What long-running 1970s TV series starred Peter Falk as a murder detective?

Columbo is the answer. Peter Falk starred as Lieutenant Columbo, a Los Angeles homicide detective whose rumpled raincoat, polite questioning style, and NBC Mystery Movie appearances made the series one of classic TV’s most recognizable long-running detective shows.

Peter Falk as Lieutenant Columbo

Peter Falk played Lieutenant Columbo, a murder detective who often seemed distracted, modest, and easy to underestimate. Beneath that casual manner, Columbo was highly observant and persistent. Falk’s performance made the character memorable because the detective solved cases through small details, repeated questions, and patient pressure rather than force or glamour.

The NBC Mystery Movie Format

Columbo became strongly associated with 1970s television through the NBC Mystery Movie format. The series aired as part of a rotating mystery lineup rather than only as a standard weekly detective show. That format helped give many Columbo stories a longer, movie-like structure with room for a detailed crime, suspect, and investigation.

The Inverted Detective Story

Columbo often used an inverted mystery structure. Instead of hiding the killer until the end, many episodes showed the audience the murderer and the crime early. The suspense came from watching Columbo slowly notice contradictions, test the suspect’s story, and uncover how the murder was committed.

The Raincoat, the Questions, and the Catchphrase

Columbo’s wrinkled raincoat, mild voice, and seemingly scattered questions became central to the character. The phrase “just one more thing” became closely associated with his habit of returning with a final question that unsettled the suspect. Peter Falk won multiple Emmy Awards for playing Columbo, and the character later returned in TV movies and revivals, extending the show’s long-running place in detective television.