#14: Steven Spielberg Directed a Top-Ranked Columbo Episode
One of Columbo’s earliest episodes, Murder by the Book from 1971, was directed by a very young Steven Spielberg. Long before Jaws and E.T., Spielberg brought cinematic confidence to this cat-and-mouse mystery, giving it a sharper, more polished feel than most TV crime stories.
The episode’s reputation only grew over time. Murder by the Book was ranked number sixteen on TV Guide’s 100 Greatest Episodes of All Time, an impressive honor for both the show and its future superstar director. Not bad for an early-career TV gig involving a rumpled detective and “just one more thing.”