Re: Would Columbo/ this Forum had been as successful with Bing Crosby as Columbo?
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.
Re: Would Columbo/ this Forum had been as successful with Bing Crosby as Columbo?
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.
Re: Would Columbo/ this Forum had been as successful with Bing Crosby as Columbo?
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.
Re: Would Columbo/ this Forum had been as successful with Bing Crosby as Columbo?
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.