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[mjssjames]

I'm an avid fan of old TV series and one of my favorites was a
detective series called "Rocky King. Ace Detective" My question is,
can anyone out there tell me if the detective series Columbo was
fashioned from Rocky King. They both wore trench coats and they
both always talked about their wife, who you never seen.

[CrazyAboutTV]

I've never heard the series referred to by that name. It's usually referred to as "Rocky King, Inside Detective"; "Inside Detective"; or "Rocky King, Detective".

In addition to the wife who was never seen, there was also a son called, "Junior" who was never seen.

At the end of each episode, Rocky would call his wife on the telephone and say, "Case is closed Mable, I'm coming home".

As to whether or not the series inspired Columbo, I've never heard that claimed but it is likely that it did. There are many examples of early successful shows that were copied in the 1960s and 1970s.

In fact, it still goes on to this day! Repeating a successful idea from the past is often more likely to be a hit than a brand new idea. (Just think of ALL the Mom, Dad, and two kids who don't communicate well but still love each other sitcoms!)