10 Smartest TV Detectives

Lieutenant Frank Columbo is a lesson in not judging a book by its cover. Resplendent in a crumpled mac and prone to babbling on about not very much, criminals are quick to dismiss the cop as an incompetent boob. They do so at their peril, however, as Columbo is one of the most shrewd, calculating detectives ever to feature on the small screen.

Columbo is deliciously, comfortingly formulaic. In each instalment, we start off with a murder - uniquely in its day, the audience is given the killer’s identity from the off. From there, the killer, usually someone of high status, is locked in a battle of wits with the disarmingly slovenly Columbo.

His technique is simple - he simply bludgeons the killer with friendly jibber jabber, pestering them until they finally snap and drop themselves in it. A key weapon in his arsenal is his famous strategy of acting as though his line of questioning is over - then returning to the scene with a “just one more thing”, thereby catching the perp fully off guard.

The late great Peter Falk mate Columbo an incomparable, iconic character - a role model for badly dressed nuisances the world over.