Peter Falk passes away at age 83

[barnaclelapse]

I love "Columbo" to death (had it running all day while I wrote yesterday and probably will some more today), but to me Peter Falk was so much more than that as an actor. He was a wildly diverse, enormously talented character actor who could swing just about any character you threw at him. He had a range and depth that I don't think was ever completely appreciated by a lot of people. He was one of my favorite actors, and I'm certainly going to miss him as far as that goes.

 

[ancientone51]

Sad for us, peace for him.

RIP, dear sir, RIP

 

[JonnyQuest037]

Dammit. All these celebrities are going to start getting away with murder now.

 

[Canadave]

Sad news, for sure. I watched Columbo movies a lot when I was growing up. It was a staple in our houise, along with Jeremy Brett's Sherlock Holmes and David Suchet's Poirot.

 

[PKTrekGirl]

He was a terrific actor! RIP.

 

[Flibble]

R.I.P. : (

Thank you for some great memories of watching Columbo growing up.

 

[Valin]

RIP Peter Falk--you made Columbo one of my favorite TV characters of all time, and inspired me to read "Crime and Punishment" when I was 12 (I read that Columbo was based on the detective from "C&P").

 

[Shatnertage]

One of the greats...RIP.

 

[Davros]

He was one of the greats. An iconic figure of his time.

 

[Keith1701]

Great actor, he will be missed. RIP

RIP, Peter

 

[indranee]

RIP

 

[J.T.B.]

Every episode of Columbo followed basically the same formula. It should be a "seen one, seen them all" type of situation, right? But they are so wonderfully watchable. That's what a superior actor can bring to something.

After the NBC Mystery Movie on Sunday night, with its weird music and reddish opener, it was time to go to bed and face school in the morning. But when you heard "This week, Peter Falk as Columbo" you knew you were getting a good send-off for your weekend.

RIP Mr falk.

 

[Christopher]

Every episode of Columbo followed basically the same formula.

Almost every one. There was the occasional formula-breaker. For instance, "Last Salute to the Commodore" seemed like a standard episode until the guy we thought was the murderer ended up getting killed, and then it became a traditional whodunnit.

Then in the revival series, there were the two movies that were adaptations of Ed McBain procedurals and didn't involve homicides at all (one where Columbo's niece was kidnapped from her wedding, one where Columbo went undercover on a mob investigation), but those weren't that good.

It should be a "seen one, seen them all" type of situation, right? But they are so wonderfully watchable. That's what a superior actor can bring to something.

True; the formula was a framework on which to build the interplay between Columbo and his nemesis, the chess match between the two personalities. The variety came in the characters, the situations, the way the murders were committed, and the clues that led to the arrest.