For one thing Kate Columbo/Callahan only worked for a very small time newspaper. Unlike her husband(?) who was a police homicide detective and who had better access to murder suspects and better authority to harass them. Kate largely lacked both. Also, she had less access to important facts about suspects and less resources. Only some of the problem. You might as well have been watching a little kid trying to solve a case.
Peter Falk's very unique personality made Columbo believable as having nearly a sixth sense in figuring out who was guilty or innocent. Kate Mulgrew was obviously an intelligent lady. But she did not have a sixth sense. She was just somewhat of an every woman in this sense. Why would she be so mega-good at figuring who killed who?
The supporting cast could not help this show out either. Veteran acting great Don Stroud, who was always gifted at performing, played a cop on this and it was not any help. His characterization by any other name would probably have worked far better on a show he was lead on.
Odd that this show was so beyond help. Mulgrew was very beautiful and satisfying a lady to watch and behold. But like Eddie Murphy's character in 'The Golden Child' one superb character does not a great show make.
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Reply by JustPearry
on September 10, 2020 at 8:55 AM
Some say Kate too young too to play Falk wife and this also make for implausibilities
But sthat acress also seems as though she impersonates Hepburn everywhere she goes her and on other shows. That by itself make for major turnoff to everyone but obnoxious Hepburn fns everywhere and we do not mean Miss Audrey!
Reply by Benton12
on September 10, 2020 at 8:59 AM
Mulgrew was only 24 at the time.
Reply by Benton12
on September 10, 2020 at 9:06 AM
There was something else. When Columbo ended it was maybe 1977. It could be 1980 on this show. Columbo's wife could have past on right after his show ended and this could be his second wife he had been only married to for a year and his adopted daughter. One critic once said "How we do even know she's THE Mrs. Columbo?".
When Columbo returned to TV in the late 1980's they were going to say (hinting at this series) that some lady at a bus station in Los Angeles found his wallet and passed herself off as his wife. Columbo was to say something like "I wish my wife was like that lady. But so help me that's not my wife!". Alas! They never used this wallet explanation.