Who is Britain’s Greatest TV Detective? We Rank Our Top 10

Morse, Vera or Prime Suspect — who is Britain’s greatest TV detective? TV Insiders Jimmy Mulville and Peter Fincham rank the best British detectives, from Inspector Morse and Prime Suspect to Poirot, Sherlock, Midsomer Murders, The Sweeney and more…

In this episode:

Whether Ludwig could eventually join the great British detective pantheonWhy Helen Mirren’s Jane Tennison remains one of television’s strongest detectivesBrenda Blethyn’s defining performance as Vera StanhopeDavid Suchet’s iconic Hercule PoirotBenedict Cumberbatch and Steven Moffat’s modern SherlockWhy A Touch of Frost doesn’t compare with the rest of the listThe Sweeney, John Thaw and the difference between action-led policing and puzzle-solvingHow Midsomer Murders replaced John Nettles with Neil DudgeonWhy Bergerac gives John Nettles two iconic TV detectivesThe strange appeal of Van der Valk’s canals and Dutch namesWhy a great detective does not need to be likeableThe “eureka” moment that makes detective dramas so reassuringWhy the best mysteries were often 90 minutes longHow ITV is the home of the great detectives

Have a question, opinion or suggestion? Leave a comment on YouTube, find us on socials @InsidersTVPod, or email us at podcasts@hattrick.com.

If you enjoyed the episode, please like, subscribe and share the podcast with a friend — it really helps us grow.

Chapters

00:00 Intro and rules

01:21 Could Ludwig become a classic detective?

03:37 Ranking begins with Hercule Poirot

06:38 Sherlock Holmes and Benedict Cumberbatch

07:52 A Touch of Frost

11:14 The Sweeney