This is from the wonderful and fantastic book by Mark Dawidziak...The Columbo Phile: A Casebook.
(and i got to talk to him on the radio once! yay!! )

This is the list of suggestions that were put in by NBC after the 2 pilots had been aired...

"What's all this about the audience always knowing who the murderer is? There's no suspense. That novelty will wear off."

"A main character should have a family of regulars. Columbo should have at least a young sidekick."

"Get the main character on earlier. Viewers won't stick around that long. Don't you know that Falk's the star? Where the hell is he, guys?"

"Get more action (i.e. violence) into the show."

"There's too much talk. There's no tempo, no tension."

"An unseen wife? Dumb idea, fellows. Let's get rid of the wife. Viewers like it when the leading man is free to have occasional romantic encounters."


I LOVE IT!!!


(and thanks again to mark dawidziak for letting me quote his columbo phile book yet again... )

That's priceless! Thanks for posting those. I have to get my hands on that book one of these days.

I 'd like to add one of my own:

"How about the main character being a snappy dresser and having a flashy car. Viewers love that, dontcha know!"

"How about the main character being a snappy dresser and having a flashy car. Viewers love that, dontcha know!"

If they'd done that then the show would have been "Lieutenant Lucerne" starring Ward Fowler. :D