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

Edited into The NBC Tuesday Mystery Movie (1971)

User Reviews

Psychology and intelligent sleuthing over modern flash

Sure, I love modern crime dramas like CSI, but in my opinion, Columbo is on a whole other level. Most crime dramas airing currently are all about complicated chemical tests, DNA, and high-octane car chases and shootouts. Columbo is subtler than that. His common sense, shrewd observation, and disarming demeanor solve the cases. And, more than that, you really get into the psychology of the killers, who are often at least somewhat sympathetic characters driven to the edge by circumstance. In every episode, the scene where Columbo finally confronts them with the solution and hard evidence is always fantastic. This is a gem of a TV show, and I think anybody who likes CSI, Law & Order or any other crime dramas, will seriously enjoy this series.