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It's a bit of an oxymoron isn't it? I mean they are all jokey and silly and flippant, but people are dying! These are real lives being torn apart due to greed and crime..
But anyway. Watched a lot of CSI and NCIS in the past; recently ploughed through Castle which was daft but fun; she also liked Death in Paradise but it's not as good with the other chap in it.
What else? We've got both Netflix and Amazon Prime.
Police Squad, surely!
Justified is ok, but gets pretty samey quite quickly and the fringe characters never get developed at all.
I quite like "Monk". Maybe I just relate to his OCD.
Midsomer?
Lovely people in lovely places doing dastardly deeds to each other. A few have had some darker moments, 'tis true, but mostly just good old fashioned British countryside murderings.
A bit off kilter, as in only slightly crime related, but how about Eureka? Quirky, light hearted sci-fi-ish fun.
Jonathon Creek was great, at least the earlier dries were. psych is pretty good as well. How light hearted do you want to get?
Lucifer
Moonlighting 8)
Probably not what you are looking for but I love it
'A touch of cloth' is worth a look. A bit over the top but fun.
Magnum PI
or Monkfish
I mean they are all jokey and silly and flippant, but people are dying!
Its a bit odd that its a subject for entertainment - that you can have light hearted drama about murder and that investigating murder is just a bit of satisfying puzzling, like crossword puzzles and sudoku.
I don't think 'Midsomer Rapes' would have been as easy a show to pitch.
Brooklyn 99
Due South
Lie to Me with Mr Orange was pretty good in a similar silly style to CSI etc
Sledgehammer . Might be a little too light hearted for you though .
Can't remember what it was called but The professionals cum jason king, cum Geordie detective, cum shouting George from the Sweeney. Detectives on the edge of reasoning or something comedy.
Detectives on the edge of reasoning or something comedy.
Detectives on the Edge of a Nervous Breakdown
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Hart to hart. " It was muyder"
Monkfish
John Actor in his finest role.
Operation Good Guys.
Good shout for Operation Good Guys.
Also, Top Coppers was a great series if you missed it first time round?
I liked Pie In The Sky. Also enjoyed Lie To Me.
Lucifer
Haven
Sleepy Hollow
X-Files (the recent ~5 shows shown on 5)
Constantine
Sherlock
Ripper Street
Bosch
The Fall
Ray Donovan
The Following
Some are more light-hearted than others, all on Amazon Video, all pretty decent in their own right. 😉
Dirk Gentlys Holistic Detective Agency was pretty light hearted. but here were only three episodes if I remember correctly.
Though there's soon to be a US remake to with Elijah Wood too.
Lie to me was great. the formula is the same each week but the stories were good and the characters were interesting.
I'm so glad to hear someone else remembers Sledgehammer! 😆
'A touch of cloth' is worth a look. A bit over the top but fun.
First thing I thought of. If you like your puns thick and fast and ridiculous, and who doesn't, this is brilliant.
I'm so glad to hear someone else remembers Sledgehammer!
Trust me, I know what I'm doing.
Brooklyn 9-9 is pretty unbeatable at the moment in the 'irreverent comedy detective' genre
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After a bit of convalescing last year, I found Father Brown on the BBC Top periodclericalmurdermysterynonsense! That and Beck (a few on the iplayer now) is great Scandi-noir with a lighter side...
I quite like "Monk"
Monkfish surely? "Oy you. Get yer knickers on and make me a cup of tea".
Castle.
Does Bosche or The Wire count as light hearted?
+1 for Brooklyn Nine Nine.
Though it's an utterly hilarious sitcom about detectives rather than a quirky detective drama.
Backstrom was fantastic, so fantastic Fox cancelled it after season 1
Justified
Longmire
Castle
The Closer, and then the spin off - Major Crimes. Both even have Captain Harris from Police Academy in them
My 11yo and 14 yo love Death in Paradise and after getting bored of it I looked up Jonathan Creek on Netflix, we got about 15-20 mins in before turning it off. They were bored and I thought the early 90's attitude of female gratification/sexual references were not suitable for my youngest. I may be a prude and am well aware that may know than I care to think about...
Inspector Gadget?
I really like Monk, probably my favourite detective show (of any kind). Tony Shalhoub is great in that role.
Also Due South, one of my fave shows from the 90s!
Diagnosis Murder is good for comedy value. Was essential viewing when I was a student!
Dirk Gently Detective Agency?
'Rosemary and Thyme' - the plots, acting and whole concept are hilariously dire but it's still entertaining.
Death in Paradise surely has to go on the list!