User reviews

Sure, I love modern crime dramas like CSI, but in my opinion, Columbo is on a whole other level. Most crime dramas airing currently are all about complicated chemical tests, DNA, and high-octane car chases and shootouts. Columbo is subtler than that. His common sense, shrewd observation, and disarming demeanor solve the cases. And, more than that, you really get into the psychology of the killers, who are often at least somewhat sympathetic characters driven to the edge by circumstance. In every episode, the scene where Columbo finally confronts them with the solution and hard evidence is always fantastic. This is a gem of a TV show, and I think anybody who likes CSI, Law & Order or any other crime dramas, will seriously enjoy this series.

Good series about a peculiar homicide detective , Lieutenant Columbo , he is a rumpled , cigar-smoking TV inspector, but really dogged sleuth , who is often called on finding out high profile killings , as he investigates twisted cases in Los Angeles City . As Columbo always finds a way to trap the astute murderers or discover enough evidences to make them confess . He has a particular personality and special physical , as he looking like a bum or vagrant , bumbling conduct , scattered mannerisms , he wears a rumpled raincoat and high top shoes . And driving an old car 1959 Peugeot 403 convertible .Columbo taks about his spouse in several chapters , though Mrs Columbo has never seen on Tv screen , Columbo is sometimes seen talking on the phone with her .

Splendid series with plenty of suspense , humor , mystery , emotion and twists . Peter Falk , who in real-life was a long life cigarrette smoker and he added this personal touch, as well as he provided his own wardrobe , including his famous raincoat . Peter gives a magnificent acting as the botcher detective with ingenious demeanor, and disheveled appearance , a completely different point of view against the original project that was as a suave and polished inspector . Falk provides a humorous , comical dimension , but beneath his unusual aspect he is probably the most obstinate and intelligent investigator in Los Angeles police department facing off cunning and nasty people . Falk's debut as the raincoat-clad officer was in 1967 : Columbo , Prescription murder , directed by Richard Irving with Gene Barry , William Windom , Nina Foch , this was the TV series pilot in which he investigates the death of a psychiatrist's wife, of course, Columbo winkles out the killer ; this show's was an instant success . Although , Bing Crosby was offered the first role , but he refused and then Falk took the character who he went on until his death .

The series was extraordinarily played by Peter Falk in 68 episodes. Scriptwritten by famed writers as Steven Bochco , Stephen J Cannell, Jeffrey Bloom and Peter Falk himself . Directed by notorious filmmakers as Leo Penn, Alan J Levi , James Frawley , Vincent McEveety , Boris Sagal and Spielberg made 1 episode titled Murder by the book . Some actors also directed episodes as John Cassavetes, Ben Gazarra , Sam Wanamaker , Norman Lloyd, Patrick McGooham, Daryl Duke and Peter Falk himself . And uncountable , prestigious guest stars , such as : Anne Baxter , Roddy McDowall, Jack Cassidy , William Shatner, Jose Ferrer, Oscar Werner , Johnny Cash , Laurence Harvey , Ricardo Montalban , Richard Foxworth , George Hamilton , Rod Steiger , Ruth Gordon , George Wendt , John Dehner , Tyne Daly , Richard Kiley , Martin Landau , Dyck Van Dyke , Lindsay Crouse , Hector Helizondo and many others

There are a few "Columbo" episodes which were panned by some critics. I DISAGREE WITH THEM ALL. There is one VERY important reason for this. Regardless of the plot, regardless of any script, there is one irrefutable fact. Peter Falk OWNED the role of Lieutenant Columbo. The way only HE could and did that part made any other criticism of the show completely IRRELEVANT! As the ostensibly "bumbling" homicide cop, Falk was always believable as the policeman whose first name no one ever heard. He consistently fooled the murderer into a sense of false security, making them think he would never be able to pin the crime in question on them. But it never mattered WHAT the perpetrator might have thought - he ALWAYS got his man (or woman)!

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.

I just purchased the complete series DVDs and have begun watching. I had forgotten what a great show this is. It's quite interesting to watch as Falk develops the character over time into the iconic Columbo we all remember. In the earliest shows he not as much the sly and subtle adversary lulling the suspect into feeling he can evade justice by outsmarting him.

The "how's he going to nail him" rather whodunit approach also makes the show more watchable multiple times than many mysteries where if you remember the culprit it spoils things. It's a lot more difficult to remember how he figure it out and confronted the killer than it is with other shows to remember who did it.

Columbo is definitely the greatest and most legendary TV detective of all time. My Mum passed on her love of this series to me when I was a child and we have been watching it together ever since. As well as the brilliant stories written for this show, I have to say that it's Peter Falk who makes this series so phenomenal. With his dashing good looks and kind, gentle manly voice, he just gets you transfixed as soon as he appears on the screen. I think he was a very underrated actor indeed. It was so sad to hear of Peter's tragic death but he'll live on in my heart forever as he was a wonderful part of my childhood. Anyone who loves a good crime solving series, you can't beat Columbo.

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

The late Peter Falk helped create one of the greatest ever TV characters in Columbo. However, credit too must go to the scriptwriters & all concerned in the production. Falk's seemingly dithering, fumbling & slightly absent-minded detective masking a razor-sharp brain was the real charm of the character. Add to this the humour that was introduced into some of the very well-written stories, all made for a great show. My favourite humorous moment of all was when he entered a mission for down-and-outs in Los Angeles to interview a witness. In the mission run by nuns he was attended by actress Joyce Van Patten. Seeing his shabby raincoat she naturally wanted to find him a new one, thinking he was down on his luck. After a small protest the sister dismissed it & said, "All are welcome here!.". Endearingly embarrassed as only Columbo as acted by Falk could be, he informed her he was in fact a police detective. The sister then thought, naturally, that he had gone undercover, dressed accordingly & praised his scruffy appearance. "How clever of you!" she concluded. Absolutely priceless scriptwriting!!!. There were many other great comedy asides, usually involving his poorly paid job, but this one I mention was really brilliant. Thank god, despite Peter Falk's death we still have so many great Columbo's to enjoy.

"Columbo" is simply the best detective series ever! Peter Falk as Columbo is wonderful and I absolutely love him. Although the formula is pretty much the same for all the episodes, I never get enough of that cat-and-mouse game that Columbo is playing with his "victims". There are delightful elements of surprise in each episode, that also add up to the puzzle that Columbo himself is. Falk's acting is splendid, his mannerisms are unmistakable, he is so intelligent, natural and subtle. Falk's talent for comedy is a treasure. There is great humor in Columbo's antics, the script is smart and ingenious, and the guest stars, especially the villains, are always a treat.

Besides, Columbo is a very intriguing character. We never really get to know who he is. Yes, there is mystery around Columbo, and catching a glimpse of the man behind the smoke screen is one of those things that have kept audiences watching for decades. He is indeed a fascinating character. "Columbo" will never get old, it's pure entertainment of the best kind. Splendid work!

Seasons 1-7 are the best and remain unmatched by anything else on television, including Columbo later seasons. It's not only the charm of the 70's and 80's that make it fascinating, but it's mainly the quality of the scripts in the early years of "Columbo".

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!!

Like Murder She Wrote, if you see enough of Columbo you see a pattern; they do confirm to a formula, but even knowing that, and knowing who the killer is from the beginning, the journey that Peter Falk as the titular Columbo takes to bring them to justice is intriguing, intelligent and entertaining. Falk plays the iconic Detective in his scruffy raincoat and lopsided tie and ever present cigar, he plays the dumb-ignorant cop who wears suspect's defences and patience down until they crack. Unlike some programs like this, the clues aren't so tenuous but are genuine things that a real killer might miss.

Nothing is too obvious and the feature length episodes are easy entertaining watching. There's not much action or anything particularly fast-paced and Columbo just plods along, rather like his unnamed Bassett Hound, and sleuths until he has enough evidence to arrest the killer. It's more cerebral than glossy and like Murder She Wrote - a comparable program - has many big names (before they were famous) as actors, and is definitely of it's time and some quite dated although episodes were made up until 2003 apparently meaning that the series ran for over thirty years! Despite it's age (starting in the early seventies) some of the story themes are quite dark and tackle subject matter that is seedy, although doing it in a generally suitable for TV viewing way, but still gripping. Murder mystery TV is one of my guilty pleasures and this is one of the best.

I remember watching some random episodes on TV when I was younger and since it's got such a high rating on IMDB, I decided to give it a "proper go" and watch it from beginning to the end, all episodes and all seasons.

I do like Peter Falk and find him charming, but this innovative approach introduced at that time of "inverted detective story" when they show you who did what at the very start gets quite a bit boring very quickly. There is no intrigue, only Columbo trying to catch rich and spoiled culprits. It's fine for a while and it could keep my interest only for the first 5 or 6 episodes. I was wondering all the episodes of this show are going to in the same style and when I found online that they are indeed pretty much the same story, I pulled the plug on it.

I gave it 5 stars as it's not that bad, but just not good enough to keep me entertained. Can't recommended it and in my opinion, it's not worth the time.

Growing up in the early 1970's there were a few TV shows which I would call "iconic"; "Kung Fu" was one, and the UK series "Thriller" was another. But if we had pizza in those days the one series which would make you want to open a beer and heat up a pizza was "Columbo". We all know the story; you see the murder and Columbo gradually pieces together the clues, often by thinking "what would I do in that situation?". In one episode the murderer gives a kid some money to go to the movies and Columbo says "did he ever do that before?". The kid replies "No, never, is it important?" and Columbo replies "Well when people do things they never did before that bothers me!". And that is his modus operandi; no matter how carefully the murder is planned, the killer always forgets something. He had a host of stellar co-stars but the standouts are Robert Culp (my favourite), Patrick McGoohan and Jack Cassidy. Although Peter Falk passed away 1.5 years ago he has left a body of work to be celebrated forever.

I can't believe there are so few reviews on this, Columbo is one of the defining detectives on television. He's so low key, so unimposing, and it's a pleasure watching him take down all those criminals that think they are are smarter than him, better than him because of, well how little and, well how wrinkled and cheap he appears.

He's the opposite of so many detectives on television these days, the everyman solving crimes.

It's just a brilliant approach to a character, and one that is fantastically fun to watch.

I'm a huge crime fan, Sherlock Holmes, Agatha Christie et al. Columbo is head and shoulders above all comers. Such a clever premise of seeing the murderer at the start and watch Columbo snare his man (or woman). Columbo is a genius. But it only works with a suitable villain. jack Cassidy is my favourite but there are so many real stars making an appearance (check them out). True, the later episodes don't compare to the pinnacle of the show but every episode is worth a watch (or 2, or 3......) Just one more thing.......

Detective perfection, most laughs when he take the "quickest way down the hill" to check on a car crash.

I am a big fan of the show and urge everyone to watch at least one Columbo episode in their life. My favourite episodes are the three Jack Cassidy ones and the William Shatner one. Shatner delivers an incredible performance as Ward Fowler in Fade In To Murder. It is very cleverly written- both detectives challenging each other throughout and Lucerne 'helping' Columbo to solve the crime. If only they made shows like that this century. These days old shows can look dated- but look past that and you'll see some of the best actors of the 1970's going to to toe with the world's greatest detective. Jack Cassidy was the best villain ever in the series and if you don't like the Cassidy/Shatner episodes you probably are not a Columbo fan.

For most of the 1970s I was married, living in the New Orleans area, and raising five young children. "Columbo" is one of the TV shows that we enjoyed. Now I am able to re-watch the series in 2024, streaming on Peacock, starting with Season 1, Episode 1, running 1 hour 15 minutes. I don't recall the schedule clearly but that must have taken up a 90-minute time slot with only about 15 minutes of commercials.

Peter Falk makes the show, with his low-keyed quirkiness. He is Los Angeles police department Detective Columbo. His signature looks are an old, beat-up car and a wrinkled tan all-weather coat, the kinds most of us professionals wore back then, with a zip-out lining. I wore one to work for years and it looked about as beat-up as his. In fact, I still have one hanging in my coat closet!

His signature characteristic is to complete a discussion with a suspect, then start to walk away, only to stop and ask, "One more thing...".

The shows were done in the style where we, the viewers, witnessed the murder within the first few minutes, then Columbo would show up and the rest of the show was to see how he would gather clues and solve the crime.

Interestingly the very first episode was directed by a 24-yr-old Steven Spielberg.

Columbo is simply great. That's it. No other words needed.

If I could give this 20 stars I would. My favourite detective show. Peter Falk is an absolute legend. Mark Ruffalo would make a great Columbo if they ever decided to remake/reboot it.