COLUMBO
Growing up, my mom often kept a steady stream of classic shows and detective series playing on our TV. I rolled my eyes at THE ANDY GRIFFITH SHOW and THE MARY TYLER MOORE SHOW; and POIROT and MURDER, SHE WROTE were so boring I didn’t understand how anyone could stay awake for more than five minutes of runtime. All of this, I can forgive myself for, but the one that haunts me is my dismissal of COLUMBO (trailer here).
In the past few years—partially out of a need for comforting media, and partially because I've stopped being dumb—I have learned to appreciate COLUMBO for the masterpiece that it is, revisiting episodes I've seen and watching others with fresh eyes. I've grown to be someone who doesn't care about a twist or punchline nearly as much as the buildup, and COLUMBO is pretty much built on that premise. Because each episode begins by depicting its central murder, the audience is immediately aware of Hitchcock's proverbial "bomb under the table," allowing us to watch Columbo gradually and expertly box the suspect in.
While my love for Peter Falk's crumpled, unassuming detective protagonist is near-obsessive, the wild list of guest stars also make this show great. Ruth Gordon. Leonard Nimoy. Dick van Dyke. Janet Leigh (and briefly, a very young Jamie Lee Curtis). Jack Cassidy, three times... and even Johnny Cash. My favorite episode, however, remains ETUDE IN BLACK, which features John Cassavetes, Blythe Danner, Myrna Loy, and of course, the debut of Columbo's Basset hound "Dog." Watch this or any other episode on Peacock or IMDb TV for equal parts intrigue and pure serotonin.
—Alicia Devereaux, Executive Assistant
