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The Best Episodes of Columbo Season 1

Genres:CrimeDrama
Networks:ABCNBC

Every episode of Columbo Season 1 ranked from best to worst. Discover the Best Episodes of Columbo Season 1!

Columbo is a friendly, verbose, disheveled-looking police detective who is consistently underestimated by his suspects. Despite his unprepossessing appearance and apparent absentmindedness, he shrewdly solves...
Episodes
7
Avg. Rating
7.4
S1
S2
S3
S4
E1
E2
E3
7.7
7.7
6.9

Filter By Season (10)

  • Murder by the Book
    7.7/10(5,643)
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    #1 - Murder by the Book

    Season 1 Episode 1

    Aired 9/15/1971

    One member of a mystery-writing-team decides to kill his more talented partner when the better writer decides to go solo.

    Director: Steven Spielberg

    Writer: Steven Bochco

    Comments

    0
  • Death Lends a Hand
    7.7/10(4,080)
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    #2 - Death Lends a Hand

    Season 1 Episode 2

    Aired 10/6/1971

    A private investigator kills his client's wife after she threatens to expose his blackmail scheme. The client then hires the detective to assist Columbo in the search for the killer.

    Director: Bernard L. Kowalski

    Writer: William Link, Richard Levinson

    Comments

    0
  • Suitable for Framing
    7.7/10(3,883)
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    #3 - Suitable for Framing

    Season 1 Episode 4

    Aired 11/17/1971

    An art critic, Dale Kingston, kills his uncle for his valuable collection of paintings. All the clues lead to the dead man's first wife. Can Columbo correct the Lieutenant's error before it is too late?

    Director: Hy Averback

    Writer: Jackson Gillis

    Comments

    0
  • Blueprint for Murder
    7.6/10(3,340)
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    #4 - Blueprint for Murder

    Season 1 Episode 7

    Aired 2/9/1972

    An architect kills his business partner and deliberately lets Columbo suspect him, leading Columbo to think that he's hidden the body in the foundation of a building under construction. He plans to let Columbo dig up the site and find nothing, knowing that its the perfect place to hide the body since Columbo would never look in the same place twice.

    Director: Peter Falk

    Writer: N/A

    Comments

    0
  • Lady in Waiting
    7.2/10(3,491)
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    #5 - Lady in Waiting

    Season 1 Episode 5

    Aired 12/15/1971

    A woman shoots her overbearing brother, claiming she thought he was a burglar. Columbo doesn't buy the self-defense claim - he know's it's murder.

    Director: Norman Lloyd

    Writer: N/A

    Comments

    0
  • Short Fuse
    7.1/10(3,377)
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    #6 - Short Fuse

    Season 1 Episode 6

    Aired 1/19/1972

    A chemist rigs a bomb in his uncle's car to gain control of his uncle's company, then plants clues to make Columbo suspicious of the company's Vice-President.

    Director: Edward M. Abroms

    Writer: N/A

    Comments

    0
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    The 20 BEST Episodes of Columbo

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  • Dead Weight
    6.9/10(3,637)
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    #7 - Dead Weight

    Season 1 Episode 3

    Aired 10/27/1971

    A famous general kills a business associate, then woos a neurotic female witness to thwart Columbo's investigation.

    Director: Jack Smight

    Writer: John T. Dugan

    Comments

    0

Season 1 Ratings Summary

"Murder by the Book" is the best rated episode of "Columbo" season 1. It scored 7.7/10 based on 5643 votes. Directed by Steven Spielberg and written by Steven Bochco, it aired on 9/15/1971. This episode is rated 0.0 points higher than the second-best, "Death Lends a Hand".