Television's Most Memorable Male Detectives Of All Time (PHOTOS)

Some are obsessive-compulsive neat-freaks. Some aren't afraid to get their hands (or reputations) dirty. Some enjoy a damn fine cup of coffee, while others have a taste for the supernatural.

We're not sure there's any one way to pin-down the perfect television detective, but whether their legacies endure through their pun-tastic one-liners-made-memes or through iconic mustaches that have since taken on lives of their own, it's no secret, Sherlock, that some of the greatest male sleuths of the small screen are also some of its most memorable.

From classic to quirky, and in no particular order, here's our list of anything-but-elementary detectives, our dear Watson. And for a more feminine fix, check out our list of TV's best female detectives for even more crime busters.

Got any you think we missed? Share with us your favorite guy gumshoes in the comments below!

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Special Agent Dale Cooper, "Twin Peaks"

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[Speaking into tape recorder] "Diane, it struck me again earlier this morning, there are two things that continue to trouble me. And I'm speaking now not only as an agent of the Bureau but also as a human being. What really went on between Marilyn Monroe and the Kennedys and who really pulled the trigger on JFK?"

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[Speaking into tape recorder] "Diane, it struck me again earlier this morning, there are two things that continue to trouble me. And I'm speaking now not only as an agent of the Bureau but also as a human being. What really went on between Marilyn Monroe and the Kennedys and who really pulled the trigger on JFK?"

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Comments

[pkdark]

01:28 PM on 05/10/2013

oops! my bad -- its TV detectives.

[pkdark]

01:27 PM on 05/10/2013

Where's Axel Foley?!

[NYC07]

01:16 PM on 05/06/2013

Raymond Burr "Ironside"

[Tanya Dpw]

07:22 PM on 04/14/2013

Munch and Briscoe!

[Blackspeare]

01:31 PM on 02/06/2013

They forgot Mike Barnett in "Man Against Crime"!!! Am I dating myself??!!

[katsmom101]

12:39 AM on 11/13/2012

Where is Spenser from "Spenser for Hire" ??

[OahuNinja1000]

07:04 PM on 04/14/2013

Yeah, he was good. What about Vegas too. He played in that one too?

[janeinmia]

10:36 PM on 10/15/2012

What?!?! Where is Vincent D'Onofrio playing Goren? Too good for television.

[maryw131926]

04:05 AM on 10/08/2012

What happened to Joe Friday???????????????

[J M Shields]

06:59 PM on 10/05/2012

Rockford...my man. So used and abused but just keeps plugging away. Nobody could have pulled off the character like James Garner. Garner had great character actors to work with. Rockford got pissed off in every show and slowly, quietly, used his wits to help the client. He was the underdog and had the most beautiful smile on TV.

[arderodney]

05:15 PM on 09/28/2012

Wow I'm surprised Shaft made the cut.
What about Inspector Gadget and Dick Tracy (my bad he represents comics) -LOL

[Buddhika Ariyaratne]

06:38 AM on 09/03/2012

I do not agree. No Patric Jane in The Mentalist hear. He is the best of the lot.

[mark416]

09:46 PM on 08/25/2012

Great list, but without Carl Kolchak it seems rather incomplete. :-)

[mark416]

09:44 PM on 08/25/2012

Ah, no one ever remembers Carl Kolchak! :-)

[Blackspeare]

01:18 PM on 02/06/2013

"The Night Stalker"-----there I remember!

[paulthamec]

10:41 PM on 08/11/2012

Beretta.,Joe Friday, Cagney and Lacy Starsky and Hutch, police woman "pepper"plus more and more and let us not forget Dirty Harry....

[arderodney]

05:18 PM on 09/28/2012

I can't believe Monk's inane self made it over these greats..

[gorsgt]

02:22 PM on 08/11/2012

love them all. but so many are not on the list. The posters have spoken!