FORGOTTEN TELEVISION: MRS. COLUMBO (1979-1980)

MRS. COLUMBO (1979-1980) – During its brief 13-episode run of hour-long episodes, this detective series – produced by Fred Silverman – was also titled Kate the Detective, Kate Callahan and Kate Loves a Mystery. Much Ado About Nothing might have been a more fitting title given all the energy expended trying to make this Kate Mulgrew program a success, but for so little return.

For readers who weren’t fans of the Columbo series starring Peter Falk, let me point out that his police detective character frequently mentioned his wife, who was never seen in any of the episodes. By 1979, Columbo was off the air (though it would be revived in the late 1980s), so Fred Silverman launched Mrs. Columbo, starring the detective’s never-seen wife nosing her way into murder mysteries and solving them herself. 

Silverman launched this series over the objections of Columbo‘s producers Richard Levinson and William Link but had to credit them as “creators” of the concept of Columbo’s wife. Peter Falk had no connection to Mrs. Columbo, either so his character never even made a guest appearance or cameo. Falk referred to the show as “Disgraceful.”

Further annoying potential fans of the new show, Silverman cast 24-year-old Kate Mulgrew as Mrs. Columbo, despite the fact that she would have been just 12 years old when the Columbo series debuted.

After the first several episodes aired, the producers alienated those few fans who had bothered tuning in based on the Mrs. Columbo gimmick by retitling the show and having Mulgrew’s character mention she divorced her detective husband and was now just investigating cases on her own under her maiden name of Kate Callahan.

Eventually, the producers retconned the premise to make it so that Kate Callahan had NEVER been married to Lieutenant Columbo, making this whole thing even more pointless. This retcon lasted through the final few episodes before the series was canceled for good.   

THE EPISODES:

WORD GAMES (Feb 26th, 1979) – This debut episode filled a 2-hour time slot. In addition to Kate Mulgrew as Mrs. Columbo, viewers were introduced to THE Lili Haydn as the Columbos’ little daughter Jenny and Henry Jones as Kate Columbo’s boss at the newspaper where she worked as a reporter.

Mrs. Columbo overhears a lawyer (Robert Culp) discussing with a hired killer (Frederic Forrest himself) how the killer just offed the lawyer’s wife. Kate sets out to prove that the woman was murdered and how, overcoming all the skepticism of the police. Edie Adams, Rene Auberjonois and two-time Lt. Columbo sidekick Bob Dishy guest starred.

MURDER IS A PARLOR GAME (Mar 1st) – Donald Pleasence plays a former Scotland Yard detective and author of True Crime books who kills a blackmailer and makes it look like suicide. Mrs. Columbo isn’t buying it and manages to expose what really happened. Also starred Dolph Sweet.

A RIDDLE FOR PUPPETS (Mar 15th) – Ventriloquist Jay Johnson, famous as the snarkiest member of the Campbell household on Soap, likewise plays a ventriloquist here. The loon begins to believe his dummy is capable of independent action, so he murders the man who made it. Mrs. Columbo solves the mystery. Al Ruscio and Michael Durrell guest starred.

CAVIAR WITH EVERYTHING (Mar 22nd) – Mrs. Columbo is writing a human interest story about some high society caterers. This lets her be on hand to solve the murder when head caterer Sybil (Claudette Nevins) kills her business partner Patty (Trisha Noble) for having an affair with her husband (Sam Groom). The guest cast included Jo McDonnell and noted Humphrey Bogart impersonator Jerry Lacy.

Lili Haydn as Jenny Columbo

A PUZZLE FOR PROPHETS (Mar 29th) – Mrs. Columbo suspects a supposed clairvoyant murdered her husband-manager because she wanted to avoid exposure on a talk show. The murderer thinks she has Kate as a witness for her manufactured alibi, but Mrs. Columbo sees right through it and solves the case.

LADIES OF THE AFTERNOON (Oct 18th) – After a 7-month hiatus following disastrous ratings, this retooled series returned as Kate the Detective, Kate Callahan and Kate Loves a Mystery. This episode introduced the off-putting concept that Mrs. Columbo had divorced Peter Falk’s character and was now raising their daughter Jenny in San Fernando under her maiden name Callahan.

NOTE: At least they didn’t try saying she was now the wife of Dirty Harry Callahan.

Don Stroud joined the cast as local detective Sgt. Mike Varrick. Kate and her editor (Henry Jones) now worked for a paper in San Fernando. Kate solves a murder that leads her to a group of married women who work as prostitutes while their husbands are at work during the day. TED DANSON, DEE WALLACE, Deborah Shelton and John Aprea guest starred.

IT GOES WITH THE TERRITORY (Oct 25th) – More trivia treasures in this episode. THE Leo Penn directed. When Kate’s fellow reporter is car-bombed while investigating political corruption, she decides to follow through on the story, solving the murder and exposing scandals. Bibi Besch and Peter Donat were in the guest cast. 

OFF THE RECORD (Nov 1st) – When a murder is committed, Kate comes under pressure from the police to reveal the name of her latest news source, who might be involved with the slaying. Naturally, Kate is faithful to Freedom of the Press and refuses to name her source while solving the murder herself. Guest starred MARY WORONOV, Allan Miller, Lynn Carlin and Paul Jenkins. NOTE: All ties to Columbo were retconned away as of this episode. Though still divorced, Kate Callahan was now NEVER married to the beloved detective.

THE VALLEY STRANGLER (Nov 8th) – Andrew Robinson could have shouted “It was Callahan! It was Callahan!” again, but meaning Kate and not Harry this time. He plays a man arrested for a series of strangulation murders, but Kate is convinced he’s innocent, so she corrals the real killer. Van Williams, Ivor Francis and Carmen Zapata appeared.

A CHILLING SURPRISE (Nov 22nd) – A restaurateur friend of Kate is murdered and his body disappears soon after. Callahan sets out to solve the mystery. ARMAND ASSANTE, Ahna Capri, Nicolas Coster, Jess Walton and Mary Gregory were the trivia-adjacent guest stars this time.

FALLING STAR (Nov 29th) – David Rasche himself guest starred as Kate’s new romantic interest, but before she can start going by “Mrs. Sledge Hammer” he gets accused of murdering a woman from his past who endangered his campaign for Congress. Kate decides to clear him. Other guest stars were Joanne Linville, Sharon Farrell and Peter Hobbs.

FEELINGS CAN BE MURDER (Dec 6th) – Kate’s latest murder investigation leads her to the self-help psychologist (Rene Auberjonois) who runs a support group that the victim was participating in. Dick Gautier, Kathleen Lloyd and Diane Shalet guest starred.

LOVE ON INSTANT REPLAY (Mar 19th, 1980) – With this series already canceled, this final episode was tossed out as filler months after the cancellation. True to form for this show, there was behind the scenes drama as director E. Arthur Kean hid behind the industry’s Alan Smithee pseudonym used when directors are embarrassed by a turkey.

Kate’s final mystery saw her trying to clear a former Czech freedom fighter when he is accused of murdering the owner of a video dating service. (THAT old trope. I’m kidding!) CAMERON MITCHELL, Walter Brooke, LARA PARKER and Zitto Kazann guest starred.

FOR MY 2010 REVIEW OF KATE MULGREW IN ALIEN LOVER (1975) CLICK HERE.

FOR MORE FORGOTTEN TELEVISION CLICK HERE.