Mrs. Columbo
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Mrs. Columbo is the fictional wife of the television detective Columbo in the television series of the same name. She is an unseen character who is frequently mentioned in the series. Although, being unseen, she never speaks, the viewer is often exposed to her thoughts and ideas by statements made by Lt. Columbo during his investigations.
In 1979, over the strong objections of the producers of Columbo, NBC executive Fred Silverman produced a US television series starring Kate Mulgrew which was initially named Mrs. Columbo. Over the course of the second series, the linkage between this Kate Columbo and the Mrs. Columbo of the original television series was reduced. The name of the character was changed to Kate Callahan after an off-screen divorce, and the series was renamed Kate Loves a Mystery. In its latter incarnation it was determined that this Kate Columbo and the Mrs. Columbo of Columbo were entirely different people.