Best Classic American TV Private Detective ShowsBy Raymond Lockley
The private detective--the private investigator or PI or private eye,
the private dick, the gumshoe. He's pretty suave, though looking seedily
underpaid. He's definitely wise-cracking and hip. He's an all-American
loner archetype, like the cowboy of a gone-by day. And he gets a lot of
gigs on American television.
In the 1980s, it seemed like there were private eyes on every night.
If American television is now more Establishment, with cops as the good
guys, the lone shark PI is still in the run-down walk-up, waiting for hire.
And in the classic era of TV (i.e. my younger days), there was a host
of iconic characters that bridged the gap between the newer TV icons
and the old cinematic private dicks, for every
Thomas Magnum, a
Peter Gunn
or a
Jim Rockford
to help you make the transition from the PI portrayals of movie greats like
Humphrey Bogart
(as well as the many radio drama, some of which did move to TV).
Here's my list of the best classic American private detective TV shows:
Honorable MentionHere's a few shows that perhaps belong in the pantheon of the area, but, well... you just can't call their stars "suave" or "hip":
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