Fade in to Murder

William Shatner stars as Ward Fowler, who is an actor on a successful TV series called "Detective Lucerne" that decides to murder his producer, a woman called Claire Daley(played by Lola Albright) by making it look like an armed robbery gone bad, and setting up a clever alibi for himself. Lt. Columbo(Peter Falk) of course finds those inconsistencies that convince him it was murder, but Fowler seems more at home as Lucerne rather than himself, and gives the good Lt. all the help he can, even about that odd fellow Fowler... Fellow "Star Trek" actor Walter Koenig has a small role as a policeman. Amusing episode full of in-jokes is at least a return to form for the series,