32 Cop Shows And Who The Primary Detectives Were

As a connoisseur of crime dramas who’s spent countless hours poring over cases and catching bad guys on the silver screen, I must say that each of these shows has its unique charm. From the long-running saga of Law & Order: Criminal Intent to the short-lived brilliance of Body Of Proof, they all offer a fascinating glimpse into the world of justice served.

Television has featured cop shows since the very beginning of this medium’s history. Shows like “Dragnet” from the 1950s to police dramas in the early 21st century have held a special place, although many of these series and their unforgettable detectives may now be less well-known. Here is a fantastic compilation of such shows and the characters that made them so captivating.

The Wire

On the series The Wire, there’s quite a number of detectives. Some, such as Kima Greggs (played by Sonja Sohn) and Lester Freamon (portrayed by Clarke Peters), even get promoted throughout the show. Characters like Bunk Moreland (Wendell Pierce) and Jimmy McNulty (Dominic West) experience a mix of triumphs and setbacks. Each one is remarkably authentic in their strong points and weaknesses, making them key contributors to why The Wire is often hailed as one of the greatest TV shows ever made.

Law & Order

Over the span of several years, a significant number of detectives have appeared on Law & Order. While it’s challenging to mention them all in this context, it’s worth noting that Lenny Briscoe, a renowned detective from Law & Order, stood out among them. He was portrayed by Jerry Orbach for an impressive 12 seasons. For nine of those seasons, his main partner, Ed Green (played by Jesse L. Martin), worked alongside Brisco.

Cagney & Lacey

In the ’80s series “Cagney & Lacey,” it’s not hard to figure out who the primary detectives are. For six of the show’s seven seasons, career-focused Christine Cagney, portrayed by Sharon Gless, and family-oriented Mary Beth Lacey, played by Tyne Daly, were the two detectives. The rarity of female detectives on TV, let alone two working together, contributed to the show’s unique appeal.

CSI: Crime Scene Investigation

In contrast to many other shows within the police procedural genre, the original “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation” featured main investigators who weren’t traditional cops, but rather specialists from a distinct law enforcement division focused on crime scene science. However, they did collaborate with a detective, represented by Captain Jim Brass, portrayed by Paul Guilfoyle.

Hawaii Five-0

There have been two different iterations of Hawaii Five-0: one that started in 1968 and another that premiered in 2010. In the original series, Jack Lord portrayed Steve McGarrett as the main detective, while James MacArthur played his partner, Danny Williams who was often referred to as “Danno.” In the modern adaptation, Alex O’Loughlin took on the role of McGarrett and Scott Caan, not usually referred to as “Danno,” played the part of Danny.

Dragnet

The show known as “Dragnet” dates back to the radio era. It was groundbreaking during the early phase of commercial television and was Jack Webb’s brainchild. He portrayed Sergeant Joe Friday in both the original series on radio and the first two television versions in the ’50s and ’60s. Initially, Friday had a few partners, but for the majority of the run, his partner was Frank Smith, played by Ben Alexander. In the late ’60s revival, Bill Gannon, played by Harry Morgan who is well-known from “MASH”, became Friday’s partner.

Without A Trace

The FBI series “Without A Trace” primarily focused on the collaborative efforts of a team rather than individual investigators. Led by Jack Malone (Anthony LaPaglia), this dynamic group, which included Samantha “Sam” Spade (Poppy Montgomery), Viv Johnson (Marianne Jean-Baptiste), Danny Alvarez (Enrique Murciano), and Martin Fitzgerald (Eric Close), worked tirelessly to locate missing persons.

NYPD Blue

When it first aired in 1993, NYPD Blue was one of the most raw and intense television series to grace network television. The show was headlined by David Caruso as Detective John Kelly, alongside Dennis Franz portraying his partner Andy Sipowicz. However, Caruso departed after Season 2, and Jimmy Smits took over the role of Detective Bobby Simone. Over its run, Mark-Paul Gosselaar and Dana Delaney also appeared as detectives at various points.

Law & Order: SVU

Law & Order: SVU, part of the extensive Law & Order series, has been graced by numerous actors throughout its long-running seasons, much like its sibling show. Over time, it’s seen a number of detectives. Initially appearing on the scene was Detective Olivia Benson (Mariska Hargitay), who became a constant figure in the unit. Other detectives, such as Elliot Stabler (Christopher Meloni), Fin Tutuola (Ice-T), and John Munch (Richard Belzer), have also been part of the team, to name a few.

Homicide: Life on the Street

Richard Belzer’s character Detective John Munch is well-known for appearing in numerous shows, including a regular role on “Law & Order: SVU.” The character was first introduced on “Homicide: Life on the Street.” Among the other prominent detectives on the show were Frank Pembleton, portrayed by the late and talented Andre Braugher, and Beau Felton, played by Daniel Baldwin.

Brooklyn Nine-Nine

Andre Braugher, who has since passed away, gained fame for his portrayal of a detective in the show Homicide: Life On The Streets. A significant part of his later success, such as his role as a captain on Brooklyn Nine-Nine, comes from this earlier work, adding humor to his performances. However, he doesn’t play one of the main detective roles in that series. Those characters are filled by Andy Sandberg as Jake Peralta and Stephanie Beatriz as Rosa Diaz.

Blue Bloods

Donny Wahlberg has been involved in the entertainment industry since his teenage days with New Kids on the Block. Although he made a significant impact in the series “Band of Brothers,” it’s his role as Detective Danny Reagan on “Blue Bloods” that is likely to be most enduringly remembered. Over the course of the show, Danny has had two main partners: First was Detective Jackie Curatola, portrayed by Jennifer Esposito, and later Maria Biaz, played by Marisa Ramirez.

NCIS

NCIS isn’t your typical police series; instead, it focuses on the investigative unit within the U.S. Navy. While its members function similarly to detectives, they are led by Jethro Gibbs (Mark Harmon) and his team consisting of Senior Field Agents like Anthony DiNozzo (Micheal Weatherly) and Timothy McGee (Sean Murray), among others, throughout the show’s extensive duration.

Hill Street Blues

In 1978, Hill Street Blues made its debut and quickly became a massive success. Over the years, it racked up numerous Emmy awards and is often hailed as one of the greatest cop shows ever produced. The series wasn’t solely focused on detectives, although some detective characters were key to the plot. Among them was Detective Mick Belker, skillfully portrayed by Bruce Weitz, who proved to be the most significant character in the storyline.

True Detective

For each installment of “True Detective,” a new, distinct detective is featured. In the first season, we had Matthew McConaughey as Rustin “Rust” Cohle and Woody Harrelson as Martin “Marty” Hart. The second season introduced Colin Farrell’s Detective Ray Velcoro and Rachel McAdams’ Detective Ani Bezzerides. In the third season, Mahershala Ali portrayed Wayne Hays and Steven Dorff played Roland West. Lastly, Jodie Foster stepped into the lead detective role for Season 4.

CSI: Miami

In contrast to its sibling series CSI, CSI: Miami features a detective-led forensic team. David Caruso portrayed Horatio Caine, the lieutenant commanding the team, while Rex Linn took on the role of Detective Frank Tripp, a homicide detective who frequently collaborates with the unit.

The Shield

In “The Shield,” the main detective, Vic Mackey, is portrayed by Michael Chiklis. He heads a team of questionable police officers and investigators in this hard-hitting series. Detective Shane Vendrell, skillfully played by Walter Goggins, is another significant detective featured on the show.

Bones

Detective duo Seeley Booth, portrayed by David Boreanaz, and Temperance Brennan, played by Emily Deschanel, work as FBI forensic analysts in the show “Bones”. Their unique specialty lies in examining and solving cases involving skeletal remains and human fossils. This unconventional take on a crime drama proved immensely popular, airing for 12 seasons on CBS.

Cold Case

Kathryn Morris played the role of a homicide detective named Lilly Rush for seven seasons. The show’s title hinted at her expertise – she specialized in cold cases, investigations that had few leads or clear clues to follow. In the initial season, her partner was Chris Lassing (portrayed by Justin Chambers), but later she worked with Scotty Valens, a character brought to life by Danny Pino.

Criminal Minds

The long-running FBI procedural series “Criminal Minds” focused on the Behavioral Analysis Unit, initially headed by Jason Gideon (Mandy Patinkin) and later Aaron Hotchner (Thomas Gibson). Over its duration, this team shared an office with several detectives like Derek Morgan (Shemar Moore), JJ Jareau (A. J. Cook), and Emily Prentiss (Paget Brewster).

CSI: NY

In the third series of the “CSI” franchise, viewers were taken to a New York City-based crime scene investigation unit, with Mac Taylor, portrayed by Gary Sinise, at the helm throughout the show’s duration. He certainly didn’t work in isolation and was joined by team members like homicide detective Don Flack (played by Eddie Cahill) and Detective Stella Bonasera (portrayed by Melina Kanakaredes).

Miami Vice

In the 1980s, one detective duo outshone all others – Sonny Crockett (Don Johnson) and Rico Tubbs (Philip Michael Thomas). These two were the epitome of cool detectives, hailing from just north of Havana in the hit show Miami Vice. They had the privilege of sporting fashionable attire and zooming around in speedy cars. It was a fresh take on police dramas for its time, and nothing encapsulates the ’80s quite like it did.

FBI

The TV series “FBI” by CBS centers around a squad of investigators, with Jeremy Sisto portraying Jubal Valentine, the chief of the “fusion center,” who oversees their operations. In the field, the primary detectives are Maggie Bell (played by Missy Peregrym) and her partner OA Zidan (Zeeko Zaki).

Starsky And Hutch

In the 1980s, before Miami Vice graced our screens, the most stylish duo on television were none other than Dave Starsky and Ken Hutchinson, affectionately known as “Hutch.” Played by David Soul and Paul Michael Glaser, these two ruled the small screen in Starsky and Hutch for four seasons in the late ’70s. However, their impact extended far beyond those years, casting a long shadow over TV cop shows for decades to come. They were a tad edgier, a touch grittier than your typical TV detectives, and that essence has been echoed in various shows since then.

Rizzoli & Isles

In the series Rizzoli & Isles, you’ll find that Jane Rizzoli (played by Angie Harmon) and Maura Isles (portrayed by Sasha Alexander) are the primary investigators. Although, technically speaking, Rizzoli was a detective with the Boston Police Department while Isles was a medical examiner. Together, they worked to solve crimes in Massachusetts. The show is particularly unique because it features two female lead detectives, who, much like their male counterparts, don’t always agree on everything.

21 Jump Street

Back in the early days of Fox Network, I was hooked on a daring show – “21 Jump Street”. This wasn’t your typical cop series; it followed a squad of undercover officers who delved into high school life to catch criminals. In the first four seasons, Johnny Depp, in his breakout role as Tom Hanson, shared the screen with Holly Robinson (Judy Hoffs), Dustin Nguyen (Harry Ioki), and Peter DeLuise (Doug Penhall). However, by the fifth season, many of the original cast members bid adieu, making way for a new team, including Michael Deluise, Peter’s brother, as Doug’s sibling Joey. It’s worth mentioning that Richard Grieco graced our screens as Dennis Booker, a recurring character who later starred in his own spinoff series, aptly named “Booker“.

Law & Order: Criminal Intent

In its 10-season run on NBC and USA, the third series within the Law & Order franchise, titled Law & Order: Criminal Intent, featured four main detectives at different stages. Notable figures like Detective Alexandra Eames (Kathryn Erbe) and Robert Goren (Vincent D’Onofrio) were present throughout all ten seasons, while others such as Mike Logan (Chris Noth) and Zack Nichols (Jeff Goldblum) made appearances in numerous episodes during the middle seasons.

Police Squad!

Leslie Nielsen is renowned for his hilarious dialogue in comedic films from the late 20th Century, including the The Naked Gun series. This series originated as a short-lived TV show titled Police Squad. In both the television series and movies, the main character, played by Nielsen, was Frank Drebin – an inept but effective detective in the LAPD.

Body Of Proof

The series titled “Body Of Proof” centered around the character portrayed by Dana Delaney, who was a surgeon-turned-medical examiner. Her story encompassed both her professional and personal life. She collaborated closely with the main homicide detectives, played by John Carroll Lynch and Sonya Sohn, to solve some of Philadelphia’s most heinous crimes.

Person Of Interest

In truth, the two principal figures in the series Person of Interest aren’t law enforcement personnel by trade. Harold Finch (played by Michael Emerson) is a wealthy individual who created a software system for forecasting criminal activities and essentially serves as the “puppeteer.” Out in the field, John Reece (portrayed by Jim Caviezel) performs the gritty tasks necessary to prevent these crimes. Taraji P. Henson depicts a genuine police detective who collaborates with Reece in her role.

Crossing Jordan

In many TV series, the medical examiner often plays a significant role, although they’re not always the lead detective. However, on the show Crossing Jordan, this isn’t true. Instead, Jill Hennessy portrays Dr. Jordan Cavanaugh, a forensic pathologist. Throughout the series, several Boston homicide detectives appeared, with Woody Hoyt, played by Jerry O’Connell, being particularly notable.

Fred Dryer

Back in the 1980s, there wasn’t a more tenacious detective than Sergeant Rick Hunter on the show Hunter. Starred by former football player Fred Dryer, Hunter wasn’t your typical by-the-book cop, but he always managed to bring the bad guy to justice. The series was one of the most watched cop shows during that era and even had a brief comeback in 2005. As a fan, I can attest to its enduring appeal.

2024-10-29 18:38