Columbo (1971–2003)

With his rumpled raincoat, ever-present cigar, bumbling demeanour and Sherlock Holmesian powers of deduction, disarmingly polite homicide detective Lieutenant Columbo took on some of the most cunning murderers in Los Angeles, most of whom made one fatal, irrevocable mistake: underestimating his investigative genius.

Creators:

Richard Levinson, William Link

Stars:

Peter Falk, John Finnegan, Bruce Kirby

Won 2 Golden Globes. Another 19 wins & 45 nominations.

Cast

Series cast summary:
Peter Falk	...	Columbo (68 episodes, 1971-2003)

Storyline

When you first saw him, Lt. Columbo, looked like a bum that just came off the street. He had a bumbling demeanor, was overly polite and seemed to chomp on the same short cigar on a daily basis. However, beneath all that comical exterior was probably the most dogged investigator on the Los Angeles Police Department. Columbo was often called on to investigate high profile murders that involved the rich and famous. The culprits were often amused by him and just as they thought they were going to get away with murder, Columbo would find a way trap them or find enough evidence to make them confess.

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Plot Keywords:

murderer | police | detective | cult tv | crime investigation | 

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Taglines:

Just one more thing...

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Mystery | Thriller

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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

1 March 1971 (USA)

Also Known As:

Colombo

Company Credits

Production Co:

NBC Universal Television

Technical Specs

Sound Mix:

Mono (45 episodes) Stereo (24 episodes)

Color:

Color

Did You Know?

Trivia

Although Columbo's first name is never uttered throughout the series, his badge was briefly shown revealing his full name as Frank Columbo.

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Quotes

Columbo: Oh, there's just one more thing...

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Connections

Referenced in Have I Got News for You: Episode #30.1 (2005)

User Reviews

One of most memorable characters in TV history

I just purchased the complete series DVDs and have begun watching. I had forgotten what a great show this is. It's quite interesting to watch as Falk develops the character over time into the iconic Columbo we all remember. In the earliest shows he not as much the sly and subtle adversary lulling the suspect into feeling he can evade justice by outsmarting him.

The "how's he going to nail him" rather whodunit approach also makes the show more watchable multiple times than many mysteries where if you remember the culprit it spoils things. It's a lot more difficult to remember how he figure it out and confronted the killer than it is with other shows to remember who did it.