The 5 Greatest Private Investigators from 1980s Television

The 1980s were a great age to be a cool private eye on TV. These were the direct descendants of the rough and tumble private dicks of the 1930s, but instead of tough talking, cigarette smoking bad asses, they tended to be well-coiffed smart asses at the top of their games. Now I am only listing those who seemed to be purely in the private eye game (the Equalizer is on the fence), so I didn’t put in characters like Quincy ME, who is also amazing. Here are five of the best Private Investigators that the 1980s had to offer.

5. Murray ‘Boz’ Bozinsky from Riptide

Pre-nerd-chic cool, Boz, played by Thom Bray, was an ass kicking proto ubergeek. Who was comfortable behind the wheel of whatever technology you threw at him.

4. Remington Steel from Remington Steele

The whole time you were watching Remington Steel, you kept asking yourself, why isn’t this guy playing James Bond yet? That is why Remington Steele is so cool, he exuded the same attitude that Bond did on the big screen, but he did it on the small screen week after week. I might be in the minority, but I actually preferred Pierce as Steele. It allowed him to use his charisma to make a whole new character instead of trying to fit into the Bond mold.

** Have you ever searched YouTube for Remington Steel clips? They have a crazy amount of fan edited music videos for the show. Wonderful stuff.

3. David Addison from Moonlighting

Bruce Willis brought the same smart alec attitude that would make him famous on Die-Hard, to the small screen every week as David Addison on Moonlighting. I re-watched season 1 of the show last year to confirm that the magic was still there and it definitely was. Now here is something I want you to try (and this is part of the reason I re-watched the show), try to think of a case that they worked on during the show. You can’t can you? It is easy to remember the flirting and the singing (oh the singing) and the weird special episodes, but it is very difficult to remember a case off the top of your head. Wish the writers had figured that out when they finally had Maddie and David consummate their relationship.

2. The Equalizer

While most of the characters on this list can kick ass in their own way, only Robert McCall, is ALL about ass-kicking. And boy does he do it well. I was turned onto to this show by of all people my Grandmother, who enjoyed the throwback quality of the show and I have to agreed with her. The Equalizer is like something out of the 1930s transported to an all too bright 1980s. Great show and fun character.

1. Thomas Magnum from Magnum PI

I make no attempt to hide my love for Magnum PI. Week after week, it is entertaining in ways that you will never expect. In a month’s worth of shows, you could have Magnum traveling to Southeast Asia to try to rescue a POW; have a retelling of Pygmalion with a British punk rocker; and end with a creepy neo-gothic romance.

All the while, Tom Selleck’s Magnum PI tackled each adventure in a predictable and very human off-beat style. I am very glad he was not able to play Indiana Jones. Magnum PI will always be the quintessential 1980s private investigator.