Columbo

Martin-Jones’s in-depth analysis of one of the Lieutenant’s critical investigative methods, paying very close attention, makes well-supported arguments about the role of paying attention in the series and how this quality encourages viewers to simultaneously pay close attention, characterizing our viewing experience. His discussion is deeply entrenched in scholarly conversations and theories from communication, theSocial sciences, historical-economics, and television studies. As another reviewer states, it’s not a book for the casual fan who prefers to reminisce in the behind the scenes details of producing the show, which is valid and appreciated. However, the book is an achievement in academic circles with readers who want to delve into global and cultural influences, technologies, and applications of paying attention in changing social contexts from 1968-2003 and on into current syndication. I especially learned from his novel explanation of Columbo’s catchphrase, Just one more thing, as he connects the function of the message with characters to viewers’ attention to the revelation the detective is about to share as an aspect of memory gaming. This review is about the thoroughness of the research and quality of the discussion within an academic community and audience of cerebral folks who enjoy the challenge and Martin-Jones’s findings.

This is not a book for the typical fan of Columbo (as I am). This pedantic, nearly unreadable attempt at a deep-dive zeitgeist-analysis of Columbo in popular culture is disappointing if you are looking for information about the making of the episodes, or about those who contributed to it. There is some good information in there among the thick morass of high-brow academic analysis of the character of Columbo, but it's tough to extract it from this way-too-wordy melange of over-scrutiny. Most of the book tries to tell us something about how we "pay attention" as opposed to the actual television series. I found it to be a blow-hardy volume from start to finish. If you love seeing bibliography notes in parentheses every other line of body copy, then you’ll love this. SMDH