Visible crew/equipment: At the start, while Graham is driving he makes a right turn, and as the van passes the camera, the reflection of the scrim diffuser, etc, is visible on the van's surface and windows. (00:00:20)
Visible crew/equipment: After Columbo searches the victim's car and has Brindle bag a few things, Columbo heads out with his bottle of Pepto Bismol. It then cuts to Graham at the stables, and as he and Pat turn left, we can see the reflection of the lighting scrim on the door's glass windows. (00:24:15)
Visible crew/equipment: When Fortelli threatens Graham, Fortelli says, "I don't want the money; I want the farm," and just as he adds, "I'll see you at 6:00 tomorrow night," we can see the reflection of the moving boom pole/mic on the vehicle's window. (01:02:50)
Other mistake: Columbo never told the character Graham McVeigh that he was sick from clams. When Columbo came to the horse track to talk to him about the case, McVeigh said to Columbo "not more clams?" when Columbo said he was sick again.
Factual error: In common with many other episodes neither Columbo, the attending police officers or forensic investigators wear gloves or other sterile gear while examining the murder victim's body or the crime scene. Columbo hands out bananas to other people on the scene which they happily eat. The senior crime scene forensics officer, Kingsley, hands out coffee and doughnuts! Eating and drinking are absolutely forbidden on a sterile crime scene, which has been hopelessly contaminated with fingerprints anyway.
Other mistake: Kingsley doesn't know if his victim is married or unmarried, whether or not he has children, if he has a maid, but he brings a hand vacuum and empty vial to the murder to collect cat hair from the victim's cat to plant on Clifford's jacket.
Character mistake: Kingsley carries a briefcase in to the attorney's office, but leaves without it.
Continuity mistake: Close to the end when Colombo is talking to Patrick Kinsley he is holding up the bag with the cigar-end; the bag is upside down. In the next shot from behind the bag is the right way.
Factual error: An important plot point is that diamonds do not burn and can be recovered from the ashes of a cremated body. This is completely wrong - diamonds would combust freely at cremation temperatures, and since they are pure carbon they don't even leave any residue.
Murder with Too Many Notes - S13-E4
Other mistake: In the movie within the story the murderer repeatedly stabs the victim and pulls back the knife. Even after several stabs there is no blood on the knife. (00:02:25 - 00:05:45)
Murder with Too Many Notes - S13-E4
Visible crew/equipment: When Columbo accompanies Sidney Ritter downstairs to see the elevator that goes to the roof, they are alone, but as Ritter says, "I can't think what use this could be to you," the abdomen (with hand in pocket) of a crew member, wearing a blue shirt and brown pants, is visible at the right side of the screen. (01:07:10)
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