Jesse Stone is a far cry from Thomas Magnum. With over five decades in the business, Tom Selleck stepped into another career-defining role as the titular character in the made-for-TV movie franchise Jesse Stone. The series is based on the characters of a 21-book crime novel series by Robert B. Parker. For over a decade, Selleck stepped into the shoes of a brooding, weathered police chief with a past of his own. Premiering primarily on CBS and rerunning on Hallmark Channel, these TV movies were a hit with audiences.
The series features an excellent supporting cast, including Viola Davis, Kathy Baker, Kohl Sudduth, William Devane, and much more over the course of nine films. Selleck served as an executive producer and also earned writing credits on six of the installments. IMDb's reviewers shared their votes and ranked the crime dramas, some narrowly outranking the other by vote count.
9 'Jesse Stone: Innocents Lost' (2011)
IMDb Rating: 7.0/10
Donning the Paradise Badge for half a decade, Selleck remained dedicated to delivering top-tier performances as Jesse Stone. The Paradise Police Department has undergone some changes, and Jesse is far from enjoying his involuntary retirement. With the new chief making waves with the staff and town politics, Jesse investigates the death of a young friend.
Innocents Lost saw a directorial change as Dick Lowry took the helm from series regular Robert Harmon. Perhaps the change in leadership sparked a change in tone and ending cliffhangers. IMDb's reviewers felt this entry in the Jesse Stone archive was sub-par compared to the preceding films.
8 'Jesse Stone: Benefit of the Doubt' (2012)
IMDb Rating: 7.0/10
Coming out of his involuntary retirement, Jesse investigates the death of the divisive police chief who replaced him. This time, Jesse is left to his own devices as his loyal comrades Luther "Suitcase" (Kohl Sudduth) and Rose (Kathy Baker) quit, finding other jobs instead of working under any other chief other than Jesse. The case hits home for everyone in Paradise as the former chief and another officer were blown up in their squad car, the killer making it look like an accident.
This would be the last Jesse Stone movie to air on CBS. Despite lacking the usual levels of suspense and mystery, Benefit of the Doubt held its own with IMDb's voters. It's not a fan favorite, but does lean heavily on audiences having seen the prior installments to truly understand the case.
7 'Jesse Stone: Thin Ice' (2009)
IMDb Rating: 7.1/10
There's never a dull moment for Jesse Stone and his investigations. While on an authorized stakeout in Boston, Jesse and Captain Healy (Stephen McHattie) are shot. As they recover, Jesse considers reopening a missing child's case after a mysterious letter from Paradise sends the child's mother to Jesse. She's determined he isn't dead.
Audiences appreciated Jesse's "bad cop" flair in solving mysteries, making him one of TV's most iconic detectives. Thin Ice garnered mixed reviews from IMDb's voters, with some believing it's the weakest of the series and others believing it's a middle-of-the-road as it departed slightly from the flow of the prior films.