1.   The new detective series quickly shot up the TV ratings.

2.   But so are reruns of Columbo, and the longer this film drags on, the more it resembles that detective series.

3.   Democratic insiders say the idea is about as realistic as an old episode of the popular TV detective series.

4.   Fred Dryer reprises his role from the NBC detective series.

5.   He also made a number of successful detective series.