Ransom for a Dead Man is the second ever episode of Columbo, following Prescription: Murder. After the popularity of that telefilm, NBC ordered a pilot so as to see if Columbo could be sustained as a regular TV series. This pilot first aired on March 1, 1971 and was directed by Richard Irving, returning from Prescription: Murder. Peter Falk reprises his role as Columbo opposite Lee Grant as the murderer. The telefilm was quite successful, and later in 1971 Columbo would become a fully-fledged series, beginning with Murder by the Book. The character of the stepdaughter Margaret Williams was played by Patricia Mattick .
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In Ransom for a Dead Man, a conniving lawyer (Grant) bumps off her husband and stages his kidnapping by organized crime figures. This marks the first ever female Columbo killer.
| Columbo Pilots |
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| 1.Prescription: Murder 2.Ransom for a Dead Man |