In the Muppet world, there is a time honored tradition of playing detectives. Outside of such professional investigative figures as Sherlock Hemlock and Colambo, other characters have been known to embark on crime-solving excursions. While deductive reasoning and interrogation have their role to play, the true sign that any character is playing detective is the instant donning of a Sherlock Holmes hat, trenchcoat, and/or the use of an over-sized magnifying glass.
Characters who have taken a turn at sleuthing include the following:
- Abby Cadabby β When You Wish Upon a Pickle
- Baby Gonzo β "Sherlock Gonzo" from Muppet Babies.
- Baby Kermit β "The Best Friend I Never Had"
- Bert - as Bert Watson in Bert and Ernie's Great Adventures: Ernlock Holmes
- Big Bird β Big Bird Discovers the Orchestra, The Cupcake Caper, and as Sherlock Birdlock in Episode 1527
- Chamki β Many episodes of Galli Galli Sim Sim
- Chelli β Big Bag
- Clifford and Bobo in the Fairyland PD series on Muppets Tonight
- Elmo β Episode 2326, Detective the Musical, The Cookie Thief
- Ernie β Ready to Learn, and in Bert and Ernie's Great Adventures: Ernlock Holmes
- Grover β I Want a Hat Like That
- Kermit the Frog β many occasions, including The Muppet Show episode 414, in The Bunny Slipper Mystery, in "Kermit the Frog, Private Eye" from Little Muppet Monsters, as Detective Amphibowicz in NYPD Green from Muppets Tonight, and the March photo from The Miss Piggy Calendar 1980.
- Kippi Ben Kippod in Rechov Sumsum, Episode 12
- Mojabo β Many episodes of Sesame Street (Japan)
- Ojo and Tutter β "It's a Mystery to Me" and Mystery at the Big Blue House
- Red Fraggle β "Inspector Red" from Fraggle Rock
- Robin the Frog β The Case of the Missing Hat
- Rowlf the Dog β Sherlock Holmes and the Case of the Disappearing Clues on The Muppet Show episode 103.
- Scooter β The Treasure of Peg-Leg Wilson #2
- Summer Penguin β "Summer Penguin P.I.".
- Telly Monster β Episode 2244.
- Telly Monster and Baby Bear β Computer Caper
- Telly Monster and Zoe β Episode 4147.
- Two-Headed Monster - Episode 2868
- A whale as Sherlock Holmes β Muppets Tonight sketch from episode 206.
- Wolle β Many episodes of Sesamstrasse