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Columbo is a shrewd but unattractive blue-collar homicide detective known for his rumpled beige raincoat, unassuming demeanour, cigar, old Peugeot 403 car, and unidentified wife (whom he mentions frequently). He frequently leaves a room only to return with the catchphrase “Just one more thing” to ask an important question.
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Episodes of Columbo are between 70 and 98 minutes long and have been broadcast in 44 countries. Almost every episode begins with the audience witnessing the crime and learning the identity of the perpetrator, who is usually a wealthy member of society.
When Columbo enters the story (he rarely appears in the first act), viewers watch him solve the case by sorting through the contradictions between the truth and the version presented to him by the murderer (s). In contrast to the traditional whodunit, this type of mystery is sometimes referred to as a “howcatchem.”


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