A Bird in the Hand... - S11-E3
Continuity mistake: At 8:15 AM, Harold McCain telephones his Aunt Dolores but when she answers the call, the clock on her mantel shows the time as 10:20.
A Bird in the Hand... - S11-E3
Factual error: The license plate on the automobile of Stallions football team owner Fred McBain reads STALLION1, but personalized California license plates can not have more than seven characters ( http://www.vanityplatebystate.com/alphabetical-listing-of-states/california/).
A Bird in the Hand... - S11-E3
Factual error: They are watching a football game on TV with The Stallions playing some other team. The game they are watching is actually a Canadian Football League game between the Edmonton Eskimos and the Saskatchewan Roughriders.
Answer: In the show, he was already a Lieutenant. A promotion would put him in the next rank up, which for the L.A.P.D. would be Captain. However, some of a Captain's duties would be overseeing other officers and ensuring they're compliant with policies, regulations, and standards. It would also most likely take him out of the field. This is something Columbo has no desire for as he rarely goes to police HQ's. Nor does he show interest in compliance and standards (for example, not going to his semi-annual evaluation at the firing range). However, he could still be assigned to a higher pay grade based on expertise, which is a form of promotion that does not include rank advancement. This would be going from Lieutenant I to Lieutenant II. I don't believe in the show it's ever started what his pay grade is. Although, in s02e01 (I believe) he mentions making $11K a year. Whether or not this was a true statement on his part, if you could find pay scale information for an LAPD Lieutenant in the 70's, it could give you an idea of his pay grade.
Bishop73