He may not have appeared in any episodes, but that doesn’t stop Mark Dawidziak from being considered Columbo royalty. Here, the author of the critically acclaimed casebook The Columbo Phile, recalls his experiences of putting the book together as it celebrates its 30th anniversary.
Legendary Columbo commentator Mark Dawidziak, author of The Columbo Phile book, has published a fine tribute to the show to mark its 50th anniversary. Every fan ought to read it!
The big budget Etude in Black, the first episode of Columbo’s second season, was ‘event television’ in the truest sense – and remains many fans’ favourite episode. But just what are its absolute highlights? Here’s my take on Etude’s top 5 scenes…
As we celebrate the 50th anniversary of the first airing of Prescription: Miurder, here’s a little bit about the origins of the Columbo character – and the actors who played him before Peter Falk.
Great news! A new biography of Peter Falk is out now, and should be considered essential reading for all Columbo fans.
I’ve chronicled a selection of super-cool Peter Falk / Columbo magazine covers and would LOVE to hear your thoughts on them. Many are rock-star cool…
Starring an irate Laurence Harvey, The Most Dangerous Match pits Lieutenant Columbo against a fiendish chess Grandmaster. How will he outsmart such a wily mind? Let’s see…
If you like a bit of eye candy when you’re watching Columbo, get ready to phwoooar away to your heart’s content as we consider the show’s most devilishly handsome hombres.
In a first for the Columbophile blog, regular reader Richard Weill – a playwright, lawyer and former US prosecutor – provides a very different perspective to my own on Columbo Dagger of the Mind.
A tribute to Columbo’s ‘Super-Six’ support stars Val Avery, Fred Draper, Vito Scotti, Bruce Kirby, John Finnegan and Mike Lally, who clocked up 60 appearances between them.
Wow, 2016 was a shocker wasn’t it? Many of the world’s most popular stars of stage, screen, concert hall and sporting arena took their one-way trips to the Pearly Gates. Columbo fans weren’t immune to these losses and a number of much-loved guest stars bid us farewell.
As it’s already well into November, it’s high time you started making Christmas plans for the Columbo fan in your life – or filling out your own Columbo wishlist if you’re the fan in someone else’s life. Here are some great Columbo gift ideas guaranteed to make hearts sing!
The 50th anniversary of the first airing of Columbo Prescription: Murder is swiftly approaching. Here’s what’s on my wishlist to commemorate this momentous occasion.
Columbo’s hotly-anticipated second season kicked off in grand style with the big budget Etude in Black, guest starring Peter Falk’s BFF John Cassavetes. But does it live up to the hype? Let’s see…
Photo and video highlights from the life of Peter Falk – including lots of magnificent Columbo moments! Gone but not forgotten…
As well as giving Ol’ Blue Eyes a good ribbing, Lieutenant Columbo’s hilarious turn on the ‘Dean Martin Celebrity Roast’ series in 1978 finally revealed his elusive wife’s first name. What was it? Read on and find out…
Columbo’s legendary first season rounded out with an episode directed by Peter Falk himself: no easy feat given the live construction site backdrop. So is Blueprint for Murder TV gold, or should it be condemned to burial in the foundation of a skyscraper? Read on to find out…
Had a hard day? Then relax and enjoy the back story and image gallery of one of TV’s most enduring and heart-warming relationships: that of Columbo and Dog.
Trawl through the #Columbo hashtag on Instagram and it won’t be long before you spy a multitude of plucky tourists cuddling up to a familiar-looking bronze figure, striking a classic pose. It’s clearly a statue of Columbo. But why is it in Budapest?
With the zany Roddy McDowall having a blast as the killer, and fashions on display that induce strokes, Short Fuse is certainly a high-energy addition to the series. But is it any good? Read on and find out…
From Mama Fratelli and Mr Miyagi to sexy vampiresses and Major League baseball stars – did you know that all these superstars appeared in Columbo?
How does Lady in Waiting compare with the sky-high standards of Columbo Season 1, and how does virtual unknown leading lady Susan Clark cut the mustard against Cassidy, Culp and the cadre of exceptional villains we’ve met up to now? Read on to find out…
No silver screen accolade is more coveted than the Academy Award. And the stars of Columbo, both from in front of and behind the camera, have a shedload of Oscars between them – as well as nominations galore. Have a look here at Columbo’s Oscars pedigree. You might be surprised…
As well as the killers themselves, the supporting cast in many Columbo episodes was also world class. But who put in the very best support star guest appearances? Have a look at my thoughts…
Filmed at a time of escalating tensions between studio and star, nothing was plain sailing for Season 1’s third episode, Dead Weight. Does it sink or swim? Let’s find out…
Let’s get ambidextrous and furious as we race back in time to 6 October 1971 to hang with three-time guest killer Robert Culp as he stars in Death Lends a Hand.
Analysing why Columbo’s comeback from 1989-2003 was less successful than the 70s classic era.
15 September 1971 is one of the pivotal dates in televisual history. It was the night Columbo Murder by the Book first aired.
As magnificent as Peter Falk was in the role of Lieutenant Columbo, the show’s enduring appeal owes just as much to the stellar contribution of that...
Let’s step back in time to 1st March, 1971 to revisit Columbo Ransom for a Dead Man. Buckle up and let’s fly with Peter Falk and Lee Grant!
Taking it back to where it all began on February 20, 1968, as Peter Falk dons the raincoat for the very first time in the seminal Prescription: Murder. We know how that panned out in the long run, but taken on its own merits, how well does Prescription: Murder still stack up? Let’s investigate…
if you’re a serious fan of Lieutenant Columbo the one book you absolutely positively have to dig up is Mark Dawidziak’s masterpiece The Columbo Phile. Here’s why it’s essential reading…
Back in the middle of 2014, the internet was awash with rumours that a big screen reboot of Columbo was on the cards, with Hollywood ace...
Are these the 10 best Columbo episodes of all time? I certainly think so. Is your favourite here?
Columbo has bested some of he greatest criminal minds of his generation. But beyond that, he’s also brought down some of America’s highest profile and most-loved personalities. Here I consider what would rank as his most sensational cases.
“Gee whizz, I’d just like to tell you how excited I am to meet you. You see, my wife, Mrs Columbo, she’s a big fan of yours. I can’t wait to get home and let her know you’re reading my, errrr, my whatchamacallit… my blog…”
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