Best tv shows like Philip Marlowe, Private Eye
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Plot Summary:
Philip Marlowe, Private Eye is a British mystery series that aired on ITV in the United Kingdom under the shorter title 'Marlowe, Private Eye' and on HBO in the United States from April 16, 1983 through June 3, 1986. The series features Powers Boothe as Raymond Chandler's titular character, and was the first drama produced for HBO.
IMDB Rating: 7.8
IMDB Votes: 472
Genere: Action, Crime, Mystery, Romance, Thriller
Country: UK, Canada, USA
Duration: 60 min
Plot tags: detective, neo noir
Best tv shows and movies like Philip Marlowe, Private Eye (1983):
Similar in 75%
Goodnight, My Love (1972)
Plot Summary:
Gruff gumshoe Francis Hogan is hired by a mysterious woman to find her boyfriend who has gone missing. With his perpetually hungry partner in tow, Hogan must untangle a web of intrigue involving the criminal underworld and a dead courier. One double-cross follows another as Hogan investigates the whole sordid affair.
IMDB Rating: 6.7
IMDB Votes: 171
Genere: Comedy, Crime, Mystery
Country: USA
Duration: 73 min
Plot tags: detective, cult film
Similar in 77%
The Rockford Files (1974)
Plot Summary:
The Rockford Files is an American television drama series starring James Garner that aired on the NBC network between September 13, 1974 and January 10, 1980, and has remained in syndication to the present day. Garner portrays Los Angeles-based private investigator Jim Rockford with Noah Beery, Jr. in the supporting role of his father, a retired truck driver nicknamed "Rocky." The show was created by Roy Huggins and Stephen J. Cannell. Huggins created the television show Maverick, which starred Garner, and he wanted to recapture that magic in a "modern day" detective setting. He teamed with Cannell, who had written for Jack Webb productions such as Adam-12 and Chase, to create The Rockford Files. The show was credited as "A Public Arts/Roy Huggins Production" along with Universal Studios and in association with Cherokee Productions. Cherokee was owned by Garner, with partners Meta Rosenberg and Juanita Bartlett, who doubled as story editor during most of The Rockford Files' run. The series theme by composers Mike Post and Pete Carpenter was released as a single and went to #10 on the Billboard Hot 100, remaining on the chart for 16 weeks. and won a Grammy Award for Best Instrumental Arrangement for 1975.
IMDB Rating: 8.2
IMDB Votes: 10000
Genere: Crime, Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 50 min
Plot tags: detective, retro, neo noir, sincere, serious, captivating, realistic, witty, vintage
Similar in 80%
The Catch (2016)
Plot Summary:
Strong and successful Alice Martin is a fraud investigator who's about to be the victim of fraud by her fiancé. Between her cases, she is determined to find him before it ruins her career.
IMDB Rating: 7.1
IMDB Votes: 12000
Genere: Crime, Drama, Romance, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 43 min
Plot tags: captivating, exciting, tense, light, detective, thrilling, idiotic
Similar in 83%
The Return of Mickey Spillane's Mike Hammer (1986)
Plot Summary:
After two attempts to kidnap a little girl Mike Hammer is hired to protect her.
IMDB Rating: 6.5
IMDB Votes: 253
Genere: Action, Crime, Mystery, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 94 min
Plot tags: neo noir
Similar in 82%
More Than Murder (1984)
Plot Summary:
Private eye Mike Hammer tries to clear his friend, Captain Chambers, who has been framed for cocaine possession.
IMDB Rating: 6.6
IMDB Votes: 295
Genere: Action, Crime, Mystery, Romance, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 96 min
Plot tags: neo noir
Similar in 90%
The Rockford Files: I Still Love L.A. (1994)
Plot Summary:
Detective Jim Rockford works to uncover facts of the death of a wealthy socialite whose two grown children are accused of murdering her. Complicating matters are Rockford's omnipresent "friend" Angel, and Rockford's ex-wife Kit, a lawyer who represents the children.
IMDB Rating: 7.5
IMDB Votes: 471
Genere: Action, Crime, Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 120 min
Plot tags: detective
Similar in 80%
Murder Me, Murder You (1983)
Plot Summary:
Mickey Spillane's private eye Mike Hammer (Stacy Keach) probes his long-lost love's death while seeking their daughter.
IMDB Rating: 6.6
IMDB Votes: 366
Genere: Action, Crime, Mystery, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 96 min
Plot tags: detective, neo noir, crime thriller
Similar in 81%
The Return of Frank Cannon (1980)
Plot Summary:
Private detective Frank Cannon comes out of retirement to investigate the murder of an ex-girlfriend's husband.
IMDB Rating: 6.9
IMDB Votes: 157
Genere: Action, Crime, Mystery, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 96 min
Plot tags: neo noir, detective
Similar in 88%
I Remember You (2015)
Plot Summary:
This drama is a romantic thriller that centers around a criminal profiler, Lee Hyun who previously work as a consultant at the police department in New York. After he returns to south Korea, he’s in charge of a special criminal investigation team. Due to his special insight, he can analyze the crime scene and the suspect at one glance. He works together with an elite detective, Cha Ji An to solve the crimes and they develop a romantic relationship.
IMDB Rating: 7.7
IMDB Votes: 2000
Genere: Action, Crime, Mystery, Romance, Thriller
Country: South Korea
Duration: 70 min
Plot tags: psychological, dorama, captivating, suspense, tense, detective, romantic drama
Similar in 75%
Barnaby Jones (1973)
Plot Summary:
Barnaby Jones is a television detective series starring Buddy Ebsen and Lee Meriwether as father- and daughter-in-law who run a private detective firm in Los Angeles. The show ran on CBS from January 28, 1973 to April 3, 1980, beginning as a midseason replacement. William Conrad guest starred as Frank Cannon of Cannon on the first episode of Barnaby Jones, "Requiem for a Son" and the two series had a two-part crossover episode in 1975, "The Deadly Conspiracy".
IMDB Rating: 6.9
IMDB Votes: 3000
Genere: Crime, Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 60 min
Plot tags: detective
Similar in 75%
Mannix (1967)
Plot Summary:
Mannix is an American television detective series that ran from 1967 through 1975 on CBS. Created by Richard Levinson and William Link and developed by executive producer Bruce Geller, the title character, Joe Mannix, is a private investigator. He is played by Mike Connors. Mannix was the last series produced by Desilu Productions.
IMDB Rating: 7.4
IMDB Votes: 4000
Genere: Action, Crime, Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 60 min
Plot tags: detective, retro, exciting, rough, serious, realistic, suspenseful, vintage
Similar in 84%
Cannon (1971)
Plot Summary:
Cannon is a CBS detective television series produced by Quinn Martin which aired from March 26, 1971 to March 3, 1976. The primary protagonist is the title character, private detective Frank Cannon, played by William Conrad. He also appeared on two episodes of Barnaby Jones. Cannon is the first Quinn Martin-produced series to be aired on a network other than ABC. A "revival" television film, The Return of Frank Cannon, was aired on November 1, 1980. In total, there were 124 episodes.
IMDB Rating: 6.8
IMDB Votes: 4000
Genere: Action, Crime, Drama, Mystery
Country: USA
Duration: 60 min
Plot tags: detective, surprise ending
Similar in 90%
Matt Houston (1982)
Plot Summary:
Matt Houston is an American crime drama series that aired on ABC from 1982 to 1985. Created by Lawrence Gordon, the series was produced by Aaron Spelling.
IMDB Rating: 6.5
IMDB Votes: 1000
Genere: Crime, Drama, Mystery
Country: USA
Duration: 90 min
Plot tags: detective
Similar in 78%
Stingray (1986)
Plot Summary:
Stingray is an NBC television series produced by Stephen J. Cannell that ran from 1985 to 1987. It stars Nick Mancuso, who plays the mysterious character known only as Ray, whose trademark is a black 1965 Corvette Sting Ray.
IMDB Rating: 7.5
IMDB Votes: 882
Genere: Action, Crime, Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 48 min
Plot tags: detective, neo noir
Similar in 76%
Baywatch Nights (1995)
Plot Summary:
Baywatch Nights is an American police and science fiction drama series that aired in syndication from 1995 to 1997. Created by Douglas Schwartz, David Hasselhoff, and Gregory J. Bonann, the series is a spin-off from the popular television series, Baywatch.
IMDB Rating: 3.8
IMDB Votes: 2000
Genere: Action, Crime, Drama, Fantasy, Horror, Mystery, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 60 min
Plot tags: detective, serious, suspenseful, campy
Similar in 78%
The New Mike Hammer (1984)
Plot Summary:
Mickey Spillane's Mike Hammer, with Stacy Keach in the title role, is a television series that originally aired on CBS from January 28, 1984 to January 12, 1985. The series was 24 sixty minute episodes. The show follows the adventures of Mike Hammer, the fictitious private detective created by crime novelist Mickey Spillane, as he hunts down criminals on the mean streets of New York City.
IMDB Rating: 6.8
IMDB Votes: 1000
Genere: Crime, Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 60 min
Plot tags: detective
Similar in 84%
Take Two (2018)
Plot Summary:
Sam Swift, the former star of a hit cop series whose epic breakdown is broadcast to the public and sends her to rehab. Desperate to restart her career, she talks her way into shadowing lone-wolf private investigator Eddie Valetik as research for a potential comeback role. Though Eddie resents the babysitting gig, high-spirited Sam uses the skills she learned as an actor playing a cop and proves herself to be surprisingly valuable.
IMDB Rating: 7.1
IMDB Votes: 6000
Genere: Comedy, Crime, Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 43 min
Plot tags: feel good, light, captivating, sweet, detective
Similar in 80%
Mike Hammer, Private Eye (1997)
Plot Summary:
Mike Hammer, Private Eye is an American syndicated television program based on the adventures of the fictitious private detective Mike Hammer, created by novelist Mickey Spillane. The show starred Stacy Keach and was seen as an attempt to revive the character he had played in Mickey Spillane's Mike Hammer and The New Mike Hammer - two moderately successful syndicated CBS series from the 1980s. Mike Hammer, Private Eye premiered on September 27, 1997. The show failed to gain a wide audience and, as a result, it was canceled after only one season. The final show of the series aired on June 14, 1998.
IMDB Rating: 7.2
IMDB Votes: 675
Genere: Crime, Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 60 min
Plot tags: detective, rough, serious, neo noir, realistic, suspenseful
Similar in 80%
Murder Rooms: Mysteries of the Real Sherlock Holmes (2000)
Plot Summary:
If Arthur Conan Doyle based Sherlock Holmes on a real person to any degree, it was on his former professor, forensic pathologist Dr. Joseph Bell. This series recounts the fictional murder investigations that Bell might have undertaken with the assistance of young student Doyle.
IMDB Rating: 7.9
IMDB Votes: 754
Genere: Crime, Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Country: UK
Duration:
Plot tags: tense, captivating, detective, period drama
Similar in 76%
Terriers (2010)
Plot Summary:
Ex-cop and recovering alcoholic Hank Dolworth partners with his best friend, former criminal Britt Pollack, in an unlicensed private investigation business. The series is set in Ocean Beach, San Diego, California, although it is portrayed as a distinct town, with Dolworth having once been a member of the fictional Ocean Beach Police Department.
IMDB Rating: 8.4
IMDB Votes: 11000
Genere: Comedy, Crime, Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 45 min
Plot tags: neo noir, suspenseful, dark comedy, captivating, detective, tense, atmospheric, serious, anime, realistic
Similar in 88%
A Case for Two (1981)
Plot Summary:
Ein Fall für zwei is a German television series, which premiered on September 11, 1981 on ZDF. The series, located in Frankfurt am Main, features two main characters who solve crimes: a defense attorney and a private investigator. Josef Matula, a former German police officer, has gone into private business. His method of investigation is very effective and direct, and he sometimes even resorts to dirty tricks. Claus Theo Gärtner has portrayed the role since the start of the series. In contrast, the attorney character has changed several times. The first attorney was Dr. Dieter Renz. Dr. Renz retired in episode #60 and was replaced by Dr. Rainer Franck. In episode #149, Dr. Franck took a job as a law school teacher, and was replaced by Dr. Johannes Voss. In episode #182, Dr. Voss was shot dead by an escaping criminal, and was in turn replaced by Dr. Markus Lessing. Most of the episodes follow a simple pattern. Someone is murdered, and the police arrest the most likely suspect. The suspect, claiming to be innocent, hires the attorney in the series as his lawyer. The attorney does all the paperwork, talks with the police and attends court. Meanwhile, Matula does all the actual research and detective work - "gets his hands dirty", so to speak. Matula often gets into fights, and even though he is in his early sixties, he often knocks out the bad guys. In the end, the original suspect usually turns out to be innocent after all, and the real culprit is found.
IMDB Rating: 6.4
IMDB Votes: 793
Genere: Crime, Thriller
Country: West Germany
Duration: 60 min
Plot tags: captivating, suspense, realistic, detective
Similar in 89%
A Nero Wolfe Mystery (2001)
Plot Summary:
Genius detective Nero Wolfe and his right-hand man, Archie Goodwin, solve seemingly impossible crimes.
IMDB Rating: 8.4
IMDB Votes: 2000
Genere: Action, Drama, Mystery
Country: USA
Duration: 46 min
Plot tags: realistic, detective, clever, serious, suspenseful
Similar in 87%
Remington Steele (1982)
Plot Summary:
Remington Steele is an American television series co-created by Robert Butler and Michael Gleason. The series, starring Stephanie Zimbalist and Pierce Brosnan, was produced by MTM Enterprises and first broadcast on the NBC network from 1982 to 1987. The series blended the genres of romantic comedy, drama, and detective procedural. Remington Steele is best known for launching the career of Pierce Brosnan and for serving as a forerunner of the similar series Moonlighting. Remington Steele's premise is that Laura Holt, a licensed private detective played by Stephanie Zimbalist, opened a detective agency under her own name but found that potential clients refused to hire a woman, however qualified. To solve the problem, Laura invents a fictitious male superior whom she names Remington Steele. Through a series of events that unfold in the first episode, "License to Steele", Pierce Brosnan's character, a former thief and con man whose real name is never revealed, assumes the identity of Remington Steele. Behind the scenes, Laura remains firmly in charge.
IMDB Rating: 7.3
IMDB Votes: 10000
Genere: Action, Adventure, Comedy, Crime, Drama, Mystery, Romance, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 60 min
Plot tags: detective, soap opera, hilarious, humorous, realistic, suspenseful, witty, stylized, semi serious, neo noir
Similar in 86%
The Capture (2019)
Plot Summary:
When soldier Shaun Emery's conviction for a murder in Afghanistan is overturned due to flawed video evidence, he returns to life as a free man with his young daughter. But when damning CCTV footage from a night out in London comes to light, Shaun's life takes a shocking turn and he must soon fight for his freedom once again.
IMDB Rating: 7.9
IMDB Votes: 22000
Genere: Crime, Mystery, Thriller
Country: UK
Duration: 60 min
Plot tags: captivating, suspense, detective, crime drama, intense, psychological, thrilling, masterpiece
Similar in 90%
Detective Chinatown (2020)
Plot Summary:
Strange crimes occur in Thailand as the ranking for the world's best detective sees a shift. New detectives come into the picture to tackle three difficult cases.
IMDB Rating: 6.7
IMDB Votes: 264
Genere: Crime, Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Country: China
Duration:
Plot tags: suspense, detective, psychological, tense, captivating, disturbing
Similar in 75%
Law & Order Los Angeles (2010)
Plot Summary:
Law & Order: LA, originally titled Law & Order: Los Angeles, is an American police procedural and legal drama television series set in Los Angeles, where it was produced. Created and produced by Dick Wolf and developed by Blake Masters, it premiered on NBC on September 29, 2010, as a spin-off of Wolf's successful crime drama Law & Order. The show received a full season pickup on October 18, 2010. On January 18, 2011, however, NBC announced that it was putting the series on hold indefinitely. According to a representative of the show, the scheduling change was not caused entirely by the recent cast shake-up. The network later announced a return date for the series, April 11, 2011; and the final episode scheduled for July 11, 2011. Law & Order: LA was canceled by NBC on May 13, 2011.
IMDB Rating: 6.7
IMDB Votes: 3000
Genere: Crime, Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 60 min
Plot tags: serious, tense, realistic, suspenseful, detective, crime drama, rough, bleak, gloomy
Similar in 80%
Broken City (2013)
Plot Summary:
In a broken city rife with injustice, ex-cop Billy Taggart seeks redemption and revenge after being double-crossed and then framed by its most powerful figure, the mayor. Billy's relentless pursuit of justice, matched only by his streetwise toughness, makes him an unstoppable force - and the mayor's worst nightmare.
IMDB Rating: 6.1
IMDB Votes: 83000
Genere: Action, Crime, Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 109 min
Plot tags: neo noir, suspenseful, rough, political, tense, intense, serious, realistic, detective, cult classic
Similar in 88%
The Case-Book of Sherlock Holmes (1991)
Plot Summary:
Sherlock Holmes and his intrepid companion, Dr. Watson solve the mysteries of the disappearance of Lady Frances Carfax, Thor Bridge, Shoscombe Old Place, the Boscombe Valley, an illustrious client, and a creeping man.
IMDB Rating: 8.7
IMDB Votes: 6000
Genere: Crime, Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Country: UK, USA
Duration: 60 min
Plot tags: detective, spiritual, anthology, mind bending, realistic, suspenseful, stylized, scary, serious, vintage
Similar in 84%
Strike (2017)
Plot Summary:
A war veteran turned private detective operates out of a tiny office in London’s Denmark Street. Although wounded both physically and psychologically, his unique insight and background as a military police investigator prove crucial in solving complex crimes that have baffled the police. Based on the bestselling novels written by J.K. Rowling under the pseudonym Robert Galbraith.
IMDB Rating: 7.9
IMDB Votes: 23000
Genere: Crime, Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Country: UK
Duration: 60 min
Plot tags: detective, tense, serious, suspenseful, crime drama, ironic, talky, psychological thriller, saga, anime
Similar in 89%
Agatha Christie's Poirot (1989)
Plot Summary:
From England to Egypt, accompanied by his elegant and trustworthy sidekicks, the intelligent yet eccentrically-refined Belgian detective Hercule Poirot pits his wits against a collection of first class deceptions.
IMDB Rating: 8.6
IMDB Votes: 50000
Genere: Crime, Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Country: UK
Duration: 100 min
Plot tags: clever, realistic, captivating, detective, serious, suspenseful, exciting, stylized, crime drama, spiritual