Overview of the Columbo TV Series
Columbo is an American crime fiction TV series starring actor Peter Falk as Lieutenant Columbo. He is a homicide detective with the Los Angeles Police Department. The Columbo TV series helped popularize a different type of detective story format.
Almost every episode began by showing the commission of the actual crime and the true perpetrator. This approach eliminates the “whodunit” element. As a result, the viewers don’t spend the entire show wondering who committed the crime. The show’s plot, for the remainder, focuses on how the perpetrator is identified, exposed, and arrested.
The Main Character: Columbo
The detective character first appeared in a 1960 episode of The Chevy Mystery Show. This was adapted into a stage play, and a TV movie based on the play was broadcast in 1968 as the pilot for a series. The Columbo TV series began with a Sunday presentation of the “NBC Mystery Movie” rotation, which included McCloud, McMillan & Wife, and other whodunits.
The character Columbo is a scruffy-looking cop who his fellow officers and the murderer often underestimate. Despite his appearance and superficial absentmindedness, he solves all of his cases. He comes up with the evidence needed to get an indictment, thanks to his eye for detail and the meticulous and committed approach he brings to his work.
As a great detective, he was a master at observing and evaluating a crime scene. He noticed important details and evidence that most other officers overlooked. Also, he was an expert at interviewing witnesses. He knew the right questions to ask and how to expertly extract the information he needed.
The character often rubbed his forehead, scratched his face, and ran his hands through his hair as if stressed, but it was all part of his approach. His quirkiness managed to disarm most suspects. They often thought there was no way this guy could figure out who did it.
But then he starts asking questions. The right questions. And then the suspects start to squirm. He made the phrase “Just one more thing” popular. The character usually caught the subject off-guard by asking one final, difficult-to-answer question that ends up exposing the criminal somehow.
Production Company and Executive Producers
Universal Television and Studios USA produce the series. NBC Universal Television Distribution currently distributes it.
Columbo TV Series Episodes
Columbo ran for ten seasons with a total of 69 episodes. Each episode ranges from 73 to 98 minutes. All of the episodes are available to watch online at Amazon Video.
Here’s a preview:
Spinoff Shows
The Columbo TV series spawned a similar format on Wednesday nights with fare such as The Snoop Sisters, Hec Ramsey, and Banacek. Columbo aired regularly from 1971 to 1978 on the NBC television network and then more infrequently on the ABC network beginning in 1989. The most recent episode was broadcast in 2003.
Questions and Comments
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Check out other shows on our list of the Best Crime TV series.
