From the first time I saw it I became a fan of the "Columbo" television series. It was part of the NBC Mystery Movie series back in the 1970's. Of that series, which included "McMillan and Wife" and "McCloud" I liked "Columbo" the best.
And it seems that a lot of other people enjoyed the series too. After the series ended, CBS I think it was, reran the series during late night up against some of the talk shows. As I was not much of a talk show fan I found that a welcome relief. I saw many of those reruns.
Then in the late 1980's and early 1990's they started appearing in late, late night like 3 o'clock in the morning and I saw them at that time too while caring for my elderly parents, who were up and down at all times of the night.
A few years ago our local cable station started carrying the A&E Channel and they were showing "Columbo" twice a week and I seldom missing a showing, seeing the same episodes over and over.
When I acquired a video recorder a couple of years ago (yes I know, this old grandfather is behind the times since recorders have been around for years and years) one of the first things I did was to record the older "Columbo" episodes made in the 1970s that have been running on the A&E Channel.
I have also recorded the "newer" segments, those once a year or so made in the past several years, that now run on the Family Channel.
(Note: The above was written 1997. Later A&E dropped the series. The Family Channel ran the newer episodes until about 2001 or 2002. As of this date (early 2003) A&E is running the newer episodes on Thursdays and sometimes on Saturday and Sunday)
I often go to sleep with a three-episode reel turning in the video player.
So, you can see I'm a big "Columbo" fan.
After looking at the episodes over and over, I started picking up on small stuff that I had not paid much attention to before. The small stuff was things about his family, his wife's family, his dog, etc. I jotted that stuff down and called it "Columbo" trivia.
And now I have made a little game of that trivia for you.
No, you will not be graded on your answers and there are no grand prizes to be given away. It's a game just for the fun of it.
But I would like to hear from you. Send me some e-mail and tell me how many you got right. I don't expect you to get many right as the questions are awfully tough. I probably couldn't answer many of them without going back and looking up the answers. So don't be embarrassed if you answer only a few. I would still like to hear from you.
You might want to offer suggestions for further trivia games.
Oh, yes. To get to the answers you will have to go through our sponsors' pages. I know, that's a little sneaky, but they will be glad you visited them.
Go to bottom of page for more Columbo links of interest. You will find an original Columbo story, episodes lists and search for the white-haired man. We will be adding other links later.
Question 1-Mrs. Columbo does a lot of reading. What is one of the odd
things she reads in the newspaper?
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Question 2-Columbo's nephew won two prizes. One was for weight
lifting. What was the other one for?
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Question 3-When Columbo is questioned about the car he drives, he
says he has another one, his wife drives it. He describes the car as
just what?
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Question 4-The "Greenhouse Jungle" episode featured an
Academy Award winning actor as the murderer. Can you name him? Can
you name the movie for which he won the Academy Award as best actor?
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Question 5-What instrument did Columbo's uncle play in a Scottish Band?
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Question 6-What does Columbo's wife do in restaurants that is
embarrassing to him, a policeman?.
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Question 7-In "Requiem for a Falling Star" the guest star
was Anne Baxter, an Oscar winner. Another Oscar winner appeared in
this episode. She brought him a tie. Who was she?
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Question 8-Is Columbo Italian on one side of his family or on both sides?
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Question 9-What job did Columbo's father have during prohibition days?
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Question 10-Columbo's wife says he is compulsive about something.
What is it?
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Question 11-Does Columbo have any young children?
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Question 12-Sometimes Columbo coughs and his nose runs. What is wrong
with him?
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Question 13-Columbo mentions that his wife went to visit a member of
the family. Who was it?
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Question 14-Columbo mentions a cousin who wears big, thick glasses.
Where does he live?
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Question 15-How old was Columbo's grandfather when he started wearing dentures?
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Question 16-Columbo's wife got him something for his birthday. What
was it?
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Question l7-Where does Columbo sometimes play cards?
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Question 18-Columbo tells his dog to look the other way if someone
tries to steal what?
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Question 19-How long has Columbo been a policeman (in the original series)?
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Question 20-Columbo says his brother-in-law is a waiter. What did he
borrow from him?
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Question 21-What did a new pair of shoes cost Columbo?
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Question 22-Columbo's brother is 38. He still has something from his
younger days. What is it?
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Question 23-Looking at his clothes and his old car, someone asks
Columbo if he is undercover. What does he reply?
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Question 24-In one episode a Mexican policeman mentions to Columbo
that he had heard about a case Columbo had solved. Where did that
case take place?
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Question 25-Columbo mentions a cousin who had an anniversary. What is
his name?
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Question 26-In one episode there is no personal trivia. What episode
is it?
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Question 27-How long has Columbo been on the police force? (Original series)
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Question 28-Last month was Columbo's cousin's wedding. Next month his
brother-in-law will be celebrating something. What is it?
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Question 29--Columbo asks the character played by Dick VanDyke for a
picture of a dog because his dog is sick. What is wrong with his dog?
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Question 30-In his early days, Columbo delivered prisoners. Where did
he deliver them to?
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Question 31-Columbo says his sister-in-law wants to buy a place.
Where does she want that place located?
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Question 32-In "Death Lends a Hand" he tells the Robert
Culp character that he likes a certain type of food. What is it?
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Question 33-Where did Columbo's nephew lose one of his contact lenses?
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Question 34-There is something that Columbo needs in his home. What
is it?
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Question 35-Back when he was a kid what did Columbo do to keep cars
from starting?
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Question 36-As a kid Columbo lived near Chinatown. As a result he ate
more of one thing then he did catalone. What was it?
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Question 37-The director of the episode "Death Under Glass"
was directed by a future Academy Award winner. Who was it?
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Question 38-Columbo is shown talking to his wife on the phone and he
is asking her who is coming for dinner. Who is it?
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Question 39-When talking about exercise Columbo says he likes his
wife a little thin or a little hefty?
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Question 40-Speaking of his diet, Columbo says he likes a bowl of
chili and a rare what?
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Question 41-Can Columbo swim?
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Question 42-Listening to a woman on the phone Columbo says she sounds
like his sister-in-law who is a little what at times?
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Question 43-Columbo's said his wife thought about taking a course.
What was the course?
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Question 44-What movie does Mrs. Columbo think is a masterpiece?
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Question 45-Who taught Columbo how to play pool?
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Question 46-Columbo does a lot of sneezing. What is wrong with him?
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Question 47-What syndicated column in the newspaper does Mrs. Columbo
read?
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Question 48-Columbo's wife cries when she loses at what sport?
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Question 49-Columbo served in the Army in Korea. What kind of a job
did he have?
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Question 50-What nationality is Columbo?
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Question 51-Mrs. Columbo likes puzzles. What kind?
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Question 52-Mrs. Columbo bought something for Columbo's coat. What
was it?
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Question 53-What does Columbo's nephew want to be?
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Question 54-An up and coming actress had a small part in a Columbo
episode as a waitress. Her career took off in "Halloween."
Who was
she?
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Question 55-Mrs. Columbo thinks Columbo is the second best policeman
on the Los Angeles force. How many are tied for first?
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Question 56-In high school Columbo took woodshop instead of what
course?
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Question 57-Columbo's wife told him he needed to do more of
something. What was it?
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Question 58-Where does Columbo's mother-in-law live?
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Question 59-What did Columbo give a girl in high school?
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Question 60-Does Columbo have a first name?
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Question 61-Columbo says he is the worst cook in the world, but there
is one thing that he cooks well, even his wife agrees to that. What
is it?
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Question 62-Who is the athlete in Columbo's family?
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Question 63-Who directed the episode "Murder By the Book?"
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Question 64-Did Columbo come from a big or small family?
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Question 65-Columbo's handwriting is so bad he sometimes thinks he
should have been a what?
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Question 66-Columbo says his wife has something for every situation.
What is it?
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Question 67--Who directed the episode "Lady in Waiting?"
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Question 68-How many new cars did Columbo's father own?
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Question 69-Columbo's dog likes to go to the ocean. What
does he do there?
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Question 70-Are Columbo's parents living or dead?
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Question 71-"Last Salute to the Commodore" was directed by
an actor who appeared in three Columbo episodes. Who was he?
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Question 72-What is unusual about the episode "Last Salute to
the Commodore?" In other words what sets it apart from most of
the other episodes?
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Question 73-Columbo's family had something that was fake when he was
a kid. What was it?
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Question 74-Columbo says his brother-in-law George is fantastic at
doing something. What is it?
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Question 75-Columbo says biggest ship he was ever on was what?
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Question 76-What is Mrs. Columbo's neice's name?
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Question 77-In "Blue Print For Murder" Columbo says his
brother-in-law's occupation is what?
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Question 78-Who directed "Blue Print For Murder?"
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Question 79-Does Columbo drink?
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Question 80-How many miles does Columbo have on his car? Is it over
100,000 or under 100,000?
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Question 81-Who directed the episode "A Friend in Deed?"
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Question 82-A police character named Wilson tells Columbo that Capt.
Richie says Columbo is becoming something in the department. What is it?
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Question 83-What kind of flower does Mrs. Columbo love?
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Question 84-In one episode Columbo says he is looking for a new pair
of shoes. What price range is he looking for?
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Question 85-Columbo says wife is mad at the ice cream man. Why?
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Question 86-When Mrs. Columbo used her hair dryer, what did it affect
according to Columbo?
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Question 87-Columbo says his nephew married a girl with an accent.
What kind of accent did she have?
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Question 88-What is Columbo's brother-in-law's name?
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Question 89-Did Columbo's father wear glasses?
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Question 90-As a kid Columbo built models of something. What were they?
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Question 91-Columbo's 15-year-old newphew makes 8mm movies. Other
kids have pictures of rock stars on their wall. Whose picture does
his newphew have?
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Question 92-Columbo had something wrong with his stomach once. What
was it?
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Question 93-How many brothers and sisters did Columbo have.
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Question 94-Columbo's brother-in-law went to a clinic for back
problems. What was one of the methods of treatment?
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Question 95-Who does most of the TV watching in the Columbo family?
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Question 96-How does Mrs. Columbo spend some of her nights?
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Question 97-Mrs. Columbo cooks up all the recipes from a cooking
show. What were the results?
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Question 98-Columbo, his wife and his in-laws visited an amusement
site. What was it?
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Question 99-What does Mrs. Columbo use to write out her grocery list?
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Question 100-Columbo's nephew works at UCLA. What does he do?
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Peter Falk's Driveway
Go to a list of Columbo episodes
Go to a list of new Columbo episodes
Go to Original Columbo/ Duesouth Story
Go to Original Columbo/ X-Files Story
Go to Looking for White Haired Man
Go to Characters On Columbo
Go to Oscar Winners On Columbo
Go to New Columbo Song
