The Detectives (1959)

Action · Crime · Drama

The Detectives is an American crime drama series which ran on ABC during its first two seasons, and on NBC during its third and final season. The series, starring motion picture star Robert Taylor, was produced by Four Star Television. Captain Matt Holbrook (Robert Taylor) is head of the detective division of a large metropolitan police force—a man whose devotion to duty, professional brilliance, and quick judgment are reflected in his 20-year career on the force. His aides, Lt. Johnny Russo (Tige Andrews), Lt. Otto Lindstrom (Russ Thorson), and Sgt. Chris Ballard (Mark Goddard) form a team that is both proficient and warmly human. The stories stress the interrelationships between the men as well as the solutions to crimes and the apprehension of criminals, adding a dimension of human drama to the excitement, action, and suspense inherent in each story of the detectives' difficult, sometimes thankless, and frequently dangerous assignments.

IMDb rating: 7.5 (264 votes)
Episode average: 7.5 matches the IMDb rating
Seasons: 3
Language: EN
Type: TV series

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Ratings refreshed Oct 3, 2026 · 3 seasons indexed

Cast

Seasons

Season 1 (1959)

7.54 avg 29 episodes 8.4 → 7.4 30 min avg

Rollercoaster

Season 1 episodes - IMDb ratings
#	Title	Rating	Votes
1	The Streger Affair	8.4	15
2	Shot in the Dark	8.0	16
4	Decoy	8.2	8
5	Murderous Deadline	8.0	10
6	The Bait	7.8	8
7	My Name Is Tommy	6.8	10
8	Back-Seat Driver	9.1	10
9	Two-Time Loser	6.7	16
10	The Long Drive	7.7	11
11	Masquerade	7.9	10
12	Life in the Balance	6.5	8
13	Karate	7.2	16
14	Blue Fire	8.0	7
16	House Call	7.6	20
17	The Trap	7.6	9
18	Conspiracy of Silence	7.2	8
19	Twelve Hours to Live	7.6	7
20	Anatomy of Fear	7.8	12
21	Armed and Dangerous	7.6	14
22	The Bad Eye of Rose Rosetti	6.4	14
23	Time and Tide	7.3	12
24	Little Girl Lost	8.2	8
26	The Old Gang	7.0	8
27	The Bodyguards	7.4	7
28	The Prowler	7.5	15
29	Floating Face Down	7.3	20
30	The Long Jump	8.2	7
31	Trial by Fire	6.4	9
32	The Retirement of Maria Muir	7.4	13

Season 2 (1960)

7.44 avg 16 episodes 7.7 → 7.7 30 min avg

Rollercoaster

Season 2 episodes - IMDb ratings
#	Title	Rating	Votes
2	Longshot	7.7	9
4	Alibis	6.8	10
5	Shuttle	7.3	8
6	Cop on Trial	7.0	9
9	Adopted	7.6	9
10	The Other Side	7.2	7
11	The Scalpel	6.9	8
15	The Frightened Ones	8.0	7
18	Quiet Night	6.9	9
21	Matt's Woman	7.4	7
23	Bad Apple	8.1	9
28	Terror on Ice	8.0	7
30	Little Boy Clue	7.6	6
32	Other Cheek	7.3	12
33	The Airtight Case	7.6	6
34	Duty Date	7.7	8

Season 3 (1961)

7.43 avg 30 episodes 6.8 → 7.7 60 min avg

Rollercoaster

Season 3 episodes - IMDb ratings
#	Title	Rating	Votes
1	Tobey's Place	6.8	19
2	The Legend of Jim Riva	7.9	12
3	Shadow of His Brother	8.3	15
4	A Barrel Full of Monkeys	6.6	15
5	One Lucky Break	7.4	12
6	A Piece of Tomorrow	7.8	13
7	Beyond a Reasonable Doubt	7.6	9
8	Hit and Miss	7.2	7
9	Song of the Guilty Heart	8.0	14
10	Escort	7.5	11
11	The Queen of Craven Point	8.1	9
12	Act of God	7.4	11
13	Point of No Return	7.7	14
14	Crossed Wires	7.8	9
15	Night on the Town	6.9	11
16	Pandora's Box	8.3	12
17	The Jagged Edge	6.8	9
18	The Outsider	7.5	14
19	Walk a Crooked Line	7.6	14
20	Night Boat	7.5	12
21	One Lousy Wednesday	6.8	11
22	The Con Man	7.3	12
23	Never the Twain	7.6	11
24	Three Blind Mice: Part 1	6.8	14
25	Three Blind Mice: Part II	7.2	12
26	Finders Keepers	6.6	9
27	The Fourth Commandment	7.4	12
28	The Walls Have Eyes	7.7	8
29	Strangers in the House	7.1	16
30	Saturday Edition	7.7	10

The Detectives (1959)

Cast

Seasons

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