Columbo 

Los Angeles homicide detective Lieutenant Columbo uses his humble ways and ingenuous demeanor to winkle out even the most well-concealed of crimes.

Creators:

Richard Levinson, William Link

Stars:

Peter Falk, Mike Lally, John Finnegan

Won 2 Golden Globes. Another 20 wins & 49 nominations.

Cast

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

Storyline

When you first saw him, Lieutenant 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 in 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 to trap them or find enough evidence to make them confess.

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Plot Keywords:

cult tv | police protagonist | detective series | unseen wife | character name as series title | 

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Taglines:

Just one more thing...

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Mystery | Thriller

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Certificate:

TV-PG

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

1 March 1971 (USA)

Also Known As:

Columbo

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

NBC Universal Television

Technical Specs

Runtime:

100 min (41 episodes) 75 min (27 episodes)

Sound Mix:

Mono (45 episodes) Stereo (24 episodes)

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The 1979 TV series entitled Mrs. Columbo was not technically related to the original Peter Falk series. In fact, Levinson and Link opposed the entire concept of the series; it was NBC honcho Fred Silverman who gave the OK to use the Columbo name and imply that Kate Mulgrew was the widowed/divorced wife (the series changed names and backstories several times during its short run) of the famed homicide detective. The "real" Mrs. Columbo was never mentioned by her first name during the original series, but actor Peter Falk possibly slipped and revealed that her name was "Rose" when he appeared at this Dean Martin Roast saluting Frank Sinatra and asked for an autograph.

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Goofs

In this 1968 two hour Pilot, (about 1hr-34min in), Columbo is waiting for the suspect's lover to approach him at the movie studio. The long shot, from behind and above Columbo, shows him standing next to the ice cream truck, and placing his briefcase on the ground, to the left and front of him. A tight-shot from Columbo's front, now shows the briefcase tight and to his left leg, while Columbo rips the wrapper from his Popsicle, and he THROWS the wrapper to the ground behind him. The next shot is again the long shot from behind and above Columbo. His briefcase is now, again, to his left and in front of him, and there is no sign of the Popsicle wrapper which he just threw on the ground behind him.

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Quotes

[repeated line]
Columbo: Oh, there's just one more thing...

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Connections

Referenced in The Ricky Gervais Show: Society (2012)

User Reviews

Itemize Everything!!

Someone told me that they found it interesting how my present demeanor was at that given moment. She said "Your total confusion, which manifests itself by way of your befuddled verbosity, all we have to do now is to put a beige trench coat on you and you're just like Columbo" Such a description does indeed describe Columbo to a tee!! Peter Falk did a remarkable job at portraying this seemingly inept detective who engages in a very unorthodox approach to unraveling burden of proof is a needle in a haystack murder cases! Most every episode was set up the same way. Cold, calculated, murders were executed by sophisticated Beverly Hills, Brentwood and Malibu Beach moguls. These money mad misfits could utterly destroy someone very effectively just because they're a little bored!! The initial scenario was such whereby all of these wealthy and subtle socialites could devour a disoriented detective like Columbo in record time. Everything starts off with the plutocratic murder suspect (who is the special guest starring on the episode for the week) delving into the recreational hobby of spoon feeding Leutenant Columbo a largess of condescension! To them, they have already considered the issue of murdering a family member, for a macabre motive, as an accomplishment which was water under the bridge, hence, they have successfully gotten away with this heinous act! Later on in the episode, Columbo's innocuous questions begin to resemble diatribes, and these elusive sophisticates begin to sense it. While all of these wealthy Southern California monsters are labeled as "Cool as a Cucumber", Columbo's actions make them lose their professional composure just a tad!! As Columbo persists with his line of questioning later on in the episode, the audience gets a feel for what is going on. Here is where the show, "Columbo" becomes extremely intriguing!! These social register suspects do not become victims of their own vanity!! As Columbo moves in for the ultimate goal of a conviction, the emotionally detached socialites, otherwise known as the suspects, begin to understand that Columbo is really not all that obtuse and simple minded! They have discovered that Columbo actually has a little moxie, they're surprised, however, they realize that they simply have to go one on one with Columbo! It now becomes a proverbial battle of wits!! Every time, of course, there is a happy ending, so to speak, and the affluent and prominent, upper crust, Los Angeles Area elitist is convicted of murder. Ultimately it is a circumstance of may the best man win!! A bevy of pecuniary powerhouses have become out-witted by a precocious, archaically inquisitive, and rough around the edges detective!! The television show "Columbo" has got to be one of the most innovative shows ever to hit the small screen. Peter Falk does a remarkable job in this series, and the array of famous guest stars procure an articulated finesse to this show!! Critics have rated "Columbo" as one of the best shows to ever be produced, I totally concur!! I give "Columbo" five out of five stars!!