Always been curious about this and whether Bing would have a) been anything close to resembling Peter in the role, b) would he have achieved the longevity that Peter had in the role c) would it have been as popular to initiate such interest as having a great website such as this? My answer to all three is no, I doubt it. Curious tho how Bing would have portrayed the character....very curious!

I never knew he was up for the role, that's interesting.

I believe Peter was actually third choice. After Lee J Cobb turned the job down due to scheduling conflicts Bing Crosby then knocked back producers as he feared it would interrupt his golf. Hole in one for Peter!

Not to be funny about it, but there's also the matter of the ACTOR'S "longevity." The original series made it to 1978, and Bing himself didn't (although nearly).

Two things always occur to me when it comes to this. First, it's very hard to imagine Bing Crosby looking amusingly shabby in the role, something that Peter carried off so well. It's easier to imagine him at the other extreme, "dapper" Bing Crosby.
The other thing is, it ISN'T hard to imagine him carrying off the "Columbo Act" very well, that whole "disingenuous" act.

Wow, I didn't know that Bing Crosby was ever in the running. As much as I like Bing Crosby in other movies, it's very hard to imagine anyone but Peter Falk. I just don't think it would have had the continued following it still does. No one could have that same innocent inquisitive disheveled appeal.

My guess is that if he'd played him, they would have restructured Columbo as a kindly old underestimated detective instead of our beloved sloppy, everyman cop.

Can't think of many actors who would be worse for the role Columbo than Bing Crosby. As a murderer yes, he fit that role pretty good but as Columbo? no way.

Lee J Cobb would have been a bit better. He did play a detective in The Exorcist but I doubt he could have made the character what Falk did.

It's always hard to see a character you've known and loved for a long time being played by anybody else.

there have been about a million detective shows, some very good but none of them Columbo. With Bing, it would have been one of those. It wouldn't be Columbo. Peter Falk was one of a kind.

I'm guessing it would have gotten along for a while due to the NOVELTY of him playing a detective, but maybe not for long. Even though I've never followed many detective shows, that USUALLY seems to happen when some untypical actor becomes a TV detective.