The TV Timeline
“There has never been a shortage of private eyes on television. Although it seems like every permutation imaginable has been tried as a series, there have been some too strange even by network standards.”
— Lee Goldberg (1992)
“Seeing a murder on television can help work off one’s antagonisms. And if you haven’t any antagonisms, the commercials will give you some.”
— Alfred Hitchcock
SEE ALSO:
TV EYES: THE MADE-FOR-THE-TV MOVIES
TV SERIES in ALPHABETICAL ORDER
1949
- U.S.
- Man Against Crime (1949-54, CBS/Dumont)
- Private Eye (1949-53, NBC; aka “Martin Kane, Private Eye”)
- Stand By For Crime (1949)
1950
- U.S.
- The Affairs of Charlie Wild, Private Detective (1950-52, CBS/ABC/DuMont; aka “Charlie Wild, Private Detective”)
- Detective’s Wife (1950, CBS)
1951
- U.S.
- The Amazing Mr. Malone (1951-52, ABC)
- Boston Blackie (1951-53, U.S. Syndicated)
- Casey, Crime Photographer (1951-52, CBS; aka “Crime Photographer”)
- Mark Saber (1951-54, ABC; aka “Mark Saber Mystery Theater,” “Mystery Theater,” “Inspector Mark Saber-Homicide Squad,” “Homicide Squad”)
- U.K.
- The Inch Man (1951-52, BBC)
1952
- U.S.
- The Cases of Eddie Drake (1952, U.S. syndicated)
- China Smith (1952, syndicated)
- Dante’s Inferno (1952-56, CBS)
- The Files of Jeffrey Jones (1952, U.S. syndicated)
- Hollywood Offbeat (1952-53, DuMont)
- Craig Kennedy, Criminologist (1953, syndicated)
1954
- U.S.
- Climax! (1954-58, CBS)
- The Lone Wolf (1954, U.S. Syndicated)
- The Mask (1954, ABC; the first hour-long mystery show with recurring characters)
- The New Adventures of China Smith (1954-56, syndicated)
1955
- U.S.
- The Adventures of The Falcon (1955, syndicated; aka “The Falcon”)
- Alfred Hitchcock Presents (1955-62, CBS/NBC)
- Mark Saber (1955-57, ABC; aka “The Vise”)
1956
- Man Against Crime (1956, CBS/NBC)
1957
- U.S.
- The George Sanders Mystery Theater (1957, NBC)
- Have Gun, Will Travel (1957-63, CBS)
- Meet McGraw (1957-58, NBC)
- Mickey Spillane’s Mike Hammer (1957-60, U.S. Syndicated)
- The New Adventures of Martin Kane (1957-58, ITV/syndicated)
- Perry Mason (1957-1966, CBS)
- Richard Diamond, Private Detective (1957-59, CBS)
- Saber of London (1957-60, NBC; syndicated in the U.S. as “Detective’s Diary”)
- Tales Of Wells Fargo (1957-62, NBC)
- The Thin Man (1957-59, NBC)
- U.K.
- Saber of London (1957-60, ITV)
- Shadow Squad (1957-1959, ITV)
1958
- U.S.
- 77 Sunset Strip (1958-64, ABC)
- Cool and Lam (1958, CBS)
- Kraft Mystery Theatre (1958-63, NBC)
- Man With a Camera (1958-60, ABC)
- Peter Gunn (1958-61, NBC/ABC)
- Pursuit (1958-59, CBS)
- The Investigator (1958, NBC)
- Suspicion (1957-58, NBC)
- U.K.
- Private Investigator (1958-59, BBC)
1959
- U.S.
- Bourbon Street Beat (1959-60, ABC)
- The D.A’s Man (1959, NBC)
- Hawaiian Eye (1959-1963, ABC)
- The Man from Blackhawk (1959-60, ABC)
- Markham (1959-60, CBS)
- Mr. Lucky (1959-60, CBS)
- Philip Marlowe (1959-60, ABC)
- Richard Diamond, Private Detective (1959-60, NBC)
- Snooper and Blabber (1959-62, syndicated)
- Staccato (1959-60, NBC/ABC; aka “Johnny Staccato”)
- Shotgun Slade (1959-1961, U.S. Syndicated)
- 21 Beacon Street (1959-60, NBC/ABC)
- U.K.
- Dick and the Duchess (1959-60, ITV)
- International Detective (1959-61, ITV)
1960
- U.S.
- The Brothers Brannagan (1960, U.S. Syndicated)
- Checkmate (1960-62, CBS)
- Coronado 9 (1960, Revue Studios [syndicated])
- Dante (1960-61, NBC )
- Hong Kong! (1960-61, ABC)
- Johnny Midnight (1960, U.S. Syndicated)
- Michael Shayne (1960-61, NBC)
- Surfside Six (1960-1962, ABC)
- U.K.
- The Cheaters (1960-62, ITV)
- Francis Storm Investigates (1960, ITV)
1961
- U.S.
- Acapulco (1961, NBC)
- The Case of the Dangerous Robin (1961)
- The Dick Powell Show (1961-63, NBC; “The Dick Powell Theatre,” “The Dick Powell Reynolds Aluminum Show”)
- Follow The Sun (1961)
- The Investigators (1961, CBS)
- King of Diamonds (1961, syndicated)
- Miami Undercover (1961, syndicated)
- Shannon (1961, syndicated)
- Whispering Smith (1961, NBC)
- U.K.
- Jango (1961, ITV)
- GERMANY
- Zu viele köche (1961, NWRV-Hamburg)
1962
- U.S.
- The Alfred Hitchcock Hour (1962-65, NBC)
- Kokonut, Private Eye (1962)
- U.K.
- Zero One (1962-64, BBC)
- The Odd Man (1962-63, ITV)
- The Third Man (1962)
- Glynis (1962)
1963
- Kraft Suspense Theatre (1963-65, NBC)
1964
- U.S.
- Miss Adventure (1964, ITV)
- Mr. Broadway (1964)
1965
- U.S.
- Honey West (1965-66, ABC)
- U.K.
Public Eye (1965-68, ITV)
1966
- U.S.
- T.H.E. Cat (1966-67, NBC)
- U.K.
- The Corridor People (1966, ITV)
- Take a Pair of Private Eyes (1966, BBC2)
1967
- U.S.
- Mannix (1967-75, CBS)
- U.K.
- Man in a Suitcase (1967-68, ITV)
1968
- U.S.
- The Outsider (1968-69, NBC)
- My Friend Tony (1969, NBC)
- U.K.
- My Partner the Ghost (1969-70, ITC)
- Paul Temple (1968, BBC)
1969
- U.K.
- Paul Temple (1969-71, BBC1)
- Public Eye (1969-75, ITV)
- Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased) (1969-71)
- ITALY
- Nero Wolfe (1969, RAI)
1970
- U.S.
- The Most Deadly Game (1970-71, ABC)
1971
- U.S.
- Bearcats! (1971, CBS)
- Cannon (1971-1976, CBS)
- Longstreet (1971-1972, ABC)
- The NBC Mystery Movie (1971-77, NBC)
- U.K.
- The Rivals of Sherlock Holmes (1971-73, ITV)
- The View From Daniel Pike (1971-73, BBC)
1972
- U.S.
- Banacek (1972-74, NBC)
- Banyon (1972-1973, NBC)
- Cool Million (1972, NBC)
- Jigsaw (1972-73, ABC)
- Search (1972-73, NBC)
- U.K.
- The Protectors (1972-74, ITV)
1973
- U.S.
- Barnaby Jones (1973-1980, CBS)
- Faraday and Company (1973-74, NBC)
- Griff (1973-74, ABC)
- Hagen (1973-1974, ABC)
- Inch High, Private Eye (1973-74, NBC; cartoon)
- The New Adventures of Perry Mason (1973-1974, CBS)
- Shaft (1973-1974, CBS)
- Tenafly (1973-74, NBC)
1974
- U.S.
- Harry O (1974-76, ABC)
- The Manhunter (1974-75, CBS)
- The Nightstalker (1974-75, ABC; aka “Kolchak: The Nightstalker”)
- The Rockford Files (1974-80, NBC)
1975
1976
- U.S.
- Charlie’s Angels (1976-1981, ABC)
- City of Angels (1976, NBC)
1978
- U.S.
- The Eddie Capra Musteries (1978-79, NBC)
- Richie Brockelmann, Private Eye (1978, NBC)
- Vega$ (1978-81, ABC)
- U.K.
- Hazell (1978-80, ITV)
- Rumpole of the Bailey (1978-92, ITV)
- GERMANY
- Nick Knatterton (1978-80)
1979
- U.S.
- Big Shamus, Little Shamus (1979, CBS)
- The Duke (1979, NBC)
- The Runaways (1979, NBC)
- U.K.
- Dick Barton-Special Agent (1979, ITV)
- The Racing Game (1979-80, ITV)
- Shoestring (1979-1980, BBC1)
1980
- U.S.
- Magnum P.I. (1980-88, CBS)
- Tenspeed and Brownshoe (1980, ABC)
- San Berdoo (1980, ABC)
- SPAIN
- Pepe Carvalho (1980, Spain)
1981
- U.S.
- Joe Dancer (1981-83, NBC)
- Nero Wolfe (1981, NBC)
- Simon and Simon (1981-1988, CBS)
1982
- U.S.
- Cassie and Co. (1982, NBC)
- The Devlin Connection (1982, NBC)
- Gavilan (1982, NBC)
- Matt Houston (1982-85, ABC)
- Remington Steele (1982-87, NBC)
- Tucker’s Witch (1982-83, CBS)
1983
- U.S.
- Ace Crawford, Private Eye (1983, CBS)
- Hardcastle and McCormick (1983-1986, ABC)
- High Performance (1983)
- Small and Frye (1983, CBS)
1984
- U.S.
- Crazy Like a Fox (1984-86, , CBS)
- Finder of Lost Loves (1984-85, ABC)
- Legmen (1984, NBC)
- Partners in Crime (1984, NBC)
- Me and Mom (1984-85, ABC)
- Riptide (1984-86, NBC)
- Mickey Spillane’s Mike Hammer (1984-85, CBS)
- U.K.
- Charlie (1984, ITV/Central Television)
- Partners in Crime (1984-87, PBS)
- Philip Marlowe, Private Eye (1984-86, London Weekend Television/HBO)
- SPAIN/FRANCE
- Las venturas de Pepe Carvalho (1984-85, Spain/France)
1985
- U.S.
- Detective in the House (1985, CBS)
- The Equalizer (1985-89, CBS)
- Eye to Eye (1985, ABC)
- Half Nelson (1985, NBC)
- I Had Three Wives (1985, CBS)
- Lime Street (1985, ABC)
- Moonlighting (1985-89, ABC)
- Spenser: For Hire (1985-88, ABC)
- U.K.
- Bulman (1985-87, ITV)
1986
- U.S.
- Blacke’s Magic (1986, NBC)
- The New Mike Hammer (1986-87, CBS)
- Stingray (1986-87, NBC)
- U.K.
- Boon (1986-95, ITV)
- Dick Spanner P.I. (1986, Channel Four)
- The Singing Detective (1986, BBC1)
- CANADA
- Hot Shots (1986, CTV)
1987
- U.S.
- Beverly Hills Buntz (1987-88, NBC)
- The Law and Harry McGraw (1987-88, CBS)
- J.J. Starbuck (1987-1988, NBC)
- Leg Work (1987, CBS)
- Jake and the Fatman (1987-92, CBS)
- Ohara (1987-88, ABC)
- Private Eye (1987-88, NBC)
- Sable (1987-88, ABC)
- Canada
- Two of Diamonds (1987-89, Global; aka “Diamonds”)
1988
- U.S.
- Murphy’s Law (1988-89, ABC)
- The Silent Whisper (1988, CBS)
- Sonny Spoon (1988, NBC)
- U.K.
- South of the Border (1988-90, BBC1)
1989
- U.S.
- The ABC Mystery Movie (1989-90, ABC; aka “The ABC Monday Mystery Movie,” “The ABC Saturday Mystery Movie”)
- B.L. Stryker (1989-90, ABC)
- Booker (1989-90, Fox)
- A Man Called Hawk (1989, ABC)
- The Saint (1989, Celtic Films/LWT)
- Wolf (1989-90, CBS)
1990
- U.S.
- Gabriel’s Fire (1990-91, ABC)
- Grand Slam (1990, CBS; aka “Dead Trouble”)
- Hollywood Detective (1991, A&E)
- Shannon’s Deal (1990-91, NBC)
- Sydney (1990, CBS)
- CANADA
Mom P.I. (1990-92, CBC) - U.K.
- Blood Rights (1990, BBC2)
- TECX (1990, ITV)
- PORTUGAL
- Claxon (1990, Portugal)
- GERMANY
- Blaues Blut (1990, Germany)
1991
- U.S.
- The Danger Team (1991, ABC)
- Homicide: A Life on the Street (1991-99, NBC)
- The Owl (CBS, 1991)
- Palace Guard (1991, CBS)
- Pros and Cons (1991-92, ABC)
- Veronica Clare (1991, Lifetime)
- U.K.
- The Diamond Brothers (1991, ITV)
- U.S./CANADA
- Sweating Bullets (1991-1992, Mexican/Canadian Syndicated)
- FRANCE
- Nestor Burma (1991-2000, France)
1992
- U.S.
- Dog City (1992-93, Fox)
- The Human Target (1992, ABC)
1993
- U.S.
- Black Tie Affair (1993, NBC)
- Fallen Angels (1993-95, Showtime)
- Moon Over Miami (1993, ABC)
- The NBC Friday Night Mystery (1993-95, NBC)
- South of Sunset (1993, CBS)
- U.K.
- Anna Lee (1993-1994, ITV)
- CANADA
- TekWar (1993-96, CTV/syndicated)
- SWEDEN
- Snoken (1993-1997, SVT 1)
- AUSTRALIA
- Singapore Sling (1993-95; aka “Asian Connection)
1994
- U.S.
- The Cosby Mysteries (1994-95, CBS)
- Duckman: Private Dick/Family Man (1994-97, USA Network)
- The Rockford Files (1994-99, CBS)
1995
- U.S.
- Baywatch Nights (1995-97, syndicated)
- Charlie Grace (1995, ABC)
- Land’s End (1995-96, U.S. Syndicated)
- CANADA
- Taking the Falls (1995-96, CTV)
1996
- U.S.
- Lawless (1996, Fox)
- U.K.
- Hetty Wainthropp Investigates (1996-1999, BBC1)
1997
- U.S.
- Dellaventura (1997, CBS)
- Mike Hammer-Private Eye (1997, syndicated series)
- Total Security (1997, ABC)
- U.K.
- The Broker’s Man (1997-98, BBC)
- Sharman (1995-96, ITV)
- An Unsuitable Job For a Woman (1997-99, ITV/PBS)
1998
- U.S.
- Brimstone (1998, Fox)
- Buddy Faro (1998, CBS)
- Sins of the City (1998, USA Network)
- Vengeance Unlimited (1998-99, ABC)
- V.I.P. (1998-2000, syndicated)
- GERMANY
- Wilsberg (1998-2019, ZDF)
- JAPAN
- Cowboy Bebop (1998, Bandai Visual/Sunrise)
- SPAIN/ITALY/FRANCE
- Pepe Carvalho (1998-99, Spain/Italy/France)
1999
- U.S.
- Angel (1999, WB)
- Snoops (1999, ABC)
- Sons of Thunder (1999, CBS)
- The Strip (1999-2000, UPN)
- CANADA
- Butch Patterson, Private Dick (1999-2001, The Comedy Network)
- RUSSIA
- Dossie Detektiva Dubrovskogo (1999, Russia)
2000
- U.S.
- The Huntress (2000-01, USA Network)
- The Michael Richards Show (2000, NBC)
- U.K.
- Dirty Work (2000, BBC1)
- Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased) (2000, BBC1)
2001
- Nero Wolfe (2001-02, A&E)
- RUSSIA
- Pola ya ne umer (2001, Russian)
2002
- U.S.
- Hack (2002-03, CBS)
- Haunted (2002, UPN)
- Monk (2002-09, USA Network)
- CANADA
- Jinnah On Crime (2002-03, CBC)
- Tom Stone (2002, CBC)
- U.K.
- Nice Guy Eddie (2002, BBC-1)
- JAPAN
- Shiritsu tantei Hama Maiku (2002, Nippon TV/Yomiuri Television)
2003
- U.S.
- Las Vegas (2003-07, NBC)
- P.I. (2003, F/X)
- Wild Card (2003-05, Lifetime)
- CANADA
- Les aventures tumultueuses de Jack Carter (2003, Radio-Canada)
2004
- U.S.
- Veronica Mars (2004-07, UPN/Warner)
2005
- U.S.
- Eyes (2005, Eyes)
- Johnny Zero (2005, Fox)
2006
- U.S.
- Kidnapped (2006, NBC)
- Murder 101 (2006, HallMark)
- Psych (2006-14, USA Network)
2007
- U.S.
- Andy Barker P.I. (2007, NBC)
- The Dresden Files (2007, Sci-Fi Channel)
- Burn Notice (2007-13, USA Network)
- JAPAN
- Darker Than Black (2007-09)
- NORWAY
- Varg Veum (2007-12)
2008
- U.S.
- Leverage (2008-12, TNT)
- CANADA
- B.J. Fletcher (2008-12, internet)
2009
- U.S.
- Archer (2009-2018, FX)
- Bored to Death (2009-11, HBO)
- The Good Wife (2009 –, CBS)
- Lie to Me (2009-11, FX)
2010
- U.S.
- Human Target (2010-11, Fox-TV)
- Terriers (2010, FX)
- CANADA
- Republic of Doyle (2010-14, CBC)
- IRELAND
- Jack Taylor (2010-11, TV3)
- U.K.
- Dirk Gently (2010-14, BBC4; aka “Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency”)
2011
- U.S.
- Charlie’s Angels (2011, ABC)
- U.K.
- Case Histories (2011, BBC)
- AUSTRALIA
- Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries (2012-14, ABC [Australia)
2013
- U.S.
- King & Maxwell (2013, TNT)
- AUSTRALIA
- Serangoon Road (2013, Australia ABC/HBO Asia)
- Ray Donovan (2013-18, Showtime)
- FRANCE
- Détectives (2013-14, France)
- ITALY
- Nero Wolfe (2012, RAI)
2014
- INDIA
- PI: Private Investigator (2014, Freemantle Media/India)
- JAPAN
- The Long Goodbye (2014, NHK)
2015
- U.S.
- Jessica Jones (2015-18, Netflix)
- Better Call Saul (2015-20, AMC)
- The Spoils Before Dying (2015, IFC)
2016
- U.S.
- Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency (2016-17, BBC America)
- Hap and Leonard (2016-18, SundanceTV)
- The Catch (2016-17, ABC)
- Luke Cage (2016-18, Netflix)
- Quarry (2016, Cinemax)
- Swedish Dicks (2016-18, Viaplay/Pop/Lionsgate)
- CANADA
- Private Eyes (2016-18, Global TV)
2017
- U.S.
- Archer (2017, FXX)
- Mr. Mercedes (2017-18, AT&T)
- CANADA
- The Frankie Drake Mysteries (2017-18, CBC)
- The Indian Detective (2017, CTV)
- U.K.
- Strike (2017-18, BBC1; aka “C.B. Strike”)
- GERMANY
- Allmen (2017-19, Universum Film)
2018
- U.S.
- Magnum, P.I. (2018-19, CBS)
- Take Two (2018, ABC)
- U.K.
- Shakespeare and Hathaway: Private Investigators (2018-19, BBC ONE)
2019
- U.S.
- Stumptown (2019-20, ABC)
- Veronica Mars (2019, Hulu)
- Australia
- Ms Fisher’s MODern Murder Mysteries (2019, Seven)
- My Life is Murder (2019-21, CJC)
2020
- U.S.
- Big Sky (2020, ABC)
- Dicktown (2020, FXX)
- A Martha’s Vineyard Mystery (2020-21, Hallmark Movies & Mysteries)
- The Outsider (2020, HBO)
- IRELAND
- Miss Scarlet & The Duke (2020, Alibi)
- SWEDEN
- Top Dog (2020, C More; aka “Hidden Agenda”)
2021
- U.S.
- Cowboy Bebop (2021, Netflix)
- The Equalizer (2021, CBS)
- Whitstable Pearl (2021, Acorn TV/Buccaneer Media)
- JAPAN
- The Detective Is Already Dead (2021, AT-X)
2022
- U.S.
- Francesca Quinn, P.I. (2022, Hallmark Movies & Mysteries)
- Nikki & Nora: Sister Sleuths (2022, Hallmark Movies & Mysteries)
- So Help Me Todd (2022, Paramount/CBS)
- AUSTRALIA
- Troppo (2022, ABC)
2023
- The Dead Boy Detectives (2023, HBO)
- Florida Man (2023, Netflix)
- High Desert (2023, Apple+)
- Poker Face (2023, Peacock)4
2024
- Monsieur Spade (2024, AMC+/Canal+)