This season aired on Wednesdays from 8:30 to 10:00 pm (EST) as part of The NBC Wednesday Mystery Movie. Prior to this season, two pilot TV movies were made under the name of Prescription: Murder and Ransom for a Dead Man in 1968 and 1971 respectively. After the massive success of the early series, NBC ordered "just one more" episode; Short Fuse was the result. Though it was aired second-to-last, it was actually the final episode of the season to be filmed.

Like every other NBC season other than Season 1, this season aired on Sunday nights from 8:30 to 10:00 pm (EST) as part of The NBC Sunday Mystery Movie.

From investigating a kidnapping to a murder at a historic military academy, follow Lieutenant Columbo as he asks all the right questions in the most difficult and lethal cases.

This season features such guest stars as Janet Leigh, Jeff Goldblum and Leslie Nielsen.

The sixth season of Columbo consisted of three episodes, making it the shortest Columbo season. It features such guest stars as William Shatner, Joyce Van Patten and Jamie Lee Curtis.

The seventh season of Columbo was the final Columbo season to be produced by and aired on NBC, as well as the final one made in the 1970s. It was the last season of the show for nearly eleven years until it was revived on ABC with Season 8.

The eighth season was the first Columbo season to be produced by and aired on ABC, as well as the first one made in the 1980s. It was the first season of the show in nearly eleven years after it was ended by NBC with Season 7. This season aired on Monday nights as part of The ABC Mystery Movie.

The ninth season of Columbo features such guest stars as Edward Winter, Ian McShane and Patrick Bauchau.

The final season of Columbo consisted of 14 specials released sporadically over a span of 13 years, starting in 1990 and concluding in 2003. On most major DVD releases, including in Regions 2 and 4, these episodes are considered to make up the tenth season. However some DVD releases in places such as France and The Netherlands group the episodes differently; splitting them into Seasons 10, 11 and 12 (sometimes referred to as Seasons 10, 11 and the Specials).

This was the very last season of Columbo, with Columbo Likes the Nightlife being the last ever episode produced. Peter Falk expressed interest in starring in one last case that would serve as the true finale, but it never materialized. He died in 2011. When it ended in 2003, the show had been on the air for thirty-five years.

A brilliant attorney gets rid of her boring husband by faking his kidnapping and keeping the ransom. The FBI may be fooled, but not Columbo.