The questions, prepared by yours truly and delivered to author Laura Lippman at CrimeFest 2024 in Bristol, England, can be found here.
1: Just one—Prescription: Murder, a two-hour, 1968 NBC-TV film and the figurative first pilot for Columbo. Link and Levinson later developed the story for the second, 1971 pilot, Ransom for a Dead Man, but left the actual scriptwriting to Dean Hargrove.
2: Frank. Link called this an error, and blamed “a prop man [for] screwing up, creating a badge without even knowing the series.”
3: Six—five brothers and one sister.
4: Hard-boiled eggs.
5: The tuba. He explained in the Season 8 episode “Sex and the Married Detective” that it was the only instrument left in high school when he signed up for band.
6: Baseball great Joe DiMaggio.
7: Columbo’s adorable Basset Hound, who was rescued from the pound and never had a name other than “Dog.” He made his screen debut in the Season 2 opener, “Etude in Black.” Apparently, the first canine performer in that role died and was replaced. The second, younger version had to be made up to look like the original. Falk once said that the dog spent much more time in the make-up chair than he did himself.
8: Ice cream.
9: In an Italian restaurant.
10: Madama Butterfly by Giacomo Puccini.
11: “Last Salute to the Commodore,” which aired originally on May 2, 1976, as the final installment of Season 5.
12: $15
13: 448-DBZ. During its original run as part of the NBC Mystery Movie rotation, its license read 044-APD.
14: “Forgotten Lady,” the first episode of Season 5. It starred Janet Leigh.
15: “Any Old Port in a Storm,” “Now You See Him,” and “Identity Crisis.”
16: “This Old Man.”
17: “Now You See Him,” with Jack Cassidy in his third appearance on the show as guest murderer.
18: A then very modern typewriter and its disposable carbon ribbon.
19: Sergeant Gilhooley.
20: Lieutenant Fisher.
21: Art Carney.
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