When Columbo hit the airwaves in 1971, in quickly became the hottest TV detective series of the decade. Series creators Richard Levinson and William Link received an Emmy Award for their work; Peter Falk received three. The Columbo Phile offers fascinating behind-the-scenes information about the creation of the character, the writing of the devious mystery plots, and the altercations between perfectionist Peter Falk and the bottom-line concerns of Universal Studios. Originally published in 1989 and long out-of-print, this 30th Anniversary Edition of the essential Columbo book features a new preface by author Mark Dawidziak, an overview of post-1989 Columbo developments, including the twenty-four new ABC mysteries, and a personal remembrance of Peter Falk. It remains today the definitive guide to the rumpled Lieutenant Columbo and his career.

The wife of a wealthy L.A. businessman is found murdered in bed with her lover, with the words "Helter Skelter" painted in blood on the walls. Columbo, America's favorite TV detective, must ask himself whether the horror of the Manson Family's massacres could return--and whether Manson himself is ordering a fresh round of atrocities from his San Quentin prison cell.

For over twenty-five years, Columbo has been the most popular , and persistent, detective on television, drawing millions of viewers a week. William Harrington's compelling new novel pits the famous TV detectives against one of the most brilliant and flamboyant lawyers in the country. It may seem like the perfect murder, but if there's the tiniest flaw, the famous Lieutenant Columbo will find it.

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 Columbo: 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 "Prescription: 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.

To find out who killed a Madonna-like superstar and dumped her body in her Beverly Hills swimming pool, the TV detective must unlock the mystery of Jimmy Hoffa's disappearance twenty years earlier.

In JUST ONE MORE THING, Peter Falk takes us on an acting journey that begins not in Hollywood but in Hartford, where he worked as a management analyst for the Connecticut State Budget Bureau. His time there was no more successful than an earlier attempt to find work with the Central Intelligence Agency. At loose ends, Falk turned to an old college interest: acting. He came to prominence as an actor in 1956 in the highly successful Off-Broadway revival of 'The Iceman Cometh' with Jason Robards. Although he worked continuously for the next three years, bouncing from one Off-Broadway theater to the next, a theatrical agent advised him not to expect much work in motion pictures because of his glass eye. Surgeons had removed his right eye, along with a malignant tumor, when he was three years old. But in 1958, the actor made the jump to Hollywood, where he landed his first movie, 'Murder Incorporated', and was nominated for an Oscar. Next came Frank Capra's 'A Pocketful of Miracles' starring Bette Davis, which garnered Falk his second Oscar nomination. Falk was a favorite among moviegoers during the 1960s, admired for his roles in classic comedies such as 'It's A Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World' and 'The Great Race'. However, it was through his collaboration with filmmaker John Cassavetes that Falk entered into his most creative period in 1970. Motion pictures such as 'Husbands' and 'A Woman Under the Influence' helped launch the independent film movement. Nevertheless, Falk continued to act in light film comedies, including 'The In-Laws' and Neil Simon's 'The Cheap Detective' and 'Murder by Death', among others. Yet it was through television that Falk reached his widest audience. He has portrayed the beloved Lt. Columbo since the 1970s, winning four Emmys. The series was so successful that ten years after it's demise, 'Columbo' was re-launched, bringing Falk to a new generation of viewers. JUST ONE MORE THING also chronicles the author's more recent work, such as movie appearances in 'A Shark's Tale' and Paul Reiser's 'The Thing About My Folks', as well stories of growing up in New York, Hollywood and Broadway luminaries, and the author's accomplished passion for drawing and painting.

Offers a unique analysis of globally iconic and cult favourite television show, Columbo.

Lt Columbo, star of TV, unravels a mystery that has held the world's attention for 30 years - who killed JFK?

Drama / Characters: 4 males, 3 females Scenery: 3 interiors The TV series was based on this play. A brilliant psychiatrist and his mistress hatch a plot to murder his neurotic, possessive wife that depends on a bizarre impersonation to create a perfect alibi. Lt. Columbo and the doctor engage in a cat and mouse duel of wits until the doctor succeeds in having Columbo removed from the case. But the mistress is the weak link that leads to a trap and a surprising climax.