector_morse.jpg

― C J (C J), Wednesday, 8 February 2006 14:10 (thirteen years ago) Permalink

CRACKER

― tissp! (the impossible shortest specia), Wednesday, 8 February 2006 14:14 (thirteen years ago) Permalink

http://www.artistviewent.com/comedy/heavy-petting-detective/heavy-petting-detective--300pixelheight.jpg

― beanz (beanz), Wednesday, 8 February 2006 14:22 (thirteen years ago) Permalink

MISS MARPLE

― The Lex (The Lex), Wednesday, 8 February 2006 14:27 (thirteen years ago) Permalink

POIROT

― beanz (beanz), Wednesday, 8 February 2006 14:28 (thirteen years ago) Permalink

NO WAIT – THE FAMOUS FIVE

― beanz (beanz), Wednesday, 8 February 2006 14:29 (thirteen years ago) Permalink

Detective:

http://www.ilpotereelagloria.it/images/immagini/DetectiveMonk_210.jpg

Secret Agent:

http://www.shock.com.au/images/image_library/KAL0712.jpg

And, to be honest, I'm not sure what category he comes under, but deserves a mention:

http://www.dvd-forum.at/bilder/dvdreview/cover/small/111900214111425200.jpg

― emil.y (emil.y), Wednesday, 8 February 2006 14:37 (thirteen years ago) Permalink

MAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAATLOOOOOOOOOOCKE

― Sororah T Massacre (blueski), Wednesday, 8 February 2006 14:42 (thirteen years ago) Permalink

Hahahaha Steve wins

― tissp! (the impossible shortest specia), Wednesday, 8 February 2006 14:42 (thirteen years ago) Permalink

Martin and emily OTM, it is clearly Monk.

Honorable mentions: Marlowe, and Spenser with an s like the poet.

― Archel (Archel), Wednesday, 8 February 2006 15:22 (thirteen years ago) Permalink

best detective duo: Maddie and David (Moonlighting)

― Sororah T Massacre (blueski), Wednesday, 8 February 2006 15:24 (thirteen years ago) Permalink

Late entry, honourable mention:

http://www.4gamer.net/DataContents/package/1259_p.jpg

― She's In Parties (kate), Wednesday, 8 February 2006 15:27 (thirteen years ago) Permalink

Anyone else remember Wendell Urth?

― M. V. (M.V.), Wednesday, 8 February 2006 15:34 (thirteen years ago) Permalink

i am guessing by the betty friedan thread that its not momus

― james van der beek (dubplatestyle), Wednesday, 8 February 2006 15:37 (thirteen years ago) Permalink

seven years pass...

http://www.blueheronpi.com/how_to_become_a_PI.html

this whole website is such gold

― j., Thursday, 30 January 2014 18:06 (five years ago) Permalink

were you interested in becoming a p.i., j.?

― bilbo bobbins (how's life), Thursday, 30 January 2014 18:28 (five years ago) Permalink

just researching the detectives. bet it would be sweet tho.

― j., Thursday, 30 January 2014 18:56 (five years ago) Permalink

You must be logged in to post. Please either login here, or if you are not registered, you may register here.