'R.J. Decker' and 'Young Sherlock' offer distinct prison-to-PI tales - Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times
by Robert LloydMarch 3, 2026
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Los Angeles Times highlights two new TV series featuring protagonists with ties to private detective work: *R.J. Decker* on ABC and Prime Video’s *Young Sherlock*. Both shows explore themes of justice, morality, and redemption but approach them in distinct ways.
*R.J. Decker*, starring Scott Speedman as the titular character, is a modern take on the classic private eye genre. Inspired by Carl Hiaasen’s 1987 novel *Double Whammy*, the series follows R.J., a former convict turned PI who moonlights as a newspaper photographer. The show captures his journey after being wrongfully convicted and later released, balancing humor with darker themes of injustice. Decker’s relationships—his ex-wife Catherine Delacroix, journalist Wish Aiken (Kevin Rankin), and recurring antagonist Emi Ochoa—are central to the narrative, which mixes procedural elements with a light-hearted tone.
In contrast, *Young Sherlock*, an origin story based on Andrew Lane’s young adult novels, reimagines the famed detective as a 19-year-old navigating his
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Originally published on Los Angeles Times on 3/3/2026