Columbo

1971–2003 · Crime, Drama, Mystery · 10 seasons · ★ 8.1

Ended

Synopsis of Columbo

Lieutenant Columbo is a homicide detective with the Los Angeles Police Department. He wears a rumpled beige raincoat, smokes cigars, and affects a scatterbrained manner that leads his suspects to underestimate him. Created by Richard Levinson and William Link, the series airs on NBC and stars Peter Falk. Each story reveals the crime and its perpetrator from the start, so the mystery is not about who committed the crime. The conflict arises from the clash between a murderer who is confident, often a wealthy and powerful person, and a policeman who asks seemingly innocent questions. Columbo works to gather the evidence that proves the suspect's guilt, while the suspect tries to throw him off track and cover his tracks.

«Oh, just one more thing...»

10seasons

67episodes

88 minper episode

8.1audience scoreTMDB · 876 votes

8.3IMDb rating48,597 votes

Seasons of Columbo

Season 11971 · 7 ep. · ★ 7.3

Season 21972 · 8 ep. · ★ 7.3

Season 31973 · 8 ep. · ★ 7.6

Season 41974 · 6 ep. · ★ 7.5

Season 51975 · 6 ep. · ★ 7.0

Season 61976 · 3 ep. · ★ 7.3

Season 71977 · 5 ep. · ★ 7.5

Season 81989 · 4 ep. · ★ 6.6

Season 91989 · 6 ep. · ★ 6.9

Season 101990 · 14 ep. · ★ 7.1

Cast by Columbo

Peter FalkLt. Columbo67 episodes

John FinneganSean Jarvis12 episodes

Bruce KirbyTV Repairman9 episodes

Mike LallyPolice Photographer (uncredited)8 episodes

Shera DaneseMolly6 episodes

Vito ScottiChadwick6 episodes

Ed McCreadyEd5 episodes

Robert CulpPaul Hanlon4 episodes

Patrick McGoohanOscar Finch4 episodes

Val AveryHarry Barnes4 episodes

Jerome GuardinoSergeant Burke4 episodes

Steven GilbornGeorge4 episodes

Charles D. MillerCrime Scene Cop4 episodes

Fred DraperSwanny Swanso4 episodes

Dianne Turley TravisExecutive (uncredited)4 episodes

Gerry OkuneffWalter Sterling4 episodes

Bob HarksPoliceman (uncredited)4 episodes

Jack CassidyThe Great Santini3 episodes

Arlene MartelSalesgirl3 episodes

Cliff CarnellOfficer Wilson3 episodes

Milt KoganMedical Examiner3 episodes

Robert DonnerZeke Rivers3 episodes

Victor IzayMedical Examiner3 episodes

Richard StahlBurton (as Dick Stahl)3 episodes

Jimmy JoyceWorkman3 episodes

Manuel DePinaDetective #13 episodes

Alan FudgeMr. Redman3 episodes

Stewart J. ZullySewell3 episodes

Harvey GoldCoroner3 episodes

Bill ZuckertCaptain Sampson3 episodes

Dennis RobertsonDetective Marley3 episodes

Cosmo SardoExecutive (uncredited)3 episodes

Morgan JonesLab Technician3 episodes

John PetlockMedical Examiner3 episodes

Ray BallardGardener (uncredited)3 episodes

Tim O'ConnorMichael Hatheway2 episodes

George HamiltonWade Anders2 episodes

Dabney ColemanDetective Murray2 episodes

Mariette HartleyVeronica2 episodes

Jeanette NolanMrs. Peck2 episodes

Technical Details

Created by: William Link, Richard Levinson
Address: Vincent McEveety, James Frawley, Patrick McGoohan, Bernard L. Kowalski, Harvey Hart
Production companies: Universal Television, Studios USA, Universal Television Entertainment, NBC Studios
Network or Platform: ABC, NBC
Country: United States
Original Language: English
Premiere: September 15, 1971
Last Episode: January 30, 2003 (10x14)
Status: Ended
Type: Fiction
Awards: Won 13 Emmy Awards; 24 wins and 50 nominations in total.
Links: IMDb · TMDB

Trivia about Columbo

The series was an instant hit in the Nielsen ratings, and Peter Falk won an Emmy for his role in the first season of Columbo.

Peter Falk often added quirks to his character, such as rummaging through his pockets or asking for a pencil, so that the other actors would react more naturally.

Columbo had an unofficial theme song, the British nursery rhyme "This Old Man," which the detective hums or whistles in many episodes.

The theme "The Mystery Movie Theme," by Henry Mancini, was used in 38 Columbo episodes between 1971 and 1977.

Peter Falk received a request from the U.S. State Department to record a commercial to air on Romanian television.

The original regular run of "Columbo" ended in 1978 when Peter Falk and the network could not agree on the budget; the series returned in 1989 with new TV movies.

"Mrs. Columbo," the spin-off starring Kate Mulgrew, premiered in 1979 despite opposition from the creators of "Columbo" and Peter Falk, and lasted only 13 episodes over two seasons.

Bing Crosby and Lee J. Cobb initially turned down the role of Lieutenant Columbo, which was ultimately taken by Peter Falk.

Sources: Wikipedia (English)

Trailer for Columbo

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Cast of Columbo in other movies and series

Bruce KirbyTV Repairman

Robert CulpPaul Hanlon

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Frequently Asked Questions

How many seasons does Columbo have?

Columbo has 10 seasons and 67 episodes in total.

¿Dónde ver Columbo?

Columbo está disponible por suscripción en Amazon Prime Video, Movistar Plus+ Ficción Total , SkyShowtime y Amazon Prime Video with Ads (la oferta puede variar según el país).

Has Columbo ended?

Yes. Columbo has ended, and its final episode aired on January 30, 2003.

Who's in Columbo?

The main cast includes Peter Falk (Lt. Columbo), John Finnegan (Sean Jarvis), Bruce Kirby (TV Repairman), and Mike Lally (Police Photographer (uncredited)).

Who created Columbo?

Columbo was created by William Link and Richard Levinson.

How long does it take to watch all of Columbo?

With episodes of about 88 minutes, watching all 67 episodes takes approximately 98 hours.