5 TV Detectives Who Could Actually Keep Up With Batman

Whether it's TV, movies, books, or comics, people love a good detective story. And there's no detective better than Batman, the aptly nicknamed "World's Greatest Detective." But while the Dark Knight is surely a master sleuth, there are times when he needs a little help. Usually, he'll call in the well-respected Bat-Family, but the Caped Crusader isn't afraid to go outside Gotham for assistance.

While Batman has had plenty of crossovers, he rarely teams up with characters who exist outside of comics. Aside from a long-running team-up with Mystery Inc. and the occasional run-in with Sherlock Holmes, Batman hasn't had much experience working with some of TV's greatest detectives. But if he ever did, the cases would surely be spectacular.

Columbo

Batman may be the World's Greatest Detective in the comics, but Columbo is surely the king of TV crime solvers. Played by Peter Falk for 35 years, Columbo is famous for his messy and absent-minded style. A lieutenant in the Los Angeles Police Department, Columbo has carefully crafted how people see him in order to better do his job.

Columbo's messy attire and seeming lack of confidence throw killers off their game much the same way Batman's dark and angry persona does. The two detectives tend to reach the same goal - catching the criminal - but in very different ways. Penguin wouldn't last long trying to deal with Columbo's method of questioning, and having Batman standing across the room with his arms folded would add to the tension.

And best of all, these are two great detectives who happen to have great dogs. Who wouldn't want to see Columbo's dog, aptly named "Dog" and Ace the Bat-hound get together?

Jessica Fletcher

Across 12 seasons and four TV movies, Angela Lansbury played the best-selling author who solves murders in her spare time, Jessica Fletcher, on Murder, She Wrote. Viewers turned in weekly to watch as Fletcher put together the clues and caught the killers, all without leaving the cozy town of Cabot Cove, Maine, which may well have the highest murder rate in the country.

And with all those murders happening in such a small town of just 3,500 residents, Jessica Fletcher may want Batman to come by and put the fear of vengeance into the less desirable citizens of Cabot Cove. Clearly, they aren't afraid of Fletcher and her grandmotherly demeanor, but a few batarangs to the head could see a drop in the crime rate.

At the same time, Batman could use a motherly voice like Jessica Fletcher in his life. Someone who won't judge him, and will make him feel loved and appreciated. Between all the wild cases they have had, they could even work on a book together.

The Hosts Of The Only Murders In The Building Podcast

Former TV detective Charles-Haden Savage, washed-up Broadway director Olliver Putnam, and struggling artist Mabel Mora lucked out when they all happened to live in a building where at least one person gets killed every season, giving them plenty of material for their podcast, Only Murders in the Building.

Starring Steven Martin, Martin Short, and Selena Gomez, Only Murders quickly gained a big following, but it's hard to ignore that the show's premise is getting old. Maybe now is the time for Batman to join in on a mystery and mix things up a little.

The highlight would be seeing Short's Oliver Putnum getting on the Dark Knight's last nerve. Looking at Batman's outfit and theatrical ways, it wouldn't be long before Oliver would try to get the Caped Crusader to sign over his life rights and turn it into a Broadway musical.

Adrian Monk

Batman is well known for his fastidious nature. In the DC Universe, no one is able to match his level of accuracy or his seemingly superpowered ability to spot even the smallest detail at a crime scene. In all of fiction, there's only one man who could give Batman a run for his money in these areas: Adrian Monk.

Played by Tony Shalhoub, Monk is a homicide investigator who lives with obsessive-compulsive disorder. Monk uses his OCD to catch even the craftiest of killers, even as he has to fight against his own instincts to clean up the crime scene. If the two heroes ever met, Batman would surely see more than a little of himself in Monk, and Monk would surely love to have the chance to clean the Batcave.

Of course, Alfred may not like having Adrian Monk nudging in and doing his job. And chances are that Monk's deep desire for cleanliness would get in the way. Just imagine Monk trying to get lint off of Batman's cape as the Dark Knight dukes it out with Bane.

Olivia Benson

The entire cast of Law & Order: SVU has become generational icons, just like the Dark Knight, but it's Commanding Officer Olivia Benson, played by Mariska Hargitay, who really stands out. With more than 500 closed cases over 27 years, her work would surely impress Commissioner Gordon and get the attention of Batman should he ever need an expert in sex-based crimes.

Captain Benson could be very useful when someone like Mad Hatter shows up in Gotham, and there are surely some cases in New York that could use Batman's attention. And after working with Elliot Stabler for so long, Benson knows how to handle a grumpy partner who has a penchant for violence.

Considering the lasting nature of the Law & Order universe, it is surprising that DC and Wolf Entertainment have never teamed up for a crossover comic. Fans of both the comics and the show would almost certainly get a kick out of seeing the two worlds collide.