Ed McBain and Columbo (Season One)

When you think about it, the idea that the worlds of Ed McBain's 87th Precinct and Columbo ever intersected is a strange thing. Of course, the detectives of the 87th Precinct and Columbo are both dealing with violent crime, murder usually, and of course they exist as part of the police force - not independent agents, detectives or amateurs. Other than this though, the differences seem more pronounced than their similarities. The cops of the 87th Precinct act as a force, the various personalities well-drawn, but ultimately acting as part of the machinery of detection. Columbo is an individual and, for all his scruffiness and supposed absent-mindedness, he is a maverick. The 87th Precinct is set on the East Coast, in a New York-a-like city with urban decay, deprivation and the problems associated with that, whilst Columbo's beat is the mansions and playgrounds of the L.A. rich - industrialist playboys, businessmen and women, stars of the silver screen and so on.

It might have been these differences that meant that when two 87th Precinct stories were adapted for the later seasons of Columbo (So Long As You Both Shall Live became No Time To Die in 1992 and Jigsaw became Undercover in 1994) they generally didn't work to serve either the source material or the show well - although Undercover does give us a chance to see Detective Arthur Brown leap off the pages of the book and onto screen (played by Harrison Page).

The first season of Columbo has now been released on Blu-Ray and Paul got the chance to review it for the website We Are Cult, so please go along and have a read of the article, here. 

As an aside, below is a list of the various relationships between Columbo (Season One ONLY) and the 87th Precinct. Obviously for the most part this means the 87th Precinct TV series, but there are some other relationships in there as well. If you can think of any more, let us know! 

Name	Columbo reference	McBain/Hunter reference
Peter Falk	Columbo	87th Precinct ep.19 “Greg Brovane” The Pigeon 29/01/62
Robert Culp	Columbo ep.2 “Carl Brimmer” (murderer) Death Lends A Hand	87th Precinct ep. 1 “Curt Donaldson” (murderer) The Floater 25/09/61 (Based on The Con Man)
Suzanne Pleshette	Columbo ep.3 “Helen Stewart” Dead Weight	The Birds 1963 “Annie Hayworth” (adapted by E.H.) Mister Buddwing 1966 “Fiddle” (based on E.H. novel)
John Fiedler	Columbo ep.7 “Doctor” Blueprint For Murder	87th Precinct ep.20 “Cole” A Bullet For Katie 12/02/62
Ross Martin	Columbo ep.4 “Dale Kingston” (murderer) Suitable For Framing	87th Precinct ep.6 “Joe Czepreghi” Occupation, Citizen 30/10/61
Pat Crowley	Columbo ep.2 “Lenore Kennicutt” (victim) Death Lends A Hand	87th Precinct ep.9 “Josie Thompson” Empty Hours 20/11/61
Janis Paige	Columbo ep.7 “Goldie Williamson” Blueprint For Murder	87th Precinct ep.30 “Cheryl Anderson” Girl In The Case 30/04/62
Harlan Warde	Columbo (2nd Pilot) “Paul Williams” (victim) Ransom For A Dead Man=	87th Precinct “Dr Ben Daniels” (psychiatrist) The Pigeon My Friend, My Enemy Lady Killer
Sandra Gould	Columbo ep.4 “Matron” Suitable For Framing	87th Precinct ep.8 “Mrs Stradling” The Guilt 13/11/61
Eddie Quillan	Columbo ep.6 “Ferguson” Short Fuse	87th Precinct ep.4 “Blinky Smith” The Modus Man 16/10/61
Hank Brandt	Columbo (2nd Pilot) “Attorney” Ransom For A Dead Man	87th Precinct “Vic” (ep.25) Step Forward 26/3/62 “George” (ep.9) Empty Hours 20/11/61
Charles Macaulay	Columbo (2nd Pilot) “Richard” Ransom For A Dead Man	87th Precinct ep.14 “Brother Jeffrey” Run, Rabbit, Run 25/12/61
Jerry Hausner	Columbo ep.4 “Coroner” (uncredited) Suitable For Framing	87th Precinct ep.22 “Nathan Kosoff” Feel Of The Trigger 26/2/62
Lionel Lindon	Director of Photography
David H Moriarty	Sound
Henry Kline	Unit Production Manager/Assistant Director
Edward K Dodds	Unit Manager/Assistant Director
Lou Watt	Assistant Director
George Bisk	Assistant Director
Robert R Bertrand	Sound
Albert Whitlock	Columbo ep.6 Special Photographic Effects Short Fuse	The Birds 1963 Pictorial Effects
Joel Fluellen	Columbo ep.5 “Charles” Lady In Waiting	The Young Savages 1962 “Court Clerk” (Uncredited)