'Who loves ya, baby?'

Although I do dig Kojak, I love Columbo.

I'm calling Perry Mason.

Columbo.

Too smart and funny at the same time!

Those 1970s scripts and pace don't age well.

He was a tough sumbitch.

She was a lyricist ...

https://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=post&forum=1034

I know she put words to at least two songs.

Did you know there was a "Mrs. Columbo" series based on his (TV) wife? It only lasted two seasons.

A couple other notable detectives from that era:

I haven't thought about that in years.

it's Gotta be Columbo!
One of his trenchcoats is in the Smithsonian.
His car should be a national monument to moving in spite of itself.
And that dog! Epitome of laziness.

The thing I like about Columbo is he made the people he was questioning thing they were smart than he was. His style let them answer questions he didn't ask and in the end they hanged themselves. I/ used his technique, to a degree, in the AF when I had to find out who screwed up and no one would own up to it. I did an investigation for a HIPPA violation when someone released some medical information on a female to their friends. I questioned about 10 people recording them, with their knowledge. The final person, whom I suspected of leaking the information, thought he could outfox me so I played like Columbo and got him on tape confessing he leaked the information. Case closed. I still use Columbo's method when I'm talking to people, mainly those I've just met or are acquaintances, when the make an unbelievable statement of fact. Yes, I include "just one more thing."

As long as we're talking about great vintage TV cop shows...

(Between the two subject series, I'd go with "Columbo" by a narrow margin.)

Genuinely revolutionary series, for its time.