They solve crimes and captivate our attention. Detectives on TV! Since at least the late 1930s, detectives have been a staple of television shows. Most are procedurals like the “Law & Order” contingent, a bunch are from prestige dramas a la “Sherlock,” some are comedies (think “Monk” or “Brooklyn Nine-Nine”), and some are even animated (“Inspector Gadget” counts!). But regardless, there’s something intrinsically fascinating about watch brilliant minds crack cases in an hour or less. And now, the Great Pop Culture Debate podcast wants to determine: Who is the Best TV Detective of all time?
Join Host Eric Rezsnyak, GPCD panelists Amy Pilott and Kate Racculia, and special guest Josh Duggan from the Munch My Benson podcast as they discuss 16 of the most iconic detectives from television past and present.
To listen to Round 1, showing how we got to the Sleuthing 16 down from the Top 32, become a Patreon supporter of the podcast today to access the exclusive Part 1 episode.
The Round 2 match-ups are:
Match-Up 1: Veronica Mars (Veronica Mars) (1) vs. John Luther (Luther) (5)
Match-Up 2: Columbo (Columbo) (3) vs. Elliot Stabler (Law & Order: SVU) (2)
Match-Up 3: Sherlock Holmes (Sherlock) (1) vs. Mare Sheehan (Mare of Easttown) (4)
Match-Up 4: Agent Dale Cooper (Twin Peaks) (3) vs. Rust Cohle (True Detective) (7)
Match-Up 5: Jessica Fletcher (Murder, She Wrote) (1) vs. Jake Peralta (Brooklyn Nine-Nine) (4)
Match-Up 6: Thomas Magnum (Magnum, P.I.) (6) vs. Velma Dinkley (Scooby-Doo) (2)
Match-Up 7: Olivia Benson (Law & Order: SVU) (1) vs. John Munch (Law & Order: SVU) (4)
Match-Up 8: Fin Tutuola (Law & Order: SVU) (6) vs. Lennie Briscoe (Law & Order) (2)
Want to play along at home?
Download the listener bracket here and see if your picks match up with ours!
Looking for more related content?
Check out these other episodes from Great Pop Culture Debate:
And if you want more content, check Kate Racculia’s Top 10 list of TV detective sidekicks.
Have a say in future episodes!
Finally, if you want to have a say in what episodes we tackle next, vote in our Topic Polls! And we would love to have you pick your faves in the polls currently open for your votes!
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EPISODE CREDITS
Host: Eric Rezsnyak
Panel: Amy Pilott, Kate Racculia
Special Guest: Josh Duggan
Producer: Curtis Creekmore
Editor: Jeffery Perry