Dear Friends,
Today I'm looking forward to talking about one of my favorite TV dogs, Dog from Columbo. Not a very original name, but he was a very cute Basset Hound! Columbo was a mystery series that ran from 1971 - 2003. Dog helped Detective Columbo solve crimes. My Momma loves this show, so I have watched with her, and she has a previous post about the retro TV aspects of this series here: Did You Know Tuesday: Fun Facts About Columbo.
Dog first appeared in the series in the episode Etude in Black (1972). Peter Falk, who played Columbo, was originally not a fan of adding a dog to the series. He thought Columbo already had a rumpled trench coat, a cigar, and a wife who was referred to but never seen. He did not think he needed a dog too.
As a great fan of rescue, I will add that the character Dog was written as a rescue dog. Columbo has a running conversation in Etude in Black about what to name Dog. He considers the names Fido and Beethovan.
The Basset Hound who played Dog was named Henry. He also was a rescue dog from a Los Angeles pound, and if he looks familiar, it is because he played Henry the dog in Emergency!
Over the course of the series we learn that Dog enjoys ice cream, swimming, and television. Henry, the original Basset Hound, passed away during the course of the series and was recast with another very mellow dog.
There is a statue of Dog and Columbo in Budapest. Peter Falk was related to 19th century Hungarian political figure Miksa Falk, and the statue is at a street named Falk.
Here is a short video of Dog:
Do you remember the TV show Columbo? Are you a Basset Hound fan? I'd love to hear from you in the comments, below.
Love,
Abby xoxoxo
My all time favorite detective series, Columbo, premiered on NBC on September 15, 1971. This long-running show ran from 1971 - 2003.
Columbo was a detective played by Peter Falk. He wore a rumpled raincoat, drove a great old car, and had a Basset Hound.
Here are just a few fun facts about this iconic show:
There was a Mrs. Columbo, although she was never seen on the show.
Columbo's first name is never spoken on the show, although it is on his police badge as "Frank."
The most frequent killers on Columbo episodes were Patrick McGoohan (4 episodes), Robert Culp and Jack
Cassidy (3 episodes each).
Columbo is a cigar smoker.
Columbo often looks for food at the murder scene, and enjoys a snack ... although he often travels with boiled eggs.
Columbo drives a 1959 Peugeot, Model 403.
Columbo doesn't like guns and admits in one episode that he hasn't completed his annual firearm test in five to ten years.
This show still airs on Me-TV, is available on Netflix, and I still enjoy watching it. Are you a Columbo fan? I'd love to hear from you in the comments, below.
