7.4/102,576 votes#1 - Fade in to Murder
Season 6 Episode 1 - Aired 10/10/1976
Ward Fowler, who plays debonair television detective Lieutenant Lucerne, has a reputation for being a difficult actor. His series is a hit, however, so the network and studio executives again and again capitulate to his demands. Although separated, husband and wife team Sid and Claire Daley continue to produce the Inspector Lucerne program. Claire continually advises everyone else to go along with their stars demands. Not even Sid knows that Claire is blackmailing Ward. Claire discovers Ward in Canada. She knows he deserted from the United States Army during the Korean War. If that information got out ,it would ruin Ward's career. When Claire takes a phone call in Ward's trailer, the actor overhears her saying she’ll be getting a sandwich at Tony’s Deli. Ward gets to Tony’s Deli just after Claire disguising himself with a ski mask and bulky parka he pretends to be a hold up man.
Director: Bernard L. Kowalski
Writer: Peter S. Feibleman, Lou Shaw, Henry Garson
7.1/102,235 votes#2 - Old Fashioned Murder
Season 6 Episode 2 - Aired 11/28/1976
The female head of a museum hires one of the guards to rob the museum to collect the insurance money. But during the robbery she kills him and her own brother, and makes it look like they killed each other. The guard/robber's brother reports a strange message on his answering machine, that makes it seem that he has been killed. And Columbo gets the case. When Columbo first comes to the crime scene, he notices that the lights are off, a gold medallion in the robber's pants, and signs that pointed to the fact that he was going abroad after the heist. And he concluded that these clues mean that someone else was involved.
Director: Robert Douglas
Writer: Peter S. Feibleman
7.6/102,639 votes#3 - The Bye-Bye Sky High I.Q. Murder Case
Season 6 Episode 3 - Aired 5/22/1977
Two former college friends, now partners in an accounting firm, become enemies when one realizes the other has embezzled funds. The reason for his embezzling ways is his wife, she demands nothing but the best.
Director: Sam Wanamaker
Writer: Robert M. Young
The Best Episodes of Columbo Season 6
Every episode of Columbo Season 6 ranked from best to worst. Discover the Best Episodes of Columbo Season 6!
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...
Genres:CrimeDramaMystery
Season 6 Ratings Summary
"Fade in to Murder" is the best rated episode of "Columbo" season 6. It scored 7.4/10 based on 2576 votes. Directed by Bernard L. Kowalski and written by Peter S. Feibleman, Lou Shaw, Henry Garson, it aired on 10/10/1976. This episode is rated 0.3 points higher than the second-best, "Old Fashioned Murder".