Steven Spielberg And A Crime Show Legend Created Columbo's Most Important Episode

If you can believe it, iconic director Steven Spielberg used to do television. In the early days of his career, he directed the epic pilot of "Columbo," titled "Murder by the Book." What's more, the episode was written by a young Steven Bochco, who would go on to create and showrun many iconic crime dramas, including 1990s hits "L.A. Law," "Hill Street Blues," and "NYPD Blue." 

Spielberg was in his early 20s when the pilot — which aired in September 1971 — was made, while Bochco was in his late 20s at the time. Both creatives were in their infancy in the industry, with almost no broadly recognizable projects to their names at the time. But their distinct work and collaborative efforts would prove to be absolutely paramount to the massive success of the series, (and would change lead actor Peter Falk's view of television as he knew it). 

Technically, Spielberg and Bochco's pilot for "Columbo" wasn't its first episode. There were two made-for-TV films that came before: 1968's "Prescription: Murder," and 1971's "Ransom for a Dead Man," which aired just a few months before the Spielberg-Bochco pilot. They weren't widely successful, though they did introduce the world to Falk's memorably charming lead performance.

It wasn't until Spielberg and Bochco put their heads together for the official pilot that the true vision for "Columbo" was established. 

A few other folks played versions of the titular character ahead of Falk, but pairing his witty turn with smart direction and writing from Spielberg and Bochco proved a winning combination. Their collaboration introduced the classic elements to the series — the inverted detective story structure with a compelling case at its center, the quirky and endearing titular lead, and even hints of perceived class commentary — which set the foundation for the show to become a generational hit that still endures.

"I treated ['Columbo'] like a little mini movie, and I made the movie with the psychology of a film director, not a TV director," Spielberg previously told On Small Screen in an interview. "I said ... 'They're giving me $130,000 for this hour? I'm going to make it look like a million bucks.'"

Bochco would go on to write six other episodes across the mainstay's 10 season run, which played out over nearly 20 years — however, Spielberg never came back to the director's chair on "Columbo."