The Critics' Choice: The Best of Crime and Detective TV - Perry Mason to Hill Street blues, the Rockford files to Murder She Wrote

by Max Allan Collins, John Javna

Genres: Tv, Mystery

144 pages, Paperback

First published November 30, 1988

About the author

Received the Shamus Award, "The Eye" (Lifetime achievment award) in 2006.

He has also published under the name Patrick Culhane. He and his wife, Barbara Collins, have written several books together. Some of them are published under the name Barbara Allan.

Book Awards
Shamus Awards Best Novel winner (1984) : True Detective
Shamus Awards Best Novel winner (1992) : Stolen Away
Shamus Awards Best Novel nominee (1995) : Carnal Hours
Shamus Awards Best Novel nominee (1997) : Damned in Paradise
Shamus Awards Best Novel nominee (1999) : Flying Blind: A Novel about Amelia Earhart
Shamus Awards Best Novel nominee (2002) : Angel in Black

Japanese: マックス・アラン・コリンズ
or マックス・アラン コリンズ

Reviews

[Diane · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked this up on a whim on eBay. It's a slim 144 pages with lots of photos and trivia. It's also rather opinionated when it comes to "great" shows, but more on that later. Since this book was published in 1988, it's rather out of date - no CSI, Homicide: Life on the Street, Law and Order, etc. The emphasis is more on the 60s and 70s, with some 80s shows thrown in for good measure.

The book is divided into six sections:

1. Private Eyes
a. The Rockford Files
b. Harry-O
c. Peter Gunn (very famous TV theme)
d. City of Angels
e. Tenspeed and Brownshoe
f. Perry Mason
g. Magnum, PI
h. Richie Brockelman, Private Eye
i. 77 Sunset Strip
j. Mannix

2. Police Procedurals
a. Hill Street Blues
b. Dragnet
c. Naked City
d. Columbo
e. The Untouchables
f. Crime Story
g. Kojak
h. Cagney & Lacey
i. Baretta

3. Amateur Sleuths
a. Lord Peter Wimsey
b. Ellery Queen
c. Kolchak: The Night Stalker
d. Murder, She Wrote
e. The Saint

4. Comedy Crimefighters
a. Rumpole of the Bailey
b. Barney Miller
c. Police Squad
d. Batman
e. Car 54, Where Are You?

5. Crime Files
a. Ethnic Detectives
b. Imitations and Spinoffs
c. Sherlock Holmes
d. Jack Webb
e. Women vs. Crime
f. The Early Shows
g. Literary Detectives
h. Gimmick Shows
i. Law 'n' Order (not the TV show)
j. Television Attorneys

6. Inside Scoops
a. Sources, Recommended Reading
b. Acknowledgements

There are also four "Wanted Posters" scattered throughout the book of Charlie's Angels, Sheriff Lobo, The Mod Squad, and Mrs Columbo.

The shows were chosen through a poll of mystery writers, mystery fans, and TV critics. On an amusing note, Donald Westlake crossed out all the PI shows off his ballot except for Rockford, which he marked "1 through 10." I have to agree with him there. Elmore Leonard must not have liked PI shows because he didn't vote for any at all. Some of the mystery writers involved in the process as either voters or commenters: Lawrence Block, Mary Higgins Clark, Bill Crider, Loren Estelman, Joe Gores, Ed Gorman, Andrew Greeley, Jeremiah Healy, Ed Hoch (king of the mystery short story), Stuart M. Kaminsky, Elmore Leonard and Donald Westlake (of course), Stephen King, Sara Paretsky, Otto Penzler, Mickey Spillane, and Andrew Vachss.

In the first four sections, the selected TV shows are profiled. There is a list of the main cast, comments or quotes from the people involved, "Testimony" (comments from writers or critics), and "Evidence" (quotes from the show). The TV shows get about 2-3 pages each.

I enjoyed reading about Rockford Files, Perry Mason, Magnum, PI, Hillstreet Blues, Dragnet, Columbo, Kojak, Murder She Wrote, and The Saint. I was delighted to see two of my favorite shows, Kolchak and Ellery Queen included. They don't often get the attention they deserve.

I have some problems, though, with some of the shows chosen: Tenspeed and Brownshoe, Richie Brockelman, Car 54, and Beretta. Seriously? Has anyone even heard of Richie Brockelman? I was just a kid when Tenspeed was on and I remember thinking, "Why did they put this on the air?" I like Ben Vereen and Jeff Goldblum, but, ugh! Car 54 is just absurd and makes no sense. It has not aged well. As for Beretta, okay, Robert Blake with a motorcycle and a cockatoo. I just don't get it. It would have been better to include Barnaby Jones, Cannon, Spenser, Adam-12, Starsky & Hutch, and Hawaii Five-0.

Despite my misgivings above, this is a fun book that makes me want to go pick up some of this now vintage shows and watch them again.

[Michael Brown · Rating 4 out of 5]

Compiled in 1987-88. From a ballot in Mystery Scene Magazine and direct requests sent to mystery writers and TV critics, this volume became part of a series of books "The Best of" for various TV genres. Many of the shows I remember well and some are on DVD's or cable at this time. Some I have brief memories of since I am in my sixties and these were shown in the 50's and 60's. But others are just unknown. The main categories are Private Eyes / Police Procedurals / Amateur Sleuths / Comedy Crime Fighters. Most of the best ( top few ) I agree with. Some of the rest in each area are questionable. The most disliked or least popular are almost all right on. Some shows are classed in areas you might not think correct but the explanations fill the reader in. There are quotes from critics, actors and authors for many of the shows outlined. Again we end in 1987-88 but since then only a few shows would be safely added to these broad areas. Maybe updates will expand or add new data.

[Bernie4444 · Rating 4 out of 5]

What is on your coffee table?

This is not dated but could stand updating. We get the skinny on many TV series and more. This is one of those books you will want to read from front to back to see what you missed and what they missed. And pictures, lots of pictures; the pictures are all monochrome, but it adds to the ambiance of the book.

Beware the title says, “The Best of” and it is of course someone else’s idea of the best of. Many of the series start out slow to get their footing and then are excellent, later the series loses direction. But they are all worthy of binging. There are two pages of sources, but you will have to find the sources on your own. One Page of acknowledgments and again you will have to find the acknowledgments on your own.