Columbo Explains the Seventies: A TV Cop's Pop Culture Journey

by Glenn Stewart

Columbo was an iconic piece of 1970s popular culture. Standing apart from the multitude of other TV investigators, the character shared the values and qualities of his Seventies audience, and the show reflected and intersected many of the social and cultural issues of the era. Looking back, what can those original episodes explain about class conflict, power struggles, feminism, race relations, sex, technology, media, psychology, politics and violence? This seems a challenging task, as Columbo rarely addressed any of these issues in an obvious manner. But in Columbo Explains the Seventies , author Glenn Stewart gives the original 45 TV-movies and series episodes a thorough watch, and his unique observations tie our favorite TV cop to the decade in surprising and enlightening ways. Where does Columbo show a feminist streak, and when does Columbo resist it? What impact did the short-lived anti-violence Family Viewing Hour have on Columbo ? Did the show accurately reflect Los Angeles’ racial representation? Did Columbo have a hidden progressive or right-leaning agenda? It was obviously a show about class conflict – or was it? How, indeed, does Columbo explain the Seventies? The clues are waiting inside.

240 pages, Paperback

Published February 25, 2025