Detective work has been a small-screen draw for more than seven decades now — just ask anyone who turned on their television set and heard that four-note Dragnet intro back in 1951. TV viewers love watching steadfast sleuths putting together the pieces, whether the guilty party is shown at the start of the episode or only revealed at the end.
And over the years, some titles in the genre have produced truly arresting television. Below are our picks for the best detective TV shows — if not the best written (or, for that matter, the most responsible), then at least the most impactful.
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