101 Best TV Crime Series: Bad Guys, Spies & Private Eyes

In this shamelessly personal view of the best television crime series, Mark Timlin has taken the straightforward approach of including any crime show that he's enjoyed since he was small. Fortunately, that encompasses an enormous range of shows, from the good, to the bad, to the plain bizarre. Classics range from Z-Cars to Hill Street Blues, The Professionals, The Bill, and Callan, but Mark also includes 77 Sunset Strip, Highway Patrol, and Johnny Staccatofrom the late 1950s, the Birmingham-based Gangsters from the mid-70s and the more recent 55 Degrees North—and of course lots more. The first 90 are in no particular order, the top 10 in order of preference. Packed with information and curious facts, there is nostalgia aplenty, sharp opinions, and surely plenty to disagree with and dispute—and of course, that's the point. Amuse your friends, irritate your enemies, and enter into the debate—this book is the perfect jumping off point for sorting out your own personal Top Ten.