Columbo

Columbo is a friendly, verbose, disheveled-looking police detective who is consistently underestimated by his suspects. Despite his unprepossessing appearance and apparent absentmindedness, he shrewdly solves all of his cases and secures all evidence needed for indictment. His formidable eye for detail and meticulously dedicated approach often become clear to the killer only late in the storyline.

Columbo (1971-2003) is an American national-television crime mystery series created by William Link and Richard Levinson, broadcast across ABC and NBC. Peter Falk plays Lt. Columbo, a friendly, verbose, disheveled Los Angeles homicide detective whose shabby raincoat and seemingly scattered manner lull wealthy suspects into dismissing him. The engine of each episode is an inverted whodunit: the murderer is shown at the outset, often a respected doctor, executive or artist who believes the crime is perfect, and the drama lies in watching Columbo circle back with patient questions, small inconsistencies and quiet persistence until the trap closes. Guest stars such as Martin Sheen and Johnny Cash appear in individual installments, and each season is built from self-contained cases rather than a continuing storyline. Across ten seasons and sixty-seven episodes, the tone stays gentle, witty and cozy, with a playful rapport between detective and culprit. Fans of Murder, She Wrote, Monk and Mystery! will find resonance in the unassuming sleuth and the clever puzzle-box pleasure of watching an intelligent investigator outmaneuver the overconfident.

Viewers broadly acclaim Columbo as a defining detective series, celebrating Peter Falk's low-key, rumpled lead and the pleasure of watching a killer undone by his cleverness.

• Mystery! (PBS)inverted whodunit with the killer shown early, gentle detective tone, case of the week structure
• Murder, She Wroteunassuming detective who outwits wealthy suspects, cozy procedural mystery tone
• Monkeccentric detective with a quirky personal manner, episodic crime solving with mild tone
• Ellery Queencrime-solving with the audience watching the killer, rumpled everyman investigator

Created by

William Link, Richard Levinson

Release Date

1971-09-15

Episode runtime

76 min

Rating

8.3 / 10 (872)

What is Columbo about?

A rumpled, seemingly absent-minded homicide detective unravels elite murderers one meticulous clue at a time.

What is Columbo like to watch?

Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Columbo as measured, its intensity as mild and its storytelling as easy to follow.

Is Columbo violent?

Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in Columbo as mild.

What did critics think of Columbo?

Viewers broadly acclaim Columbo as a defining detective series, celebrating Peter Falk's low-key, rumpled lead and the pleasure of watching a killer undone by his cleverness.

Which shows are like Columbo?

Shows with a similar feel include Mystery! (PBS), Murder, She Wrote, Monk, and Ellery Queen.

How long is Columbo?

Columbo: 10 seasons, 67 episodes.

Is Columbo still running?

No, Columbo has ended.

Where can I watch Columbo?

In United States, Columbo streams on Amazon Prime Video, Peacock Premium, Amazon Prime Video with Ads, Peacock Premium Plus.