Columbo Episodes

The following is an episode list for the crime fiction television series ''Columbo''. After two pilot episodes, the show originally aired on NBC from 1971 to 1978 as one of the rotating programs of ''The NBC Mystery Movie''. ''Columbo'' then aired less frequently on ABC beginning in 1989. The last installment was broadcast in 2003.

Because the ''Columbo'' episodes from 1989 to 2003 aired infrequently, different DVD sets have been released around the world. In Region 2 and 4, all episodes have now been released as 10 seasons, with the 10th season covering the last 14 episodes from "Columbo Goes to College" (1990) to the most recent, "Columbo Likes the Nightlife" (2003). In France and the Netherlands (also Region 2), however, the DVDs were released as 12 seasons. In Region 1, all episodes from season 8 are grouped differently; all the episodes that were originally aired on ABC were released as the ''COLUMBO: The Mystery Movie Collection''. For the sake of clarity, all episodes in this article are arranged as they appear in the UK release.

Series overview

Episodes

Pilot episodes

Before Peter Falk was cast in the role of Columbo, Bert Freed played the character in "Enough Rope", a 1960 episode of '' The Chevy Mystery Show'', a TV anthology series. In 1962, that episode became a stage play titled ''Prescription: Murder'' (starring Thomas Mitchell as Columbo, Joseph Cotten and Agnes Moorehead as Roy and Claire Flemming, and Patricia Medina as Flemming's mistress).

The play was adapted to a made-for-TV movie in 1968, with Falk debuting in the role. In this made-for-TV movie, Columbo—rather than making the rumpled presentation that later became the character's trademark—is less shabbily dressed, wearing suits, shorter hair, and heavier stage makeup. He carries a raincoat, which would become a staple. He wears the raincoat in most of the scenes. He also appears somewhat more aggressive when confronting suspects.

Season 1 (1971–72)

Season 2 (1972–73)

Season 3 (1973–74)

Season 4 (1974–75)

Season 5 (1975–76)

Season 6 (1976–77)

Season 7 (1977–78)

Season 8 (1989)

Season 9 (1989–90)

Season 10 and specials (1990–2003)

Repeat offenders

Here is a list of the actors who starred as more than one murderer:

*Patrick McGoohan starred in four episodes as the murderer: ''By Dawn's Early Light'' (Emmy Award) (1974), ''Identity Crisis'' (also directed) (1975), ''Agenda for Murder'' (Emmy Award) (also directed) (1990), and ''Ashes to Ashes'' (also directed (and co-wrote - uncredited)) (1998). He also directed two additional episodes: "Last Salute to the Commodore" (1976) and "Murder With Too Many Notes" (also co-wrote) (2001).
* Jack Cassidy starred in three episodes as the murderer: ''Murder by the Book'' (1971), ''Publish or Perish'' (1974), and ''Now You See Him...'' (1976).
* Robert Culp starred in three episodes as the murderer: ''Death Lends a Hand'' (1971, filmed at Marion Davies estate), ''The Most Crucial Game'' (1972), and ''Double Exposure'' (1973). He also appeared in one episode as the father of the murderer: ''Columbo Goes to College'' (1990).
* George Hamilton starred in two episodes as the murderer: ''A Deadly State of Mind'' (1975) and ''Caution: Murder Can Be Hazardous to Your Health'' (1991).
* William Shatner starred in two episodes as the murderer: ''Fade in to Murder'' (1976) and ''Butterfly in Shades of Grey'' (1994). He also did a voiceover in ''Double Exposure'' (1974).
* Martin Landau starred in one episode in a double role as identical twin brothers who committed murder together: ''Double Shock'' (1973).

Very few actors starred as the murderer in one episode and played supporting roles in other episodes:

*Though not a repeat murderer, Robert Vaughn starred in two episodes: once as the murderer in ''Troubled Waters'' (1975), and once as the victim in ''Last Salute to the Commodore'' (1976).
*Similarly, Ray Milland appeared as a murderer in ''The Greenhouse Jungle'' (1972) and the husband of the victim in ''Death Lends a Hand'' (1971).
*Tyne Daly starred in ''A Bird in the Hand'' as co-murderer Dolores McCain (1992) and ''Undercover'' as the supporting character Gloria (1994).

References

Further reading

*

External links

IMDb list of episodes

{{DEFAULTSORT:Columbo Episodes
Episodes
Lists of American crime drama television series episodes