The Columbo Phile: A Casebook

by Mark Dawidziak

Discusses the origins, plots, and personnel of the innovative television mystery show which starred Peter Falk as the scruffy Detective Columbo.

Genres: Nonfiction, Tv

353 pages, Paperback

First published May 1, 1989

Reviews

[Vincent Lombardo · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am frequently late to the party. "Columbo" began as a series in 1971, after two TV movie pilots, one in 1968 and one in 1971. I was 15 at the time, but I never watched "Columbo", except for a scene here and there over the years.

I finally saw a complete "Columbo" episode in 2020 on the Hallmark Movies and Mysteries Channel -- and I was hooked! I purchased the entire DVD collection, which contains all of the NBC episodes and all of the ABC TV Movies which began in 1989. I love "Columbo" and can never get enough of it! It was the best crime drama/mystery series ever!

This book is the 2019 30th anniversary edition of the original 1989 book, and it is wonderful! Among other things, it has a synopsis of the plot of each NBC episode. I am not really finished with the book, because I have not seen every NBC episode yet, and I read about each episode after viewing. But if you are a "Columbo" fan, I highly recommend this book! It is a great reference book that you will return to again and again!

[Geoffrey · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love The Columbo Phile. It is one of my favorite companion books on a television series. It is also one of my favorite books of all time. I first read The Columbo Phile during its original release in the late 1980s. I was just a kid at the time. However, back then, Columbo was (and still is) one of my all time favorite shows. When it first came out, The Columbo Phile was a real treasure to me. It gave me insight into a television program that I loved very much. Even though the book was published almost three decades ago, I still feel it is an excellent resource on the Columbo series. I should state that the book only focuses on the original Columbo series, specifically the two pilot movies (Prescription: Murder and Ransom for a Dead Man) and the episodes which aired on the NBC network. The book does not examine Columbo's subsequent revival on ABC because the companion was published before the series returned to television. There is, however, a chapter in the book which briefly discusses the then upcoming ABC revival of the show. Despite its focus on the original series, The Columbo Phile still provides much insight into the program and its elements thereof. Author Mark Dawidziak gives detailed plot summaries of each of the episodes which aired on NBC. Because these summaries contain spoilers of each episode, people who have not seen a specific episode might want to wait until after they watch the program before they read the synopsis. After summarizing an episode, Mr. Dawidziak gives background information about it. Such information includes the inspirations for the episode, details about the making of the piece, casting trivia, and so forth. The author also critiques the episode, outlining what he regards as its strengths and/or weaknesses. Besides discussing the particular episodes, Mr. Dawidziak also explores the series in general. He discusses the creation of the show. He also explores the casting of Peter Falk in the title role and the actor's numerous contributions to both the character and the series. And, Mr. Dawidziak also discusses the various changes which occurred throughout Columbo's run on NBC, particularly the changes in the production personnel and the program's scheduling on the network. Furthermore, The Columbo Phile features interviews with many key figures involved in the production of Columbo. These individuals' accounts of their experiences provide as much insight into the program as do the author's commentaries. The interviewees featured in the book include star Peter Falk, series creators Richard Levinson and William Link, writers and producers like Steven Bochco and Peter S. Fischer, and many of the guest stars on the series, particularly the performers who portrayed murderers on the program. The book also has chapters devoted to other aspects of the program, such as the Columbo character, Mrs. Columbo, and CBS' rerunning of the program as part of its "Late Movie" in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Because of these and other insights it provides into one of my favorite shows, The Columbo Phile remains a favorite book of mine. I would recommend it to anyone interested in Columbo, particularly the original series.

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you're a fan of Columbo, there couldn't be a better book. Along with a short summary of every episode from the 70's run, there is behind the scenes information from each episode. There's a great section on the beginnings of the show, and some very good appendix style notes (Mrs. Columbo, character study, etc).

Dawidziak really did his homework, and was able to speak to many of the people who worked on the show, including Peter Falk. The quotes from the interviews seem to be honest takes, even when discussing who on set may have been a little difficult.

It'd be great to see an updated version which includes the second series of shows (1989 on), which are what got me into The Rumpled One's adventures in the first place.

[Donna · Rating 4 out of 5]

A must read if you are a Columbo fan..details, character and actor comments...and just one thing....it is fun.

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my favorite shows, so naturally had to read the book and was not disappointed.

[Caesar Warrington · Rating 5 out of 5]

Considering that you are browsing this page, obviously you are interested in reading about Columbo - series and character. So, what better recommendation for this companion book than what was written in its Foreword from none other than the series' star, Peter Falk:

Author Mark Dawidziak has done a first-rate job dissecting the whole Columbo series, not only the lieutenant himself but every character, clue, guest star, you name it. After reading his book I really think he knows more about the damn show than I do.

And the late great Mr. Falk wasn't exaggerating. Published in 1988, this book provides in-depth treatment to the first seven seasons of the series, with cast and production credits and in-depth synopses to all 45 episodes, including the 1968 TV-movie, "Prescription: Murder" and the series' pilot, "Ransom for a Dead Man," which premiered March 1, 1971 under the NBC Mystery Movie umbrella. I have been a longtime fan of the show since I was a little kid back in the 70's and found the author's insight into the show, its star and famous guest stars, along with the network television culture of its time period to be more than fascinating. I truly enjoyed this book.

Unfortunately, being published in 1988 the book does not examine the 10-episode revival on ABC from 1989-1990, or the additional 10 tv-movie specials, which aired on ABC from 1990-2003. I would really enjoy reading Dawidziak's opinion of the reciprocal sweet flirtation between Lt. Columbo and Faye Dunaway's character Lauren Staton in "It's All in the Game" (aired October 31, 1993) or the tacky subpar final special "Columbo Loves the Night Life", which aired January 30, 2003.

[Jan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Best reference book ever, if you're an original Columbo fan. It has a detailed episode synopsis for all of the original episodes, including actors, writers, directors, producers, etc. It also has insight into where the writers were going with each, as well as trivia, and the story behind the series.

[Scott · Rating 5 out of 5]

http://www.lincolnlibraries.org/depts...

[Tom Kammerer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Any book with such worthy subject matter earns a minimum of four stars automatically and in this case a fifth star is attained by virtue of its excellence

[Drew · Rating 5 out of 5]

An absolute must read/must own book if you are a fan of the original Columbo series of the 70s. I am so happy this was recently re-released and my love bought it for me for the holidays.

[Steve Payne · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting, albeit broad telling of the creation and making of the Columbo TV series with full cast and technician listings, plot synopses and thoughts for each episode.

Columbo is one of my fav’s, but I still learnt much. I knew that the first film was made in 68, but I didn’t know it was a stage play before that. There is much about the writers and changing of producers, Peter Falk’s forthright nature, and many words (being that this was first published in 1989 when they were still around) from many who appeared in and worked on the show.

I do have a couple of big issues however. The length of the plot synopses (as is this paragraph) are ludicrously long – up to two or three pages. Surely the readers of this are going to be familiar with the stories and all that is required is a single paragraph to jog the reader’s memory as to which episode is being discussed. It means that about a third of the book is taken up by these. My second issue concerns the copy of the book that I have, which is the ‘30th Anniversary Edition’ – which includes a rundown of the later ‘comeback’ episodes. These twenty-four episodes (made in addition to the original forty-five, between 1968 and 1978) were made between 1989 and 2003. Now I’m in agreement with many regarding these later episodes, with some exceptions they were not really in the same league as the originals and could sometimes run into embarrassing caricature - in performances, the even more battered car, and the overuse of twee arrangements of 'This Old Man' in the scores. But the way this book has tacked these later episodes on at the end with no standard layout jumbled amidst other ephemeral info and stuff such as novels and DVDs makes for a very untidy added on section. It really is a bit of an info dump that looks pulled from notes and contains repeated information. OK, my interest in these later episodes isn’t too great, but if the writer feels the same way he’d have been better off leaving them out, or covering them with a chapter. Unfortunately what we have here has made the book look very messy. If the issue was a need to keep the page number down then some welcome editing of the plot synopses in the main section could easily have done that.

I’ve let myself ramble on about the bad part of this book! I've done this because when the book is good, it's very good - the sections in between the episode breakdowns are probably the most fascinating parts of all. These are the parts which cover the overall background of the production. Overall the book is interesting and informative and if you love the series you’ll find much of value here. I’ve a feeling that I may enjoy David Koenig’s ‘Shooting Columbo’ a bit more as I’m led to believe it contains more about the actual making of the series. Hopefully something on the music (which barely gets a mention here). It's on order! I'm sure they'll make a good combo and will make a Columbo nerd of me yet...

[Julio The Fox · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ah, just one more thing, sir. I first heard about COLUMBO from the other kids in junior high, who said, "there's this new TV show where we know who the murderer is and how he did it at the start. Who's going to watch that?". THE COLUMBO PHILE is a loving tribute to the greatest mystery hour and a half ever on television. Every episode is limned for cast details, plot and relation to other Columbo greats. (And, yes, we all agree ANY OLD PORT IN A STORM is the COLUMBO zenith.) Special sections of this diamond book are devoted to "How Many Appearances Does Mrs. Columbo Make on the Show?" and "How Many Relatives Does Lt. Columbo Cite?" ("You know, I had a brother-in-law who used to do the same thing as you".) Equally intriguing are the great might-have-beens, "It would have been intriguing to see Columbo up against a Black villain". For the Columbo phile at home.

[Jay Clement · Rating 4 out of 5]

68-2022. For a lifetime Columbo enthusiast, this was a terrific birthday gift. All of the episodes are discussed, with behind the scenes information and reflections by the other actors in each episode. Just great. Now I might have to do my own definitive ranking of all the episodes. :-)

[Jeremy Hornik · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book could have been a website… but not in 1988, when it was published. An episode by episode retelling of the show and its production. Nothing particularly interesting or novel, not to me, anyhow, but it’s a pleasant read.

[William Enright · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun read for any Columbo fan. No heavy lifting.

[Scott von Berg · Rating 4 out of 5]

Entertaining read on and about the classic series.

[Shameem · Rating 5 out of 5]

Although the series finished airing a decade before I was born (and the reboot began when I wasn't yet 2), I grew up on Columbo. To this day, it is one of my favorite shows (I also love Perry Mason, Murder, She Wrote, Matlock, and Diagnosis: Murder, not surprisingly).

Dawidziak's book was published in 1989, originally, and this version is the 30th Anniversary Edition (from 2019). It is a phenomenal companion book to the television series! I originally read the entire thing straight through, and then took a copy home to my parents (who introduced me to Columbo). My dad and I started from the top, reading an episode summary and analysis, and then rewatching that episode to attend to things we had never known to look for in the many times we've previously watched! I was only home for a short while so we made it through 6 episodes together, but it was such a treat. This book is amazing.

I really enjoyed learning so much about all the people involved in the creation of the series, as well as both the recurring actors (including Dog!) and the guest actors. It added so much to the experience that is loving Columbo to see the series in the context of its existence.

Quick note: being that the book was published in 1989, it covers the original series that aired from 1971-1978. At the time of its release, Columbo had just been approved for the reboot, so the author does include a short section looking forward to that, but there is no discussion of seasons 8-10. Mark Dawidziak: if you ever see this, I'd love a second book that covers the reboot!

[Dann · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Columbo Phile: A Casebook is the definitive chronical of everyone’s favorite TV detective. Beginning with the Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine short story “Dear Corpus Delecti,” author Mark Dawidziak discusses the creation and development of the Lieutenant Columbo character and follows his journey from print to TV movies to television series. Each of the NBC original episodes is reviewed with plot synopses, commentaries, and cast and crew credits. Dawidziak also gives a season overview, noting the changes in NBC’s Mystery Wheel that Columbo rotated in and what different producers brought to the show. And in the revised anniversary edition, there are appendixes that cover the ABC revival, the Columbo novels, and a memorium for Peter Falk. Overall it’s fairly well-written, but the reviews are a little lackluster; focusing more on quotes from the cast and crew than analysis. Yet despite some weak spots, The Columbo Phile: A Casebook is a terrific television companion.