Ah, the police detective genre. It's one of the staples of a network's TV lineup. We all have our favorites, whether the characters are in blue uniforms or suits. Here are my Top 5 (and just so we're clear, I'm talking about police detectives, not private eyes or amateur investigators. I'll have that list tomorrow!)

1. Lt. Columbo (Peter Falk): No contest, really. Sure, there are some other great cops and detectives, but not many with the sheer Sherlock Holmes-like smarts as Lt. Columbo. He walked around sorta lost and bumbling, with a constantly lit cigar, a rumpled raincoat, and hair that made it look like he just woke up. But he was no fool, which all the murderers found out a little bit too late.

(S06E01) Since I already provided an early look at the season premiere of Criminal Intent I'm not going to do a full blown review. However, I do want to touch on some of the items I left out for the sake of not spoiling it for the rest of you (ain't I so sweet?).

What actually made me think that this season would be a little different from the last five (other than cast changes) was the beginning of the show. As those of you who have watched the show know it usually begins with scenes of all of the potential suspects in the crime that will be investigated, followed by the discovery of the victim. Not this time around, though. Although one potential suspect is shown (the victim's boyfriend) the main focus is on the victim herself being pursued by her murderer, then being attacked. It is actually a bit intense, and quite bloody.

Back in March we reported that Law & Order: Criminal Intent was rumored to be on the cancellation block due to its rotating cast and drooping ratings. Apparently, that wasn't true. In fact, executives over at NBC were impressed with the 11 million viewers per week it was able to retain up against such Sunday night powerhouses as The Sopranos and Desperate Housewives. So, when the new fall schedule came out in May CI was right there, ready for a sixth season.

This is good. Despite it being the youngest of the Law & Order trio still on the air (the original is entering its 17th season while SVU will be starting its eighth season this upcoming Tuesday) I personally feel it's one of the best. Yes, even better than SVU, which has gotten a bit stale as of late. This was confirmed while watching a preview copy of the CI season premiere. I'll tell you all about it after the jump. (By the way, slight SPOILERS ahead).