These 8 TV detectives were once household names – where are they now?

Murder, She Wrote first came to our screens in 1984, with Angela Lansbury bringing the iconic Jessica Fletcher to life. Over the course of 264 episodes, and four standalone TV movies, audiences watched the former teacher and amateur sleuth solve dozens of murders in the not-so sleepy town of Cabot Cove, Maine.

Dame Angela was already quite an established actress when she took on the role, having been nominated for three Academy Awards, including in successive years. Her career continued to go from strength to strength, with the star appearing in Beauty and the Beast, Nanny McPhee and Mary Poppins Returns.

During her life, the star was married twice, firstly to actor Richard Cromwell; although their marriage only lasted a year. Her second marriage was to actor Peter Shaw, and the pair remained together until his death in 2003. The star kept working until her death at the age of 96 on 11 October 2022. Her final film, Glass Onion, was posthumously released.

Another sun-soaked crime drama of the decade was Miami Vice, which saw James "Sonny" Crockett, played by Don Johnson, and Ricardo "Rico" Tubbs, played by Philip Michael Thomas, going undercover to solve crimes in Miami. Alongside an incredible collection of cars, the show was also famed for its music, with the likes of 80s icons Kate Bush, Depeche Mode and Frankie Goes to Hollywood all contributing.

Don, now aged 76, followed Miami Vice up with another crime series, Nash Bridges, in which he played the titular character. He has also appeared in the likes of Guilty as Sin, Django Unchained, Knives Out and Doctor Odyssey. Alongside his acting career, Don is also a famous musician, releasing three albums; his cover version of Heartbeat peaked at number 5 on Billboard.

Don has been married five times, including twice to Melanie Griffith and two weddings to unknown women that were later annulled. Don is a father to five children, including to the stars Jesse and Dakota Johnson.

Meanwhile, Philip, now aged 77, had a small TV and film career, including a reunion with Don in Nash Bridges. He also provided the voice of Lance Vance in the Grand Theft Auto games, while also having his own music career. However, Philip's biggest contribution to entertainment is coining the acronym EGOT, which is for people who have won Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony Awards.

Another dynamic duo, Sharon Gless and Tyne Daly rocketed to fame as Christine Cagney and Mary Beth Lacey, two New York detectives with different outlooks on life. Running from 1982 until 1988, the show managed to win 35 awards during its run.

Sharon, now 83, kept landing major roles, including in The Trials of Rosie O'Neill, Queer As Folk and Burn Notice. Sharon continues acting, including guest roles in Casualty, The Gifted and Station 19, with her latest film role being in 2023's Fast Charlie. In 1991, she walked down the aisle with Cagney & Lacey producer Barney Rosenzweig.

Tyne, now aged 80, had a similarly impressive career, with roles in the likes of Christy, Judging Amy and a guest role in Grey's Anatomy. Back in 2017, she joined the Marvel universe when she played Anne-Marie Hoag in Spider-Man: Homecoming. The actress was previously married to actor Georg Stanford Brown, but the couple, who share three children, divorced in 1990.

There have been dozens of interpretations of Arthur Conan Doyle's iconic literary character, but one of the most impressive was Jeremy Brett, who played the detective between 1984 and 1994 in the ITV series. The role completely took over his life, although critics have argued that his interpretation is the best anyone has ever played Sherlock Holmes.

Jeremy was married twice, firstly to the actress Anna Massey, who he shared a son, David, with. His second marriage was to Joan Sullivan Wilson, who died a year after he became Sherlock Holmes. Jeremy died at the age of 61 on 12 September 1995 from heart failure.

Inspector Morse was a quintessential British crime drama, with the show running from 1987 all the way up to 2000. Part of the charm came from John Thaw's portrayal of the titular character, who was known for his sympathy, despite his sullen exterior.

By the time he was playing Inspector Morse, John was already famed for being DI Jack Regan in The Sweeney, and the star subsequently performed in the likes of Kavanagh QC, Goodnight Mister Tom and Chaplin.

In 1964, he married historian Sally Alexander, divorcing her four years later, and in 1973, he married the actress Sheila Hancock. The star is a father to three children, including the actress Abigail Thaw. John sadly died at the age of 60 on 21 February 2002 from oesophageal cancer.

Agatha Christie created dozens of iconic crime stories, and one of her beloved characters was Miss Marple. While there have been several actresses who have taken on the iconic character, the 80s was dominated by Joan Hickson, who starred in 12 adaptations.

Given the character's age, Miss Marple came at the swansong of Joan's career, although she also picked up credits in the likes of King of the Wind and Century. Joan was a mother of two children, who she shared with husband Eric Butler, who died in 1967, and the star died at the age of 92 on 17 October 1998.