“I happen to think Columbo is the greatest television series ever made,” Stephen Fry said on QI. Many viewers around the globe share Fry’s view. Things try tearing our world apart, but Columbo is still a charming, tranquil, elegant crime show that is perfect comfort viewing under fluffy blankets as well as a great family experience. Undoubtedly, the biggest reason the series is still considered one of the prime examples of television is its protagonist himself. FSR’s Meg Shields once described the endearing detective as “weaponized imposter syndrome.” He is underestimated, and he knows how to use it. Every killer overlooks him, not expecting their brilliance ever to get shattered by a clumsy lieutenant with a beat-up car.

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Columbo is eccentrically disorganized, and, on many occasions, he acts absent-minded. Also, he looks like a man who spent last night sleeping in a bale of straw. He is frequently accompanied by his basset hound and tells strange little anecdotes about his wife, who we never see on screen yet always seems “to be around” somehow. Altogether, he is a down-to-earth hero with the genius of Sherlock Holmes. We root for him because we love him.

And why would we really need a successor to this show? Because its hero is a flesh and bone character. He brings an old-school charm and much peace to the small screen. He looks like an everyday man, has a wife, a rescue dog, and an old Peugeot 403. In a way, he could be my neighbor, your neighbor, or as a matter of fact, any of us. Columbo makes us think about all the hidden potential and brilliance that can lie unnoticed beneath the surface.

The Secrets to Lasting Appeal

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A remake of Columbo seems unimaginable, knowing that Peter Falk was the beating heart of the show. The series showcases him at his best. He is original and naturalistic as Lt. Columbo and excellent at keeping things ambiguous even to his audience. We are never sure how much of Columbo’s eccentricity is a conscious act. We are never in the detective’s mind. How could we? After all, he is a genius. Falk wears his own clothes and smokes his own cigarette while portraying the character. According to a legend, he bought “Columbo’s” beige raincoat while getting caught in a sudden storm in New York.

The creators of the show and character, Richard Levinson and William Link, were proud to have made a gentle, intelligent series and involved no brutality or blood whatsoever. While at university, they got inspired to craft the character of Columbo after reading Dostoyevsky’s Crime and Punishment. Porfiry Petrovich, the investigator of the novel, seems to know Raskolnikov is guilty from the start and keeps reappearing, trying to provoke him into a confession.

According to Levinson, Columbo’s catchphrase “one more thing” has its roots in some laziness. In the book The Columbo Phile: A Casebook, Levinson explained, “We had a scene that was too short, and we had already had Columbo make his exit. We were too lazy to retype the scene, so we had him come back and say, ‘Oh, just one more thing.’ It was never planned.” But then again, the best things are never planned, right?

It adds to the show’s singularity that its writers broke the usual formula of crime television. Instead of being a classic “whodunit” where we follow the detectives on their journey investigating the murder and eventually finding the killer, Columbo inverts the frame. Each episode starts with the murderer’s story, personal tribulations, and the act of murder. However, the mystery is not destroyed by the quick revealing of the antagonist. It simply shifts our attention in a different direction. We learn more about the motivations and machinations of the killer and the mistakes he made while constructing his plan. Columbo does not even show up until 15 or 20 minutes into the episode. This unique concept makes the show a “howdunnit” or a “howcatchem,” which is an intriguing little cousin to the “whodunit” narrative structure.

Each episode follows an unusual rhythm too. Unusual, compared to fast-paced mainstream shows like Bones or any of the hundred versions of CSI. Every story is told in 70 to 98-minute chapters and is filled with a certain kind of good-old-days tranquility and slowness. We have plenty of time and “space” to get to know each character, yet the show, even to this day, does not feel long or dragging. Nevertheless, it might be a bit of a challenge, at first, for our shrinking attention spans.

Guest Stars and Directors

The killer is almost always part of the Los Angeles elite, a wealthy person of influence and sometimes even of considerable fame. A mystery novel writer, a fitness trainer, a computer scientist, a chess master, a heart surgeon, a sommelier, a politician, a painter, or whatever it might be that day. Many famous-for-the-era guest stars appeared as murderers over the years, from Jamie Lee Curtis and John Cassavetes to Dick Van Dyke. Since Columbo is of a blue-collar background, the financial and lifestyle difference instantly creates a fish out of water feeling between the lieutenant and his opponent. According to Link and Levinson, their only intention was to create a massive gap between the two parties, not to make any political or social commentaries. Columbo does not tap into hot topics, staying above everyday socio-political debates and differences. That is one more reason why we need heroes like him in today’s climate.

The young talent behind the camera, such as 24-year-old Steven Spielberg, Jonathan Demme, and Steven Bochco, coaxed fine performances from established talent. The show is exquisitely directed with fierce creativity that holds up to even modern-day standards. Neo-noir, drama, comedy, and crime meets crafted scenes and beautiful set designs.

The Show’s Global Success & Legacy

Since its premiere in 1968, the show has been broadcast in over 44 countries. Peter Falk, who was admittedly a life-long fan of foreign cultures, said a number of times that he loved to hear the little detective talk in foreign languages. Falk embraced the fact that he became most widely known due to his portrayal of Columbo, though he had also made many highly successful movies that earned him 2 Oscar nods during his career (Pocketful of Miracles; Murder, Inc.).

Columbo received numerous awards and nominations from 1971 to 2005, including 13 Emmys, 2 Golden Globe Awards, 2 Edgar Awards, and a TV Land Award nomination in 2005 for Peter Falk. It is 69 episodes of true binge-worthy television.

You can watch Columbo on Peacock or stream the show for free on IMDb TV.