Los Angeles homicide detective, Lieutenant Columbo, uses his humble ways and ingenuous demeanor to root out even the most well-concealed crimes.Los Angeles homicide detective, Lieutenant Columbo, uses his humble ways and ingenuous demeanor to root out even the most well-concealed crimes.Los Angeles homicide detective, Lieutenant Columbo, uses his humble ways and ingenuous demeanor to root out even the most well-concealed crimes.
- Won 13 Primetime Emmys
- 23 wins & 49 nominations total
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Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaColumbo's wardrobe consisted of Peter Falk's own clothes, including the high-topped shoes and shabby suit. Falk bought the famous raincoat, which first appeared in "Prescription: Murder (1968)," for $15 in 1967, when he got caught in a New York City rainstorm. A life-long cigarette smoker, Falk added the cigar as a personal touch.
- GoofsA few episodes have the murderer firing a silenced gun without any close by character hearing it. A silencer does not muffle the noise completely, as it can still be heard by someone nearby. (This is a common mistake in TV and films).
- ConnectionsEdited into The NBC Tuesday Mystery Movie (1971)
Featured review
Saved for the special occasions
Throughout the entire run of the series which went over 30 years with revivals and such the LAPD never assigned Peter Falk some gang-banger slaying or a domestic dispute where a drunk and jealous husband might have carved up an unfaithful wife. No, Lt. Columbo always got the high profile stuff with prominent people as victims and perpetrators. Before there was Brenda Lee Johnson there was another disarming detective who got the job done every time.
Peter Falk created one of the most indelible characters ever on the small screen with Columbo. The rumpled raincoat in an area where rain is a rarity, the bumbling manner, the general obsequiousness all played into an image he deliberately wanted to create for the perpetrator he was trying to trap. We all knew who did it every week and we all knew that there was an elaborate plan involved that the perpetrator put into operation. Often it called for an attempt to frame someone else.
It would all unravel bit by bit. Even if the murderer didn't confess outright you knew it was all over. The best criminal lawyers didn't let anyone wriggle out of a Columbo trap.
Columbo was a great working class hero, an Archie Bunker, or a Ralph Kramden who took the police civil service exam and worked his way up to the top of his profession. It was why he was so popular.
And it's why he will ever remain so.
Peter Falk created one of the most indelible characters ever on the small screen with Columbo. The rumpled raincoat in an area where rain is a rarity, the bumbling manner, the general obsequiousness all played into an image he deliberately wanted to create for the perpetrator he was trying to trap. We all knew who did it every week and we all knew that there was an elaborate plan involved that the perpetrator put into operation. Often it called for an attempt to frame someone else.
It would all unravel bit by bit. Even if the murderer didn't confess outright you knew it was all over. The best criminal lawyers didn't let anyone wriggle out of a Columbo trap.
Columbo was a great working class hero, an Archie Bunker, or a Ralph Kramden who took the police civil service exam and worked his way up to the top of his profession. It was why he was so popular.
And it's why he will ever remain so.
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- bkoganbing
- Jul 2, 2012
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Details
- Release date
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- Also known as
- NBC Sunday Mystery Movie: Columbo
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- See more company credits at IMDbPro
- Runtime1 hour 40 minutes
- Aspect ratio
- 1.33 : 1
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