I had previously left a review for Columbo that wasn't too favorable. It used to come on MeTV every Sunday night, and I was in love with it... But then I discovered Mannix several months ago, and everything changed. Because of the action sequences and various plotlines, I thought Columbo was boring. Lately I've started liking it again. After I found out the creators were also responsible for Mannix and Murder, She Wrote (another show I recently stumbled upon and ended up loving), I figured it's really not all that bad. I've noticed that I have a tendency to get hooked on certain TV shows and genres of music, so much to the point that I'll neglect other TV shows and music that I once enjoyed. When that happens, I have to make myself become re-interested. I try to keep my horizons open.
Brilliantly portrayed by Peter Falk, Columbo is a detective working in Los Angeles who solves homicides that are perpetrated by wealthy people. It does lack some element of mystery, since the audience sees who committed the crime at the beginning of the episode. However, what this show is really known for is Columbo's method of questioning the killer. He goes to their house and workplace repeatedly, each time appearing confused and asking a long list of questions, in turn annoying the living daylights out of the person. They'll usually say something to the effect of notifying his superiors if he doesn't stop harassing them. Whether he was playing dumb, or just slow by nature, it worked nonetheless. His questioning and hunches would lead him to correctly identifying the murderer. I always find it interesting when an actor's on screen persona matched their personality off screen (from what I read, Peter Falk was intellectually gifted - he had a bachelor's in literature and political science, and a master's in public administration - but also a scatterbrain. On his first day as a management analyst with the Connecticut State Budget Bureau, he couldn't find the building where he was to report for work). I feel like that's why he played the character so well. I can see why people think the show is repetitive, but it's a lot better than the stupid and offensive garbage that's on TV today. It's an excellent watch for fans of vintage detective programs!
