RIP Peter Falk, TV's Columbo

Actor Peter Falk, who was best known for his role as "Columbo" has died, according to a statement released by his family. "Falk died peacefully at his Beverly Hills home in the evening of June 23. He was 83. I always enjoyed the show, and have been re-watching it in recent months via Netflix streaming. The great thing about the "Columbo" show was the character himself. Falk played the unpolished L.A.P.D. detective with a huge humanitarian streak. The show always followed the same structure: Each week we'd see the perpetrator commit a murder and try to cover it up, step by step. No mystery as to who did the deed. The puzzle was figuring out how the lawbreaker tripped himself up. Columbo would without fail find the one mistake and bring the perp to justice. Better still, the unassuming Columbo would invariably be pitted against a pompous, wealthy villain who would patronize the blue-collar detective and greatly underestimate his abilities. Columbo always nailed the self-important jerk. Great stuff. Wish there were more like it.