Columbo - One Original Detective

[Wirral Writer]

Do all you Columbo fans think that he was one original - and quite quirky - detective? Peter Falk brought such character and charsima to that role, depicting the character so consummately that you almost thought he was real.

Iconic character traits of Columbo were is his ability to have the suspect flustered and tied up in knots as they attempted to evade Columbo's clever questioning and keen eye for the slightest slip up; his crafty way of feigning stupidity, when all the time he certainly knew what he was doing; and, of course, his status symbols like the creased trenchcoat, the old-fashioned-looking car, the dog, and his constant verbal referrals to his "wife", whom we never ever see in the series. The bits of wise-cracking humour he often injected into his character was also a very enjoyable trait.

Like Sherlock Holmes with his deerstalker and Kojak with his lollipops, Columbo is certainly a fictional detective that will never ever be forgotten. Do you all agree?

[spuggybridge]

Re: Columbo - One Original Detective

My other half used to hate this, but after watching the re-runs again she loves Columbo. love the way something innoquous from the begining leads to the eventual downfall of the murderer

[darren]

Re: Columbo - One Original Detective

love it.

he always acts as if he has not clue not the full shilling.
it makes the people involved in the crime he is investigating not take him serious and they let things slip.

but he is a very clever man.


yeah this wife of his must be quite a woman.

[amethyst]

Re: Columbo - One Original Detective

They usually put columbo on the box every weekend
His famous mac he wore even in the LA heat
When he used to say to the culprit just one more thing MR?
His car, played a good part

[Wirral Writer]

Re: Columbo - One Original Detective

I know. Classic TV.

[Richard1978]

Re: Columbo - One Original Detective

I like Columbo, the idea of showing the "perfect crime" being committed at the beginning is a bit different from most crime shows.

With Columbo acting like a buffoon the villans often thought they had got away with it.

[amethyst]

Re: Columbo - One Original Detective

I loved it when he kept on the heels of the cylprit winding them up making them sweat until he nailed them

[Wirral Writer]

Re: Columbo - One Original Detective

Yeah, I used to love that too.

[shilton dipper]

Re: Columbo - One Original Detective

i probably watched all the columbos when they were first shown..........i could never decide if he was my fav detective or if mcmillan and wife or mcloud just pipped him to the post.........did he ever wash that dirty ol' mac i wonder?

[Richard1978]

Re: Columbo - One Original Detective

I remember in one episode Mrs Columbo was waterproofing it (hopefully washing it too!) on an odd day it rained in LA & Lt Columbo was caught in the rain.

[amethyst]

Re: Columbo - One Original Detective

You did see him in a suit a few times and I do recall seeing him maybe in an hawaiian shirt whilst on a cruise,he mentioned the wife but I never saw her anyway.

[Sandy Sandwich]

Re: Columbo - One Original Detective

Mrs Columbo had her own spin off series, Mrs Columbo that only ran for thirteen episodes in 1979. The character is called Kate and she is in her mid-twenties. Columbo first mentions his wife in the 1967 Columbo episode Prescription Murder. This means his wife was barely thirteen when he married her!

Mrs. Columbo spin-off[edit]

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 ashtrays 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 nor was she meant to have any connection with him at all.

[amethyst]

Re: Columbo - One Original Detective

I have been watching the episodes they show on the weekend its great to record then watch them on saturday or sunday evening,great character so shrewd always smoking a cigar,he did actually take his mack off,then the suit he wears was the beige colour to match his mac its so funny and that old banger he drives around a copper on a bike actually stopped him until he showed his identity

[Austin Maxi]

Re: Columbo - One Original Detective

What I remember about Columbo was the way he would put his hand to his forehead, turn to his suspect and say "Just one more question...", before delivering the verdict that would absolutely nail the guilty party.

Columbo's beaten up old car was a 1959 Peugeot 403 Convertible. An unusual choice, but I guess ideal for an unconventional detective.

[Wirral Writer]

Re: Columbo - One Original Detective

What I remember about Columbo was the way he would put his hand to his forehead, turn to his suspect and say "Just one more question...", before delivering the verdict that would absolutely nail the guilty party.

Columbo's beaten up old car was a 1959 Peugeot 403 Convertible. An unusual choice, but I guess ideal for an unconventional detective.

Peter Falk, like Telly Savalas (who played Kojak), was a great character actor, and brought such memorable traits to the role of Columbo. That's what made the detective so interesting. We need more character actors like him today.