Editing Columbo (section)

{{Short description|American crime drama television film series}}
{{about|the television series|the titular character|Columbo (character)|the Sri Lankan city|Colombo|other uses|Columbo (disambiguation)}}
{{Use American English|date=September 2022}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=September 2022}}
{{Infobox television
| image              = Columbo-Logo.svg
| caption            = 
| genre              = [[Crime fiction|Crime drama]]<br/>[[Detective fiction]]<br/>[[Neo-noir]]
| camera             = [[Single-camera setup|Single-camera]]
| num_seasons        = 10
| runtime            = 73–98 minutes
| creator            = [[Richard Levinson]]<br/>[[William Link]]
| executive_producer = [[Dean Hargrove]] (1973–1975)<br>[[Roland Kibbee]] (1973–1975)<br>Richard Levinson (1971)<br>William Link (1971)<br>[[Philip Saltzman]] (1989)<ref name=lat>{{cite news|title=Philip Saltzman, Producer of 'Barnaby Jones'|url=http://www.latimes.com/news/obituaries/la-me-passings22-2009aug22,0,3124034.story|newspaper=[[Los Angeles Times]]|date=August 21, 2009|access-date=August 23, 2009|archive-date=August 27, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090827041609/http://www.latimes.com/news/obituaries/la-me-passings22-2009aug22,0,3124034.story|url-status=live}}</ref>
| company            = [[Universal Television]] (1968–1978, 1989–1997)<br/>[[Universal Television#Studios USA Television|Studios USA]] (1998–2001)<br/>[[Universal Television#PolyGram Television/Universal Network Television|Universal Network Television]] (2003)
| starring           = [[Peter Falk]]
| country            = United States
| language           = English
| theme_music_composer = [[Henry Mancini]] (''NBC Mystery Movie'' theme, seasons 1-7)<br> [[Mike Post]] (''ABC Mystery Movie'' theme, seasons 8-9)
| network            = [[NBC]]
| network2           = [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]]
| first_aired        = {{Start date|1968|02|20}}
| last_aired         = {{End date|1978|05|13}}
| first_aired2       = {{Start date|1989|02|06}}
| last_aired2        = {{End date|2003|01|30}}
| num_episodes       = 69
| list_episodes      = List of Columbo episodes
| related            = ''[[Mrs. Columbo]]''<br>(1979–1980)<br>''[[The NBC Mystery Movie]]''
}}

'''''Columbo''''' is an American [[crime drama]] television series starring [[Peter Falk]] as [[Columbo (character)|Lieutenant Columbo]], a homicide [[detective]] with the [[Los Angeles Police Department]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1990/11/28/movies/falk-s-career-strategy-who-needs-a-strategy.html|title=Falk's career strategy: who needs a strategy?|newspaper=[[The New York Times]]|date=November 28, 1990|access-date=June 27, 2011|first=Glenn|last=Collins|archive-date=September 8, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170908202416/http://www.nytimes.com/1990/11/28/movies/falk-s-career-strategy-who-needs-a-strategy.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1991/12/15/arts/television-just-one-more-thing.html|title=Television: just one more thing|work=The New York Times|date=December 15, 1991|access-date=June 27, 2011|first=Woody|last=Hochswender|archive-date=June 27, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180627073854/https://www.nytimes.com/1991/12/15/arts/television-just-one-more-thing.html|url-status=live}}</ref> After two pilot episodes in 1968 and 1971, the show originally aired on [[NBC]] from 1971 to 1978 as one of the rotating programs of ''[[The NBC Mystery Movie]]''. ''Columbo'' then aired on [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]] as a rotating program on ''The ABC Mystery Movie'' from 1989 to 1990, and on a less frequent basis from 1990 to 2003.

Columbo is a shrewd and exceptionally observant homicide detective whose trademarks include his rumpled beige raincoat, unassuming demeanor, cigar, battered [[Peugeot 403]] car,<ref>{{cite web |last1=Burns |first1=Stephen |last2=Kerin |first2=Ted |date= |title=Columbo's car - Just One More Thing |work=The Ultimate Columbo Site |url=http://www.columbo-site.freeuk.com/car.htm |url-status=live |access-date=July 17, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220623061751/http://www.columbo-site.freeuk.com/car.htm |archive-date=June 23, 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |date=February 13, 2022 |title=The 10 coolest Columbo cars of the 70s |work=Columbophile |url=https://columbophile.com/2022/02/13/the-10-coolest-columbo-cars-of-the-70s/ |url-status=live |access-date=July 17, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220717221011/https://columbophile.com/2022/02/13/the-10-coolest-columbo-cars-of-the-70s/amp/ |archive-date=July 17, 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://eu.wickedlocal.com/story/carver-reporter/2020/06/29/cars-we-remember-peugeot-history-and-detective-columbos-1959-peugeot-403/114632890/|title=Peugeot history and Detective Columbo's 1959 Peugeot 403|first=Greg|last=Zyla|access-date=July 17, 2022|archive-date=October 1, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221001223636/https://eu.wickedlocal.com/story/carver-reporter/2020/06/29/cars-we-remember-peugeot-history-and-detective-columbos-1959-peugeot-403/114632890/|url-status=live}}</ref> love of [[chili con carne|chili]], and [[Unseen character|unseen wife]] (whom he mentions frequently). He often leaves a room only to return with the [[catchphrase]] "Just one more thing" to ask a critical question.

The character and show, created by [[Richard Levinson]] and [[William Link]], popularized the [[inverted detective story]] format (sometimes referred to as a "howcatchem"). This genre begins by showing the commission of the crime and its perpetrator; the plot therefore usually has no "[[whodunit]]" element of determining which of several suspects committed the crime. It instead revolves around how a perpetrator known to the audience will finally be caught and exposed. The clues Columbo finds to help him solve the case are sometimes revealed to the audience beforehand, but often not until the episode's end.

The series' [[homicide]] suspects are often affluent members of high society; it has led some critics to see [[class conflict]] as an element of each story.<ref name="NYT1973">{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1973/04/01/archives/columbo-knows-the-butler-didn-t-do-it.html|title=Columbo Knows the Butler Didn't Do It|newspaper=[[The New York Times]]|date=April 1, 1973|access-date=October 9, 2020|first=Jeff|last=Greenfield|archive-date=November 1, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201101055525/http://www.nytimes.com/1973/04/01/archives/columbo-knows-the-butler-didn-t-do-it.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Suspects carefully cover their tracks and are initially dismissive of Columbo's [[circumstantial speech]] and apparent ineptitude. They become increasingly unsettled as his superficially pestering behavior teases out incriminating evidence.<ref name="NYT1973"/> His relentless approach often leads to [[self-incrimination]] or outright confession.

Episodes of ''Columbo'' are between 70 and 98 minutes long, and they have been broadcast in 44 countries. The show has been described by the [[BBC]] as "timeless" and remains popular today.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Curran |first=Shaun |title=Why the world still loves 1970s detective show Columbo |url=https://www.bbc.com/culture/article/20210909-why-the-world-still-loves-1970s-detective-show-columbo |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220915190109/https://www.bbc.com/culture/article/20210909-why-the-world-still-loves-1970s-detective-show-columbo |archive-date=September 15, 2022 |access-date=2022-09-15 |website=[[BBC]] |language=en}}</ref>
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