When Columbo hit the airwaves in 1971, in quickly became the hottest TV detective series of the decade. Series creators Richard Levinson and William Link received an Emmy Award for their work; Peter Falk received three. The Columbo Phile offers fascinating behind-the-scenes information about the creation of the character, the writing of the devious mystery plots, and the altercations between perfectionist Peter Falk and the bottom-line concerns of Universal Studios. Originally published in 1989 and long out-of-print, this 30th Anniversary Edition of the essential Columbo book features a new preface by author Mark Dawidziak, an overview of post-1989 Columbo developments, including the twenty-four new ABC mysteries, and a personal remembrance of Peter Falk. It remains today the definitive guide to the rumpled Lieutenant Columbo and his career.

Columbo was arguably the most popular and most unique television mystery series ever -even though, within two minutes of the titles, the audience already knew the murderer's identity. The show captivated tens of millions of viewers for 69 adventures produced over 35 years. Yet if star Peter Falk had gotten his way, it would have run far longer.Columbo was never formally canceled, just subtly killed off. Twice. Who was to blame? The temperamental lead who would rather work in movies? The budget-conscious studio, exhausted with the star's demands? Or was it the meddling television studios, searching for a younger, hipper replacement?Discover the solution in "Shooting Columbo: The Lives and Deaths of TV's Rumpled Detective." Author David Koenig takes you behind the scenes to witness the creation and making of every case, from the pilot "Prescription: Murder" (and its earlier incarnations on "The Chevy Mystery Show" and on stage) to the final special, "Columbo Likes the Nightlife."You'll discover the origins of the Lieutenant's unseen wife, the lethargic Dog, the wrinkled raincoat, the wheezing 1959 Peugeot, and "Just one more thing...." The narrative draws on scores of exclusive interviews with the show's writers, producers, directors and other creative personnel, as well as previously unpublished studio records, including scripts, memos, production reports, casting sheets, and business diaries. They will transport you to the harried story conferences, the heated confrontations, and take... after take... after take... of filming. The "shooting" of Columbo was filled with backstage intrigue and larger-than-life personalities who, through it all, created unforgettable classic television.

The wife of a wealthy L.A. businessman is found murdered in bed with her lover, with the words "Helter Skelter" painted in blood on the walls. Columbo, America's favorite TV detective, must ask himself whether the horror of the Manson Family's massacres could return--and whether Manson himself is ordering a fresh round of atrocities from his San Quentin prison cell.

Columbo is an iconic police procedural show which ran from 1968 to 2003. The show was very popular during its run, especially in the 1970s and remains very popular today throughout the world. The show has a wonderful performance by Peter Falk as the disheveled, eccentric but extremely able detective. The world depicted is colourful and often surreal with Columbo chasing murderers who are often rich and highly intelligent. Columbo has high production values, great writing, wonderful guest stars and many famous personalities involved in production. Find out more about the world of Columbo with this book with information on the cast and crew, anecdotes, episodes, characters, locations, mistakes and other fascinating Columbo facts in this book.

For decades, generations of television fans have been enraptured by Lt. Columbo, played by Peter Falk, as he unravels clues to catch killers who believe they are above the law. In her investigation of the 1970s series cocreated by Richard Levinson and William Link, Amelie Hastie explores television history through an emphasis on issues of stardom, authorship, and its interconnections with classical and New Hollywood cinema. Through close textual analysis, attentive to issues of class relations and connections to other work by Falk as well as Levinson and Link, Columbo: Make Me a Perfect Murder sees American television as an intertextual system, from its origins as a commercial broadcast medium to its iterations within contemporary streaming platforms. Ultimately, Hastie argues, in the titular detective’s constant state of learning about cultural trends and media forms, Columbo offers viewers the opportunity to learn with him and, through his tutelage, to become detectives of television itself.

Offers a unique analysis of globally iconic and cult favourite television show, Columbo.