I’ve been watching Columbo reruns, too, as the OP says, for comfort food TV. I like that there’s a formula-- part of the comfort food effect. Was the show always two hours long? That’s waaaay too long. The Columbo-esque trademark mannerisms wear a little thin after the fourth instance of heaping flattery on the murderer, mentioning stuff My Wife likes, and repeatedly almost leaving the room-- “Just ONE more thing, sir, please.”
But it’s always rewarding when Columbo springs the trap and the bad guy cannot escape. Hehe. Not like other shows (I’m lookin’ at you, Law & Order) where the murderer often got away with it because of a legal/procedural technicality. But almost as often was shot dead on the courthouse steps after the verdict by the victim’s family. So there’s that.
I always have the IMDB open on my kindle when I watch old shows. It’s fun to see people Before They Got Famous. Not to hijack, but I’ve been watching The Fugitive on Pluto and have seen a really young Robert Duval and Bruce Dern (who was completely unknown and got last billing).