Who is the greatest detective of all time?

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I'm pretty sure it's Columbo, but it's a toss-up whether this is due to the character himself or Peter Falk's performance.

― remy (x Jeremy), Tuesday, 7 February 2006 21:57 (nineteen years ago)

Sherlock Holmes!

― Forest Pines (ForestPines), Tuesday, 7 February 2006 21:59 (nineteen years ago)

the character IS peter falk's performance!

― s1ocki (slutsky), Tuesday, 7 February 2006 22:00 (nineteen years ago)

My second -- and it's a strong second -- is Philip Marlowe in either of the Leigh Brackett-scripted Chandler adaptations. I mean… the character's brilliant and fascinating and believable when played by Humphrey Bogart AND by Elliot Gould.

― remy (x Jeremy), Tuesday, 7 February 2006 22:00 (nineteen years ago)

Basil the Great Mouse Detective!

― ailsa (ailsa), Tuesday, 7 February 2006 22:02 (nineteen years ago)

What detectives did Donald Sutherland play? Because I'm betting they're pretty bad-ass.

― remy (x Jeremy), Tuesday, 7 February 2006 22:05 (nineteen years ago)

http://www.comicimoc.de/h_cover/art_bilder/107/1070121.png

― Sparkle Motion's Rising Force, Tuesday, 7 February 2006 22:09 (nineteen years ago)

Real inconspicious, there.

― Tracer Hand (tracerhand), Tuesday, 7 February 2006 22:13 (nineteen years ago)

CHIEF inspector Closeau!

― kingfish has gene rayburn's mic (kingfish 2.0), Tuesday, 7 February 2006 22:15 (nineteen years ago)

It's a toss-up between Buffy and Veronica Mars.

― Tracer Hand (tracerhand), Tuesday, 7 February 2006 22:17 (nineteen years ago)

http://www.cardhaus.com/images/101153.jpg

― Jordan (Jordan), Tuesday, 7 February 2006 22:24 (nineteen years ago)

real-life detectives are crying, now.

― hstencil (hstencil), Tuesday, 7 February 2006 22:25 (nineteen years ago)

What do you suppose 'Activate -> KO target ongoing plot twist' means?

― chap who would dare to be completely sober on the internet (chap), Tuesday, 7 February 2006 22:32 (nineteen years ago)

I have actually met a robbery detective whose name was "Detective R3cup3r0" - I defy anyone to find a more perfect name for a guy whose job it is to get your shit back.

― Tracer Hand (tracerhand), Tuesday, 7 February 2006 22:34 (nineteen years ago)

encyclopedia brown

― Special Agent Gene Krupa (orion), Tuesday, 7 February 2006 22:34 (nineteen years ago)

leisure suit larry

― elmo, patron saint of nausea (allocryptic), Tuesday, 7 February 2006 22:35 (nineteen years ago)

http://images.art.com/images/-/Hardy-Boys--C10030981.jpeg

― Jordan (Jordan), Tuesday, 7 February 2006 22:40 (nineteen years ago)

yous all bonkers. nero wolfe's the greatest, maaaaan!
"greatest" as in mroe ways than one, yeah.

― t\'\'t (t\'\'t), Tuesday, 7 February 2006 22:43 (nineteen years ago)

SPECIAL
AGENT
DALE
COOPER

WHAT!!

― Special Agent Gene Krupa (orion), Tuesday, 7 February 2006 22:44 (nineteen years ago)

http://www.geocities.com/Hollywood/Bungalow/1350/pp2.gif

― adam (adam), Tuesday, 7 February 2006 22:56 (nineteen years ago)

Tie between

and

― Austin Still (Austin, Still), Tuesday, 7 February 2006 23:06 (nineteen years ago)

case closed: ihttp://www.timemachinetoys.com/toypics/shatner.JPG

― DV (dirtyvicar), Tuesday, 7 February 2006 23:24 (nineteen years ago)

CURSE YOU HTML CODE!

― DV (dirtyvicar), Tuesday, 7 February 2006 23:25 (nineteen years ago)

Tintin! Ostensibly a 'journalist,' but I never saw him dispatch a scoop.

― andy --, Tuesday, 7 February 2006 23:26 (nineteen years ago)

yeah nero wolfe! he never even had to leave his office to solve the crime!

― teeny (teeny), Tuesday, 7 February 2006 23:29 (nineteen years ago)

http://www.sherylfranklin.com/images/sherlock/othersh/data.jpg

― Jordan (Jordan), Tuesday, 7 February 2006 23:31 (nineteen years ago)

Irwin R. Fletcher

― kingfish, Wednesday, 8 February 2006 02:36 (nineteen years ago)

inspector rex. obviously.

― gem (trisk), Wednesday, 8 February 2006 02:37 (nineteen years ago)

http://www.filmforum.org/films/serpico/serpicocolhead_02.jpg

― it's not me, i only post on ILM (blunt), Wednesday, 8 February 2006 02:55 (nineteen years ago)

http://stealthboy.dyndns.org/~msherman/images/emptg01.gif

He was so amused by those creatures called humans.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Wednesday, 8 February 2006 03:03 (nineteen years ago)

welcome to the thread that is pwned by:

http://www.hbo.com/thewire/img/orgchart/freamon.jpg

― tobo (tobo), Wednesday, 8 February 2006 03:04 (nineteen years ago)

I like Chesterton's Father Brown rather a lot.

― Øystein (Øystein), Wednesday, 8 February 2006 03:05 (nineteen years ago)

i pick WHO IS HARRY CRUMB? or FLETCH

― shadeball (chaki), Wednesday, 8 February 2006 04:52 (nineteen years ago)

Freamon's great, but did he ever burn his clothes to hide an adulterous dalliance with his wife? NO! His partner w1nz0rs.

― Austin Still (Austin, Still), Wednesday, 8 February 2006 04:55 (nineteen years ago)

FLETCH!!!!!!!!!

― killy (baby lenin pin), Wednesday, 8 February 2006 04:57 (nineteen years ago)

erg, FROM his wife.

― Austin Still (Austin, Still), Wednesday, 8 February 2006 04:57 (nineteen years ago)

http://members.shaw.ca/gorillagallery/myweb2/bobo1.jpg

(or possibly Meldrick Lewis)

― Huk-L (Huk-L), Wednesday, 8 February 2006 05:01 (nineteen years ago)

http://benjanaway.users.btopenworld.com/Graphics/Gadget.gif

― s1ocki (slutsky), Wednesday, 8 February 2006 05:11 (nineteen years ago)

http://www.austinchronicle.com/binary/0a7fdace/f.fletch.jpg

― killy (baby lenin pin), Wednesday, 8 February 2006 05:17 (nineteen years ago)

cheers for bunk!!

― Tracer Hand (tracerhand), Wednesday, 8 February 2006 06:15 (nineteen years ago)

my friend kate, who solved her own burglary and landed the perps up in jail. (this episode included a late-night visit from a still unidentified man with a lead pipe on her porch, as she was in the midst of untangling the mystery -- the dog chased him away.) she recovered her cell phone (which was key to the detection, as the idiot burglars kept calling even after she had the phone back) and computer, with other goods hopefully to come.

― gypsy mothra (gypsy mothra), Wednesday, 8 February 2006 06:45 (nineteen years ago)

well obviously the real answer is Holmes, but I would like to see 'the dude' solve more crimes.

― Ste (Fuzzy), Wednesday, 8 February 2006 09:54 (nineteen years ago)

Frank Pembleton is the best ever at getting someone to confess, but I'd go for Monk. There is one episode where a newspaper is thought to be a key to the mystery, so he starts reading it to see if he can spot why. Every other page he's telling his assistant to call NYC or Paris or somewhere because he has solved the murder reported in the paper, in passing.

― Martin Skidmore (Martin Skidmore), Wednesday, 8 February 2006 13:27 (nineteen years ago)

http://www.jewishworldreview.com/images/kinky_friedman.jpg

― robster (robster), Wednesday, 8 February 2006 13:31 (nineteen years ago)

jaymc.

― StanM (StanM), Wednesday, 8 February 2006 13:32 (nineteen years ago)

now if this question were asking who the greatest 'secret agent' was, well that would be easy.

― Ste (Fuzzy), Wednesday, 8 February 2006 13:56 (nineteen years ago)

Of course you mean Maxwell Smart..

― Dave will do (dave225.3), Wednesday, 8 February 2006 13:59 (nineteen years ago)

http://www.toonhound.com/agaton-1.jpg

― Markelby (Mark C), Wednesday, 8 February 2006 14:10 (nineteen years ago)

http://www.oxfordphil.com/concerts/2000-1/photos00-01/inspector_morse.jpg

― C J (C J), Wednesday, 8 February 2006 14:10 (nineteen years ago)

CRACKER

― tissp! (the impossible shortest specia), Wednesday, 8 February 2006 14:14 (nineteen years ago)

http://www.artistviewent.com/comedy/heavy-petting-detective/heavy-petting-detective--300pixelheight.jpg

― beanz (beanz), Wednesday, 8 February 2006 14:22 (nineteen years ago)

MISS MARPLE

― The Lex (The Lex), Wednesday, 8 February 2006 14:27 (nineteen years ago)

POIROT

― beanz (beanz), Wednesday, 8 February 2006 14:28 (nineteen years ago)

NO WAIT – THE FAMOUS FIVE

― beanz (beanz), Wednesday, 8 February 2006 14:29 (nineteen years ago)

Detective:

http://www.ilpotereelagloria.it/images/immagini/DetectiveMonk_210.jpg

Secret Agent:

http://www.shock.com.au/images/image_library/KAL0712.jpg

And, to be honest, I'm not sure what category he comes under, but deserves a mention:

http://www.dvd-forum.at/bilder/dvdreview/cover/small/111900214111425200.jpg

― emil.y (emil.y), Wednesday, 8 February 2006 14:37 (nineteen years ago)

MAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAATLOOOOOOOOOOCKE

― Sororah T Massacre (blueski), Wednesday, 8 February 2006 14:42 (nineteen years ago)

Hahahaha Steve wins

― tissp! (the impossible shortest specia), Wednesday, 8 February 2006 14:42 (nineteen years ago)

Martin and emily OTM, it is clearly Monk.

Honorable mentions: Marlowe, and Spenser with an s like the poet.

― Archel (Archel), Wednesday, 8 February 2006 15:22 (nineteen years ago)

best detective duo: Maddie and David (Moonlighting)

― Sororah T Massacre (blueski), Wednesday, 8 February 2006 15:24 (nineteen years ago)

Late entry, honourable mention:

http://www.4gamer.net/DataContents/package/1259_p.jpg

― She's In Parties (kate), Wednesday, 8 February 2006 15:27 (nineteen years ago)

Anyone else remember Wendell Urth?

― M. V. (M.V.), Wednesday, 8 February 2006 15:34 (nineteen years ago)

i am guessing by the betty friedan thread that its not momus

― james van der beek (dubplatestyle), Wednesday, 8 February 2006 15:37 (nineteen years ago)

seven years pass...

http://www.blueheronpi.com/how_to_become_a_PI.html

this whole website is such gold

― j., Thursday, 30 January 2014 18:06 (eleven years ago)

were you interested in becoming a p.i., j.?

― bilbo bobbins (how's life), Thursday, 30 January 2014 18:28 (eleven years ago)

just researching the detectives. bet it would be sweet tho.

― j., Thursday, 30 January 2014 18:56 (eleven years ago)

nine years pass...

This is TRUE relatability pic.twitter.com/FatK03BTFR
— autumn cs (werewolf sjw) (@Akitron) April 16, 2023

― xyzzzz__, Wednesday, 19 July 2023 17:02 (two years ago)

OTM

― immodesty blaise (jimbeaux), Thursday, 20 July 2023 02:49 (two years ago)

no lies told

― werewolves of laudanum (VegemiteGrrl), Thursday, 20 July 2023 03:14 (two years ago)

I love her 😍

― ian, Thursday, 20 July 2023 03:43 (two years ago)

This guy found Marlon Brando's son ... for real...

― m0stly clean (Slowsquatch), Thursday, 20 July 2023 09:37 (two years ago)

xps: Who is she? She seems awesome.

― peace, man, Thursday, 20 July 2023 15:37 (two years ago)

Nevermind, I figured it out. She's Ayo Edebiri.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0eiHLRVfgbg

― peace, man, Thursday, 20 July 2023 15:40 (two years ago)

POIROT IS THE REALEST FUCKN DOGG

― circles, Thursday, 20 July 2023 16:11 (two years ago)

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