When Deputy U.S. Marshal Raylan Givens says you've got 24 hours to get out of town or he'll shoot you on sight, you'd better get your boots scootin'.

Timothy Olyphant stars in FX's spectacular series Justified (10 p.m. Tuesdays), based on a character created by Elmore Leonard. After carrying out his word on a bad guy in Miami, Raylan gets shipped back to his rural Kentucky roots to take on criminals. Producer/writer Graham Yost has concocted a tasty series that stays true to Leonard's vision, while crafting a world we can't wait to visit each week. And Olyphant busts out a character that can give Clint Eastwood's Dirty Harry a run for his gun.

From his Stetson hat and boots to his cool, slightly menacing demeanor, Raylan is the latest stop in a long line of iconic TV cops:

Jack Bauer, 24: What can we say about a hero who assassinated his fairly innocent boss -- albeit under orders from the President -- and has tortured his own evil brother? Jack has built his career on pursuing his goal of bringing the baddest of the bad guys down by whatever means necessary. Even becoming a grandpa hasn't slowed down the man.

Fox Mulder, The X-Files: David Duchovny's character made us all believers. With his wry humor and seductive ways, the relentlessly engaging Mulder solved the most bizarre crimes ever brought to the screen.

Grace Hanadarko, Saving Grace: An angel descended on free-wheeling Grace to help her find redemption, but that barely slowed her down. This fantasy-drama stars Holly Hunter as the boozy, promiscuous Oklahoma cop who takes no guff from anyone. Her self-destructive behavior is at odds with her passion for her job and a genuinely kind heart.

Frank Pemberton, Homicide:Life on the Street: Every week, Andre Braugher stood and delivered an award-winning performance as the straight-laced Baltimore cop. Black and white are the only colors on Pemberton's palette. Gray is not an option. His single-minded dedication to solving a crime without considering mitigating circumstances is the hallmark of Pemberton's career. He's judgmental, but he gets the job done.

Columbo, Columbo: From his ever-present raincoat to his bumbling style, Columbo was an unforgettable character. Both his colleagues and the suspects underestimated him as he cleverly lured the murderer into a comfort zone only to let the criminal tie his own noose. His first name was never revealed except on a badge DVD watchers slowed down enough to show the first name as Frank.

Horatio Caine, CSI: Miami: David Caruso first left his cop mark on his NYPD Blue character John Kelly, but the actor bolted too soon in a failed attempt to translate his TV charisma into big screen success. When Caruso returned as Horatio, he whipped up a character that has become so well-known, he's spoofed on other cop shows. No one puts on sunglasses -- or takes them off -- with more conviction.

Andy Sipowicz, NYPD Blue: This conservative, homophobic racist gradually became a more tolerant man, but he never strayed far from his bourgeois roots. The beefy boy, played by Dennis Franz, never gave a perp a break, and while he made plenty of mistakes, Sipowicz always retained his own skewed sense of integrity.

Jane Tennison, Prime Suspect: Helen Mirren's portrait of a hard-drinking, no-nonsense British inspector who let her sexuality seethe under a veneer as hard as lacquered nails. Jane had to fight rampant sexism in her department, and she had to prove herself to both her superiors and her inferiors every day she walked into the precinct.

Jimmy McNulty, The Wire: Flawed cops have been a genre staple, but Dominic West turned this destructive character into a charmer who could make you forget that he was a deeply troubled man. You knew Jimmy was going down a bad road at the end when he started faking serial killings to prove a point. Yet, it was hard not to root for the guy.

Vic Mackey, The Shield: No one has shaken up the TV cop world like Vic Mackey. Michael Chiklis' dead-on portrait of a corrupt cop who believes he's still serving his community brought the iconic cop into a whole new universe.