Lieutenant Columbo, played with average Joe charm and unshowy, easy-to-miss dexterity by Peter Falk, is more than meets the eye — to the bad guys, not us, because we know how things will turn out.

In Special Guest Star, Gwen Ihnat takes a look at a standout turn by a performer in a TV series, noting what effect the appearance had on the actor, the series, and the TV landscape overall. When I ...

Fifty years on, the cop show featuring a bumbling but brilliant homicide detective has attracted a new generation of fans. Shaun Curran explores the series' timeless appeal. Even 50 years since its ...