History Main / LeadPoliceDetective

[[folder:Films -- Live-Action]]

* In ''Film/KillBenLyk'', Detective Scott is put in charge of protecting the safe house. Unknown to the main cast, he is also working for the gangsters.

* Played with somewhat in ''Series/HillStreetBlues'': Individual episodes usually followed a TwoLinesNoWaiting structure, but whenever there was a multi-episode story arc about a lengthy investigation then one of the cast would be elevated to this trope during scenes involving the A-plot. It was most noticeable when Belker or Goldblum got the gig, but even when partners [[SaltAndPepper La Rue and Washington]] were jointly assigned to the case, one of them would have a slightly bigger role than the other.

[[caption-width-right:350:Meet Detective Chief Inspector (DCI) Vera Stanhope and Detective Segrent (DS) Aiden Healy. If you're guilty, you're screwed.]]

* Detective Inspector Thomas "Tommy" Lynley of ''Series/TheInspectorLynleyMysteries'', who forms an OddCouple [[TheyFightCrime crime-fighting duo]] with his partner Detective Sergeant Barbara Havers. In a break from the formula, however, if she's younger than him, it's not by much,[[note]]Creator/SharonSmall is all of five years younger than Creator/NathanielParker[[/note]] and the show [[{{Deuteragonist}} is as much about her as it is about him]].

%%* Inspector Kerry Vincent [[Series/{{Rush}} Rush]]

* ''Armitage'' in ''Comicbook/TwoThousandAndOneAD'' is the Morse/Frost format relocated to the Dreddverse's Brit-Cit. Detective-Judge Armitage's usual assistant is Judge Treasure Steel.

* DCI [[Literature/InspectorMorse Morse]] and his assistant DS Lewis.

* DCI [[Literature/RiversOfLondon Thomas Nightingale]] and PC (later DC) Peter Grant, although unusually the stories are written from Peter's perspective.

%%* DCI [[Literature/InspectorMorse Morse]].

%%* DCI [[Literature/RiversOfLondon Thomas Nightingale]].

[[caption-width-right:350:Meet DCI Vera Stanhope and DS Aiden Healy. If you're guilty, you're screwed.]]

* Detective Inspector Thomas "Tommy" Lynley of ''Series/TheInspectorLynleyMysteries'', who forms an OddCouple [[TheyFightCrime crime-fighting duo]] with his partner Detective Sergeant Barbara Havers. In a break from the formula, however, if she's younger than him, it's not by much[[note]]Creator/SharonSmall is all of five years younger than Creator/NathanielParker[[/note]], and the show [[{{Deuteragonist}} is as much about her as it is about him]].

* ''Series/MidsomerMurders'': DCI Tom Barnaby, with a succession of assistants. At the end of the thirteenth season, Barnaby retired, and was succeeded by a new character, DCI John Barnaby, his cousin.

* Series/OktoberfestBeerAndBlood has Inspector Eder investigating the mysterious strangling and beheading of Kurt Prank's rival Ignatz.

* DI Thomas "Tommy" Lynley of ''Series/TheInspectorLynleyMysteries'', who forms an OddCouple [[TheyFightCrime crime-fighting duo]] with his partner DS Barbara Havers. In a break from the formula, however, if she's younger than him, it's not by much[[note]]Creator/SharonSmall is all of five years younger than Creator/NathanielParker[[/note]], and the show [[{{Deuteragonist}} is as much about her as it is about him]].

%%* DI [[TheInspectorLynleyMysteries Thomas "Tommy" Lynley]], naturally, who forms an OddCouple [[TheyFightCrime crime-fighting duo]] with his partner DS Barbara Havers.

%%* [[Film/ThePinkPanther Inspector Jacques Clouseau]] is the most famous comic example of this trope.

%%* DCI [[InspectorMorse Morse]].
%%* [[ATouchOfFrost DI Jack Frost]]
%%* DCI [[RiversOfLondon Thomas Nightingale]].

%%* Lieutenant Fancy in ''NYPDBlue''.

!!Examples

[[folder:Film]]

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%%[[folder:Literature]]

%%* DCI [[Creator/JasperFforde Jack Spratt]]

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%%[[folder:Live Action TV]]

%%* An exception with ''FoylesWar''- Christopher Foyle is a Detective Chief Superintendent.
%%* Detective Inspector Henry Crabbe, ''Series/PieInTheSky''.

%%* [[MidsomerMurders DCI Tom Barnaby (later his cousin John Barnaby)]].

%%[[/folder]]

%%* SherlockHolmes stories had Inspectors Lestrade and Gregson.

[[folder:Film]]
* [[Film/ThePinkPanther Inspector Jacques Clouseau]] is the most famous comic example of this trope.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Literature]]
* DCI [[InspectorMorse Morse]].
* DCI [[Creator/JasperFforde Jack Spratt]]
* [[ATouchOfFrost DI Jack Frost]]
* SherlockHolmes stories had Inspectors Lestrade and Gregson.
* DCI [[RiversOfLondon Thomas Nightingale]].
* [[Creator/GeorgetteHeyer Inspector Hemingway]], although he's [[OvershadowedByAwesome the assistant to Superintendent Hannasyde]].
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Live Action TV]]
* ''Series/TheBill''. [[LongRunner 26 seasons on the air]], it featured 8 Detective Inspectors among its regular cast during that time. The most famous of them probably being Detective Inspector Frank Burnside.
* Inspector Kerry Vincent [[Series/{{Rush}} Rush]]
* Lieutenant Horatio Caine, ''Series/{{CSI Miami}}''
* Lieutenant Fancy in ''NYPDBlue''.
* An exception with ''FoylesWar''- Christopher Foyle is a Detective Chief Superintendent.
* Detective Inspector Henry Crabbe, ''Series/PieInTheSky''.
* DI [[TheInspectorLynleyMysteries Thomas "Tommy" Lynley]], naturally, who forms an OddCouple [[TheyFightCrime crime-fighting duo]] with his partner DS Barbara Havers.
* [[MidsomerMurders DCI Tom Barnaby (later his cousin John Barnaby)]].
* Although he's a bit more rough around the edges than is typical for this trope, Detective Inspector Jack Regan of ''Series/TheSweeney'' still counts.

[[/folder]]