The Snoopers

They are on the side of justice, but not always of the law. Some are rough and tough, others are ingenious and devious. Though there are no rating toppers among them, TV's private sleuths have as hard-cored a group of addicts as a Bangkok opium den. Their perverse charm lies, often as not, in their bland amorality; there is no nonsense about fair play, the

Marquis of Queensberry rules, or the letter of the law. Their most common offenses: simple assault, breaking and entering, petty larceny. The most conspicuous sleuth programs:

The Adventures of McGraw (Tues. 9 p.m., E.D.T.. NBC). To the honky-tonk strains of One for My Baby, McGraw (he has no first name, is played by Frank Lovejoy) loose-jointedly saunters into view, occasionally raking his sinewy fingers through his crew-cut hair. Badmen usually underestimate McGraw, but all women smile seductively at him. He hits it off fine with most cops, who overlook his occasional infractions in the line of duty. The most human of all TV's hireling snoopers, McGraw has sometimes mistaken a crook's pocketed finger for a gun, has dived prudently for cover when a real equalizer was pulled on him.

Richard Diamond (Thurs. 8 p.m., E.D.T., CBS). Very much a Diamond in the rough, "Rick" brawls with as much zest as McGraw, has got his quota of lumps when outnumbered by thugs in ambush. A smooth, handsome bruiser with dark curly hair, Diamond (David Janssen) can incapacitate an enemy for hours with his trick judo neck-chop, also has a vicious knee uppercut that comes close to decapitating downed adversaries. Diamond's most amazing talent is his ability to keep his fedora on, no matter how violent the battle. His worst quality seems to be his flagrant affection for fat fees -a penchant that his fellow sleuths seldom flaunt so openly.

The Thin Man (Fri. 9:30 p.m., E.D.T., NBC). Though his own private eye is often trained on blondes, Nick Charles (Peter Lawford) has a pert wife named Nora (Phyllis Kirk) to whom he is professedly faithful, and a wire-haired terrier named Asta who is faithful to him. Genteel and wryly suave, Nick seldom tangles physically with the blackmailers, assassins and sundry evildoers whom he ferrets out with one hand while reaching for a martini with the other. He rarely finishes a drink during the half-hour program, giving the impression that he is a frustrated alcoholic.

Perry Mason (Sat. 7:30 p.m., E.D.T., CBS). Erie Stanley Gardner's famed lawyer-sleuth (Raymond Burr) is constantly embroiled in the best-plotted intricacies of TV's mystery shelf. His worst enemy is no crook but District Attorney Hamilton Berger (William Talman), whose batting average against Mason's brilliant courtroom tactics is .000. His closest pals are a private detective (William Hopper) and an even more private secretary (Barbara Hale), whom Mason keeps late at the office and takes with him on business trips. A true gentleman. Mason has no stomach for rough stuff, but even he is not above breaking the law (e.g., unlawful entry) in a client's interest. Lawyer Mason draws the line at committing felonies, counts on the D.A.'s being stupid enough to miss catching him in misdemeanors.

Overall, TV's McGraws and Diamonds seem to suggest that 1) any citizen would be stupid to leave an important matter to the police, and 2) a little misdemeanor can be a good thing if applied in a good cause. But to many an average man, pinned down by small restraints and his own timidities, they have the ancient appeal of the rugged outlaw serving the ends of justice -Robin Hood in a slouch hat. At any rate, the networks are now prospecting for other do-it-yourself sleuths, of whom the most promising seems to be The Private Eyeful -a gorgeous female, trained in jujitsu, who will take on all comers in the cause of justice and higher ratings.

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