From the moment he shuffled onto television screens in a rumpled raincoat, cigar dangling from his fingers, Columbo-in the ...

Murder” was the inspiration for the “Columbo” TV series pilot. The play runs at PowPAC from Jan. 23 to Feb. 22.

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 ...