We wrap up the work week with another look at Bert, affable owner of Bert’s Diner and creator of  Lt. Columbo’s (Peter Falk) favorite chili. The Columbo episode “Dead Weight,” first airing on October 27, 1971, was Bert’s second and final appearance in the series. Timothy himself appeared on the show one more time, in “Fade In to Murder” (10.10.76).

Directing “Dead Weight” was Jack Smight, an old friend and college chum of Tim’s Bayou (1957) co-star Peter Graves. He became a successful television and feature film director, helming such notable films as Harper (1966), The Secret War of Harry Frigg (1968) (both with Paul Newman), and The Illustrated Man (1969) with Rod Steiger.