In my opinion the best thing about Columbo has to be Vito Scotti. Genius character actor. Maitre d, funeral director, tailor, drunken bum. He stole the show in all the episodes he was in.

Best line:

'That is the prevailing theory'

That's the difference between the older shows and the later ones. The newer shows didn't have a high caliber of supporting actor, with the exception of Rip Torn, and McGoohanf course and some others. Iain Buchanan was awful.

@Faison
"the best thing about Columbo has to be Vito Scotti. Genius character actor."

I agree! I wanted to give a big shout-out to one of my very favorite supporting cast members of any show ever, Vito Scotti - and saw the post. Just watched him in Murder: A Self Portrait as Vito's Bar Owner (Barsini's hang out), and of course loved him as Mr. Defonte in Identity Crisis. He was also in Negative Reaction, Swan Song, Candidate, and Any Old Port..

He has an extremely captivating presence always and has an uncanny vibe in every one of his characters that I just love. I wish there was a real Vito's Bar nearby with Vito himself tending bar. I wonder who has that Barsini print of Vito's? I would buy.