All the detective series I like seem to wallow in gloom and Noirish twilight. Recurring themes: Detectives dedicated to their jobs. Quite intricate plots, sub-plots, and plot-twists. Realist drama: meaning not often so real as in you believe it could happen (especially some of the body counts), but 'realist' in suspending disbelief. Even the Sci-Fi of Fringe seems to happen within clearly defined rules writers made for themselves. I hate Deus ex-machina, and lazy, impossible plots. These usually feature dry Noir-like humour, or should that be 'irony'?
Here are some recommended ones. Can you recommend one yourself, for me?
Here are some recommended ones. Can you recommend one yourself, for me?
Title | # series | |
Bosch | 6 + | Centred on ex-special forces homicide detective with a long kill record, but honest as the day is long (in his own eyes). Each season one or two crimes are solved. Recurring meta-story of the first 6 series is his attempt to solve the long cold case of his prostitute mother's murder. |
The Bridge | 4 | Subtitled. Saga is the very competent but unnerving Asperger's-like female detective entirely lacking social graces. Øresund Bridge, links Malmö (Sweden) with Copenhagen (Denmark). The action happens in both countries. |
Endeavour | 6 | Set in Oxford, England from about 1965 onward. Detective Endeavour mostly solves murders. |
Foyle's War | 7 | Set in England during World War II (first 6 series). In the 7th he's with MI5 post-war |
Fringe | 5 | Not purely in the detective genre. They solve Sci-fi crimes. Initially similar to X-files - the 'Fringe squad' investigate fringe events. Solve crimes instigated from parallel universes and eventually thwart an 'alien' invasion. Recurring meta-plot? More than one; each character has their own. |
Justified | 6 | Adventures of a US Marshall around Harlan, Kentucky who's quite the cowboy: Quick draw, Stetson, rocky love life, hard-drinking, bar fights, … |
The Killing | 3 | Subtitled. Danish version of course. A bit slow. Inspector Sarah Lund is a dogged detective absolutely dedicated to solving the killing and bringing the murderer to justice (at any cost to herself). The initial Killing is the meta-story. |
Montalbano | 14 | Subtitled. 14 series but sometimes a series has only 2 episodes. Italian detective series set in Sicily. The Italians are portrayed as almost cut-out cliches and I never believed real Italians were like that until I worked with a few. Very humanist plots. |
The Shield | 7 | Mostly about a corrupt LA cop vice squad controlling the drug trade and making sure they have plenty put away for retirement. |
True Detective | 3 | Series 1 features another Asperger's-like character. Bloke this time. It has a doom-laden serial killer / 'Silence of the Lambs' quality to it. Series 2 and 3 are entirely different with new actors, characters, locations, styles Not seen 3. 2 was OK but not exceptional. |
Veronica Mars | 4 | Features blond teenage Californian girl through high school and uni (sound familiar?) who moonlights as a private eye. Veronica has a similar sassy put-down repertoire to Buffy plus a scooby squad helping her: Wallace and "Mac" (geek girl). Glad I wrote this because I now discovered a 4th season made 13 years after the first 3! There's a movie too you'll need to watch set after the 3rd series featuring the same characters. Recurring meta-story of the first 3 series was Veronica's attempt to solve the murder of her best friend and her own rape which both happened before High School. |
The Wire | 5 | Realistic. If it has a weakness, for me it'll be the characters are too real : meaning not OTT like say: Raylon (Justified), Saga, Olivia and Walter (Fringe), … |
Nowt comes close.