Columbo 1971
“Oh, just one more thing...”
- Status
- Ended
- First Aired
- September 15, 1971
- Last Aired
- January 30, 2003
- Format
- 10 seasons · 67 eps
- Highest Rated Episode
- S3E8 "A Friend in Deed" (★ 8.1/10)
- Created By
- William Link, Richard Levinson
- Networks
- ABC, NBC
- Where to Stream
- Amazon Prime Video, Peacock Premium, Amazon Prime Video with Ads
What is Columbo?
Columbo is an American crime drama television series that originally aired on NBC as part of The NBC Mystery Movie. The show stars Peter Falk as Lieutenant Columbo, a homicide detective with the Los Angeles Police Department.
- Type
- TV series
- Year
- 1971
- Status
- Ended
- Episodes
- 67
- First aired
- Sep 15, 1971
- Last aired
- Jan 30, 2003
- Original language
- EN
- Origin
- US
- Networks
- ABC, NBC
- Genres
- Crime, Drama, Mystery
- Updated
At a glance
- Rating
- ★ TMDB users: 8.1/10 from 835 votes
- Format
- 10 seasons · 67 episodes
- Status
- Ended
- Networks
- ABC, NBC
Where to watch in United States
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How long to binge?
Estimate the schedule using 67 episodes and an average 45-minute runtime.
Trailer
Overview
Columbo is an American crime drama television series that originally aired on NBC as part of The NBC Mystery Movie. The show stars Peter Falk as Lieutenant Columbo, a homicide detective with the Los Angeles Police Department. 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. The series was created by Richard Levinson and William Link and features Peter Falk, Mike Lally, Dianne Travis, and Bruce Kirby. A full list of episodes is available, and the series can be streamed online for free. The show's episodes are also available to watch on YouTube. The series initially aired from 1971 to 1978, with two pilot episodes preceding the main run.
Should you watch it?
“A disheveled detective outsmarts confident criminals in clever murder mysteries.”
- Brilliant lead performance by Peter Falk
- Intricate plotting with satisfying reveals
- Timeless procedural format that inspired many
- Episodic pacing may feel slow to some
- Limited character development beyond Columbo
You enjoy classic crime dramas with intellectual puzzles.
Suitable for most audiences, with crime themes handled respectfully.
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Cast
Episode guide
Spoiler-Safe Browsing Progress
Season 1 · 7 episodes
Open the complete Season 1 guide & lore primer →- E1 Murder by the Book Mytharc Sep 15, 1971
- E2 Death Lends a Hand Core Oct 6, 1971
- E3 Dead Weight Core Oct 27, 1971
- E4 Suitable for Framing Core Nov 17, 1971
- E5 Lady in Waiting Core Dec 15, 1971
- E6 Short Fuse Mytharc Jan 19, 1972
- E7 Blueprint for Murder Mytharc Feb 9, 1972
Season 2 · 8 episodes
Open the complete Season 2 guide & lore primer →- E1 Étude in Black Mytharc Sep 17, 1972
- E2 The Greenhouse Jungle Core Oct 15, 1972
- E3 The Most Crucial Game Core Nov 5, 1972
- E4 Dagger of the Mind Core Nov 26, 1972
- E5 Requiem for a Falling Star Core Jan 21, 1973
- E6 A Stitch in Crime Core Feb 11, 1973
- E7 The Most Dangerous Match Mytharc Mar 4, 1973
- E8 Double Shock Mytharc Mar 25, 1973
Season 3 · 8 episodes
Open the complete Season 3 guide & lore primer →- E1 Lovely But Lethal Mytharc Sep 23, 1973
- E2 Any Old Port in a Storm Core Oct 7, 1973
- E3 Candidate for Crime Core Nov 4, 1973
- E4 Double Exposure Core Dec 16, 1973
- E5 Publish or Perish Core Jan 18, 1974
- E6 Mind Over Mayhem Core Feb 18, 1974
- E7 Swan Song Mytharc Mar 3, 1974
- E8 A Friend in Deed Mytharc May 5, 1974
Season 4 · 6 episodes
Open the complete Season 4 guide & lore primer →- E1 An Exercise in Fatality Mytharc Sep 15, 1974
- E2 Negative Reaction Core Oct 15, 1974
- E3 By Dawn's Early Light Core Oct 27, 1974
- E4 Troubled Waters Core Feb 9, 1975
- E5 Playback Mytharc Mar 2, 1975
- E6 A Deadly State of Mind Mytharc Apr 27, 1975
Season 5 · 6 episodes
Open the complete Season 5 guide & lore primer →- E1 Forgotten Lady Mytharc Sep 14, 1975
- E2 A Case of Immunity Core Oct 12, 1975
- E3 Identity Crisis Core Nov 2, 1975
- E4 A Matter of Honor Core Feb 1, 1976
- E5 Now You See Him Mytharc Feb 29, 1976
- E6 Last Salute to the Commodore Mytharc May 2, 1976
Season 6 · 3 episodes
Open the complete Season 6 guide & lore primer →- E1 Fade in to Murder Mytharc Oct 10, 1976
- E2 Old Fashioned Murder Core Nov 28, 1976
- E3 The Bye-Bye Sky High I.Q. Murder Case Mytharc May 22, 1977
Season 7 · 5 episodes
Open the complete Season 7 guide & lore primer →- E1 Try and Catch Me Mytharc Nov 21, 1977
- E2 Murder Under Glass Mytharc Jan 30, 1978
- E3 Make Me a Perfect Murder Core Feb 25, 1978
- E4 How to Dial a Murder Core Apr 15, 1978
- E5 The Conspirators Mytharc May 13, 1978
Season 8 · 4 episodes
Open the complete Season 8 guide & lore primer →- E1 Columbo Goes to the Guillotine Mytharc Feb 6, 1989
- E2 Murder, Smoke and Shadows Core Feb 27, 1989
- E3 Sex and the Married Detective Core Apr 3, 1989
- E4 Grand Deceptions Mytharc May 1, 1989
Season 9 · 6 episodes
Open the complete Season 9 guide & lore primer →- E1 Murder, a Self Portrait Mytharc Nov 25, 1989
- E2 Columbo Cries Wolf Core Jan 20, 1990
- E3 Agenda for Murder Mytharc Feb 10, 1990
- E4 Rest in Peace, Mrs. Columbo Core Mar 31, 1990
- E5 Uneasy Lies the Crown Mytharc Apr 28, 1990
- E6 Murder in Malibu Mytharc May 14, 1990
Season 10 · 14 episodes
Open the complete Season 10 guide & lore primer →- E1 Columbo Goes to College Mytharc Dec 9, 1990
- E2 Caution: Murder Can Be Hazardous to Your Health Core Feb 20, 1991
- E3 Columbo and the Murder of a Rock Star Core Apr 29, 1991
- E4 Death Hits the Jackpot Core Dec 15, 1991
- E5 No Time to Die Core Mar 15, 1992
- E6 A Bird in the Hand... Core Nov 22, 1992
- E7 It's All in the Game Core Oct 31, 1993
- E8 Butterfly in Shades of Grey Core Jan 10, 1994
- E9 Undercover Core May 2, 1994
- E10 Strange Bedfellows Core May 8, 1995
- E11 A Trace of Murder Core May 15, 1997
- E12 Ashes to Ashes Core Aug 10, 1998
- E13 Murder With Too Many Notes Mytharc Mar 12, 2001
- E14 Columbo Likes the Nightlife Mytharc Jan 30, 2003
Frequently asked questions
Is Columbo based on a book?
No, Columbo was created specifically for television by Richard Levinson and William Link.
How many seasons are there?
The series ran for multiple seasons between 1971 and 1998, with additional revivals later.
Does Columbo have continuity between episodes?
No, each episode is standalone with self-contained stories.
Who plays Columbo?
Peter Falk stars as Lieutenant Columbo, winning multiple Emmy Awards for the role.
Where can I watch Columbo?
Columbo is available on various streaming platforms including Tubi and Prime Video.
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