Actress Sheridan Smith is set to narrate a one-off special that will crown the UK's best-loved fictional detective.

Ad

The 39-year-old Gavin and Stacey star will provide the voiceover for the upcoming ITV show, Britain's Favourite Detective, which will see the British public vote for their all-time favourite detective.

From Miss Marple, to Sherlock Holmes, the public will get to decide who should be crowned the ultimate detective in the 90-minute show.

Over the years, these legendary characters have kept us all on the edge of seats as they attempt to catch some of the most devilish of villains.

The one-off TV special will celebrate these legendary characters, counting down 25 of the greatest TV sleuths from the last 50 years as voted by the great British public.

It will take a trip through the crime files of some the country’s best loved sleuths and crown one of them the nations favourite.

As well as archive clips from these iconic shows, viewers will also be treated to behind the scenes footage from some of the most popular crime solvers ever, reliving all of the murders, the suspects and the startling revelations.

And just like all our fave mystery series, the one-off show will climax into the biggest whodunit of them all – who is Britain’s Favourite Detective?

Benedict Cumberbatch Martin Freeman
Sherlock Holmes and John Watson in Sherlock (BBC)

But who will come out on top? Will the quintessentially British Midsomer Murders' experts make it to the top? Or will US faves like Columbo steal the title with his smooth skills?

RadioTimes.com came up with a list of our fave detectives, including some of Britain's very own fictional operatives, as well as our friends overseas - many of whom are featured in the ITV show.

Have your say on who you think Britain's Favourite Detective is in our poll below!

Who is your favourite TV detective?

From Miss Marple to Sherlock Holmes, who is the best TV investigator?

Ad

Sherlock Holmes

Columbo

John Luther

Agatha Christie's Hercule Poirot

DCI Tom Barnaby from Midsomer Murders

Marcella

Broadchurch’s Ellie Miller

Agatha Christie’s Miss Marple

Olivia Benson from Law & Order: Special Victims Unit

Line Of Duty's AC-12


Britain's Favourite Detective is on ITV on August 30th. If you’re looking for more to watch, check out our TV Guide.

Comments, questions and tips

Rate this recipe

What is your star rating out of 5?

Choose the type of message you'd like to post

Choose the type of message you'd like to post

Overall rating

Ad
Ad
Ad
Create an image depicting a festive scene with elements from the top Christmas songs, such as a snowy New York for 'Fairytale of New York', a cozy home setting for 'Last Christmas', and a glamorous Christmas party for 'All I Want for Christmas Is You'. Include musical notes and festive decorations to represent the spirit of these iconic Christmas songs.

RT offer

Immediate’s iconic brands reach 21m people every month – that’s more than a third of the UK’s adults – through its world-class magazines, innovative digital products and exciting live events

hello
An image depicting a festive scene with iconic Christmas elements such as a beautifully decorated Christmas tree with twinkling lights, snow gently falling, and perhaps a cozy fireplace in the background. The image should capture the essence of popular Christmas songs, with musical notes and lyrics subtly included in the design, representing a playlist of classic Christmas tunes.

summer

Immediate’s iconic brands reach 21m people every month – that’s more than a third of the UK’s adults – through its world-class magazines, innovative digital products and exciting live eventsImmediate’s iconic brands reach 21m people every month – that’s more than a third of the UK’s adults – through its world-class magazines, innovative digital products and exciting live eventsImmediate’s iconic brands reach 21m people every month – that’s more than a third of the UK’s adults – through its world-class magazines, innovative digital products and exciting live events

More