Columbo

Not to be confused with Colombo.

For a list of the episodes, see List of Columbo episodes.

This article is about the TV film series. For other uses, see Columbo (disambiguation).

Columbo
File:ColumboDVD3.jpg Peter Falk as Lt. Columbo, German Season 3 DVD cover
Created by	Richard Levinson William Link
Starring	Peter Falk
Country of origin	United States
Original language	English
No. of episodes	69 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producer	Philip Saltzman
Camera setup	Single-camera
Running time	30 x 73 minutes 39 x 98 minutes
Original release
Network	NBC (1968–1978) ABC (1989–2003)
Release	February 20, 1968 (1968-02-20) – January 30, 2003 (2003-01-30)

Columbo is an American Mystery crime fiction television film series, starring Peter Falk as Lieutenant Columbo, a homicide detective with the Los Angeles Police Department. The character and television show were created by William Link and Richard Levinson. The show popularized the inverted detective story format. With the exception of a few special episodes, almost every episode began by showing the commission of the crime and its perpetrator. Therefore, there is no "whodunit" element. The plot mainly revolves around how the perpetrator, whose identity is already known to the audience, will finally be caught and exposed by Columbo.

Lt. Columbo is a friendly, verbose, disheveled-looking, Police detective (of Italian descent) who is consistently underestimated by his suspects, who are initially both reassured and distracted by his circumstantial speech and increasingly irritating pestering behavior. Despite his unprepossessing appearance and apparent absentmindedness, he shrewdly solves all of his cases and secures all evidence needed for indictment. His formidable eye for detail and meticulous and dedicated approach become often become apparent to the killer only late in the storyline, although the viewer typically sees indications of Columbo's acuity early on.

The episodes are all movie-length, between 70 and 100 minutes long. The series had been broadcasted on over 80 networks, within more than 42 countries. On October 2, 2011, reruns of Columbo began airing Sunday evenings on the classic television network Me-TV.

In 1997, "Murder by the Book" was ranked No. 16 on TV Guide's 100 Greatest Episodes of All Time. and in 1999, the magazine ranked Lt. Columbo No. 7 on its 50 Greatest TV Characters of All Time list.

Series format

The series is noted by TV critics and historians for the way it reversed the cliché of the standard whodunit mystery. TV Guide referred to the basic plot structure as a "howdhecatchem", although it is now known as an inverted detective story.

In almost all of the episodes of Columbo, with the exception of one or two differently executed endings, the audience sees the crime unfold at the beginning and knows exactly who did it and how it was done. The objective is to follow along with Columbo the clues that will lead him to the solution (the "howdhecatchem" part), and to enjoy the tricks he will use to obtain a confession. This allows the story to unfold simultaneously from the point of view of Columbo and the murderer as they play cat and mouse, rather than being solely the perspective of the investigator. Describing the character, Variety columnist Howard Prouty wrote that "The joy of all this is watching Columbo dissemble [sic] the fiendishly clever cover stories of the loathsome rats who consider themselves his better."

In some episodes, such as the original film Prescription: Murder, Columbo does not appear until halfway through the episode. A Columbo mystery tends to be driven by the characters and by the gathering of subtly damning proof. The audience observes the criminal's reaction to the ongoing investigation, and to the increasingly intrusive presence of Columbo, whose personality and manners are initially disarming and non-intimidating. Columbo is unfailingly polite to the suspects as the investigation proceeds.

Class tension is often apparent between Columbo – with his seemingly humble, working class origins – and the killer who is usually affluent, well-positioned or condescending. The killer's arrogance and dismissive attitude often inadvertently help Columbo with his investigation, as he manipulates his suspects into self-incrimination. When the final arrest comes, the killer always goes quietly, after confessing guilt and explaining any motives. This predictability and the quirky mannerisms of Columbo are part of the attraction of the series.

In some instances (such as Ruth Gordon's avenging mystery writer in "Try and Catch Me", Janet Leigh's terminally ill actress in "Forgotten Lady", Donald Pleasence's vintner in "Any Old Port in a Storm", or Vera Miles' besieged industrialist in "Lovely But Lethal"), the killer is more sympathetic than the victim or victims.

Development

The character of Columbo was created by William Link, who said that Columbo was partially inspired by Crime and Punishment character Porfiry Petrovich as well as G. K. Chesterton's humble cleric-detective Father Brown. Other sources claim Columbo's character is also influenced by Inspector Fichet from the 1955 French suspense-thriller Les Diaboliques.

The Columbo character first appeared, portrayed by Bert Freed, in a 1960 episode of the television anthology series The Chevy Mystery Show, which was entitled "Enough Rope". This episode was adapted into a 1962 stage play called "Prescription: Murder" with Thomas Mitchell in the role of Columbo. "Prescription: Murder" was made into a TV feature movie in 1968, with Peter Falk as Columbo. Falk then continued in the role, from 1971 to 2003.

The character first appeared in a 1960 episode of the television-anthology series The Chevy Mystery Show, which was itself partly derived from a short story by Levinson and Link published in an issue of the Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine as "Dear Corpus Delicti". Levinson and Link adapted the TV drama into the stage play Prescription: Murder, and a TV-movie based on the play was broadcast in 1968. The series began on a Wednesday presentation of the "NBC Mystery Movie" rotation: McCloud, McMillan & Wife, and other whodunits. After one season, the series moved as a group to Sundays and were replaced on Wednesdays by a series with a similar format with fare such as The Snoop Sisters, Cool Million, and Banacek. Columbo aired regularly from 1971–78 on NBC, and then less frequently on ABC beginning in 1989. The final episode was broadcast in 2003.

First generation

Bert Freed was a stocky character actor with a thatchy grey mane of hair. The teleplay in which he starred, "Enough Rope", was adapted by Levinson and Link from their short story "May I Come In" (originally entitled "Dear Corpus Delicti" and which had no Columbo character).

Freed wore a rumpled suit and smoked a cigar to play Columbo, but played the part with few of the familiar Columbo mannerisms. However, the character is still recognizably Columbo, and uses some of the same methods of misdirecting/distracting his suspects. During the course of the show, the increasingly frightened murderer brings pressure from the district attorney's office to have Columbo taken off the case, but the detective fights back with his own contacts.

There is one visible mistake in the live telecast (aside from the usual constant boom microphone shadows), with a momentarily flustered Columbo introducing himself to a receptionist as "Dr. Columbo", but she somehow deduces that he's actually "Lt. Columbo" when she notifies her supervisor. Although Bert Freed received third billing, he wound up with almost as much screen time as the killer. Columbo first appeared immediately after the first commercial, several minutes into the show. Unlike many live television shows, this one is available for viewing in the archives of the Paley Center for Media in New York City and Los Angeles.

Second generation

The "Enough Rope" teleplay in turn was adapted into a stage play called Prescription: Murder, with the revered character actor, then-70-year-old Thomas Mitchell in the role. The stage production starred two veterans of Orson Welles's Mercury Theatre and Citizen Kane: Joseph Cotten as the murderer and Agnes Moorehead as the victim. Mitchell died of cancer while the play was touring in out-of-town tryouts; Columbo was his last role.

Third generation

In 1968, the play was made into a two-hour television movie that aired on NBC. The writers suggested Lee J. Cobb and Bing Crosby for the role of Columbo, but Cobb was unavailable and Crosby turned it down because he felt it would have taken too much time away from his golf game. Director Richard Irving convinced Levinson and Link that Falk, who wanted the role, could pull it off even though he was much younger than the writers had in mind.

Originally a one-off TV-Movie-of-the-Week, 1968's "Prescription: Murder" has Falk's Columbo pitted against a psychiatrist (Gene Barry) whose alibi Columbo breaks. Barry essentially played the same role that Joseph Cotten had played onstage in the play of the same name. Due to the success of the first film, NBC requested that a pilot for a potential series be made to see if the character could be sustained on a regular basis, leading to the 1971 hour and a half film, Ransom For a Dead Man, with Lee Grant playing the killer.

The popularity of the second film prompted the creation of a regular series on NBC that premiered in the fall of 1971 as part of the wheel series NBC Mystery Movie. The network hedged its bets by arranging for the Columbo segments to air once a month on Wednesday nights. Columbo was an immediate hit in the Nielsen ratings and Falk won an Emmy Award for his role in the show's first year, with the character quickly becoming an icon on American television. In its second year the Mystery Movie series was moved to Sunday nights, where it then remained, running in all for seven seasons. The show became the anchor of NBC's Sunday night line up; and a fixture of the Network's programming scheme of the period to (in the days before hundreds of cable channel choices) hold viewers in a fixed time slot each week even though their favored show did not air weekly. After its cancellation by NBC in 1978 Columbo was revived on ABC between 1989 and 2003 in occasional made-for-TV movies.

Columbo's wardrobe was provided by Peter Falk himself; they were his own clothes, including the trenchcoat which made its first appearance in "Prescription: Murder". Falk would often ad lib "Columbo-isms" (fumbling through his pockets for a piece of evidence and discovering a grocery list, asking to borrow a pencil, becoming distracted by something irrelevant in the room at a dramatic point in a conversation with a suspect, etc.), inserting these into his performance as a way to keep his fellow actors off-balance. He felt it helped to make their confused and impatient reactions to Columbo's antics more genuine.

A few years prior to his death, Peter Falk had expressed interest in returning to the role, announcing in 2007 that he had chosen a script for one last Columbo episode, Columbo: Hear No Evil. The script was renamed Columbo's Last Case. ABC, the network that aired the more recent Columbo series (beginning in 1989), declined the project. In response, producers for the series announced that they were attempting to shop the project to foreign production companies. However, Falk's involvement in the project was put into doubt after he was diagnosed with dementia in late 2007, following a dental procedure. During a 2009 court trial over Falk's care, Dr Stephen Read stated that the actor's condition had deteriorated so badly that Falk could no longer remember playing a character named Columbo, nor could he identify who Columbo was. Falk died on June 23, 2011, aged 83.

Character profile

Lieutenant Columbo
File:Peter Falk Columbo.JPG Peter Falk as Columbo c. 1976
First appearance	"Enough Rope" (1960)
Last appearance	"Columbo Likes the Nightlife" (2003)
Created by	Richard Levinson William Link
Portrayed by	Bert Freed (1960) Thomas Mitchell (1962) Peter Falk (1968–2003)
Catchphrases	—"Just one more thing" —"There's something that bothers me" —"One more question..." —"My wife..."
In-universe information
Occupation	Lieutenant (police)
Nationality	American

Biography

(The following details of Columbo's life have been gleaned from statements the character made on the show.

His boyhood hero was Joe DiMaggio, and he also liked gangster pictures. Columbo broke street lamps and played too much pinball (he expressed a wish to have a pinball machine at home). The trick of putting a potato in a car exhaust – which purportedly prevents the car from starting without causing permanent damage – served well on one of his cases. He jokes that he became a cop in part to make up for these juvenile pranks.

In "The Bye-Bye Sky High I.Q. Murder Case", in a conversation with the suspect, Columbo revealed: "All my life I kept running into smart people. I don't just mean smart like you and the people in this house. You know what I mean..." He added, "I could tell right away that it wasn't gonna be easy making detective as long as they were around", but he determined that he could even the odds "by working harder than any of them, reading all of the required books and paying attention to every detail."

His trademark costume (rumpled raincoat over a suit-and-tie) never varies from case to case or year to year – with one exception: when he gets a new raincoat as a birthday gift from his wife in the episode "Now You See Him". Because he "can't think" in this coat, Columbo is desperately trying to lose it. Finally he is able to retrieve his beloved original raincoat.

He sometimes wears his trademark costume while on vacation. In the episode "Troubled Waters", Columbo takes a Mexican cruise with his wife. He boards the cruise ship in his usual attire. Upon meeting Columbo dressed in the raincoat, the Captain of the ship quips "Oh, tell me Lieutenant, do you expect inclement weather in the Mexican waters?" In this episode Columbo does dress as a typical tourist later in the film.

Columbo rarely displays any anger toward his suspects, though he sometimes becomes frustrated with other characters. In an impromptu speech to a ladies' club meeting hosted by Ruth Gordon's character, at which he shows up uninvited, he admits that over the course of many of his investigations he grew to like and respect the suspect.

Columbo rarely carries a gun, and is never shown to exercise much physical force; in some episodes he allows himself to be placed in a predicament in which the killer believes he or she will be able to kill Columbo and escape. In the 1975 episode "Forgotten Lady" it is revealed that he doesn't carry his gun, explaining that he keeps it "downtown". Columbo has failed to attend his required semi-annual evaluation at the department's firing range. When an Internal Affairs sergeant threatens to ask for his badge because of this, Columbo pays a colleague to take the test for him. He does carry a gun for his work in 1992's "No Time to Die" and 1994's "Undercover" (even threatening someone with it in the latter), both of which are based on Ed McBain novels. It is suggested that Columbo has the required skill with firearms but prefers to hide the fact.

Columbo refuses to carry a gun, but keeps one at LAPD Police Headquarters in Downtown Los Angeles. He claims to hate guns. In several episodes ("Murder Under Glass", "How to Dial a Murder", and "Rest in Peace, Mrs. Columbo") the killer attempted to kill Columbo. He carries a gun only in "No Time To Die" and "Undercover".

"Murder Under Glass" reveals Columbo to be an accomplished cook, having learned a recipe for veal scaloppine from his Italian father (though in "Murder by the Book" he claims he can cook only a certain type of omelet, which he cooks for the victim's wife). As a distraction tactic, Columbo regularly asks to get behind the wheel of a suspect's car; he pesters suspects who are authors to sign copies of their books, and requests actors to arrange for free tickets to their performances.

Columbo is a simple man, mainly due to hard work and not necessarily by choice. He has fine taste in all things and an encyclopedic knowledge which he hides. He has explained to colleagues that his wife believes there is "something wrong" with him. His other trademark is the ever-present cigar (although more than once he attempts to quit smoking during the series). Columbo has explained that he and his wife would prefer he smoke a pipe, which Columbo refuses to try "because there's too much stuff to have to carry around." His shoe size is referred to as "10 1/2 or 11" in "By Dawn's Early Light".

Columbo is prone to airsickness and seasickness, and he cannot swim, though he has been known to row a boat. In "Dead Weight", when General Hollister (Eddie Albert) comments on Columbo's seasickness by asking why someone with the name "Columbo" would not be at home on a boat, the detective responds, "It must have been another branch of the family." In other episodes, Columbo claims his family has a tradition of being descended from Columbus.

He is (or pretends to be) squeamish, and does not like hospitals or autopsies. He finds it distasteful to look at photographs of autopsies while eating ("Dagger of the Mind"). He demonstrates an aversion to viewing surgical procedures and an apparent fear of needles. In "A Stitch in Crime", Columbo says he "faints" merely by being in a hospital, but this is all an obvious ruse to distract Dr. Mayfield (Leonard Nimoy). At the end of "A Stitch in Crime" it is obvious Columbo has no fear of hospitals, surgical procedures or any such thing. He claims to be afraid of heights, once remarking to an FAA investigator who offered him a job, "I don't even like being this tall" ("Swan Song", 1974). Columbo claims he is always nervous when he is in the passenger seat rather than driving, and in fact is extremely nervous during certain investigations.

In "A Stitch in Crime", Columbo grumbles throughout the episode about being sleep-deprived and working too hard. (Columbo suffers from severe allergies "every spring", although when we first see him suffering symptoms in this episode, he does not know what they are. He refuses to take medication because of the side effects.) This is also one of the few times Columbo challenges his suspect with physical violence (by slamming a water carafe on Dr. Mayfield's desk with tremendous force). This episode shows one of the few times when Columbo does not know who the killer could be; that angers him and gives him impetus to keep going. In "Double Shock", Columbo is genuinely alarmed and upset by the housekeeper's dislike of him. He confronts her to ask why she must behave in so hostile a fashion; finally he convinces her that he is doing his job.

Columbo's unsettling, uneven-eyed stare was due to Falk's glass eye in the right eye socket. It remained a mystery for 25 years whether the character had one as well, until 1997's "Columbo: A Trace of Murder", whereupon asking another character to revisit the crime scene with him he jokes: "You know, three eyes are better than one."

In almost every episode of the later ABC series, Columbo is heard whistling the children's song "This Old Man". It often appears as a motif in the musical score. However, in many of the first season films, it is clear Columbo loves classical music, and has a high level of knowledge about it.

"Étude In Black" (1972) marked the first appearance of the lieutenant's Basset Hound, named "Dog". "Dog" came to be an occasional regular character in the films. Columbo considered names like "Fido", "Munch" and "Beethoven" but ultimately settled on "Dog".

First name

File:Columbo-Signature2-bright.PNG

Columbo's LAPD ID card and badge with the name Frank Columbo in the episode "Dead Weight". The website of the LAPD has a description of the LAPD badge.

When Columbo is explicitly asked if he has a first name in season 4 episode By Dawn's Early Light, he replies that the only person who "calls" him "that" is his wife. In the season 12 episode "Undercover", Columbo is asked once again what his first name is, to which he emphatically answers "Lieutenant". However, Columbo does have a first name: Frank, which is often seen relatively clearly on his police ID (most notably in "A Matter of Honor").

In the 1971 episode "Dead Weight", when Columbo introduces himself to General Hollister, the audience is shown a brief close-up of Columbo's badge and police ID. The signature reads "Frank Columbo". The same ID is seen in numerous episodes, and the signature "Frank Columbo" is clearly visible in the season 5 episode "A Matter of Honor", in which it is also seen that Columbo's badge number is 416. This later appears on the address of a neighbor of the local police comisario (played by Pedro Armendáriz, Jr.).

Universal Studios, in the box set of seasons 1–4 under their Playback label, included a picture of Columbo's police badge on the back of the box, with signature "Frank Columbo" and "Lt. Frank Columbo" in type. This appears to be a different badge from the one seen in "Dead Weight", with a different signature (a common occurrence with props).

Several sources cite the lieutenant's name as "Philip Columbo". Columbo's first name as Philip was, in fact, conceived by Fred L. Worth. In Worth's book, The Trivia Encyclopedia, the fictitious entry about Columbo's first name was actually a "copyright trap" – a deliberately false statement intended to reveal subsequent copyright infringement. However, Worth's ploy was ultimately unsuccessful.

Career

After serving in the army during the Korean War ("mostly KP", as he says), Columbo joined the New York City Police Department and was assigned to the 12th precinct. He trained under Sergeant Gilhooley, a genial Irishman who mentored him and taught him a great deal about police work. Columbo reminisces about Gilhooley and mentions him often. Columbo moved to Los Angeles in 1958, at the behest of his cousin Fred who convinced him he'd prefer it to New York.

In Falk's first appearance as Columbo in the 1968 TV-movie, Prescription Murder, the character had the rank of police lieutenant. In Prescription Murder, Columbo speaks of a colleague, Lieutenant Silver, who was supposed to be assigned to the case but was thought to be "too young and inexperienced" compared to Columbo. In mentioning Lt. Silver, Columbo begins a tradition that will return often, of the rejection of lesser officers from his investigations. This in turn allows the other common motif of suspects attempting to have Columbo removed from investigating, because they fear him. Despite solving numerous murders over the next few decades, in Falk's last appearance as Columbo in the 2003 cable-TV movie Columbo Likes the Nightlife, the detective is still a lieutenant.

A very common motif is that Columbo enjoys and lives for his work. He is happy being a lieutenant with the homicide department, and often makes statements about his lack of ambition. He is precisely where he has always wanted to be, and he will remain there. The attempts to remove him from cases never work because Columbo "is something of a legend", and thus has a powerful position with the police force. It is a big help to him that his commanding officer is a native New Yorker; he and Columbo see each other socially.

Family

Columbo was born and raised in New York City in a neighborhood near Chinatown. In the episode "Murder Under Glass", he reveals that he ate more egg rolls than cannelloni in his childhood. He is Italian on both sides. The Columbo household included his grandfather, parents, five brothers (one named George), and a sister (Rose). His father wore glasses and did the cooking when his mother was in the hospital having another baby. His grandfather "was a tailgunner on a beer truck during Prohibition" and let him stomp the grapes when they made wine in the cellar. His father, who never earned more than $5,000 a year and bought only one new car in his life, taught him how to play pool, an obsession that stuck with the future detective.

While visiting London, Columbo remarks at the Scotland Yard officers' gentlemans club that his "father was an Elk until my mother stopped him." ("Dagger of the Mind".)

He frequently mentions his wife, whom he met while dating a girl named Theresa in high school. During the first few seasons of the series it was widely believed in Hollywood that Columbo actually had no wife. In "A Stitch in Crime" (1972) Columbo tells fellow officers when he first arrives on the scene that his wife has some kind of flu. He had been up all night caring for her, and also has the flu as a result. Clearly from the start, Columbo certainly had a real wife whom everyone knew. In the episode "Troubled Waters" (1975) other characters describe meeting and speaking to Mrs. Columbo, although she remains unseen.

In three other episodes ("An Exercise in Fatality", "Any Old Port in a Storm" and "Rest in Peace, Mrs. Columbo"), Columbo is seen talking on the telephone with her. In "Identity Crisis", murderer Nelson Brenner (Patrick McGoohan) bugs Columbo's home and learns Mrs. Columbo's favorite piece of music is Madama Butterfly from Giacomo Puccini. Columbo tells Brenner he is glad his wife does not know about the bugging. In "A Matter of Honor", Columbo tells his Mexican colleague (Pedro Armendáriz, Jr.) that his wife has departed Mexico in order to attend the 10th anniversary celebration of Columbo's cousin Vito. He explains that his wife is very sensitive about such things and implies that she is deeply caring about family. In "A Stitch in Crime", Columbo tells his fellow officers he is exhausted, ill, and overworked. This has come on because his wife is ill with the flu and Columbo had stayed up all night to look after her.

In the episode "Rest in Peace, Mrs. Columbo", Columbo's (again unseen) wife is targeted by a killer (Helen Shaver). During the investigation Columbo states that his wife loves Chopin, and describes her as being busy with church, volunteering at the hospital, watching her sister's children, and walking the dog five times a day. He mentions that she has a sister named Ruth, and later while talking with his wife on the phone he refers also to her having another sister, Rita. This episode teases the audience as to whether or not Mrs. Columbo has actually been murdered, and by featuring prominently displayed photographs of Mrs. Columbo, apparently finally disclosing her appearance to viewers. However, the photos are revealed not to be those of Columbo's wife, nor is the house even his, as he informs the killer at the end of the episode.

In a 1978 episode of The Dean Martin Celebrity Roast, where Falk appeared in character as Columbo. Mrs. Columbo's first name was once unofficially indicated by Falk to be Rose,but this improvisational acting shall not be taken seriously.

Columbo has children but that is all that is known. In "Any Old Port in a Storm", he refers to the difficulty of getting a babysitter. He also mentions in that episode taking his wife and child on a picnic, and alludes to his child in "The Most Crucial Game". In "Mind over Mayhem" he mentions that his "wife and kids" are in Fresno visiting his mother-in-law. Oddly, in "Rest In Peace, Mrs. Columbo", he claims he and his wife didn't ever have any children.

In "No Time to Die" he attends the wedding of his nephew, who is also a police officer. In "Short Fuse", he states that his wife's younger brother is a photography buff, and in "Blueprint for Murder" he says he has a brother-in-law who is an attorney. At the end of "Dead Weight", he states that he has a niece named Cynthia, who is the daughter of his wife's sister. In "Requiem for a Falling Star", he tells the murderer he has a brother-in-law named George, and has her speak to him over the phone. In "Lovely But Lethal" Columbo speaks of his nephew who is a dermatologist and researcher at the university. Columbo often explains that he has an immense family and speaks of several siblings. Two brothers figure quite often: George and Fred (the brother who convinced Columbo to move to California from New York).

Investigative style

Columbo has a keen intellect and good taste which he hides very well. Though a bit dated, his clothes are high quality. Not only modest but also a bit shy, Columbo never divulges his first name. His absent-minded approach to cases, his distracted outbursts and constant pestering of suspects is his modus operandi. He is gifted at lulling anyone guilty into a false sense of security.

The classical mould for a Columbo case involves a murder (occasionally unintentional) committed by someone powerful, intelligent and well-connected. That Columbo is seen as a working-class, doddering civil servant is to his advantage, though several of his suspects see right through his facade. Columbo is often accused by suspects of having a "bag of tricks" such as humility, his raincoat and the muttering forgetfulness. One murderer describes Columbo as "rumpled face, rumpled raincoat".

Columbo always manages to catch the killer or killers in spite of some close calls; often Columbo understands and even likes his suspects. There are times he shows regret after they have been arrested; however, usually Columbo expresses happiness at that point. In spite of being ungainly and disheveled, Columbo claims to be a "people person" and describes himself as "liking people".

His police procedure is to develop the theory that best fits what he perceives in original evidence; he then doggedly pursues the general line until he obtains proof. After obtaining proof, Columbo allows the proof to lead him further along to the solution. In "Old-fashioned Murder" Columbo sits with the killer and brainstorms a bit, to allow the killer to assist him with the facts. This is most unusual as compared to Columbo's usual M.O.

As a result of his pestering, seemingly incomeptent manner, Columbo is frequently threatened with complaints and job loss, but never by his fellows or superiors. In fact, Columbo is recognized "as something of a legend" in the police sphere.

Car

Peugeot 403 Cabriolet

Columbo prefers to drive a 1959 Peugeot 403 convertible (which is equipped with a police radio), rather than an official LAPD car while on duty. This car was clearly royal blue at one time but is usually seen as "primer"-colored. Columbo says he parks it in the shade because the sun ruins the "paint". Peter Falk selected the car personally, after seeing it in a parking lot at Universal Studios. In the show, Columbo boasts that the car is a rare automobile, "only three like it in the States". This claim of rarity is true: from June 1956 to July 1961 only 2,050 were produced, and only 504 were produced for model year 1959.

Columbo damages the car at least four times: in "Make Me a Perfect Murder" when he T-bones one police car and is hit from behind by another while trying to repair his rear view mirror; in "A Matter of Honor" when he rear-ends another car; in "Caution: Murder Can Be Hazardous to Your Health" when it takes him three tries to crash into the killer's car; and in "Old Fashioned Murder" when he crashes into the back of a police car as he arrives at the murder scene. He also has many other problems with the car. During the show's initial run on NBC, the license number was 044-APD. The car was sold after cancellation of the series, and when the show resurfaced on ABC in 1989 a similar car was found in Ohio, and received a new license plate number, 448-DBZ.

Episodes and release

Seasons and episodes

See also: List of Columbo episodes

Season		Episodes	Originally aired	DVD Release
				Region 1	Region 2	Region 4
	Pilots	2	1968–1971	September 7, 2004	September 13, 2004	December 3, 2004
	1	7	1971–1972
	2	8	1972–1973	March 8, 2005	July 18, 2005	July 13, 2005
	3	8	1973–1974	August 9, 2005	November 14, 2005	July 20, 2006
	4	6	1974–1975	March 14, 2006	September 18, 2006	September 19, 2006
	5	6	1975–1976	June 27, 2006	February 12, 2007	Unknown 2007
	6	3	1976–1977	November 21, 2006	April 30, 2007	May 2, 2007
	7	5	1977–1978
	8	4	1989	April 24, 2007	March 31, 2008	June 4, 2008
	9	6	1989–1990	February 3, 2009	March 30, 2009	May 6, 2009
	Season 10 and special episodes	14	1990–1993 1994–2003	February 8, 2011 January 10, 2012	June 15, 2009 July 27, 2009	2009

Home video release

DVD

Universal Studios Home Entertainment is continually releasing new episodes of Columbo on DVD. The episodes are released in the same chronological order as they were originally broadcast. In the UK, (Region 2) all episodes have now been released as ten seasons, the tenth season covering all the shows from "Columbo Goes to College" (1990) to the finale "Columbo Likes the Nightlife" (2003). However in France, and The Netherlands (also Region 2) the DVDs were released as twelve seasons.

On January 10, 2012, Universal will release Columbo Mystery Movie Collection 1994–2003 on DVD in Region 1. This 3-disc set features the final 7 tele-films of the series.

DVD name	Ep#	Release dates
		Region 1	Region 2	Region 4
The Complete First Season	9	September 7, 2004	September 13, 2004	December 3, 2004
The Complete Second Season	8	March 8, 2005	July 18, 2005	July 13, 2005
The Complete Third Season	8	August 9, 2005	November 14, 2005	July 20, 2006
The Complete Fourth Season	6	March 14, 2006	September 18, 2006	September 19, 2006
The Complete Fifth Season	6	June 27, 2006	February 12, 2007	Unknown 2007
The Complete Sixth & Seventh Seasons	8	November 21, 2006	April 30, 2007	May 2, 2007
The Mystery Movie Collection 1989 (R1/R4) The Complete Eighth Season (R2)	5 4	April 24, 2007	March 31, 2008	June 4, 2008
The Mystery Movie Collection 1990 (R1) The Complete Ninth Season (R2/R4)	6	February 3, 2009	March 30, 2009	May 6, 2009
The Tenth Season – Volume 1 (R2) The Tenth Season – Volume 2 (R2)	8 6	N/A	June 15, 2009 July 27, 2009	July 28, 2009 November 10, 2009
The Mystery Movie Collection 1991–1993 (R1)	6	February 8, 2011	N/A	N/A
The Mystery Movie Collection 1994–2003 (R1)	7	January 10, 2012	N/A	N/A
Columbo: The Complete Series	69	N/A	October 19, 2009	N/A

Blu Ray

In Japan the complete series has been released on Blu-ray, taken from new HD masters and original aspect ratio. The series includes 35 discs and is presented in a wooden box case.

Contributors

Directors and writers

The first season premiere "Murder by the Book" was written by Steven Bochco and directed by Steven Spielberg. Jonathan Demme directed the seventh season episode "Murder Under Glass". Jonathan Latimer was also a writer. Actor Ben Gazzara, a friend of Falk, directed the episodes "A Friend in Deed" (1974) and "Troubled Waters" (1975).

Falk himself directed the last episode of the first season, "Blueprint For Murder". Actor Nicholas Colasanto, best known for playing Coach on Cheers, directed several episodes, including "Swan Song" (in Season 3) with Johnny Cash, and "Étude in Black".

Patrick McGoohan directed five episodes (including three of the four in which he played the murderer) and wrote and produced two (including one of these). Vincent McEveety was a frequent director, and homage was paid to him by a humorous mention of a character with his surname in the episode "Undercover" (which he directed).

Guest stars

Murderers

Patrick McGoohan appeared in a record four episodes of Columbo. Robert Culp and Jack Cassidy both appeared three times as murderers. Culp appeared a fourth time as the father of a killer. Ray Milland, George Hamilton, William Shatner, Robert Vaughn, Joyce Van Patten, Patrick O'Neal and Ed Begley, Jr. all appeared in two episodes. Hamilton and Shatner played the killer both times. Vaughn played both a killer and a victim. Milland played both killer and the husband of a victim. Van Patten played the killer in one episode and a nun (who mistakes Columbo for a hobo while he is interviewing someone in a soup kitchen) in another episode. Begley played both an animal control officer (innocent third party) and a killer. Coleman appeared as a murderer and in an earlier episode as a cop working on a case with Columbo. Greg Evigan plays a would-be murderer and also a victim in the same episode.

Other actors who have played murderers on the show include:

Anthony Andrews Eddie Albert Richard Basehart Anne Baxter Gene Barry Patrick Bauchau Ed Begley, Jr. Theodore Bikel Honor Blackman Ian Buchanan Stephen Caffrey Johnny Cash John Cassavetes

Jack Cassidy Claudia Christian Susan Clark Dabney Coleman Billy Connolly Robert Conrad Jackie Cooper Lindsay Crouse Robert Culp Tyne Daly Faye Dunaway Hector Elizondo Greg Evigan

José Ferrer Robert Foxworth Ruth Gordon Lee Grant George Hamilton Laurence Harvey Gary Hershberger Louis Jourdan Katherine Justice Richard Kiley Martin Landau Janet Leigh Ross Martin

Roddy McDowall Patrick McGoohan Vera Miles Ray Milland Sal Mineo Ricardo Montalban Leonard Nimoy Patrick O'Neal Donald Pleasence James Read Clive Revill Matthew Rhys William Shatner

Helen Shaver Andrew Stevens Fisher Stevens Rip Torn Trish Van Devere Dick Van Dyke Joyce Van Patten Robert Vaughn George Wendt Oskar Werner Nicol Williamson

Victims

Ida Lupino appeared twice, once as victim and once as the spouse of a victim. John Dehner appeared twice, once as victim and once as a third party. Tim O'Connor appeared twice, once as a shady lawyer and once as victim. Leslie Nielsen appeared twice, once as victim and once as the boyfriend of the murderer. Dean Stockwell appeared twice, once as victim and once as a third party. Robert Vaughn appeared twice, playing a killer and a victim. John Chandler and Don Gordon played dupes who assisted the primary murderer and were themselves murdered later. Greg Evigan plays a would-be murderer and also a victim in the same episode. Steve Forrest plays an intended victim who is coincidentally killed in an accident, but the car bomb intended for him kills another person. Will Geer is an intended victim whose life Columbo saves. Barbara Colby played a victim, albeit not the intended victim, but rather a potential blackmailer who is killed for that reason. Sian Barbara Allen, Poupée Bocar and Chuck McCann's characters were likewise killed (in different episodes) for attempting blackmail.

Other actors who have appeared as victims include:

Lola Albright Sian Barbara Allen Richard Anderson Lew Ayres Poupée Bocar Sorrell Booke Antoinette Bower John Chandler Barbara Colby Anjanette Comer Pat Crowley John Dehner Bradford Dillman Stephen Elliott

Greg Evigan Joel Fabiani Fionnuala Flanagan Nina Foch Anne Francis Charles Frank Michael V. Gazzo Carmine Giovinazzo Don Gordon James Gregory Deidre Hall Peter Haskell Sam Jaffe John Kerr

Jack Kruschen Laurence Luckinbill Ida Lupino Janet Margolin Chuck McCann Rue McClanahan Martin Milner Rosemary Murphy Leslie Nielsen Tim O'Connor Albert Paulsen Nehemiah Persoff Martha Scott Pippa Scott

Martin Sheen Tom Simcox Mickey Spillane Paul Stewart Dean Stockwell Ken Swofford Forrest Tucker Bonnie Van Dyke Robert Vaughn Lesley Ann Warren John Williams Jeff Yagher Anthony Zerbe

Repeat appearances/recurring characters

Actors who played recurring characters: Steven Gilborn (4 times), J. P. Finnegan (6 times), Vito Scotti (6 times), Bruce Kirby (8 appearances, 4 of them as Sergeant Kramer), Bob Dishy (as Sergeant Wilson in two episodes), Dr. Benson (Columbo's regular veterinarian, played by Michael Fox in two episodes) and Burt (the short order cook at Columbo's favorite greasy spoon, played by Timothy Carey).

Score composers

Columbo episodes contain a variety of music that contributes to the uniqueness of each. The score becomes of particular importance during turning points of the plots. "The Mystery Movie Theme" by Henry Mancini written for the NBC Mystery Movie was used extensively in the whole of 38 episodes, from 1971 to 1977. Columbo had its own theme tune, heard throughout the seven seasons of the original series; however, it was not usually used as a lead-in theme for the episodes. Several composers created original music for the series, that was often used along with "The Mystery Movie Theme":

• Dick DeBenedictis (23 episodes, 1972–2000, composer of the Columbo theme)
• Patrick Williams (9 episodes, 1977–1992)
• Bernardo Segall (10 episodes, 1974–1976)
• Billy Goldenberg (7 episodes, 1971–1974)
• Gil Mellé (4 episodes, 1971–1972)
• Jeff Alexander (1 episode, 1975)
• Oliver Nelson (1 episode, 1972)
• Dave Grusin (1 episode, 1968)
• Bob Prince (1 episode, 1977)

• Jonathan Tunick (1 episode, 1978)
• John Cacavas (3 episodes, 1989–1991)
• James Di Pasquale (2 episodes, 1990)
• Steve Dorff (2 episodes, 1991)
• Dennis Dreith (1 episode, 1990)
• Richard Markowitz (1 episode, 1990)
• David Michael Frank (1 episode, 1990)
• Ken Jordan (1 episode, 2003)
• Jim Latham (1 episode, 2003)

Series Music department included:

• Henry Mancini — composer: "Mystery Movie" theme / "Sunday Mystery Movie" theme (38 episodes, 1971–1977)
• Hal Mooney — music supervisor (27 episodes, 1972–1976)
• Mike Post — composer: "Mystery Movie" theme (9 episodes, 1989–1990)

Patrick Williams received two Emmy nominations for Outstanding Music Composition for a Series in 1978 (for "Try and Catch Me") and 1989 (for "Murder, Smoke and Shadows"). Billy Goldenberg was nominated in the same category in 1972 for "Lady in Waiting".

Columbo also featured an unofficial signature tune, the children's song "This Old Man". It was introduced in the episode "Any Old Port in a Storm" in 1973 and the detective can be heard humming or whistling it often in subsequent films. Peter Falk admitted that it was a melody he personally enjoyed and one day it became a part of his character. The tune was also used in various score arrangements throughout the three decades of the series, including opening and closing credits. A version of it, entitled "Columbo", was created by one of the show's composers, Patrick Williams.

Awards and nominations

Columbo received numerous awards and nominations from 1971 to 2005, including 13 Emmys, two Golden Globes, an Edgar Award and a TV Land Award nomination in 2005 for Peter Falk.

Awards and nominations

Primetime Emmy Awards Year Category Nominee Result 1971 Outstanding Single Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role Lee Grant, for "Ransom for a Dead Man" Nominated 1972 Outstanding Writing Achievement in Drama Jackson Gillis, for "Suitable for Framing" Nominated Outstanding Writing Achievement in Drama Steven Bochco, for "Murder by the Book" Nominated Outstanding Series – Drama Richard Levinson, William Link, Everett Chambers Nominated Outstanding New Series Richard Levinson, William Link, Everett Chambers Nominated Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Drama – A Single Program of a Series with Continuing Characters and/or Theme Edward M. Abroms, for "Short Fuse" Nominated Outstanding Achievement in Music Composition – For a Series or a Single Program of a Series Billy Goldenberg, for "Lady in Waiting" Nominated Outstanding Continued Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Dramatic Series Peter Falk Won Outstanding Writing Achievement in Drama Richard Levinson, William Link, for "Death Lends a Hand" Won Outstanding Achievement in Film Editing for Entertainment Programming – For a Series or a Single Program of a Series Edward M. Abroms, for "Death Lends a Hand" Won Outstanding Achievement in Cinematography for Entertainment Programming – For a Series or a Single Program of a Series Lloyd Ahern, for "Blueprint for Murder" Won 1973 Outstanding Writing Achievement in Drama Steven Bochco, for "Étude in Black" Nominated Outstanding Drama Series Dean Hargrove Nominated Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Drama – A Single Program of a Series with Continuing Characters and/or Theme Edward M. Abroms, for "The Most Dangerous Match" Nominated Outstanding Continued Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role Peter Falk Nominated Outstanding Achievement in Costume Design Grady Hunt, for "Dagger of the Mind" Nominated 1974 Best Lead Actor in a Limited Series Peter Falk Nominated Outstanding Limited Series Dean Hargrove, Roland Kibbee, Douglas Benton, Robert F. O'Neill, Edward K. Dodds Won Best Cinematography for Entertainment Programming – For a Series or a Single Program of a Series Harry L. Wolf, for "Any Old Port in a Storm" Won 1975 Outstanding Limited Series Dean Hargrove, Roland Kibbee, Douglas Benton, Everett Chambers, Edward K. Dodds Nominated Outstanding Individual Achievement in Art Direction or Scenic Design – For a Single Episode of a Comedy, Drama or Limited Series Michael Baugh, Jerry Adams, for "Playback" Nominated Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Series Peter Falk Won Outstanding Single Performance by a Supporting Actor in a Comedy or Drama Series Patrick McGoohan, for "By Dawn's Early Light" Won Outstanding Achievement in Cinematography for Entertainment Programming for a Series Richard C. Glouner, for "Playback" Won 1976 Outstanding Drama Series Everett Chambers Nominated Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series Peter Falk Won 1977 Outstanding Drama Series Everett Chambers Nominated Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series Peter Falk Nominated 1978 Outstanding Achievement in Music Composition for a Series Patrick Williams, for "Try and Catch Me" Nominated Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series Peter Falk Nominated Outstanding Drama Series Richard Alan Simmons Nominated Outstanding Film Editing in a Drama Series Robert Watts, for "How to Dial a Murder" Nominated 1989 Outstanding Achievement in Music Composition for a Series Patrick Williams, for "Murder, Smoke and Shadows" Nominated 1990 Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series Patrick McGoohan, for "Agenda for Murder" Won Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series Peter Falk Won 1991 Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series Dabney Coleman, for "Columbo and the Murder of a Rock Star" Nominated Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series Peter Falk Nominated 1994 Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series Faye Dunaway, for "It's All in the Game" Won Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series Peter Falk Nominated Edgar Allan Poe Awards Year Category Nominee Result 1972 Best Television Episode Steven Bochco, for "Murder by the Book" Nominated 1974 Best Television Episode Jackson Gillis, for "Requiem for a Falling Star" Nominated 1979 Best Television Episode Robert Van Scoyk, for "Murder Under Glass" Won Golden Globe Awards Year Category Nominee Result 1972 Actor In A Leading Role – Drama Series Or Television Movie Peter Falk Nominated 1973 Best Television Series – Drama Won Best Performance by an Actor In A Television Series – Drama Peter Falk Won 1974 Best Television Series – Drama Nominated Best Performance by an Actor In A Television Series – Drama Peter Falk Nominated 1975 Best Television Series – Drama Nominated Best Performance by an Actor In A Television Series – Drama Peter Falk Nominated 1976 Best Performance by an Actor In A Television Series – Drama Peter Falk Nominated 1978 Best Television Series – Drama Nominated Best Performance by an Actor In A Television Series – Drama Peter Falk Nominated 1991 Best Performance by an Actor in a TV-Series – Drama Peter Falk Nominated 1992 Best Performance by an Actor in a Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for TV Peter Falk Nominated 1994 Best Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for TV "It's All in the Game" Nominated Best Performance by an Actor in a Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for TV Peter Falk, for "It's All in the Game" Nominated Best Performance by an Actress in a Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for TV Faye Dunaway, for "It's All in the Game" Nominated

Other appearances

Stage

The Columbo character first appeared on stage in 1962 in "Prescription: Murder" with Thomas Mitchell in the role of Columbo.

In 2010, Prescription: Murder, was revived for a tour of the United Kingdom with Dirk Benedict and later John Guerrasio as Columbo.

Television

File:Detective Columbo in Case Closed.jpg

Columbo, as he appeared in volume 7 of Case Closed

• Falk appeared as Columbo in a faux episode of Alias produced for a 2003 TV special celebrating the 50th anniversary of ABC.
• Falk appeared in character as Columbo in 1977 at The Dean Martin Celebrity Roast of Frank Sinatra.
• The Columbo character is highlighted in volume 7 of the Case Closed manga edition of Gosho Aoyama's Mystery Library, a section of the graphic novels (usually the last page) where the author introduces a different detective (or occasionally, a villain) from mystery literature, television, or other media.

Books

A Columbo series of books was published by MCA Publishing in 1972 by authors Alfred Lawrence, Henry Clement and Lee Hays, mostly adapted from the TV series.

Columbo was also used as the protagonist for a series of novels published between 1994 and 1999 by Forge Books, an imprint of Tor Books. All of these books were written by William Harrington.

William Link, the co-creator of the series, has written a collection of Columbo short stories, entitled The Columbo Collection, which was published in May 2010 by Crippen & Landru, the specialty mystery publisher.

Mrs. Columbo spin-off

Mrs. Columbo, a spin-off TV series starring Kate Mulgrew, aired in 1979 and was canceled after only thirteen episodes. Lt. Columbo was never seen on Mrs. Columbo. Connections with the original Columbo series were made obvious: the glaring presence of Columbo's car in the driveway, Dog, and Mrs. Columbo emptying ashtray's containing the famous green cigar butts- all featured in the show's opening sequence. References were also made to Kate's husband being a police lieutenant. There were notable discrepancies between the two shows.

Due to the negative critical and public reaction to the show, the producers made changes to Mrs. Columbo. The spin-off was renamed Kate Columbo, followed by Kate the Detective, and finally Kate Loves a Mystery. The main character was likewise renamed "Kate Callahan"; all references to and ties with the original Columbo show were dropped. After this, a reference was made in the show to Kate's divorce: the character was no longer Mrs. Columbo nor was she meant to have any connection with him at all.

See also

• List of Columbo episodes
• Furuhata Ninzaburo

External links

• Columbo at IMDb
• Peter Falk's website
• Encyclopedia of Television
• Columbo on DVD
• Columbo Prescription:Murder – U.K. stage play tour
• 'Columbo: Just One More Thing' – BBC Radio 4
• Template:Tv.com