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.

---

Plot Keywords:

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

---

Taglines:

Just one more thing...

---

Genres:

Crime | Drama | Mystery | Thriller

---

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.

---

Quotes

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

---

Connections

Referenced in Tristram Shandy: A Cock and Bull Story (2005)

User Reviews

One of the best detective series ever

I am a huge fan of detective series- Inspector Morse(my favourite), Agatha Christie:Poirot, Murder She Wrote, New Tricks, Monk, Ellery Queen, A Touch of Frost and Taggart are all wonderful, but I can't not mention Columbo.

Columbo is sophisticated, funny and clever, and is quite simply one of the best detective series ever. It does show who does it a vast majority of the time, so the viewer knows who's the murderer before Columbo does, like on Monk and sometimes on Diagnosis Murder as well. But the real fun is Columbo investigating why the crime was committed, how it was committed and of course the exchanges between him and the suspects.

Columbo is well filmed, with nice photography and interesting locations. The stories are involving and well paced, the murders and motives are calculating, the scripts are intelligent with some humour in them(the quintessential "just one more thing" and anything to do with Mrs. Columbo), the music is cleverly composed and the direction is strong. I can't fault the acting either- Peter Falk is simply brilliant as the dishevelled, cigar-smoking, dog-eared Columbo, a detective who has a brilliant mind and is endearing in his own way. Morse, Miss Marple, Jessica Fletcher and Poirot are very like that as well. And there have been many memorable guest stars, Dick Van Dyke, Nicol Williamson, Gene Barry, Jack Cassidy, Robert Culp, Leonard Nimoy, Patrick McGoohan, Ray Milland, Rip Torn and George Hamilton are just a few of these memorable guests.

Overall, one brilliant detective series, clever with a great central performance. 10/10 Bethany Cox