While not the first to do it, Columbo is the best-known example of the "howcatchem" mystery series, inspiring series like Elsbeth or Poker Face, where an eccentric character pieces together the clues ...

The book Shooting Columbo explores how Falk, who in the 70s regularly threatened to quit in protest at pay and conditions, often re-wrote scripts and constantly ad-libbed scenes, insisting on dozens ...