The Top Ten Current TV Detectives

Detective shows or procedural dramas have ruled the Prime Time Slots for several years of television recently. Most of these shows have compelling characters. What is great about today's television characters versus the characters of yesteryear, is that today's leading characters have flaws. Gone is image of perfection, and in style is the tortured soul looking for redemption by catching bad guys. While the formula seems simple enough, making a list of the Top Ten Current Television Detectives is difficult. This is mainly due to the fact that "detective" can be twisted and turned to encompass a wide swath of characters who spend a lot of their time righting wrongs.

While this criteria seems a bit abstract, finding the top Ten Current Detectives on Television is a large task. Given the great amount of quality work that is being done on television right now. But that's enough from me, we should let the characters do the talking:

#10 Alex Donovan, The Forgotten

Christian Slater has the habit of bringing out a complexity in characters. While Alex Donovan helps put names to faces of victims, he is internally a mess. While the show itself is suffering from an unusual time slot, Christian Slater provides his usual great performance. Alex Donovan is trying to help victims families by finding their lost and "forgotten" family members, likely trying to make up for his own daughter being missing. Still, if you need to find out who someone is, Alex Donovan and the crew of "The Forgotten" is a great choice.

#9 Clark Kent, Smallville

Okay, okay, while not technically a detective he is an "investigative reporter." Tom Welling has been the face of Smallville for nine seasons and counting, Clark Kent is an integral part of the show. Not surprising considering this is a Superman show. Clark uses his unique abilities to solve a wide variety of phenomena around Smallville and Metropolis. While his supporting cast of superheroes and non super folks, fill the void, Clark Kent always gets to the bottom of any mystery he is exploring.

#8 Horatio Caine, CSI: Miami

David Caruso puts on a great display as Horatio Caine on CSI: Miami. Horatio is the "it's never over" type of no nonsense detective that has made all the CSI shows so popular. Horatio analyzes evidence and bodies and crime scenes with abilities far beyond what other television detectives have at their disposal. Having Horatio Caine on your side almost guarantees success.

#7 Catherine Willows, CSI

Marg Helgenberger has been Catherine Willows on the original CSI for a long time. Catherine Willows is the atypical working mom, she has had some troubles over the years but always bounces back. She uses a fair bit of brain power to analyze evidence and solve crimes in the exotic location of Las Vegas. Catherine Willows always comes through.

#6 Joshua Gates, Destination Truth

What! A reality show? That's right, if you have not tuned in to check out Destination Truth, you have no idea what you are missing. Along with being hilarious, Joshua Gates and his rag tag team of investigators armed with state of the art technology go monster hunting all over the world. In their travels, Joshua Gates and Company try to prove the existence of several local legends, whether they are checking out King Tut's Curse in Egypt, or the Yeti in the mountains of Asia, this crew is top notch entertainment.

#5 Jason Hawes & Grant Wilson, Ghost Hunters

This is the only tie on this list, basically because it seems impossible to choose a favorite or who is better at what they do. Jason Hawes and Grant Wilson have taken ghost hunting to the next level. These guys tread into places with events and noises that are truly terrifying in an attempt to get to the bottom of what is going on. Many times they debunk the claims with careful investigation skills, and other times there are no explanations at all. The fact that they only present evidence they can back up with audio and video sets them apart from all the other television detectives, mainly because they are real people.

#4 Jack Bauer, 24

Is there a more scary detective type character than Keifer Sutherland and Jack Bauer? I am going with no. Jack Bauer has pretty much lived days that would kill the average person, and the average television character as well. He uses an unusual blend of wit and determination to get to the bottom of just about any world ending scenario the writers can dream up. Still, if the chips are down, we all want Jack Bauer in our corner.

#3 Temperance Brennan, Bones

Temperance Brennan is a brilliant woman. She is the foremost expert in her field, she also lacks basic people skills and can be a bit blunt from time to time. She uses her intellect to solve murders and analyze corpses. No matter if they are two weeks old or two hundred years old, Temperance Brennan can find cause of death. Emily Deschanel plays Temperance with a sort of awkwardness that exudes both confidence and uneasiness. This girl is all business, and with the help of number two on this list makes bad guys very sorry.

#2 Seeley Booth, Bones

What is it about David Boreanaz who plays Seeley Booth on Bones? The sniper trained FBI Agent knows a great deal about interrogation and solving crimes, yet has a soft side. The fact that this character has such a great working relationship with Temperance Brennan is mystifying yet totally realistic. The two compliment each other in ways that more shows should take note. Still, Seeley Booth is not a guy you would want to mess around with.

#1 Patrick Jane, The Mentalist

Patrick Jane is the new kid on the block here in television land. With The Mentalist only halfway into it's second season, one gets the feeling we have only scratched the surface of what Patrick Jane and Simon Baker are capable of. The reformed psychic turned crime solver for the CBI uses a keen sense of observation and some hypnotism to catch murderous felons. Of course his nemesis is Red John, which is where Patrick Jane and Simon Baker really lose all sense of inhibitions. Our hero will truly do anything to catch the man who murdered his wife and daughter. It is that crucial flaw in the character that makes him so easy to relate to. Really what can stop an inspired individual?

sources:
personal experience
The shows themselves