5 Classic '70s Detective Shows That Still Hold Up Today

The 1970s were truly a golden age for television. From sitcoms to dramas to limited series, there are several '70s TV shows that everyone needs to watch at least once, if not multiple times. Much like movies and music of the era, TV shows from the 1970s pushed the boundaries of what was acceptable on the airwaves, exploring themes and storylines that would've been previously unthinkable. Rather than staying comfortably in the past, these shows sought to depict life as it really was, as the counterculture upset conformity in revolutionary ways. This attitude found its way into all varieties of TV storytelling. This included detective shows, a genre that dated all the way back to "Dragnet." Yet unlike the straitlaced Jack Webb, detectives of the 1970s were more complex and intriguing, and therefore more interesting to watch.

Here are five classic detective shows that still hold up today. In all five of these selections, you see the building blocks of modern detective shows, from "NYPD Blue" and "The Wire" to "Law & Order" and beyond. These shows feature rich, complex protagonists, each of whom have their own unique approach to solving crimes. It's these fascinating characters that make the shows so endlessly re-watchable, but it's far from their only qualities. Indeed, these programs are enjoyable for their nail-biting suspense, complex cases, and rotating panel of guest stars, all of which laid the groundwork for modern detective shows. It's no mystery that any one of these series can stand alongside the best of what's on the air today.

After hanging up Jed Clampett's tattered hat from "The Beverly Hillbillies," Buddy Ebsen took on another iconic role, albeit a far more refined and dramatic one. Ebsen played the titular character in "Barnaby Jones," a private eye who comes out of retirement when his son is murdered during an investigation. After tracking down his son's killer, Barnaby decides to take up the mantle permanently, and his widowed daughter-in-law, Betty Jones (Lee Meriwether), comes to work for him. Eventually, they're joined by Barnaby's first cousin, J.R. Jones (Mark Shera), who comes to Los Angeles to solve his father's murder. J. R. decides to stay in California and go to law school, while Barnaby and Betty solve crimes with the help of their police contact, Lt. John Biddle (John Carter).

"Barnaby Jones" aired on CBS from 1973 to 1980, during which time it received two Emmy nominations (including one for Meriwether as best supporting actress in a drama series) and hosted a variety of notable guest stars, including early appearances by future stars Ed Harris, Tommy Lee Jones, Nick Nolte, Sean Penn, and James Woods. What set it apart from most crime shows was its lead character, a soft-spoken sweetheart who drinks milk instead of hard liquor. As Ebsen got older, he appeared less and less in each episode, with the focus going towards Betty and J. R. So while the later seasons aren't as fun to watch as the earlier ones, "Barnaby Jones" remains a delight in reruns.

"There's just one more thing." If you heard those words from Lt. Columbo (Peter Falk), you knew you were in trouble. An LAPD homicide detective, Columbo masked his competency through a shambolic façade. Clad in a raincoat and chomping on a cigar, Columbo disarmed murder suspects by allowing them to think they were smarter than him, letting their arrogance precipitate their downfall. Unlike other detective shows, which rely on the reveal of the culprit for their effect, every episode of "Columbo" began with audiences knowing exactly who the killer was. The joy came from seeing how the savvy police lieutenant would figure it out for himself, with the final piece of the puzzle (i.e. that "one more thing") serving as the big surprise.

In many ways, "Columbo" was one of the '70s TV shows that laid the groundwork for prestige TV. Originally airing on NBC from 1971 to 1978, it was a breeding ground for future talent, from Oscar-winners Steven Spielberg and Jonathan Demme to Steven Bochco, who created one of the best cop shows of all time, "Hill Street Blues." It featured a murderer's row of guest stars, including Falk's longtime friend and regular collaborator John Cassavetes, not to mention Anne Baxter, Donald Pleasance, and Dick Van Dyke. The best "Columbo" episodes remain highly re-watchable to this day thanks to re-runs and streaming. Although its original run ended in 1978, the show came back in the '80s, '90s, and 2000s, winning 13 Emmys throughout the decades (including best limited series and best actor for Falk).

"Kojak" was one of the most lauded detective dramas of the decade. The brainchild of Oscar-winning screenwriter Abby Mann ("Judgment at Nuremberg"), who cut his teeth during the early days of live teleplays, it began life as an Emmy-winning TV movie, "The Marcus-Nelson Murders," a fictionalized account of a real life case that led to the creation of the Miranda Rights. Oscar-nominee Telly Savalas ("Birdman of Alcatraz") starred in the 1973 telefilm as Lt. Theo Kojak, a New York City police detective who believes a murder confession was violently coerced out of two Black suspects. "The Marcus-Nelson Murders" served as a pilot for "Kojak," which ran for five seasons from 1973-1978 and won an Emmy for Savalas as best actor in a drama series.

As is true of all great detective shows, "Kojak" brought viewers back week after week thanks to a fascinating lead character. Bald-headed and tough-talking, Lt. Kojak was often seen sucking on a lollipop as a way to quit smoking. Armed with catchphrases like "Who loves ya, baby?" and "Cootchie-coo," Kojak could be disarming when he wanted to be, but never let a suspect get the better of him. Although the show was cancelled by CBS in 1978, Savalas reprised the role in seven TV movies released between 1985 and 1990, featuring such notable guest stars as Angie Dickinson, Marcia Gay Harden, Jerry Orbach, Max von Sydow, and, most notably, Andre Braugher as Detective Winston Blake, who appeared in five of the films. A reboot starring Ving Rhames aired for one season in 2005, proving that no one did it better than Telly.

Before there was "Charlie's Angels," there was "Police Woman." Although women had headlined sitcoms like "The Mary Tyler Moore Show" and "That Girl," there weren't too many hour-long dramas centered on female protagonists, and "Police Woman" was one of the first. Airing on NBC from 1974-1978, the show centered on Sgt. "Pepper" Anderson (Angie Dickinson), an undercover police officer working for the Los Angeles Police Department's Criminal Conspiracy Unit. Although she had some help from her superior, Lt. Bill Crowley (Earl Holliman), and her fellow officers Pete Royster (Charles Dierkop) and Joe Styles (Ed Bernard), Sgt. Pepper was front and center the whole time, paving the way for more crimefighting women like "Cagney & Lacey" and "Law & Order: SVU's" Olivia Benson.

Dickinson earned three Emmy nominations and won a Golden Globe for her performance, which remained grounded even as she went undercover as a waitress, a flight attendant, a nurse, a prison inmate, and a prostitute (to name but a few of her disguises). The show garnered significant controversy in its first season for the episode "Flowers of Evil," which centered on a trio of lesbians who rob and murder the elderly residents of the retirement home they run. Eliciting outcry and protests from LGBT advocacy groups for its harmful depiction of villainous gay characters, the episode was pulled from reruns by NBC (although it is available on streaming). It's an unfortunate blip in an otherwise groundbreaking TV show that proved a woman could solve any crime that a man could.

Although James Garner starred in many great movies throughout his career, he's perhaps best remembered for two small screen roles: Bret Maverick on the western series "Maverick," and Jim Rockford on the detective show "The Rockford Files." Airing on NBC from 1974 to 1980, "The Rockford Files" centered on an ex-con who becomes a private investigator after getting released from prison. Living in a trailer parked off of Malibu's Pacific Coast Highway, Jim Rockford solves crimes with the help of his father, retired truck driver "Rocky" Rockford (Noah Beery Jr.), and best friend, LAPD Sgt. Dennis Becker (Joe Santos). He's also constantly avoiding trouble with his old prison pal, con artist Angel Martin (Stuart Margolin).

One of the best TV shows of the 1970s, "The Rockford Files" won five Emmy awards, including prizes for best drama series, best drama actor for Garner, best drama supporting actor for Margolin, and best drama actress for Rita Moreno, who appeared in three episodes as call girl/police informant Rita Capkovic. Although it featured a wide variety of memorable guest stars (including Lauren Bacall, Ned Beatty, Isaac Hayes, Rob Reiner, and Tom Selleck), it was the Jim Rockford show through and through. Unlike most TV detectives, Rockford avoids confrontation at all costs and prefers to use his smarts over his strength whenever possible. With his quick smile, weary eyes, and weathered face, Garner makes Rockford a sweet yet sardonic protagonist, one who only got into crime fighting because it afforded him some (sort of) beachfront property.