Editing Columbo (section)

== Contributors ==
=== Guest stars ===
The series featured many guest stars as murderers and in other roles.

Some actors appeared more than once, playing a different character each time. Among those actors are [[Jack Cassidy]], [[Robert Culp]], [[Tyne Daly]], [[Shera Danese]], [[George Hamilton (actor)|George Hamilton]], [[Patrick McGoohan]], [[Ray Milland]], [[Leslie Nielsen]], [[Tim O'Connor (actor)|Tim O'Connor]], [[Dean Stockwell]] and [[William Shatner]].

=== Directors and writers ===
{{See also|List of Columbo episodes}}
The first season première "Murder by the Book" was written by [[Steven Bochco]] and directed by [[Steven Spielberg]]. [[Jonathan Demme]] directed the seventh-season episode "Murder Under Glass". [[Jonathan Latimer]] was also a writer. Actor [[Ben Gazzara]], a friend of Falk's, directed the episodes "A Friend in Deed" (1974) and "Troubled Waters" (1975).

Falk himself directed the last episode of the first season, "Blueprint for Murder," and wrote the episode entitled "It's All in the Game" in season 10. Actor [[Nicholas Colasanto]], best known for playing Coach on ''[[Cheers]]'', directed two episodes, "Swan Song" with [[Johnny Cash]], and "Étude in Black".

[[Patrick McGoohan]] directed five episodes (including three of the four in which he played the murderer) and wrote and produced two. [[Vincent McEveety]] was a frequent director, and homage was paid to him by a humorous mention of a character with his surname in the episode "Undercover" (which he directed).

Two episodes, "No Time to Die" and "Undercover", were based on the [[87th Precinct]] novels by [[Ed McBain]],<ref name="Ed McBain's Columbo">{{cite web |title=Ed McBain's Columbo |url=http://www.columbo-site.freeuk.com/mcbain.htm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160408081151/http://www.columbo-site.freeuk.com/mcbain.htm |archive-date=April 8, 2016 |access-date=December 29, 2010 |work=The Ultimate Columbo Site |publisher=}}</ref> and thus do not strictly follow the standard Columbo/inverted detective story format.

=== Score composers ===
''Columbo'' episodes contain a variety of music that contributes to the uniqueness of each. The score becomes of particular importance during turning points of the plots. "The Mystery Movie Theme" by [[Henry Mancini]], written for ''[[The NBC Mystery Movie]]'' series, was used extensively in the whole of 38 episodes, from 1971 to 1977. Unlike the other elements of the ''Mystery Movie'' wheel, ''Columbo'' never had an official theme as such, although some composers, such as [[Dick DeBenedictis]] and [[Gil Mellé]], did write their own signature pieces. Several composers created original music for the series, which was often used along with "The Mystery Movie Theme":
{{Div col}}
* [[Dick DeBenedictis]] (23 episodes, 1972–2003)
* [[Patrick Williams (composer)|Patrick Williams]] (9 episodes, 1977–1992)
* [[Bernardo Segall]] (10 episodes, 1974–1976)
* [[Billy Goldenberg]] (7 episodes, 1971–1974)
* [[Gil Mellé]] (4 episodes, 1971–1972)
* [[Jeff Alexander]] (1 episode, 1975)
* [[Oliver Nelson]] (1 episode, 1972)
* [[Dave Grusin]] (1 episode, 1968)
* [[Robert Prince (composer)|Robert Prince]] (1 episode, 1977)
* [[Jonathan Tunick]] (1 episode, 1978)
* [[John Cacavas]] (3 episodes, 1989–1991)
* [[James Di Pasquale]] (2 episodes, 1990)
* [[Steve Dorff]] (2 episodes, 1991)
* [[Dennis Dreith]] (1 episode, 1990)
* [[Richard Markowitz]] (1 episode, 1990)
* [[David Michael Frank]] (1 episode, 1990)
* [[The Crystal Method]] (1 episode, 2003)
{{div col end}}

Series Music department included:

* [[Quincy Jones]]—composer: "Mystery Movie" theme / "Wednesday Mystery Movie" theme (8 episodes, 1972–1973)
* [[Henry Mancini]]&nbsp;– composer: "Mystery Movie" theme / "Sunday Mystery Movie" theme (38 episodes, 1971–1977)
* [[Hal Mooney]]&nbsp;– music supervisor (27 episodes, 1972–1976)
* [[Mike Post]]&nbsp;– composer: "Mystery Movie" theme (9 episodes, 1989–1990)

[[Patrick Williams (composer)|Patrick Williams]] received two [[Emmy Award|Emmy]]s nominations for Outstanding Music Composition for a Series in 1978 (for "Try and Catch Me") and 1989 (for "Murder, Smoke and Shadows"). [[Billy Goldenberg]] was nominated in the same category in 1972 for "Lady in Waiting".

''Columbo'' also featured an unofficial signature tune, the British children's song "[[This Old Man]]". It was introduced in the episode "Any Old Port in a Storm" in 1973 and the detective can be heard humming or whistling it often in subsequent films. Falk said it was a melody he personally enjoyed and one day it became a part of his character.<ref>{{cite web |title=Columbo Sounds & Themes |url=http://www.columbo-site.freeuk.com/theme.htm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120316100032/http://www.columbo-site.freeuk.com/theme.htm |archive-date=March 16, 2012 |access-date=February 13, 2012 |website=The Ultimate Columbo Site}}</ref> The tune was also used in various score arrangements throughout the three decades of the series, including opening and closing credits. A version of it, titled "Columbo", was created by Patrick Williams.<ref>{{cite web |title=Columbo |url=http://www.classicthemes.com/50sTVThemes/themePages/columbo.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110623074513/http://classicthemes.com/50sTVThemes/themePages/columbo.html |archive-date=June 23, 2011 |access-date=June 27, 2011 |website=classicthemes.com |publisher=The Media Management Group}}</ref>