The 8 Most Fun Detective Shows, Ranked

Image via Hulu Published Sep 30, 2026, 4:51 PM EDT Andrea M. Ciriaco is a long-time script reader and former entertainment editor who specializes in classic movies and Hollywood history. She was a student film critic at Kent State University for three years and worked at Warner Bros Studio in Burbank and The Safran Company for several years. Based on her vast taste and range of knowledge, many consider Andrea to be a walking IMDb who knows dozens of underrated movies and is a vital assesst to any trivia night. While movies are her expertise, Andrea is also a diehard fan of iconic shows including The Sopranos, Boardwalk Empire, Rod Serling's The Twilight Zone, Will & Grace and South Park. Some of her favorite filmmakers are Walt Disney,John Huston, Fritz Lang, Alfred Hitchcock, John Ford, Mel Brooks, Quentin Tarantino, Martin Scorsese and Howard Hawks. Sign in to your Collider account There’s nothing quite like the thrill of a good whodunit—except when that whodunit comes packed with sharp wit, quirky characters, and infectious energy. While classic crime dramas often lean into grit, suspense, and dark realism, the best and most fun detective shows such as Only Murders in the Building, Columbo, and Sherlock manage to balance clever puzzle-solving with pure entertainment value, setting them apart from other crime-cracking shows. Whether it’s a hyper-observant fake psychic, an unkempt lieutenant with "just one more question," or a trio of unlikely true-crime podcasters, these sleuths prove that cracking a case can be as hilarious as it is intriguing. If you're looking for mysteries that prioritize charm, banter, and sheer fun alongside brilliant deductions, these are the eight most fun detective shows that every fan of the genre should add to their watchlist. 8 'Elementary' (2012-2019) Image via CBS Elementary is a clever series that breathes vibrant, character-driven energy into Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's infamous detective, Sherlock Holmes, with a modern story set against the backdrop of New York City. Jonny Lee Miller stars as Holmes, a recovering addict and former Scotland Yard consultant, who arrives in Manhattan, where he meets Dr. Joan Watson (Lucy Liu), who begins as his sober companion before evolving into a formidable detective in her own right. The show’s fun lies in its fresh, grounded take on Holmes and Watson's partnership. Instead of conveying romantic tension or one-sided hero worship, the dynamic between the characters builds an equal, deeply supportive bond anchored by quick-witted banter and mutual respect. Miller’s manic, twitchy, and highly kinetic portrayal of Holmes makes his deductive breakdowns mesmerizing to watch, while Liu’s calm, pragmatic Watson provides the perfect anchor. With a rapid weekly pace, clever procedural cases, creative uses of NYC subcultures, and an inventive reimagining of classic characters like Moriarty, Elementary delivers an addictive mix of intellect, heart, and fun. 7 'Only Murders in the Building' (2021- ) Image via Hulu Hulu's hit series Only Murders in the Building is one of the best crime shows of the 2020s that infuses the general elements of the detective genre with modern satirical energy, theater flair, and cozy true-crime obsession, capturing the perfect balance of humor and unpredictability. The comedy centers on an unlikely trio of neighbors: a former television star, Charles-Hayden Savage (Steve Martin); Oliver Putnam (Martin Short), an ambitious but struggling Broadway director; and Mabel Mora (Selena Gomez), an aspiring artist who, after the murder of another tenant in their building, starts their own true-crime podcast. The fun of this cheeky detective series stems from the brilliant intergenerational comedy dynamic—Martin’s anxious physical humor and Short’s theatrical, dramatic narcissism clash hilariously with Gomez’s dry, deadpan millennial cynicism. The series expertly pokes fun at modern podcast culture while delivering genuinely compelling, twist-filled murder mysteries filled with an array of cameos and guest stars such as Tina Fey, Nathan Lane, and Meryl Streep. Between its sharp writing and the show's deep affection for its quirky characters, Only Murders in the Building is a delightfully stylish mystery-comedy as well as one of the most fun detective shows to date. 6 'Monk' (2002-2009) Image via USA Network Monk is a comedic crime series that stands out for its unique blend of heartwarming humor, tragedy, and brilliant detective work. Tony Shalhoub delivers an Emmy-winning performance as Adrian Monk, a former San Francisco homicide detective whose severe obsessive-compulsive disorder and vast array of phobias both hinder his daily life and fuel his razor-sharp observational skills. Supported by his loyal assistants (Traylor Howard/ Bitty Schram) and the long-suffering Captain Stottlemeyer (Ted Levine), Monk’s journey to solve complex murders while conquering his personal anxieties makes every episode deeply satisfying and endlessly charming. The overall humor in this one-of-a-kind detective show flows organically from Monk’s hyper-specific quirks, such as his obsession with symmetry, fear of germs, and insistence on touching every streetlight, which often lead to hilarious situational comedy during serious crime scene investigations. Yet, the show never ridicules its protagonist; instead, it celebrates his brilliant "defects" as a superpower that allows him to spot the tiny, out-of-place details everyone else misses. 5 'The Mentalist' (2008-2015) Image via CBS The Mentalist blends sleek procedural mystery with infectious charisma and underlying suspense, setting it apart from other modern detective stories. The seven-season show runs almost entirely on Simon Baker’s exceptional award-nominated performance as Patrick Jane, a former celebrity psychic who exposed his own frauds after a tragic loss and now uses his master-level skills in observation, hypnosis, and psychological manipulation to help the California Bureau of Investigation solve murders. The show derives its fun mainly from Jane’s playful, rule-breaking attitude; he routinely ignores police protocol, sets absurd traps, reads suspects like open books, and orchestrates elaborate cons to force confessions. His lighthearted, tea-sipping demeanor contrasts hilariously with his stoic, by-the-book partner, Agent Teresa Lisbon, played by Robin Tunney. Their witty, bantering relationship keeps the weekly cases lively, while Jane's theatrical schemes make every investigation feel like a magic trick where viewers get a front-row seat to outsmarting the criminal. Collider Exclusive · Villain Personality Quiz Which Criminal Mastermind Would Be Your Nemesis? Lecter · Joker · Moriarty · Chigurh Four of the finest criminal minds ever put on screen. One of them would look at you and see something worth their time. Eight questions decide which one comes for you, why they picked you, and what they would want when they arrived. 🍷Lecter 🃏Joker ♟️Moriarty 🪙Chigurh MEET YOUR NEMESIS → 01 What would a criminal mastermind notice about you first? Great villains choose their opponents carefully. Something about you got their attention. AMy manners, and everything I am careful not to say. BThat I still believe people are basically decent. CThat I am clever, and quietly enjoy proving it. DThat I handle things myself, and always have. NEXT QUESTION → 02 How do they make first contact? The introduction tells you everything about what is coming next. AA polite letter. Beautiful handwriting. Quietly wrong. BSomething on fire, with a message left beside it. CA puzzle, left where only I would look. DNo contact. Just the aftermath, and a coin. NEXT QUESTION → 03 What do you actually believe about right and wrong? Every nemesis is really an argument about the thing you believe most. AThere are lines. Mine are private and absolute. BRules are the only thing keeping us from being animals. CMorality is a system, and systems can be solved. DThings happen. Most of it was never up to me. NEXT QUESTION → 04 What finally gets under your skin? Everybody has a pressure point. Finding yours is the whole plan. ABeing seen clearly by somebody I cannot read. BWatching good people do something ugly. CLosing to someone who was simply better prepared. DHaving no move left that changes anything. NEXT QUESTION → 05 They have made their move. How do you fight back? This is the part of the film where the audience finds out who you are. ACarefully, and never where they expect to be touched. BLoudly. I would rather lose than play their game. CWith a better plan. I can out-think this. DDirectly, once, with whatever is closest to hand. NEXT QUESTION → 06 What would they use against you? A good villain never brings a weapon you have not already handed them. AMy privacy. I have kept far too much to myself. BMy conscience. I will not cross the line they want. CMy ego. I cannot resist a worthy opponent. DMy certainty that I can handle it alone. NEXT QUESTION → 07 What do they actually want from you? The money is never the point. Something else always is. ATo understand me better than anyone ever has. BTo prove I am no better than they are. CTo finally be beaten by someone worth the trouble. DNothing at all. I stepped into the wrong path. NEXT QUESTION → 08 How does it end between the two of you? Eight questions in, this is the one that decides who comes for you. AA conversation I will be replaying for years. BA choice forced on me that has no clean answer. COne final move, and the better mind wins. DA coin in the air, and nothing I can say. REVEAL MY NEMESIS → The Case File Is Complete Your Nemesis Is…Four criminal masterminds. One of them was always going to be yours. Here is who comes for you, why they picked you out of everyone available, and what they want from the encounter. Hannibal LecterYour nemesis does not want to beat you. He wants to know you completely, and he is patient enough to wait for it. The frightening part is how good the conversation is. Lecter is the most dangerous kind of opponent: the one who finds you interesting. He never raises his voice, because he has never needed to. You keep a great deal to yourself and you are careful about what you show. That reserve is exactly the door he would knock on. The films understood something other thrillers missed. The horror is not the violence. It is being perfectly understood by the wrong person. He would be unfailingly polite about all of it. That is the worst part. The JokerYour nemesis is not after money, territory or revenge. He is after a demonstration, and you are the person he has chosen to prove his point on. The Joker only picks opponents who believe in something. Your decency is not a defence against him. It is the entire reason he showed up. He has no plan you can predict and nothing you can take away, which removes every tool you would normally reach for. His whole argument is that you are one bad day away from being him, and you would spend the rest of your life proving him wrong. He would call it a magic trick. You would call it the worst night of your life. MoriartyYour nemesis respects you, which sounds flattering until you work out what it means. He chose you because nobody else was worth his time. Moriarty is the original criminal mastermind, the template every later one borrows from: a mind the equal of the hero's, pointed the wrong way. You enjoy being the cleverest person in the room. He is counting on exactly that, and he has already built the room. This is the rare nemesis who would be genuinely disappointed if you lost badly. He needs the game to be worth playing. It ends the way these things always end. Two people, one problem, and only one way down. Anton ChigurhYour nemesis has no personal interest in you whatsoever, and that is precisely what makes him unsurvivable. You are not a rival. You are a stop on the way. Chigurh does not negotiate, gloat or explain. He arrives, he asks one question, and the answer was decided long before you opened your mouth. You trust yourself to handle things. He is the one problem in the world that has no interest in how capable you are. No Country for Old Men rewrote the screen villain by removing the thing audiences quietly rely on: the sense that talking might work. Call it. He will wait. ↻ RETAKE THE QUIZ 4 'Columbo' (1968-2003) The long-running detective series, Columbo, revolutionized the detective genre by flipping the classic "whodunit" into an ingenious "howcatchem," making it one of the most influential detective shows of all time. Unlike other detective shows, every episode of Columbo opens by showing the audience exactly who committed the murder and how they planned the perfect crime, shifting the thrill entirely to Peter Falk’s award-winning performance as the shrewd and exceptionally observant LAPD homicide detective, Lieutenant Columbo. The fun in Columbo comes from watching Falk as a bumbling, rumpled detective in a beige raincoat pretending to be harmless and dim-witted to disarm wealthy, arrogant killers. Columbo’s cat-and-mouse games are a masterclass in passive-aggressive brilliance, anchored by his famous line, "Just one more thing..." as he delivers a devastating logical trap just when the suspect thinks they are safe. Viewing high-society murderers slowly unravel as Columbo’s persistent politeness squeezes them into a corner provides immensely satisfying humor, making Columbo an enduring comfort and fun watch for generations of mystery lovers. 3 'Psych' (2006-2014) Image via USA Network Steve Franks' Psych is widely considered one of the most unapologetically fun detective shows in television history, known for its relentless humor, energetic spirit, and surprisingly wholesome themes, making it a must-see for both crime and comedy television fans. The series follows Shawn Spencer (James Roday Rodriguez), a hyper-observant slacker and novice investigator who pretends to be psychic to solve crimes for the Santa Barbara Police Department, alongside his reluctant best friend, Burton "Gus" Guster (Dule Hill). The show's heart is the incomparable bromance between Shawn and Gus, defined by lightning-fast banter, ridiculous cover names, synchronized screams, and endless pop-culture references to the 1980s and 1990s. Psych elevates its fun factor with clever theme episodes—parodying everything from The Shining to Twin Peaks —and hidden pineapple running gags, solidifying it as one of the most fun entries in the genre. It balances genuine mystery-solving with slapstick comedy and ridiculous disguises, ensuring that even murder investigations feel like a joyful, chaotic road trip between childhood friends who refuse to grow up. 2 'Poirot' (1989-2013) Image via ITV Agatha Christie’s iconic Belgian detective, Hercule Poirot, comes to life in the greatest mystery crime series of all time, Poirot, starring David Suchet as the legendary private investigator who delivers a definitive, meticulously crafted performance. Based on Christie's novels and short stories, the show’s charm relies on its luxurious, cozy vintage atmosphere and the delightful eccentricities of Poirot himself. Watching Poirot navigate 1930s high society while fussing over his immaculate mustache, precise dress code, and symmetrical breakfast eggs creates a uniquely comforting brand of humor. The fun factor of Poirot lies in Christie's classic "whodunit" structure, which traditionally includes elegant manor house settings, sprawling casts of suspicious aristocrats, and complex murder plots designed as intricate intellectual puzzles. Poirot’s interactions with his loyal companion Captain Hastings (Hugh Fraser), the blunt Chief Inspector Japp (Philip Jackson), and his secretary Miss Lemon (Pauline Moran) offer lighthearted, heartwarming character dynamics. The series climaxes in an iconic grand-finale reveal where Poirot gathers all the suspects in a single room to unravel the mystery step-by-step, making the viewer feel like an active participant in a sophisticated mental game. 1 'Sherlock' (2010-2017) Image via BBC Sherlock delivers pure thrill by translating Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s classic detective, Sherlock Holmes, into a hyper-modern, cinematic playground, making it the most fun detective series to date. The main source of fun stems directly from Benedict Cumberbatch’s portrayal of Sherlock Holmes as a high-functioning sociopath whose sheer intellectual speed borders on a superpower. Watching his mind work, which is visually brought to life through floating text, rapid-fire editing, and clever graphic overlays, turns complex deduction into an adrenaline-fueled spectacle. The series thrives on the electric chemistry between Sherlock and the grounded, long-suffering Dr. John Watson, played by Martin Freeman, delivering sharp bickering alongside deep loyalty. Rather than relying on traditional procedural beats, each episode plays like a short movie filled with dazzling visual flair, memorable villains like James Moriarty (Andrew Scott), and clever adaptations of Victorian lore into 21st-century technology. The show never takes itself too seriously to skip out on laugh-out-loud banter, yet it still maintains high-stakes tension that keeps audiences breathlessly trying to stay one step ahead of a genius. Sherlock Release Date 2010 - 2017-00-00 Network BBC One