The top 50 TV detectives of all time

41. David Callan (Callan)

The 'self-effacing, belligerent detective' that populates a majority of crime shows owes a great debt to James Mitchell's creation, the unnerved, bitter spy David Callan. Edward Woodward embraced the cynicism of his character, delivering a performance that ushered in a new era of fictional law enforcers. Callan's grim approach to work - that it's a bothersome 9-5 hustle as opposed to a lifelong career commitment - a refreshing take on the otherwise cheery detectives on the small screen during that era.

He's more than just an edgy Mi5 agent with an arsenal of weapons and full authorisation to utilise torture for intel. He's one of the first antiheroes to display his seemingly normal side, evidenced by his method for blowing off steam. Action figure war re-enactments.

40. Kurt Wallander (Wallander)

Several actors have taken on the role of Henning Mankell's gloomy, weather-worn detective, each attempting to out-frown the other. While the Branagh version adds that BBC polish, and the Rolf Lassgard iteration brings a sense of low-key sadness, it's Krister Henriksson who feels most canon. Why? He captures some of the hope and brief flashes of humour behind one of the most relentlessly put-upon detectives in fiction, progressing the story well beyond the books and rewarding fans with more than just the constant barrage of crime that grips the southern-Swedish town of Ystad.

As with all great detective fiction, Wallander is about more than just solving cases, and the Henricksson version deals with everything from Kurt's strained relationship with his daughter, to the struggles of late-age loneliness, and even Alzheimers. Down-beat, sure, but each show offers a smart crime and a host of well-portrayed, genuinely complex characters.

39. Taggart (Taggart)

Known for his signature catchphrase -"There's bin a muhrduhr" - Scottish detective Jim Taggart first hit the Glasgow streets in 1983 with a grimace, actor Mark McManus' own background as an ex-miner and amateur boxer lending an edge of verisimilitude to Taggart's weary world view.

Unconcerned with the latest crime-solving technology or sensitive cultural mores, Taggart called it like he saw it, brevity and pragmatism were the only things he needed to get the job done. And yet beneath his steely hard-bitten persona, beat the heart of a considerate, kind man. We just didn't see it that often.

38. Dave Starsky and Ken Hutch Hutchinson (Starsky And Hutch)

Before bromancing was even a verb Starsky (Paul Michael Glaser) and Hutch (David Soul) were at it. Popping their collars at one another and making eye contact across the central console of their cherry red Gran Torino, each decked out in their trademark chunky knits and well-worn leathers. The archetypal seventies detectives made catching crooks look cool -- and not in an ironic perm sort-of way.

Part of their popularity came down to their eagerness to whip out the firearms. Neither Starsky nor Hutch shied away from the trigger during a tussle - something we take for granted in contemporary crime shows - and happily took out the bad guys with ballistic force.

37. Sipowicz (NYPD Blue)

The success of Detective Andy Sipowicz is a testament to actor Dennis Franz, who took a racist, homophobic drunkard and transformed him into a likeable - if still offensive - geezer by the end of his tenure. Franz played 26 cops prior to landing the part, a wealth of experience that no doubt contributed to his well-worn performance.

Like all detectives, Sipowicz grappled with the weight of his job while trying to fight his inherent prejudices. As if being confronted day after day by crime wasn't a big enough issue, his attempts to sort out his life were constantly ransacked by the deaths of his loved ones. Partners, wives, friends, no-one stayed in his orbit long enough for him to find peace.

36. Shawn Spencer (Psych)

Shawn Spencer was raised by a cop, and as such, a lifetime of lessons from pop prepared him for a crime-solving career. It didn't quite work out that way, with Spencer's bull-headed nature rendering him completely unable to carry out orders from a superior. So, despite possessing the keen observational skills of a true detective, he's reduced to selling himself short as a psychic moonlighting for the police.

That's a large part of Spencer's charm, when he's not being a colossal goon, his determination to continue developing what his estranged father taught him. It is somewhat admirable. Well, if it weren't for the fact that he only scored the job as psychic consultant to avoid jail time. And he constantly prats about rattling off quips.

35. Janet Scott and Rachel Bailey (Scott & Bailey)

The two most talented members of Manchester Police's Major Incident Team are best friends despite different temperaments - Janet is older and calmer by nature, a parent and a patient problem-solver; Rachel is a heavy drinker and given to tempestuous relationships, and relies a lot on her intuition. But both are hard-working and dedicated. They're played by Lesley Sharp and Suranne Jones respectively.

Jones co-created the show, specifically with the intention of launching a series where women are centre stage and excelling in a challenging professional environment; she's called it "the Cagney & Lacey of Manchester." The eponymous pair are frequently part of a triple act with their DCI Gill Murray, played by Amelia Bullmore who also writes many episodes. There have been 33 episodes of Scott & Bailey so far since its debut in 2011.

34. Regan And Carter (The Sweeney)

Before The Sweeney it was only our American cousins whose small screen coppers played it fast and dangerous. Once Detective Inspector Jack Regan (John Thaw) and Detective Sergeant George Carter (Dennis Waterman) hit the streets as part of the Flying Squad, a down and dirty cop genre sprung out of the woodwork. Together the pair played as the perfect double act, their debauched and unorthodox policing methods both dangerous and amusing, Regan's willingness to sniff out a good gag in the most severe of situations a highlight of the show.

Part of the duo's success - aside from the hard-edged performances from Thaw and Waterman - is borne from their shared tragedies; estrangement from children and the loss of wives proof that misery does love company. If it weren't for the chain-smoking and constant drinking, they'd probably have resigned years before their time.

33. Olivia Benson (Law And Order: Special Victims Unit)

Law And Order: Special Victims Unit has across its sixteen-year lifespan witnessed every type of criminal imaginable cuffed and sent to the slammer. The woman responsible for a large portion of those arrests is Olivia Benson, played throughout the series by Mariska Hargitay, a detective who works her way up the ladder as a brave, uncompromising officer in the Manhattan sex crimes unit.

Herself the product of rape and a harrowing upbringing, Benson's personal experiences motivate her actions as an NYPD Sergeant. She often sympathises with her victims and vows to do whatever it takes to bring them peace.

32. Jessica Fletcher (Murder, She Wrote)

Murder, She Wrote opens with a montage of amateur sleuth Jessica Fletcher accompanied by the show's jaunty lightweight theme, a big hint that this investigative weekly serial won't see its detective cracking brutal crimes. Fletcher's forte had a quaint edge. Her approach to solving mysteries didn't possess the hip lingo and street chic of modern shows, but she nevertheless carried the weight of the series for twelve seasons. As an unassuming woman in her later years, her age granted her a certain immunity, rarely raising suspicion that was undoubtedly one of her greatest assets.

When she's not knocking back cocktails, or donning a disguise, Fletcher is often seen tapping away at her trusty typewriter, channeling her real-life experiences into her countless novels. And sometimes she flirts outrageously with Magnum P.I.