What do you think?
Rate this book
Shooting Columbo: The Lives and Deaths of TV's Rumpled Detective
Columbo was arguably the most popular and most unique television mystery series ever—even though, within two minutes of the titles, the audience already knew the murderer’s identity. The show captivated tens of millions of viewers for 69 adventures produced over 35 years. Yet if star Peter Falk had gotten his way, it would have run far longer. Columbo was never formally canceled, just subtly killed off. Twice. Who was to blame? The temperamental lead who would rather work in movies? The budget-conscious studio, exhausted with the star’s demands? Or was it the meddling television studios, searching for a younger, hipper replacement? Discover the solution in Shooting The Lives and Deaths of TV’s Rumpled Detective . Author David Koenig takes you behind the scenes to witness the creation and making of every case, from the pilot Murder (and its earlier incarnations on The Chevy Mystery Show and on stage) to the final special, Columbo Likes the Nightlife . You’ll discover the origins of the Lieutenant’s unseen wife, the lethargic Dog, the wrinkled raincoat, the wheezing 1959 Peugeot, and “Just one more thing....” The narrative draws on scores of exclusive interviews with the show’s writers, producers, directors and other creative personnel, as well as previously unpublished studio records, including scripts, memos, production reports, casting sheets, and business diaries. They will transport you to the harried story conferences, the heated confrontations, and take... after take... after take... of filming. The “shooting” of Columbo was filled with backstage intrigue and larger-than-life personalities who, through it all, created unforgettable classic television.
- GenresNonfictionAudiobook
248 pages, Hardcover
Published September 15, 2021
26 people are currently reading
159 people want to read
About the author
David Koenig
34 books47 followersDavid Koenig is the senior editor of the 80-year-old business journal, The Merchant Magazine.
After receiving his degree in journalism from California State University, Fullerton (aka Cal State Disneyland), he began years of research for his first book, Mouse Tales: A Behind-the-Ears Look at Disneyland (1994), which he followed with Mouse Under Glass: Secrets of Disney Animation & Theme Parks (1997, revised 2001) and More Mouse Tales: A Closer Peek Backstage at Disneyland (1999) (All titles published by Bonaventure Press).
He lives in Aliso Viejo, California, with his lovely wife, Laura, their wonderful son, Zachary, and their adorable daughter, Rebecca.
After receiving his degree in journalism from California State University, Fullerton (aka Cal State Disneyland), he began years of research for his first book, Mouse Tales: A Behind-the-Ears Look at Disneyland (1994), which he followed with Mouse Under Glass: Secrets of Disney Animation & Theme Parks (1997, revised 2001) and More Mouse Tales: A Closer Peek Backstage at Disneyland (1999) (All titles published by Bonaventure Press).
He lives in Aliso Viejo, California, with his lovely wife, Laura, their wonderful son, Zachary, and their adorable daughter, Rebecca.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
November 11, 2021
After reading this, I’m honestly shocked that Columbo ever made it past a first season, let alone making it to over 30 years worth of shabby, rumpled, charming detective escapades. Peter Falk (while undoubtedly a very kind man outside of the workplace) sounds like he was basically a nightmare to work with, particularly for production staff and network administrators but occasionally for other actors as well. I did very much enjoy hearing about some promising Columbo scripts that never made it to the screen, as well as some other fun behind-the-scenes tidbits, but reading about much of the trials and tribulations of the production really left me very 😬😬😬
I’ll have to reread Falk’s autobiography and compare his recollections of those years to this book, although according to David Koenig he was also somewhat of an unreliable narrator in his own life. This book presents its claims in a very matter-of-fact way, but as with most things I’m sure the truth is somewhere in the middle.
I’ll have to reread Falk’s autobiography and compare his recollections of those years to this book, although according to David Koenig he was also somewhat of an unreliable narrator in his own life. This book presents its claims in a very matter-of-fact way, but as with most things I’m sure the truth is somewhere in the middle.
March 28, 2024
This book will only appeal to those fans who are/were enamored with the Colombo TV Series, which began in 1971 and ended in 2001. The author dishes great detail in how the Columbo character began (two terrific writers), and how he was fleshed out and ultimately owned by Peter Falk.
The book breaks down the series by each production year and each episode, detailing writing, directing, producing, acting, and music credits. The one dominant theme is how possessive Peter Falk became of all aspects of the entire production of the episodes. Falk was a consummate perfectionist, and he constantly inserted his perspective about character dialogue, camera angles, direction, and even lighting for each scene.
Falk also used the immense popularity and success of the series to demand increases his salary per episode and allow him more and more control over budgets, the number of shows each season, and casting decisions.
What I found most interesting was the minutiae in regards to the oddities and uniqueness to the Colombo character, such as his “dog”, the car he drove, his raincoat, his mannerisms, and personality, which made him such an endearing character.
I also enjoyed side stories about the guest stars and reoccurring cast members.
I give this book 2.5 stars, (rounded up to three stars) as it dwelled too much (in my opinion) on the technicalities of shooting the show (writing, directing, producing) rather than the personalities of the actors who brought the scripts alive. I believe more emphasis on the guest stars and their interactions with Falk and cast would have made the book more interesting.
The book breaks down the series by each production year and each episode, detailing writing, directing, producing, acting, and music credits. The one dominant theme is how possessive Peter Falk became of all aspects of the entire production of the episodes. Falk was a consummate perfectionist, and he constantly inserted his perspective about character dialogue, camera angles, direction, and even lighting for each scene.
Falk also used the immense popularity and success of the series to demand increases his salary per episode and allow him more and more control over budgets, the number of shows each season, and casting decisions.
What I found most interesting was the minutiae in regards to the oddities and uniqueness to the Colombo character, such as his “dog”, the car he drove, his raincoat, his mannerisms, and personality, which made him such an endearing character.
I also enjoyed side stories about the guest stars and reoccurring cast members.
I give this book 2.5 stars, (rounded up to three stars) as it dwelled too much (in my opinion) on the technicalities of shooting the show (writing, directing, producing) rather than the personalities of the actors who brought the scripts alive. I believe more emphasis on the guest stars and their interactions with Falk and cast would have made the book more interesting.
October 25, 2021
David Koenig has done a thoroughly detailed recounting of what happened behind the scenes during production of arguably TV's best mystery series ever. He recounts initial casting and recasting efforts, changes in scripts, production delays and difficulties and much more. And though it may upset some fans to know it, Columbo's portrayer, Peter Falk, is the prime offender in ultimately bringing down the series' quality as well as quantity. This book is particularly interesting to read and compare with 1989's The Columbo Phile: A Casebook by Mark Dawidziak, as it not only adds facts about the shows produced during the late 1980s through 1990s TV-movie revivals but also contributes elements previously unmentioned or undiscovered about the 1970s series episodes. Shooting Columbo complements the earlier book very well in fact. But you don't need to read The Columbo Phile: A Casebook to appreciate what Koenig writes here. He mostly lets the interviews with personnel and studio files speak for themselves about what happened. There's no synopsis for each episode, but everything else is there, including ratings and shares for the initial airing of each show where known. It's a delectable treat for TV history geeks like myself, but it's written so accessibly that most general audience readers should enjoy this peek behind the curtains of a TV classic.
September 18, 2021
"Columbo" is a classic of detective TV, and ran for over a decade (with a brief pause). This book takes you behind the scenes to let you know all about its filming. Well-researched and extremely readable, it's tremendous fun and highly informative. Highly recommended.
April 11, 2024
I have seen all 69 installments of the Columbo mystery series--so the fact that I can only give "Shooting Columbo" 3/5 stars is a little problematic. Truth be told, it struggles a bit with minutiae and is a bit too detailed to take in all at once. But it does some unearth some interesting anecdotes about the four-decade show.
For a very basic overview, "Shooting Columbo" tells the story of the series by relaying tales from each individual episode. The bad here is that much of this work focuses on deleted scenes or script-changes--impossible to really wrap one's mind around unless the episode is fresh within in. A lot of skimming on my part was done here. It would probably be better to use this book as a a complement by watching an episode and then referring to David Koenig's musings.
That being said, Koenig does relay some interesting nuggets I hadn't known about the long-running series, such as...
-Peter Falk's perfectionism and "difficult to work with as an actor" reputation.
-The struggles to keep the early season afloat on NBC and then the scattered (in timing and quality) ABC specials.
-How much Patrick McGoohan meant to the entire production--his episodes routinely being great (I also didn't realize he did some directing/writing for the enterprise).
-Falk writing a "Columbo's Last Case" episode that ultimately wasn't picked up because of dwindling post-millennium ratings and Falk's onset of senile dementia.
Overall, I'd give "Shooting Columbo" 2.5 stars but will round up because of its in-depth information. It's difficult to read in "one fell swoop" and should be viewed as more of a reference work than overall narrative, I think.
For a very basic overview, "Shooting Columbo" tells the story of the series by relaying tales from each individual episode. The bad here is that much of this work focuses on deleted scenes or script-changes--impossible to really wrap one's mind around unless the episode is fresh within in. A lot of skimming on my part was done here. It would probably be better to use this book as a a complement by watching an episode and then referring to David Koenig's musings.
That being said, Koenig does relay some interesting nuggets I hadn't known about the long-running series, such as...
-Peter Falk's perfectionism and "difficult to work with as an actor" reputation.
-The struggles to keep the early season afloat on NBC and then the scattered (in timing and quality) ABC specials.
-How much Patrick McGoohan meant to the entire production--his episodes routinely being great (I also didn't realize he did some directing/writing for the enterprise).
-Falk writing a "Columbo's Last Case" episode that ultimately wasn't picked up because of dwindling post-millennium ratings and Falk's onset of senile dementia.
Overall, I'd give "Shooting Columbo" 2.5 stars but will round up because of its in-depth information. It's difficult to read in "one fell swoop" and should be viewed as more of a reference work than overall narrative, I think.
December 31, 2023
Nagy Columbo rajongó vagyok, ezért szinte kötelező volt elolvasnom a könyvet. Igazából nem is könyv ez, hanem egy enciklopédia. Rengeteg információ minden egyes részről, színészekről, írókról, rendezőkről, a sorozat fejlődéséről, nehézségekről, és persze Peter Falkról. Mivel nem nagyon vagyok otthon a filmes világban, sokszor nekem nagyon száraznak tűnt, rengeteg ismeretlen név, filmcím és más adatok, de azt hiszem egy rajnongónak nagyon érdekes olvasmány. Ezentúl ha látok egy részt, újra visszaolvasom a könyvben mit írnak róla.
October 15, 2021
A great piece of Columbo scholarly research, a portrait of the 1970s TV industry. I knew Peter Falk *was* Columbo, but I didn't realize how as time went on, how increasingly involved he became, nor how difficult he was to work with. The funniest theme for me was how episodes often had their run times padded with another 30 minutes to simply fill time.
Bring back the NBC Mystery Movie Wheel! The people are ready!
Bring back the NBC Mystery Movie Wheel! The people are ready!
February 16, 2022
If you dig the show you'll find something to like in this book ... I was hoping for more about Falk and the social impact of Columbo and what this book delivers is essentially liner notes about every episode getting in the weeds about writers and producers and directors and shoot locations and props; it's not that fun and it wears you out ... Still, there are fond memories here of the '70s and one of its great TV shows
March 31, 2022
It would have been nice to cover more recent attempts to revive the show as part of an extended epilogue. It’s still a must for Columbo fans and includes a lot of production details that might come as a surprise (Having read Peter Falk’s Columbo memoir, it was great to have an alternative perspective on the production. Who knew he could be such a pain to work with?).
June 13, 2025
I’ve never seen Columbo, and I don’t know much about it, which made this a bit hard to get into—most of the book is a detailed recounting of episodes I haven’t watched. The real standout, though, is how awful it apparently was to work with Peter Falk. Seems like the original run ended not because the show ran out of steam, but because Falk was a nightmare behind the scenes.
March 25, 2022
Good for what it is
This book is about the making of the series of Columbo tv movies. It was interesting, but I didn't learn much except it's a miracle anything ever gets produced and shown on tv!
This book is about the making of the series of Columbo tv movies. It was interesting, but I didn't learn much except it's a miracle anything ever gets produced and shown on tv!
January 28, 2025
I liked the Peter Falk series so I wanted to learn about how the series came together. Lots of details and stories here. I enjoyed it but if I had not watched and enjoyed the series I would not have liked this. Bit too much detail but I did like it
July 7, 2025
Really top-notch journalism and interviews paired with absolutely abysmal opinions.
David Koenig is a Columbo philistine, incapable of appreciating or at least keeping his mouth shut about some of the best moments in the series.
David Koenig is a Columbo philistine, incapable of appreciating or at least keeping his mouth shut about some of the best moments in the series.
November 9, 2021
Interesting lots of information.
March 8, 2022
Wonderfully entertaining and hugely informative.
March 11, 2022
Interesting and detailed look into the classic Peter Falk TV show and what made the show work (often in spite of itself).
February 21, 2023
With all the undercurrents going on behind the scenes, I’m surprised that the end product seam so classic
March 5, 2023
Well-written, insightful read, recommended to all fans!
December 10, 2024
It's good data for fans, nothing more to it.
September 2, 2025
amazing detail on every episode. any devoted Columbo fan will enjoy. well researched and moves fast. no needless filler (unlike many 2 hour eps)
October 10, 2023
Columbo the crumple coated detective…
You can tell by the name of the book what’s it’s about so expect lots of factoids surrounding our hero. On the whole it’s a good book but I didn’t know how much Peter Falk was difficult to work with until I listened to this book.
You can tell by the name of the book what’s it’s about so expect lots of factoids surrounding our hero. On the whole it’s a good book but I didn’t know how much Peter Falk was difficult to work with until I listened to this book.
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews