One of the
biggest hits of the 1970's was Columbo, the disheveled detective who
always got his man. He often mentioned his wife (“the Missus”), but she was
never seen. Columbo finally ran its course, but the producers, unwilling
to let a good (and profitable) idea die, decided to concoct a Mrs. Columbo who
was also a sleuth, on a show of her own.
Kate Columbo
was the mother of a seven-year-old daughter and, to avoid the monotony of
housework, a reporter for The Valley Advocate, a suburban weekly
newspaper edited by crusty old Josh Alden. It may seem a little farfetched, but
working for the paper somehow got Kate involved in numerous murder mysteries,
all of which she solved in much the same manner as her celebrated husband.
After a mixed
reception in early 1979, the series underwent two title changes, from the
original Kate Columbo to Kate the Detective, to Kate
Loves A Mystery. The producers apparently felt that tying Kate to Columbo
had been a mistake, so they gave her a new last name, Callahan, and all
references to a husband were dropped. She still worked at the paper, and Sgt.
Varrick was added to the cast as her contact at the police force. It didn’t
help, and the program was canceled by early December.
