Lieutenant Columbo, played with average Joe charm and unshowy, easy-to-miss dexterity by Peter Falk, is more than meets the eye — to the bad guys, not us, because we know how things will turn out.

If you're unfamiliar with Columbo, the classic mystery show had a simple premise. While most shows in that genre were focused on unraveling the clues to determine who had committed a murder, Columbo ...

While not the first to do it, Columbo is the best-known example of the "howcatchem" mystery series, inspiring series like Elsbeth or Poker Face, where an eccentric character pieces together the clues ...