"This old man, he played three, Bert Freed first played Columbo on TV."

This week on Mystery to Me, we'll be discussing the genesis of beloved fictional detective Lt. Columbo. The fictional sleuth — with his rumpled sensibilities and absent-minded charm — was most notably portrayed by Peter Falk. But Falk wasn't the first to have a go at Columbo. That honor would belong to actor Bert Freed, who portrayed the character on the Chevy Mystery Show.

 Columbo writers Richard Levinson and William Link first unleashed the character on the episode "Enough Rope" on July 31, 1960. The story is a classic "howcatchem," following a cunning murderer who seeks to outwit Freed's blue collar detective. 

Áine and Kevin discuss how this early version of a beloved franchise hadn't quite yet earned its rumpled raincoat. Special thanks to the UCLA Film & Television Archive for putting on the special digital screening of "Enough Rope." 

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