Columbo

1h 28min

Crime

Drama

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.

Production Companies

Universal Television

Studios USA

Universal Television Entertainment

NBC Studios

Episodes

Cast

Murder by the Book

1. Murder by the Book

1h 16min

15th Sep 1971

One member of a mystery-writing-team decides to kill his more talented partner when the better writer decides to go solo.

Death Lends a Hand

2. Death Lends a Hand

1h 16min

6th Oct 1971

A private investigator kills his client's wife after she threatens to expose his blackmail scheme. The client then hires the detective to assist Columbo in the search for the killer.

Dead Weight

3. Dead Weight

1h 16min

27th Oct 1971

A famous general kills a business associate, then woos a neurotic female witness to thwart Columbo's investigation.

Suitable for Framing

4. Suitable for Framing

1h 16min

17th Nov 1971

An art critic, Dale Kingston, kills his uncle for his valuable collection of paintings. All the clues lead to the dead man's first wife. Can Columbo correct the Lieutenant's error before it is too late?

Lady in Waiting

5. Lady in Waiting

1h 15min

15th Dec 1971

A woman shoots her overbearing brother, claiming she thought he was a burglar. Columbo doesn't buy the self-defense claim - he know's it's murder.

Short Fuse

6. Short Fuse

1h 15min

19th Jan 1972

A chemist rigs a bomb in his uncle's car to gain control of his uncle's company, then plants clues to make Columbo suspicious of the company's Vice-President.

Blueprint for Murder

7. Blueprint for Murder

1h 15min

9th Feb 1972

An architect kills his business partner and deliberately lets Columbo suspect him, leading Columbo to think that he's hidden the body in the foundation of a building under construction. He plans to let Columbo dig up the site and find nothing, knowing that its the perfect place to hide the body since Columbo would never look in the same place twice.

First air date

15th Sep 1971

Last air date

30th Jan 2003

Status

Ended

Type

Scripted

Original language

en

Networks