Ranking the Columbo episodes

Here's my first take at ranking the episodes. I'll probably adjust these as I think about it a little deeper. So, who's the champion?

(Last Updated: March 6th, 2026)

The Top 10

The first 6 are pretty locked in for me. Do I like Swan Song better than Exercise in Fatality? At the moment, yes, but even if I swap the order later, clearly those two are in my top 6. I don't think any other episodes are likely to slide into the top 6. For me there's a little gap between Exercise in Fatality and Murder by the Book, for example.

After that it's not quite as clear for me. Those next 4 are sentimental favorites mostly from the first three seasons.

1. A Friend in Deed

2. Candidate for Crime

3. Troubled Waters

4. Suitable for Framing

5. Swan Song

6. An Exercise in Fatality

7. Murder by the Book

8. Etude in Black

9. Any Old Port in a Storm

10. Death Lends a Hand

The Next 30

The next batch are all solid episodes. One that stands out here is Columbo Goes to College, the first of the "Second series" that has made the list. I might have it a bit too high, have to think about that. Dagger of the Mind might be too high also.

11. Publish or Perish

12. Ransom for a Dead Man

13. By Dawn's Early Light

14. Forgotten Lady

15. Columbo Goes to College

16. Prescription Murder

17. Double Exposure

18. Old Fashioned Murder

19. Lady in Waiting

     20. Now You See Him      

      21. The Greenhouse Jungle

      22. Dead Weight

23. Blueprint for Murder

24. Short Fuse

25. The Most Crucial Game

26. Requiem for a Falling Star

27. The Most Dangerous Match

28. A Stitch in Crime

29. Mind Over Mayhem

30. Negative Reaction

31. Double Shock

32. Playback

33. Make Me a Perfect Murder

34. A Case of Immunity

35. Agenda for Murder

36. Identity Crisis

37. Dagger of the Mind

38. Lovely but Lethal

39. Try and Catch Me

40. Murder Under Glass

Middle of the pack

These episodes are all fine, not great. I'll watch them, of course, but they all have issues for me.

41. How to Dial a Murder

42. A Deadly State of Mind

      43. Fade in to Murder

44. Bye Bye Sky High I.Q.

45. Grand Deceptions

46. The Conspirators

47. Columbo Goes to the Guillotine

48. Sex and the Married Detective

49. Murder A Self-Portrait

50. Death Hits the Jackpot

51. Columbo Likes the Nightlife

52. Rest in Peace, Mrs. Columbo

53. Uneasy Lies the Crown

54. A Bird in the Hand

55. A Trace of Murder

56. Columbo and the Murder of a Rock Star

57. A Matter of Honor

58. It's All in the Game

59. Ashes to Ashes

60. Strange Bedfellows

61. Murder with Too Many Notes

62. Butterfly in Shades of Grey

63. Caution: Murder Can be Hazardous to your Health

64. Columbo Cries Wolf

Not a big fan

The bottom one on this list is pretty obvious for me. It's the one episode I just skip if it's on. I have Murder in Malibu on here because of the cringy acting and the kinda dodgy "Shot her twice" plot line.

The more I thought about it the more I had to put Last Salute down here. The performances are just so cringy...

65. Murder in Malibu

66. Murder, Smoke, and Shadows

67. Undercover

68. Last Salute to the Commodore

69. No Time to Die

So, what do you think? Where do you disagree? Let us know in the comments below!