Classic Detective Shows

About Classic Detective Shows

Classic Detective Shows is a free nostalgia trivia quiz with 15 multiple-choice questions with a mix of 5 easy, 5 medium, 5 hard questions. Test your knowledge of classic TV detective and mystery shows! A typical run takes about 7 minutes, hints are always one tap away, and your streak ticks up the first time you finish a game on a given day.

A few sample questions

1. 1. Which TV detective was famous for his rumpled raincoat, cigar, and the line 'Just one more thing...'?

   Answer: Columbo

   Peter Falk played Lieutenant Columbo from 1968 to 2003. His seemingly absent-minded detective, who always circled back with 'Just one more thing,' was actually a brilliant investigator.

2. 2. What was the name of the detective show starring Tom Selleck set in Hawaii?

   Answer: Magnum, P.I.

   Magnum, P.I. starred Tom Selleck as Thomas Magnum, a private investigator living in Hawaii. The show ran from 1980 to 1988 and was famous for Selleck's mustache and the red Ferrari 308.

3. 3. Which detective show featured Jack Lord as Steve McGarrett and the famous line 'Book 'em, Danno'?

   Answer: Hawaii Five-O

   Hawaii Five-O ran from 1968 to 1980, making it one of the longest-running police shows of its era. Jack Lord's Steve McGarrett and his catchphrase became iconic parts of television history.

4. 4. Who played the title role in the mystery series 'Murder, She Wrote'?

   Answer: Angela Lansbury

   Angela Lansbury played mystery writer and amateur detective Jessica Fletcher in Murder, She Wrote from 1984 to 1996. Set in fictional Cabot Cove, Maine, the show was a massive hit with audiences.

5. 5. Which bald detective, played by Telly Savalas, was known for sucking on a lollipop?

   Answer: Kojak

   Telly Savalas played Lieutenant Theo Kojak on the CBS series Kojak from 1973 to 1978. His lollipop habit (replacing his former smoking habit) and the phrase 'Who loves ya, baby?' became his trademarks.

Things you'll learn along the way

• ✓Baretta, starring Robert Blake, ran from 1975 to 1978. Tony Baretta was an unconventional plainclothes detective who kept a cockatoo named Fred. The show's theme song by Sammy Davis Jr. was a hit.
• ✓Each episode of The Rockford Files (1974-1980) opened with Jim Rockford's answering machine playing a humorous message from various callers. James Garner starred as the laid-back private investigator.
• ✓Ironside (1967-1975) starred Raymond Burr as Robert Ironside, a San Francisco police chief paralyzed by a sniper's bullet who continued to solve crimes from his wheelchair.