These inverted mysteries were termed a “howcatchem” rather than a whodunit.
Thank goodness Bing Crosby turned down the role. It’s impossible to imagine anyone but Peter Falk as eccentric genius Lt Frank Columbo. With his trademark cigar, crumpled raincoat and faux-casual catchphrase of “Just one more thing”, Columbo is a timeless classic. These inverted mysteries were termed a “howcatchem” rather than a whodunit. Murderers underestimated the seemingly bumbling detective and walked right into his traps. It came with top-tier credentials – inspired by Dostoevsky and GK Chesterton, with episodes written by Steven Bochco, and directed by Steven Spielberg and Jonathan Demme – but wore them lightly, and simply entertained.