TV Detective or Police Procedural dramas where the main character ISN'T a "Defective Detective" trope

[Epona]

The bit in quotes is the definition in TV Tropes for the types of characters that are common in detective fictional dramas, I am not particularly fond of that way of saying it (defective is not right).

Every crime drama seems to have a main detective character that either fits into a workaholic- broken/disfunctional family setting, struggling with substance/alcohol abuse, or a tortured genius type who is portrayed as probably being mildly autistic and having some sort of "savant" detecting powers while struggling with making human social connections.

It was interesting at first (and some series that have characters like this are great!) but it is all becoming a bit tired and overused now.

Are there any good recent detective or police procedural fictional dramas where the main character is kind of averagely neurotypical, well adjusted, and happy? Because I think that would be a welcome break from the usual offerings!

 

[imposs1904]

Maigret?

 

[krtek a houby]

Line of Duty

 

[JimW]

Happy Valley though expect you've seen it.

 

[Epona]

Happy Valley though expect you've seen it.

Indeed I have!

 

[Reno]

He just pretends to be defective:

 

[Epona]

Anything more recent? I have seen a lot of the old classics.

 

[JimW]

Anything more recent? I have seen a lot of the old classics.

What about the more recent Fargo series? IIRC they're all pretty competent ordinary folk types.

 

[Reno]

These two from Netflix' Unbelievable, should fit the bill. Based on two real detectives.

 

[JimW]

These two from Netflix' Unbelievable, should fit the bill. Based on two real detectives.

View attachment 241407

That was excellent TV!

 

[Epona]

These two from Netflix' Unbelievable, should fit the bill. Based on two real detectives.

View attachment 241407

Oh I watched that already, it was good!

 

[Epona]

What about the more recent Fargo series? IIRC they're all pretty competent ordinary folk types.

Will give that a go, thanks!

 

[JimW]

Will give that a go, thanks!

Skips across a decade or two over the various seasons and the investigating officer isn't always the main focus but they definitely feature large. Thought it was another real highlight of the recent TV golden age.

 

[platinumsage]

.

 

[Artaxerxes]

Cracker

(He's a psychiatrist not a detective)

 

[Reno]

Cracker

(He's a psychiatrist not a detective)

Still highly dysfunctional and not recent either. I don't think Epona is looking for dysfunctional non-detectives. While not the first, I'd say Cracker and Prime Suspect were the two key shows which popularised the "defective detective" on British tv.

 

[Elpenor]

A detective series based in Norwich called "Swallow". Swallow is a detective who tackles vandalism. Bit of a maverick, not afraid to break the law if he thinks it's necessary. He's not a criminal, you know, but he will, perhaps, travel 80mph on the motorway if, for example, he wants to get somewhere quickly.

 

[Artaxerxes]

Still highly dysfunctional and not recent either. I don't think Epona is looking for dysfunctional non-detectives. While not the first, I'd say Cracker and Prime Suspect were the two key shows which popularised the "defective detective" on British tv.

I was taking the piss

Think the defective detective is a very old trope, cracker was the grubbiest and best done version on UK TV but flawed detectives are an integral part of the story. Even Holmes did his drugs.

 

[Sue]

Not recent but Wexford (Ruth Rendell Mysteries) and Barnabas (Midsummer Murders) are both happily married, non-tortured detectives.

 

[Epona]

Not recent but Wexford (Ruth Rendell Mysteries) and Barnabas (Midsummer Murders) are both happily married, non-tortured detectives.

Not recent and Midsomer Murders is forever tainted for me by that comment that they wanted it to be a properly English setting with no diversity - I forgot who made the comment and the exact wording, but it is just ruined for me.

I'd like some proper modern stuff that isn't based around trying to work out what diagnosis we'd give the main detective. And if modern crime drama means that, then that is a real problem IMO.

 

[Pickman's model]

Maigret?

Drinks at all hours of the day

 

[souljacker]

Juliet Bravo

 

[Spymaster]

The Missing. Though I’d be surprised if you haven’t seen it. The first season with James Nesbit introduces a French cop who’s not characterised that way and the same dude’s in the second series.

 

[quimcunx]

Cardinal.

 

[redsquirrel]

Cardinal.

Eh?

Spoiler

He breaks the law for his mentally ill wife, is under investigation and later said wife is killed. Hardly a happy home life.

 

[quimcunx]

Oh. I forgot those bits. Well I remembered the last.

 

[redsquirrel]

Oh. I forgot those bits. Well I remembered the last.

I quite enjoyed it but just not sure it really meets the OPs request.

 

[David Clapson]

Van der Valk. Good at his job, happy marriage, nice to his colleagues. On TPTV.

 

[Ted Striker]

The Missing. Though I’d be surprised if you haven’t seen it. The first season with James Nesbit introduces a French cop who’s not characterised that way and the same dude’s in the second series.

And third (under his own title 'Baptiste')

 

[Ted Striker]

Not sure Jessica Fletcher had many substance abuses, but I don't think that's what you are after?!