Top TV Detectives

Fighting crime is a whole lot easier on TV. Bad guys are identified, pursued and brought to justice, all in an hour’s work, less a commercial break or 12.

However formulaic some of them have become, detective shows remain among the most popular fare in the medium. Yahoo!TV identifies some of the top crimebusters in this season’s lineup:

– Gil Grissom, Ph.D: CSI 

– Dr. Temperance Brennan: Bones

– Ned the piemaker: Pushing Daisies

– Patrick Jane: The Mentalist

– Lilly Rush: Cold Case

– Dr. Charlie Epps: Numb3rs

– Olivia Dunham: Fringe

– Detective Robert Goren: Law & Order: Criminal Intent

– Special Agent Derek Morgan: Criminal Minds

– Detective Charlie Crews: Life

To read all about these characters, and to see a slideshow, check out Yahoo!TV.