The essential concept of “Columbo” is deceptively easy: there was a homicide and the dogged and pleasant Lt. Columbo of the Los Angeles Police Division is on the case, all the time fixing the case proper on the finish of the episode. The twist is how nearly each episode unfolds, as a result of the viewers finds out who the killer is earlier than Columbo has even proven up. Most episodes of “Columbo” are about 75 minutes lengthy, and the primary 15 or so of these minutes are devoted to us studying the scenario and understanding why somebody would commit homicide earlier than they do the soiled deed. In essence, the suspense of every episode is in questioning how Columbo will seize his quarry, which is why the present belongs to not the “whodunit” sub-genre of mysteries however the ‘howcatchem” as a substitute.
One other quirk of the historical past of “Columbo” is that the primary two episodes are thought of separate one-off TV-movies, mainly two separate pilot episodes, certainly one of which aired in 1968 and the opposite aired within the spring of 1971. However when Steven Spielberg stepped behind the digital camera on the grand outdated age of 24, he was directing what would function the primary common episode of “Columbo,” entitled “Homicide By the E-book.” Although the present was created by Richard Levinson and William Hyperlink, “Homicide by the E-book” was written by Steven Bochco. If that identify rings a bell, it ought to; Bochco would go on to jot down for or create exhibits like “L.A. Regulation,” “NYPD Blue” and “Hill Avenue Blues.” So, in essence, “Homicide by the E-book” was capturing lightning in a bottle with out even realizing it. Whereas nobody would say (with out being a loud contrarian) that “Homicide by the E-book” goes down as the best factor both of those Stevens made, it’s totally simple to observe the episode and see the seeds of greatness, particularly in Spielberg’s directing.
The plot of “Homicide by the E-book” revolves round a pair of authors, Ken Franklin and Jim Ferris (portrayed by Jack Cassidy and Martin Milner, respectively). They have been efficiently co-writing a collection of Miss Marple-esque detective novels for years, however Jim is able to work on his personal initiatives with out Ken. Ken is dismayed by this primarily as a result of he is loved a sure form of way of life afforded by the success of the books … which he actually hasn’t written a lot of for a really very long time. So, to stroll away with a good-looking insurance coverage coverage, he lures Jim out to a quiet cabin of his the place he kills his accomplice and tries to border it on some unseen gangsters, implying that Jim was doing analysis for a ebook that the criminals needed unpublished. In fact, issues like this aren’t simple. Ken quickly has to kill an area retailer proprietor who a) has a giant crush on him and b) realizes that Ken killed his co-writer and desires to blackmail him for the privilege of being his lover.
The essential components of virtually each episode of “Columbo” is current in “Homicide by the E-book,” and the best way it is offered visually feels each Spielbergian and an efficient template for the way the present would look in future episodes and seasons. One of many vital however typically unsung facets of “Columbo” is that just about each episode serves as a commentary on class within the Nineteen Seventies. Columbo himself, performed so masterfully by Peter Falk, is the residing embodiment of the phrase “rumpled,” with a raincoat that appears as if it has been run over a couple of instances, a ruffled haircut, and a seeming lack of ability to keep in mind what he positioned wherein pocket of his. (Falk’s superb efficiency is all of the extra exceptional whenever you notice he wasn’t even the primary alternative to play the character.) Conversely, his suspects are among the many toniest members of Los Angeles society. Right here, it is an upscale writer, however future episodes would characteristic Columbo dealing with off towards an NFL-style common supervisor, a world-renowned orchestral conductor (performed by Falk’s longtime buddy John Cassavetes), and the deputy chief of police, amongst others. Together with that, the feel and appear of the episodes, the constructing rigidity between suspect and captor, and the epic, grand scale of how Columbo is offered towards the backdrop of Los Angeles, all stems from how Spielberg so confidently makes use of these items on this first episode.