I am enjoying old eps of Colombo on YouTube's Columbo channel. I love the garish 1970s sets.
Columbo
by Anonymous | reply 277 | September 9, 2021 5:36 AM |
Just one more thing , OP. Colombo is also on MeTV.
by Anonymous | reply 2 | December 12, 2018 11:35 PM |
The one with Ruth Gordon playing the famous mystery writer ("Try and Catch Me") was particularly good.
by Anonymous | reply 3 | December 12, 2018 11:47 PM |
I saw a very young Kim Cattrall on one episode
by Anonymous | reply 4 | December 12, 2018 11:49 PM |
I love the location shots for the 70s episodes. So many cool homes in Malibu and the Hollywood hills that have probably been torn down by now.
by Anonymous | reply 5 | December 12, 2018 11:51 PM |
R4, you can see her again at R1.
by Anonymous | reply 6 | December 12, 2018 11:52 PM |
R3, Agreed, and the one with Anne Baxter is fun, as well.
by Anonymous | reply 7 | December 12, 2018 11:54 PM |
Columbo is the best. The wife we never see; the Peugeot; the dog named Dog...simply the best.
by Anonymous | reply 8 | December 13, 2018 12:35 AM |
[quote] The wife we never see
Is her name Mrs. Columbo by any chance?
by Anonymous | reply 9 | December 13, 2018 12:37 AM |
No first name for Columbo.
by Anonymous | reply 10 | December 13, 2018 12:42 AM |
Janet Leigh's episode is fabulous.
by Anonymous | reply 11 | December 13, 2018 1:34 AM |
List your favorites---
1. The one with the old lady mystery who kills her nephew
2. The HOT tv exec who shoots her boyfriend/boss.
3. Anne Baxter
by Anonymous | reply 12 | December 13, 2018 1:55 AM |
Mystery writer, that was
by Anonymous | reply 13 | December 13, 2018 1:56 AM |
Suzanne Pleshette said Peter Falk was her friend and yet he boycotted the set when she was a guest on the show. She was VERY negative about him being so unprofessional because he was having a contract dispute with the producers. When Falk settled his dispute the show was already filmed without him and he expected it to be reshot with him. The director refused.
by Anonymous | reply 14 | December 13, 2018 2:03 AM |
"Joe Devlin (Clive Revill) is a renowned Irish poet, author, raconteur, and terrorist supporter. He, along with his own family and the heads of O'Connell Industries, is secretly a fund-raiser and gun-runner for the Irish Republican Army. He raises money in Los Angeles for his radical cause through a charity ostensibly meant to help victims of terrorism. Devlin has a strong belief in honor. Thus, when Vincent Pauley (Albert Paulsen), an arms dealer selling guns to Devlin, tries to skim off $50,000 for himself, Devlin shoots and kills Pauley for being a traitor. With Columbo hot on his trail, Devlin must find more guns and arrange their shipment out of the country.
Final clue/twist: Columbo discovers, that a bottle of whiskey at the crime scene has the same markings Devlin uses to make in his presence prior. Because every diamond has a unique cutting habit, Devlin's ring is proof of his presence at the crime scene. As for Devlin's illegal gun shipment, customs agents originally search the ship, but do not find it. When the ship is pulling out of the harbor, Columbo spots the tugboat flying an O'Connell Industries flag, and thus deduces that the guns were actually on the tug, and that they will be transferred to the ship just before it pulls out to sea.
This was the last episode of the Columbo series broadcast on the NBC television network. Columbo's last line is "This far, and no farther", words spoken by Devlin as he marked a whiskey bottle to determine how much he would drink in a session. These words were taken from a speech by the Irish Parliamentary Party (IPP) leader Charles Stuart Parnell, a 19th-century Irish politician and supporter of Home Rule. A noted IPP politician of the same name as the fictional killer in this episode, Joseph Devlin, represented West Belfast early in the 20th century and opposed the use of violence in the cause of nationalist politics."
by Anonymous | reply 15 | December 13, 2018 2:11 AM |
I loved that episode, but do people really do that to their jewelry?
by Anonymous | reply 16 | December 13, 2018 2:14 AM |
I'm a lesbo, but I've always had a strong thing for Dick Van Dyke.
I just love that guy.
by Anonymous | reply 17 | December 13, 2018 2:28 AM |
[quote] Joe Devlin (Clive Revill)
Revill voiced/portrayed Emperor Palpatine in The Empire Strikes Back before Ian McDiarmid portrayed the Emperor more famously in Return of the Jedi and the Star Wars prequels. Revill’s voice was heard but the Emperor seen on screen was actually a combo of an old woman and a chimpanzee. When George Lucas re-released the DVD of The Empire Strikes Back he replaced Revill/old woman/chimp with McDiarmid in that scene.
by Anonymous | reply 18 | December 13, 2018 2:35 AM |
The one with Ross Martin (as a snooty art expert) and Kim Hunter was fun
by Anonymous | reply 19 | December 13, 2018 3:44 PM |
Edie bringing the ombre chiffon as requested....
by Anonymous | reply 20 | December 13, 2018 4:17 PM |
She gave good gown.
by Anonymous | reply 21 | December 13, 2018 4:21 PM |
The Suzanne Pleshette episode is one of my favorites- it was filmed in Newport Beach, where I'm from so it's fun to see the old houses and stores and what has changed.
Never heard about the contract dispute, but Peter Falk is in that one.
by Anonymous | reply 22 | December 13, 2018 4:43 PM |
I love the clothes! I'd wear most of that.
by Anonymous | reply 23 | December 13, 2018 5:10 PM |
I think I should do this number in blackface!
by Anonymous | reply 24 | December 13, 2018 5:17 PM |
I've always found Peter Falk kinda sexy.
by Anonymous | reply 25 | December 13, 2018 5:19 PM |
R25, me too. The worst episodes had his wife Shera (sp?). Couldn't act for shit.
by Anonymous | reply 26 | December 13, 2018 5:21 PM |
The one with John Cassavetes! Etude in Black. Loved it, especially knowing he and Falk were very close friends in real life.
by Anonymous | reply 27 | December 13, 2018 5:22 PM |
What is this show about? Is it a show about the world of showbiz in Hollywood?
I see my grandmother watching it every sunday night on metv, but I never really pay attention to it. But I've noticed that it definitely takes place in los Angeles in the 70s/80s.
by Anonymous | reply 28 | December 13, 2018 5:23 PM |
You get quite a bit of his ass in In the Spirit, r25. Go to 17:40.
by Anonymous | reply 29 | December 13, 2018 5:29 PM |
John Cassavetes was my idol back in the day. I saw every one of his movies and loved Gena Rowlands and Peter. John was a hell of a director.
by Anonymous | reply 30 | December 13, 2018 5:38 PM |
R28 it's a mystery series from the 70s. Highly addicting.
by Anonymous | reply 31 | December 13, 2018 5:50 PM |
R25, Peter Falk was sexy for about one second when he was a young actor.
by Anonymous | reply 32 | December 13, 2018 6:13 PM |
What was going on with his eye? Was he cross-eyed or was one eye just smaller than the other?
by Anonymous | reply 33 | December 13, 2018 7:05 PM |
Glass eye, r33.
by Anonymous | reply 34 | December 13, 2018 7:07 PM |
Peter was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s and there was an ugly fight within his family over his estate. At one point, he had to be restrained while wandering among Los Angeles traffic in his pajamas.
by Anonymous | reply 35 | December 13, 2018 7:46 PM |
I’m watching Columbo, bitches!
by Anonymous | reply 36 | May 28, 2021 3:30 AM |
"Oh, just one more thing... "
LOL
by Anonymous | reply 37 | May 28, 2021 3:36 AM |
Etude in Black also has a young Blythe Danner in it
by Anonymous | reply 38 | May 28, 2021 3:45 AM |
Liar! Blythe Danner was never young.
by Anonymous | reply 39 | May 28, 2021 3:56 AM |
You can watch for free on Tubi if you want to watch!
by Anonymous | reply 40 | May 28, 2021 3:59 AM |
Columbo is my go-to for comfort TV. I often have it on AMZ Prime in the background while I surf DL for the ever shrinking list of interesting topics or commenters.
I’m kidding. I love you.
by Anonymous | reply 41 | May 28, 2021 4:03 AM |
I own the entire collection on DVD, and I dont have many but I keep those. I find the fashion and home decor so nostalgic and amusing. The wall-to-wall carpeting makes me cringe though.
by Anonymous | reply 42 | May 28, 2021 4:20 AM |
I was a fan of McMillan & Wife back during the original broadcasts, but never got into Columbo. But I'm working my way through the episodes on Amazon Prime right now. Great guest stars!
by Anonymous | reply 43 | May 28, 2021 4:32 AM |
R42 I love wall to wall carpeting!😁
by Anonymous | reply 44 | May 28, 2021 5:46 AM |
William Shatner as murderous TV sleuth “Detective Lucerne” may be my favorite episode.
by Anonymous | reply 45 | May 28, 2021 5:58 AM |
The one with Jack Cassidy is my favorite! I love his bitchy style.
by Anonymous | reply 46 | May 28, 2021 6:34 AM |
[post redacted because linking to dailymail.co.uk clearly indicates that the poster is either a troll or an idiot (probably both, honestly.) Our advice is that you just ignore this poster but whatever you do, don't click on any link to this putrid rag.]
by Anonymous | reply 47 | May 28, 2021 6:40 AM |
I just got done watching the Suzanne Pleshette episode. That is my least favorite so far.
by Anonymous | reply 48 | May 28, 2021 7:08 AM |
Robert Culp and Jack Cassidy were the worst serial killers known to man
by Anonymous | reply 49 | May 28, 2021 3:07 PM |
I hear the young kids are getting into Columbo these days. That's pretty cool and shows it's VERY addicting and fun to watch. My only gripe are the sometimes anti-climatic endings.
by Anonymous | reply 50 | May 28, 2021 6:49 PM |
R9 the funny thing about Mrs. Columbo is that she was apparently unrelated to Columbo by blood or marriage
by Anonymous | reply 52 | May 28, 2021 7:01 PM |
His first name was Frank. Falk based his characteristics on my uncle Gene. Rumpled clothing, inappropriate questions, and a beat-up car.
by Anonymous | reply 53 | May 28, 2021 7:05 PM |
[quote] Robert Culp and Jack Cassidy were the worst serial killers known to man
Good Lord, I hope you mean as characters portrayed on a TV show.
by Anonymous | reply 55 | May 29, 2021 12:05 PM |
R52
I actually watched this when it first ran (despite not being born yet, mind you) and I could swear the show started as Columbo's widow who, in the pilot, was trying to solve his murder. I even remember the bloodhound too. I didn't keep watching so apparently missed the fast succession of revisions however.
For what it's worth, a trivia book from the 70s lists Columbo's never-spoken first name as Philip.
by Anonymous | reply 56 | May 29, 2021 12:09 PM |
You're mixing up Columbo with something else, R56. Mrs. Columbo with Kate Mulgrew premiered after '70s Columbo ceased production and for the first few episodes they pretended Mr. Columbo and she were married, but he was just not home. The show was so poorly received that they quickly changed the title to Kate Loves a Mystery and gone were any references to Columbo. They never killed him off.
by Anonymous | reply 57 | May 29, 2021 12:20 PM |
I've got several favorites. I love when Robert Culp, cop turned private investigator, is tricked into hunting for a contact lens in 𝐃𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐡 𝐋𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐬 𝐚 𝐇𝐚𝐧𝐝 (S01E02).
Richard Basehart in 𝐃𝐚𝐠𝐠𝐞𝐫 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐌𝐢𝐧𝐝 (S02E04) is entertaining; the way he loses his goddamned mind at the end when he's caught has to be seen to be believed.
Then there's Leonard Nimoy in 𝐀 𝐒𝐭𝐢𝐭𝐜𝐡 𝐢𝐧 𝐂𝐫𝐢𝐦𝐞 (S02E06), which revolves around Nimoy's attempted murder of an ailing colleague using dissolving suture.
There's others - William Shatner, Patrick McGoohan, Oskar Werner, Anne Baxter.
I've collected a lot of them, and I re-watch them when the mood strikes me. The versions I keep have been modified to include Henry Mancini's 'NBC Mystery Movie Theme' which both the televised versions and the DVDs have omitted (I'm kind of OCD that way; the viewing experience isn't complete unless it has the correct opening and ending logos).
by Anonymous | reply 58 | May 29, 2021 12:53 PM |
I like the one where Susan Clark shoots her brother
by Anonymous | reply 59 | May 29, 2021 5:22 PM |
In my mind Lee Grant seems to be in every episode - was she in more than one?
& is it always wicked rich folk who think Columbo's just an annoying idiot who they can fool and get away with it?
by Anonymous | reply 60 | May 29, 2021 5:30 PM |
Yes.
by Anonymous | reply 61 | May 29, 2021 5:32 PM |
And they aren't always rich, but if they aren't, they are always in some sort of position of authority and/or success. Patrick McGoohan in Dawn's Early Light was the head of a military academy, Donald Pleasance was a vintner who was tops in his field, Jack Cassidy was just a magician in a nightclub but a popular one and besides, he was Jack Cassidy and always comported himself like the Emperor of the World no matter what his character's job was.
by Anonymous | reply 63 | May 29, 2021 6:14 PM |
[quote] For what it's worth, a trivia book from the 70s lists Columbo's never-spoken first name as Philip.
This was a red herring for copyright infringement. Look it up, it’s actually pretty fascinating.
by Anonymous | reply 64 | May 29, 2021 6:17 PM |
[quote] I'm a lesbo, but I've always had a strong thing for Dick Van Dyke.
Ugh, Dick Van Dyke and his brother are both unattractive, IMO.
by Anonymous | reply 65 | May 29, 2021 6:20 PM |
I love all of the Jack Cassidy episodes, he was the perfect charming, smirking, sexy ( imo) criminal. He was excellent. Another favorite was guest star Janet Leigh, if only to see that gorgeous house, beautifully and tastefully decorate, except for her neon green bedroom, which looked as if a teenager on acid broke into her home and decorated while hallucinating on a bad acid trip, lol. She also was the only murderer that Columbo allowed to get away with murder. Did they ever tell us what his first name was?
by Anonymous | reply 66 | May 29, 2021 6:29 PM |
R66: tastefully decorate, should be tastefully decorated.
by Anonymous | reply 67 | May 29, 2021 6:30 PM |
[quote] The crew used to give him half a bottle of eye drops as a joke.
That doesn’t surprise me. He was very self-depreciating about it and found humor in it himself.
He often told a story of being a baseball player in high school who slid in to a close play at third base. The umpire called him out. Peter removed his glass eye and tossed it to the ump and told him to try a new eye. Lmao.
by Anonymous | reply 68 | May 29, 2021 6:34 PM |
[quote] Did they ever tell us what his first name was?
We understand you don’t want to read the thread. After all, it is thousands of responses.
by Anonymous | reply 69 | May 29, 2021 6:35 PM |
Sorry, R69.
by Anonymous | reply 70 | May 29, 2021 6:46 PM |
I like the (90s) one with Rod Steiger hamming it up as a mafia boss (you read that right). "CHE FAI?!!" George Wendt was the killer in that one; Columbo got him to confess by pretending to hand him over to the mob.
by Anonymous | reply 71 | May 29, 2021 7:25 PM |
R56...His name was Frank! In an early episode, he shows his ID and it clearly says, Frank. The trivia book is wrong!
by Anonymous | reply 72 | May 29, 2021 7:26 PM |
I really wish people would read the thread.
by Anonymous | reply 73 | May 29, 2021 7:31 PM |
It seems they just run the same few episodes of Colombo over & over on MeTV. Same with Twilight Zone. There are some Twilight Zone episodes I’ve read a description of but have never seen. Meanwhile MeTV keeps playing the same small number of episodes repeatedly. Why is that? Did they only pay for a certain number of episodes & not all of them?
by Anonymous | reply 75 | May 29, 2021 7:54 PM |
R63
I think the point was that these were sociopathic elites whose hubris defeated them in the end. It *could* work with a blue collar factory worker, but not as naturally as it does when the murderer is rich, pampered, and lionized. Audiences always enjoy seeing the rich and powerful fall. Soap operas have been running on that fuel for nearly a century. It's a kind of opium.
by Anonymous | reply 76 | May 29, 2021 8:09 PM |
It was one of the few US tv shows allowed in some of the iron curtain countries because the proletariat triumphed over the decadent ruling class.
by Anonymous | reply 77 | May 29, 2021 8:18 PM |
I watch an episode almost every night before bed.
by Anonymous | reply 78 | May 29, 2021 8:57 PM |
R76- The best analysis (?) I have ever read about this show! How many times did the murderer threaten/ and or complain to Columbia's superior with harassment if he continued to investigate them? They were arrogant and not used to having to answer to anyone, especially this little befuddled detective. My favorite show of all time. Intelligently written, superb acting.
by Anonymous | reply 79 | May 29, 2021 9:00 PM |
^ Columbo villains were the original Karens
by Anonymous | reply 80 | May 29, 2021 9:02 PM |
Men were a whole lot sexier back then
by Anonymous | reply 81 | May 29, 2021 9:02 PM |
Speaking of the Peugeot, you know his wife had a car too.
Nothing special mind you, just transportation.
by Anonymous | reply 82 | May 29, 2021 9:03 PM |
R81, um, no.
by Anonymous | reply 83 | May 29, 2021 9:05 PM |
Indeed. Sexy short choices . When they would sit the shorts would open just enough for a hot, teasing glance of beautiful, free hanging cock and the merest peak of testicles. Oh, how I loved all of those beautiful men.
by Anonymous | reply 84 | May 29, 2021 9:07 PM |
I loved the Anjanette Comer/John Cassavetes one (Etude in Black) and don't understand why they killed Anjanette off so quickly--no sex scene? Amateurs.
by Anonymous | reply 85 | May 29, 2021 9:09 PM |
Yeah, because 70s network shows always had tons of explicit sex scenes!
by Anonymous | reply 86 | May 29, 2021 9:13 PM |
[quote]Men were a whole lot sexier back then
I was watching a British film from 1971 last week - a thriller that's apparently has a bit of a cult following - what hit me was how sexy the men were in their tight suits and trousers all over the place.
I wont bother to find it and link it, no one ever looks at these links and I'm fed up with it. People used to but not anymore.
by Anonymous | reply 87 | May 29, 2021 9:23 PM |
...as r87 flounces out of the thread.
by Anonymous | reply 88 | May 29, 2021 9:30 PM |
R85- I remember watching that episode, but not the details. What an effortlessly sexy man! ( If that makes any sense) As @R75 said , some episodes are repeatedly shown while others are rarely, if ever now, shown at all. It doesn't matter if I have watched an episode over 10 or so times, it will still be the best thing on TV. There will never be another television detective series of that caliber again, imo. I miss writers who respected our intelligence. Peter Falk was a fun, endearing man who was witty and intelligent. During the OJ Simpson murder trial he said he became hooked on Court TV, lol. He had a very sad, bitter relationship with one of his daughters, and I believe he had to cut all ties with her. I do not know the details about that, but I seem to remember that she had either a mental illness, addiction, or both. I had much sympathy for him, as I would for any parent.
by Anonymous | reply 89 | May 29, 2021 9:37 PM |
I think Lee Grant's episode was the first official episode - her character was the only female killer in the entirety of Columbo who didn't have some kind of tragic backstory or excuse, she was coldblooded and completely unremorseful, and that's how she ended up getting caught.
by Anonymous | reply 90 | May 29, 2021 9:47 PM |
I love the one with Jamie Lee Curtis as a grumpy waitress .
by Anonymous | reply 91 | May 29, 2021 9:48 PM |
The episode starring Ruth Gordon and Mariette Hartley is my favorite. The Johnny Cash one is up there too.
by Anonymous | reply 92 | May 29, 2021 9:49 PM |
often the resolutions were quite weak, it's a show very much about the journey
by Anonymous | reply 93 | May 29, 2021 9:52 PM |
It’s hard to watch the episode with Leslie Nielsen without thinking of the rest of his career...
by Anonymous | reply 95 | May 29, 2021 10:42 PM |
Funny coincidence, I just watched last weeks episode on meTV because i noticed Anne Bacter was in it, then up pops this thread.
I think I am going to start watching them once a week now. I like the format that you know the killer from the beginning and then watch Colombo gather the clues.
by Anonymous | reply 96 | May 30, 2021 1:55 AM |
Baxter
by Anonymous | reply 97 | May 30, 2021 1:55 AM |
I think there were three actors who were Guest Murderers three different times: Robert Culp, Jack Cassidy and Patrick McGoohan. Not sure about William Shatner (he may have only done two).
The best ones were the pilot with Gene Barry and the one with Richard Kiley as Columbo's boss. The worst was the episode with Robert Vaughn (not his fault, the writing was horrible).
Of course, for DLers, the standout show is the one with Robert Conrad doing his 20 minute clad-only-in gym-shorts appearance.
How many people realize Peter Falk was not the first actor to portray Columbo?
by Anonymous | reply 98 | May 30, 2021 2:15 AM |
Another one on MeTV is Perry Mason. He gets the murderers to blurt out confessions in nearly every episode. That seems shocking by today’s sensibilities. And poor Hamilton Berger, the D.A. always loses in the end. You’ll see many known actors early in their careers show up on this show as well.
by Anonymous | reply 99 | May 30, 2021 2:15 AM |
R59, I love that one (“Lady In Waiting”). A mousy little rich girl kills her overbearing brother, and suddenly turns into sexpot/boardroom dominatrix, to the dismay of her fiancé, poor Leslie Nielsen. There’s very little plot, just her making increasingly outrageous fashion choices.
by Anonymous | reply 100 | May 30, 2021 2:19 AM |
^^^ Also, William Hopper who played Mason’s P.I., Paul Drake was Hedda Hopper’s son IRL. I always wonder if that connection helped protect Raymond Burr from getting outed in the tabloids. Also, Raymond Burr was mostly beloved by those he worked with. He was known for being kind and generous with everyone and contributed to many charities.
by Anonymous | reply 101 | May 30, 2021 2:25 AM |
R99 We don’t care about Perry Mason. That show sucked.
by Anonymous | reply 102 | May 30, 2021 2:50 AM |
I have forgotten the actress in this episode but it was about the women who blamed Columbo for her husband's death so she attempted to murder Mrs. Columbo to make him suffer the pain that she had when she lost him. Excellent one.
by Anonymous | reply 103 | May 30, 2021 2:56 AM |
I’m getting ready to watch another episode now on Tubi!
by Anonymous | reply 104 | May 30, 2021 6:19 AM |
R89 This is one of his daughters discussing what happened.
by Anonymous | reply 105 | May 30, 2021 6:23 AM |
[quote]I’m getting ready to watch another episode now on Tubi!
I'm so jealous.
by Anonymous | reply 107 | May 30, 2021 6:37 AM |
R99 big deal! Ms Fletcher always got them to confess AND explain how they did it!
by Anonymous | reply 109 | May 30, 2021 9:00 AM |
R100 I also love the scene where Columbo asks the overbearing mother of the murdered brother why he was never married. “What are you implying, Inspector?” Subtle.
by Anonymous | reply 110 | May 30, 2021 11:00 AM |
The best part of Columbo are these endless carpet floors. Not a single hardwood floor in sight..
by Anonymous | reply 111 | May 30, 2021 11:02 AM |
And the smoking!
by Anonymous | reply 112 | May 30, 2021 11:03 AM |
[R105] Thank you, that was very interesting but also sad
by Anonymous | reply 113 | May 30, 2021 11:24 AM |
The lounge singers in various episodes only know one song. In the episode onboard the ship, the female lounge singer sang "Volare" nonstop. Thank god she was the victim.
by Anonymous | reply 114 | May 30, 2021 5:15 PM |
We just watched that one, R106. For a later episode, it's pretty good and Faye is wonderful.
by Anonymous | reply 115 | May 30, 2021 6:50 PM |
Was there an episode with Gayle Hunicutt? I liked her.
by Anonymous | reply 116 | May 30, 2021 6:54 PM |
Faye won an Emmy for her episode.
Rue was good in hers too but instead of being in it for 15 minutes before being murdered, she should have been the killer!
by Anonymous | reply 117 | May 30, 2021 7:13 PM |
[quote]I have forgotten the actress in this episode but it was about the women who blamed Columbo for her husband's death so she attempted to murder Mrs. Columbo to make him suffer the pain that she had when she lost him. Excellent one.
R103, that was Helen Shaver in 'Rest in Peace, Mrs. Columbo' (S09E04, Mar 31, 1990).
by Anonymous | reply 118 | May 30, 2021 9:23 PM |
Who was that Italian character actor who appeared in at least half of the Columbos? He must have been a friend of the producer, because he was almost a regular (but always a different minor role).
The biggest surprise to me was Johnny Cash as the murderer. I expected him to be awful, but he was pretty good.
It was interesting to see co-stars from other shows as Guest Murderers. Like Shatner and Nimoy from Star Trek, and Robert Conrad and Ross Martin from The Wild, Wild West.
by Anonymous | reply 119 | May 31, 2021 1:26 AM |
The one with Robert Conrad is a hoot. And he wears REALLY tight pants
by Anonymous | reply 120 | May 31, 2021 1:45 AM |
R56, Columbo's dog ("Dawg") was a basset hound, not a bloodhound.
Columbo took him to the vet once because the dog was lethargic, or listless, or some such word -- of course the dog looked the same as ever (half asleep), but Columbo could tell that the usual spark was missing. I love a man who's really in tune with his pet.
by Anonymous | reply 122 | May 31, 2021 3:56 AM |
I’m getting ready to watch Episode 6 from Season 1 called “Suitable for Framing.”
by Anonymous | reply 123 | May 31, 2021 5:36 AM |
I love Vito Scotti. Bruce Kirby (Bruno's dad) was also in several episodes in minor roles.
by Anonymous | reply 124 | May 31, 2021 6:29 AM |
R123 "Suitable For Framing" is often ranked as one of the best due to the "gotcha" at the end. What did you think?
by Anonymous | reply 125 | May 31, 2021 10:31 AM |
I love "Suitable for Framing". The arrogance of the cultural establishment is on full display here...
by Anonymous | reply 126 | May 31, 2021 11:29 AM |
I am not a huge fan of the always hight ranked "Any Old Port in a Storm". The setting amongst wine snobs is great and Donald Pleasance is just wonderful but the logic of turning off the AC does not hold. There would be a strong cadaver smell....It is too contrived.
by Anonymous | reply 127 | May 31, 2021 11:34 AM |
^highly ranked
by Anonymous | reply 128 | May 31, 2021 11:35 AM |
I must admit I don't pick apart the clues on Columbo unless they make really egregious errors or stretches. Those aren't the strongest part of the show for me. I just love to watch Peter Falk playing off of other really strong actors (almost always true in the '70s and sometimes even in the '90s movies) and I love the character of Columbo himself. As long as the performances and the cat and mouse games work for me, I enjoy the episode.
by Anonymous | reply 129 | May 31, 2021 2:08 PM |
Agreed R129. It’s really about Columbo against the arrogant and entitled.
by Anonymous | reply 130 | May 31, 2021 2:33 PM |
He used to leave Dawg to fry in the car.
by Anonymous | reply 131 | May 31, 2021 2:38 PM |
[quote] He used to leave Dawg to fry in the car.
Oh, please. It was Southern California in a convertible with the windows down. He hardly would fry.
by Anonymous | reply 133 | May 31, 2021 2:56 PM |
Bake, maybe
by Anonymous | reply 134 | May 31, 2021 3:04 PM |
or simmer as in a crockpot.
by Anonymous | reply 135 | May 31, 2021 3:14 PM |
Any Old Port in a Storm, Donald Pleasance's to his his half brother, just before bludgeoning him; "Our father was a good man, a good Italian; he provided the wine. My mother was English; she provided the breeding. Your mother, on the other hand, appears to have been responsible for all the courser sides of your nature."
by Anonymous | reply 136 | May 31, 2021 3:40 PM |
R125 I loved the episode! And it was definitely a great ending. That dumbass got tricked big time!😄
by Anonymous | reply 137 | May 31, 2021 6:54 PM |
I’m almost finished with Season 1 and I haven’t seen a dog yet. When does the dog show up?
by Anonymous | reply 138 | May 31, 2021 6:58 PM |
R138, you'll see Columbo's dog for the first time in 'Étude in Black' (S01E01, Sept 17, 1972).
by Anonymous | reply 139 | May 31, 2021 7:39 PM |
^^ Sorry, S02E01.
by Anonymous | reply 140 | May 31, 2021 7:40 PM |
R138 first ep of season 2
by Anonymous | reply 141 | May 31, 2021 7:41 PM |
As I’ve been watching Columbo, it got me to wondering how many of these crimes would be able to be carried out today without a hitch since so many people have security cameras outside their homes today - regardless of whether they’re rich or poor. It seems like it would be very difficult to get away with most of the plots now since security cameras everywhere can track comings and going’s and times things happened.
What do you all think?
by Anonymous | reply 142 | May 31, 2021 7:47 PM |
[quote] security cameras everywhere can track comings and going’s and times things happened.
[quote]What do you all think?
I think you should stop using apostrophes to make plurals.
by Anonymous | reply 143 | May 31, 2021 7:59 PM |
[quote] so many people have security cameras outside their homes today - regardless of whether they’re rich or poor.
Tell me about it.
by Anonymous | reply 144 | May 31, 2021 8:01 PM |
R143 Come on. Don’t be a schoolmarm.
by Anonymous | reply 145 | May 31, 2021 8:04 PM |
[quote] It seems like it would be very difficult to get away with most of the plots now since security cameras everywhere can track comings and goings and times things happened. What do you all think?
I think you should watch the season 4 episode "Playback,' R142.
by Anonymous | reply 146 | May 31, 2021 9:45 PM |
Someone has to be, R145!
by Anonymous | reply 147 | May 31, 2021 10:37 PM |
I think Columbo only let his anger out twice at killers: The pilot where he let Gene Barry and his girlfriend have it, and the episode with Leonard Nimoy.
I enjoy the earlier episodes where Columbo's quirks were great, but they weren't played to the hilt like in later shows.
Am I crazy, or do I remember one of the murders on the show being committed by Dobermans?
by Anonymous | reply 148 | June 1, 2021 12:11 AM |
R148, that’s “How to Dial a Murder,” and that episode shows you how Columbo killers loved to overthink their killings.
by Anonymous | reply 149 | June 1, 2021 12:17 AM |
Didn't the Doberman one have a young Kim Cattral in it?
by Anonymous | reply 150 | June 1, 2021 12:19 AM |
Yep. Snuggling up with Nicol Williamson.
by Anonymous | reply 151 | June 1, 2021 5:31 AM |
[quote] I think Columbo only let his anger out twice at killers: The pilot where he let Gene Barry and his girlfriend have it, and the episode with Leonard Nimoy.
He lost it more than that. One that immediately comes to mind is “A Deadly State of Mind,” where a witness casually shrugs him off by saying, “Ask Dr. Collier,” to which he angrily replies, “No, I’m asking you! I’m asking you about a murder!”
by Anonymous | reply 152 | June 1, 2021 11:50 AM |
An Exercise In Fatality - One of the best moments where he loses it takes place in a hospital waiting room with Robert Conrad - also one of the most touching.
by Anonymous | reply 153 | June 1, 2021 12:16 PM |
True, r153! I had forgotten about that.
GREAT scene.
by Anonymous | reply 154 | June 1, 2021 12:54 PM |
Falk always raised his game as Columbo when he was acting opposite someone (the murderer) who knew how to convey total unblinking ruthlessness cloaked in a thin veil of charm, Conrad definitely knew how to do that, and then some.
Collin Wilcox was excellent in this too, I posted about her being one of my favourite onscreen drunks on another thread.
by Anonymous | reply 155 | June 1, 2021 1:25 PM |
Tasteful Friends, what is your opinion on the London Episode? I thought the slimy butler was wonderful and he deserved being murdered for putting Columbo down. And the hysterical overacting of the murderous couple...What I don't get is the allure of the wax museum. Was this really such a big thing in the 70ies?
by Anonymous | reply 156 | June 1, 2021 1:48 PM |
I recall watching a memorable Columbi episode at my grandmother’s house. I was shocked when concert pianist Ricardo Montalban set fire to his hands for the insurance to start a new life with a student who didn’t love him. For years I tried to find it on IMDb. Then last week it I discover it was an episode of Murder She Wrote.
by Anonymous | reply 157 | June 1, 2021 1:56 PM |
r156 Ages ago I had started to watch that episode, Dagger of the Mind, but I had to stop because I was so distracted by parts of it obviously having been filmed in California. Aside from the architecture, we don't have sunshine like that! I will force myself to watch it at some point though, it stars Honor Blackman after all.
by Anonymous | reply 158 | June 1, 2021 2:08 PM |
vis a vis wax museums, Madame Tussauds is still a big thing in Britain.
by Anonymous | reply 159 | June 1, 2021 2:13 PM |
Bing Crosby was almost Columbo.
"Columbo first appeared on television in 1960, it would be nearly a decade before Falk would become synonymous with the rumpled detective. First, Bert Freed played the LAPD flatfoot in a 1960 episode of anthology series The Chevy Mystery Show. A couple years later, Thomas Mitchell played the sleuth onstage in a production called Prescription: Murder in San Francisco. When it was decided that the play would be turned into a television movie in 1968, the lead was offered to Lee J. Cobb and Bing Crosby, but Falk landed the part.
[quote] I've always found Peter Falk kinda sexy.
This should cure you of that.
by Anonymous | reply 160 | June 1, 2021 2:38 PM |
[quote] I was so distracted by parts of it obviously having been filmed in California. Aside from the architecture, we don't have sunshine like that!
I love shit like this. Almost a behind-the-scenes thing.
by Anonymous | reply 161 | June 1, 2021 3:09 PM |
But it’s raining all the time in this episode, no?
by Anonymous | reply 162 | June 1, 2021 3:20 PM |
R158 what is so “obviously California “? The Tudor mansion on the hill in the park?
by Anonymous | reply 164 | June 1, 2021 4:33 PM |
Loved Sunday Mystery Movie, except Richard Boone. No. But I liked the Gene Barry ones.
by Anonymous | reply 165 | June 1, 2021 5:30 PM |
r164, the "Tudor mansion" is not the real deal, it's an American reproduction, that's obvious, on sight, to anyone from the UK - r162, I distinctly remember when I switched the episode off, it was during a scene outside the American "Tudor" mansion that was bathed in unmistakably, un-English sunshine.
by Anonymous | reply 166 | June 1, 2021 7:01 PM |
Thanks R166, that’s what I expected;)
by Anonymous | reply 167 | June 1, 2021 7:56 PM |
Sorry! Your sarcasm flew right over my head, disregard!
by Anonymous | reply 168 | June 1, 2021 8:24 PM |
OP, have you seen the Colombo (and his dog) statue in Budapest?
by Anonymous | reply 169 | June 1, 2021 8:52 PM |
I’m getting ready to watch the “Lady in Waiting” episode.
by Anonymous | reply 170 | June 2, 2021 4:13 AM |
*SPOILER* That was a really good episode! But there’s one thing I think could have made it better - At the end when Columbo lets her go into the bathroom to change, I thought for sure when she closed the door there would be another gun in there and that we were going to hear her shoot herself so that she didn’t have to go to prison. Instead she really does get changed while Columbo smokes.
Which leads me to ask: are there any episodes where the person kills themselves rather than allow themselves to be arrested?
by Anonymous | reply 171 | June 2, 2021 7:20 AM |
It's an ongoing pattern, or even a theme, with the show, R171: Columbo is unusually courtly with the female killers, often developing flirtatious, sympathetic relationships with them.
by Anonymous | reply 173 | June 2, 2021 11:09 AM |
And he risks getting shot! By a “classy woman” who is clearly mentally unstable. She even spooked Leslie Nielsen and that says something...
by Anonymous | reply 174 | June 2, 2021 11:41 AM |
R171 No, nobody ever killed themselves rather than be arrested and in my opinion, that would have been wrong for the tone of the show.
by Anonymous | reply 175 | June 2, 2021 11:56 AM |
R175
The murderers were all too arrogant to commit suicide. I imagine even when caught dead to rights they STILL thought they could get off scot free. I imagine they felt the totality of their comeuppance was being bested by this low-class schlub.
by Anonymous | reply 176 | June 2, 2021 12:12 PM |
[quote] Columbo is unusually courtly with the female killers, often developing flirtatious, sympathetic relationships with them.
On the contrary, I think the women (often beautiful) sized him up and used their feminine wiles to which he feigned distraction. I've only seen a handful of episodes over the years, but that's at least how I remember the ones with Lee Grant and Susan Clark.
by Anonymous | reply 177 | June 2, 2021 12:14 PM |
There are so many it could be, R87! Did it have Frank Finlay? They all seemed to have Frank Finlay, back then.
by Anonymous | reply 178 | June 2, 2021 12:33 PM |
Exactly, R177. He's "flirting" with them to catch them off-guard. The female suspect begins to think "he's so attracted to me that I'll easily fool him."
He pretends to be attracted to the women and awed by the wealth and business acumen of the men. That's how he gets his prey.
by Anonymous | reply 179 | June 2, 2021 12:34 PM |
R179, I'd considered that, but unless I'm forgetting something, there's never a moment with a female killer when the mask drops and he turns angry or a bit cruel, the way it does with the male killers.
by Anonymous | reply 180 | June 2, 2021 1:36 PM |
The houses were meant to be lavish and luxurious, but instead the majority of them looked like upscale steakhouses: low 8'6" or 9' ceilings, Usually there were some bad "clubby" Chesterfield sofas, lots of applied moldings on doors and wood paneled walls, walk-in vaults, some Louis-something style commodes, big bronze sculptures (maybe a Barye panther or two), maybe some modish ceramic table lamps, big as a small boat, and acres and acres of cocksucker red carpet and accents.
This image from the 1971 episode "Death Lends a Hand" gives what I recall as a fairly typical interior.
Damn, the show ran for 12 not quite continuous seasons, with pilots in 1968 and 1971, then starting up in earnest in 1973 (with Steven Bocho as writer and Steven Spielberg as director of the first episode as a series.) And I think Peter Falk aged 45 years in those 15.
by Anonymous | reply 181 | June 2, 2021 3:53 PM |
Or these colors, like malted eggs in an Easter basket, and that cocksucker red carpet again.
by Anonymous | reply 182 | June 2, 2021 3:56 PM |
[quote] some Louis-something style commodes,
When the hell did you ever see a commode in Columbo?
by Anonymous | reply 183 | June 2, 2021 3:58 PM |
Lee Grant in "Ransom for a Dead Man" is the only one I can remember, r180 - Could Susan Clark in "Lady in Waiting" also count?
by Anonymous | reply 184 | June 2, 2021 4:05 PM |
and didn't Joyce Van Patten's murderess try to frame her loving niece in "Old Fashioned Murder"? That could be defined as cruel - it's been so long since I've seen an episode, so I can't say for sure, but I will bet Lee Grant still takes the crown for most dastardly murderess.
by Anonymous | reply 185 | June 2, 2021 4:17 PM |
R183: Haha. In plain sight in R181.
by Anonymous | reply 186 | June 2, 2021 5:57 PM |
R175 I disagree. Out of all of the years Columbo was on, it would have actually been interesting to see a few of the murderers kill themselves. It would have been a real shock for it to have happened a few times instead of always having a predictable ending of just being arrested.
by Anonymous | reply 187 | June 2, 2021 6:37 PM |
But Columbo wasn’t that dark.
by Anonymous | reply 188 | June 2, 2021 7:46 PM |
R188 I didn’t say for it to happen on a regular basis, just once or twice to shock people rather than the same predictable ending for once.
by Anonymous | reply 189 | June 2, 2021 7:50 PM |
It would be as out of character with the show as Jessica Fletcher chasing a suspect down with a gun.
by Anonymous | reply 190 | June 2, 2021 7:52 PM |
R190 OK! We get it! God forbid we have some occasional change from time to time to shake things up on a TV show!
by Anonymous | reply 191 | June 2, 2021 7:58 PM |
The best "Columbo" episodes, bar none, in Season order:
---S1, E1---"Prescription: Murder." Gene Barry, Nina Foch.
---S1, E9---"Blueprint For Murder." Patrick O'Neal, Janis Paige.
---S2, E1---"Etude in Black." John Cassavetes, Blythe Danner, Myrna Loy. And a fabulous Jaguar XK-E.
---S3, E3---"Candidate For Crime." Jackie Cooper.
---S3, E8---"A Friend in Deed." Richard Kiley.
---S4, E1---"An Exercise in Futilty." Robert Conrad. In a bathing suit!
---S8, E3---"Sex and a Married Detective"---Lindsay Crouse.
by Anonymous | reply 192 | June 2, 2021 8:12 PM |
The Richard Kiley one was good
by Anonymous | reply 193 | June 2, 2021 8:17 PM |
There obviously never was a "Mrs Columbo." Columbo was obviously a gay.
by Anonymous | reply 194 | June 2, 2021 8:30 PM |
MRS COLUMBO WAS A BEARD!!!
by Anonymous | reply 195 | June 2, 2021 9:04 PM |
No gay man would wear that raincoat.
by Anonymous | reply 196 | June 2, 2021 9:21 PM |
I love the combination of gaudy Louis XV desks and green carpet floors!
by Anonymous | reply 197 | June 3, 2021 2:05 AM |
I've spotted flocks of Hummel figurines in some "grand house" scenes. It's all in the details.
by Anonymous | reply 198 | June 3, 2021 2:23 AM |
Vito Scotti made a career out of playing stereotypical foreigners. If he was a Frenchman he wore a striped pullover shirt, ascot and beret. If he played an Italian he had a mustache, greasy hair and put his hand up to his lips and made kissing sounds. .”Mwa, mwa, mwa, bella signora is most beautiful, like a fine wine!” If he was Japanese he wore buck teeth and a pair of thick eyeglasses that made his eyes look like slanted pinholes. If he was Mexican he wore a sombrero and had a long, drooping mustache and said “Mañana, señor!”
by Anonymous | reply 199 | June 3, 2021 2:29 AM |
[quote] Vito Scotti made a career out of playing stereotypical foreigners.
And only William Schallert worked more steadily
by Anonymous | reply 200 | June 3, 2021 2:38 AM |
FYI...Peacock is removing Columbo and MSW at the end of June.
by Anonymous | reply 202 | June 3, 2021 7:15 PM |
Well ain't THAT a kick in the teeth.
by Anonymous | reply 203 | June 3, 2021 7:19 PM |
Well whaddaya know about that, r202!
by Anonymous | reply 204 | June 3, 2021 7:50 PM |
R17, It's subliminal.
by Anonymous | reply 205 | June 4, 2021 8:30 AM |
That's hilarious R199. Why do I have a suspicion that he would not have much of a career in 2021?
by Anonymous | reply 206 | June 4, 2021 11:25 AM |
I believe Baby Boomers got their ideas about foreigners & foreign culture directly from Vito Scotti & Warner Brothers
by Anonymous | reply 207 | June 4, 2021 4:36 PM |
My grandma loved this show. it was fun watching with her.
by Anonymous | reply 208 | June 4, 2021 5:06 PM |
I always felt there was not enough Academics in the show. Most Professors behave exactly like Columbo villains.
by Anonymous | reply 209 | June 4, 2021 6:51 PM |
R209, like 99% of murders are committed by poor people.....not professors or the upper class people you saw on Columbo
by Anonymous | reply 210 | June 4, 2021 6:54 PM |
r209 is right, they may not commit many murders, but they and their admirers probably turn out more sociopathic-like people than anyone else.
by Anonymous | reply 211 | June 4, 2021 7:25 PM |
A quote I came across the other day - "Academia is to knowledge what prostitution is to love" - Nicholas Taleb
by Anonymous | reply 212 | June 4, 2021 7:27 PM |
The "professors are evil" people are probably ignorant Republicans who think book learning is evil.
by Anonymous | reply 213 | June 4, 2021 7:38 PM |
Columbo portrayed an upper class driven by arrogance and a need for power. These were people who were never going to want for anything, even if they were forced to sell the family winery, or forfeit credit for a medical innovation. They didn’t have the usual excuses for committing crimes—they just didn’t think the rules applied to them.
by Anonymous | reply 214 | June 4, 2021 7:53 PM |
How about Roddy McDowell's semi holding forth in those powder blue double knit slacks.
by Anonymous | reply 215 | June 4, 2021 7:58 PM |
R215, did Roddy McDowell wear a wig in this episode?
by Anonymous | reply 217 | June 4, 2021 10:21 PM |
Funny thing that he could pull off that youthful look. He looked ridiculous as Augustus in his blond wig in "Cleopatra".
by Anonymous | reply 219 | June 4, 2021 10:31 PM |
[quote]How about Roddy McDowell's semi holding forth in those powder blue double knit slacks.
That episode is next in my playlist! I love Roddy!
Do Roddy’s character and Columbo have sex?
by Anonymous | reply 220 | June 4, 2021 10:49 PM |
No, and in fact his character is supposedly straight.
by Anonymous | reply 221 | June 4, 2021 10:57 PM |
[quote]No, and in fact his character is supposedly straight.
Oh, dear. Is this as believable as when he played straight in his episode of Night Gallery?
by Anonymous | reply 222 | June 4, 2021 11:44 PM |
Peacock has them all. I recently went through all 10 seasons. Don't know my favorite yet.
by Anonymous | reply 223 | June 5, 2021 2:42 AM |
[quote] his character is supposedly straight.Oh, dear. Is this as believable as when he played straight in his episode of Night Gallery?
In both shows he wore the same wardrobe
by Anonymous | reply 224 | June 5, 2021 2:48 AM |
I have a suspicion this could be Roddy‘s real hair.
by Anonymous | reply 225 | June 5, 2021 2:53 AM |
Did Roddy have a big rod or was he a bottom?
by Anonymous | reply 226 | June 5, 2021 3:12 AM |
OFGS. Television had and has plenty of gritty crime dramas.
But we remain fascinated by violent crimes by and against the better-off, both true and fictional. We are, frankly, entertained not only by observing the trappings of their lifestyles, but also by the "sisters under the skin" realities.
There are no "poor" villains in the world of "Columbo," nor of Jessica Fletcher (who even travels to London, Paris, and Monaco to solve crimes!), nor of Poirot or Miss Marple, and rarely in the urban jungles of McGarrett and Lennie Briscoe.
Ted Bundy, Jeffrey MacDonald, OJ, Robert Marshall, Scott Peterson---not "poor people." (Okay, the Manson killers lived poor, but didn't stem from poor.) Victims Versace and Miglin---wealthy.
by Anonymous | reply 227 | June 5, 2021 7:18 AM |
The last interesting of all the Columbo episodes was where he put on a hat and went undercover with ugly poor people.
by Anonymous | reply 228 | June 5, 2021 7:27 AM |
Roddy gives off Pushy Bottom vibes. Especially in that Columbo episode (and in “Evil under the Sun”)
by Anonymous | reply 229 | June 5, 2021 9:50 AM |
I watch old Columbo episodes all the time, and “Dial a Murder” is my favorite.
by Anonymous | reply 230 | June 5, 2021 10:00 AM |
Typo above.
The LEAST interesting of all the Columbo episodes.....
by Anonymous | reply 231 | June 5, 2021 11:16 AM |
One hopes so, [R217].
Yikes, Roddy's hair make him look like future co-star Kim Hunter
by Anonymous | reply 232 | June 5, 2021 5:04 PM |
William Shatner in his Columbo appearances was kinda hot in a sleazy, middle-aged, married daddy way.
by Anonymous | reply 233 | June 5, 2021 5:14 PM |
[quote] Did Roddy have a big rod or was he a bottom?
You know these things aren’t mutually exclusive, right?
by Anonymous | reply 234 | June 5, 2021 5:17 PM |
[quote] William Shatner in his Columbo appearances was kinda hot in a sleazy, middle-aged, married daddy way.
William Shatner in his Columbo appearances was a rehearsal for what came next
by Anonymous | reply 235 | June 6, 2021 1:04 AM |
I’m watching the Roddy McDowell one right now. Once again, he’s playing an annoying, sleazy snake just like in Night Gallery. Did he ever play any other type of role? And he was definitely starting to age at this point.
by Anonymous | reply 236 | June 7, 2021 7:13 AM |
The ending of the Roddy McDowell episode was stupid as hell.
by Anonymous | reply 237 | June 7, 2021 10:28 AM |
R237, it is supposed to be the best part in an otherwise weak episode. But you are right, Roddy should have jumped.
by Anonymous | reply 238 | June 7, 2021 10:37 AM |
Last night we watched Murder By the Glass (Louis Jourdan is the murderer, a snooty food critic) and it was fun. Unusual method of murder, nice interplay between Falk and Jourdan, and lots and lots of gourmet food. What's not to like?
by Anonymous | reply 239 | June 7, 2021 2:37 PM |
Laurence Harvey as the chess champ was fun. I like how it was all about the case, not Columbo's quirky behavior.
by Anonymous | reply 240 | June 7, 2021 3:50 PM |
I’m now in the second season, and one thing that I don’t like about the show is the reactions of most of the criminals at the end of each episode. The majority of them just have an, “Aww, shucks! Guess you caught me!” reaction and it’s stupid. Very few of them panic or go into hysterics once they’re caught and it’s irritating how nonchalant they are when arrested.
by Anonymous | reply 241 | June 10, 2021 3:00 AM |
It's because they are classy. None of the boorish bourgeoise melodrama for the swells.
by Anonymous | reply 242 | June 10, 2021 3:31 AM |
R242 Give me a break.
by Anonymous | reply 243 | June 10, 2021 4:01 AM |
Agreed R141, an occasional suicide or assault on Columbo would have been nice. Thant scene with the psychotic sister and her gun was ridiculous ("because you are a classy lady").
by Anonymous | reply 244 | June 10, 2021 4:28 AM |
LOL I just got done watching an episode and the murderer said “Congratulations” and shook Columbo’s hand! Oh yeah - I’m sure that’s what most murderers do when they get caught and know they’re getting ready to go to prison for years.🙄😂
by Anonymous | reply 245 | June 12, 2021 5:19 AM |
Columbo's bumbling cop schtick got old very quickly. He was fucking annoying and I wanted one of the murderers to take Columbo out too. The actor and the character were both like fingernails on a chalkboard.
by Anonymous | reply 246 | June 12, 2021 7:17 AM |
R245, The John Cassavetes episode "Etude in Black," right?
246, To you. Ten seasons and 13 Emmy awards would indicate you hold a minority opinion.
by Anonymous | reply 247 | June 12, 2021 9:34 AM |
That was to r246.
by Anonymous | reply 248 | June 12, 2021 9:34 AM |
R247 Yep! That was the episode! Please tell me there aren’t any future episodes where that happens because that was just ridiculous.
R246 I’m currently on the second season and yes, the playing dumb schtick is starting to wear thin. I know that I can expect that to always be in each episode, but I hope the plots are at least good to make up for the tired schtick. I also get sick of how Columbo just so happens to automatically know right away who the killer is from the very beginning. I guess he was a psychic too.🙄
by Anonymous | reply 249 | June 12, 2021 9:58 AM |
R247, since when are the Emmy awards any measure of quality? They gave the unfunny and wooden Candice Bergen five Best Actress in a Comedy awards. Not to mention multiple wins for the juvenile garbage that was Everybody Loves Raymond.
by Anonymous | reply 250 | June 12, 2021 10:49 AM |
R249, I think there are good reasons behind Columbo's suspicions, the main one's being that, no matter how sophisticated, rich, well-known, or intelligent the murderer is, as a first-time killer he or she makes mistakes.
The other reason is that, unlike a Poirot, say, there usually isn't a pool of any number of suspects.
In "Columbo" as in life, OFTEN---when a wife is murdered, it's the husband. When a mistress is murdered, it's the other husband. When a cheating lover is murdered, it's the woman scorned. When a boss is murdered, it's the next-highest employee. When a business partner is murdered, it's the other partner. And so on.
IOW, Lt. Columbo succeeds because people aren't that clever.
This is not to say he doesn't need clues and evidence or even to set traps to catch the killer. "A Friend in Deed" is a great example of the last, while Season 5's "Last Salute to The Commodore" is dependent upon a wristwatch.
"Last Salute" was directed by Peter Falk's good friend Patrick McGoohan, and was the only "Columbo" where we viewers were not first shown the commission of the crime. The episode was criticized for not following the "Columbo" format, including having a Poirot-like gathering of suspects at the end for the reveal.
As for "Just one more thing," Columbo knows that his villain or witness had reflexively relaxed at the detective's expected exit. What better time, then, to catch him or her off-guard?
by Anonymous | reply 251 | June 12, 2021 10:52 AM |
R250, If you are going to denigrate awards, then you are beyond the scope of rational argument.
by Anonymous | reply 252 | June 12, 2021 10:54 AM |
R245, Uh, you know it’s a TV show, right?
by Anonymous | reply 253 | June 12, 2021 12:16 PM |
I'm on the second season as well, and that's just because that's what is currently running on MeTV Sunday nights. I'm not gonna search out the show, but if they're going to serve it to me on a silver platter in prime time, why not…
by Anonymous | reply 254 | June 12, 2021 7:41 PM |
R253 Yes.
by Anonymous | reply 255 | June 13, 2021 2:23 AM |
If you like Columbo you should get Mhz and watch Detective Montalbano. He's bald, getting a little overweight and get chewed out in nearly every episode by some crazy Sicilian peasant-type. Many of the murderers commit suicide and he seems to let a couple do so. He also lets a couple of criminals go, although not murderers. It's a fun series and each episode is 90 minutes, so it's like a movie.
by Anonymous | reply 256 | June 13, 2021 2:50 AM |
The episode where he goes to London is absolutely terrible and ridiculous.
by Anonymous | reply 257 | June 21, 2021 1:10 AM |
[quote] The episode where he goes to London is absolutely terrible and ridiculous.
The London episode was a holiday paid for by NBC to Falk, Rock Hudson, and Dennis Weaver. Each filmed much the same episode with the Scotland Yard background with a little work from the stars but mostly carried by other actors. I love how Honor Blackman and Richard Basehart are directed to ham it up.
by Anonymous | reply 258 | June 21, 2021 1:18 AM |
R258 I couldn’t even watch all of it because it was so bad!
by Anonymous | reply 259 | June 21, 2021 1:25 AM |
season 3 episode 1 is a favorite.
by Anonymous | reply 260 | June 21, 2021 1:31 AM |
Am I the only one who thought Columbo was strangely attractive in the first few seasons?
by Anonymous | reply 261 | July 6, 2021 7:05 AM |
I adore this show but I HATE when he's walking around with a hard boiled egg in one hand an a cigar in the other. My gag reflex kicks in if a get just a small whiff of a hard boiled egg.
by Anonymous | reply 262 | July 6, 2021 1:56 PM |
I just watched the episode “Any Old Port in a Storm,” and that was the most stupid ending I’ve ever seen. When Columbo busts the suspect, the guy basically giggles and basically says, “Ah, ya got me! Good job!” And then they go drink wine and do a cheers 🥂 before Columbo hauls him off to jail.🤦🏼♂️
by Anonymous | reply 263 | July 9, 2021 5:32 AM |
[quote]I adore this show but I HATE when he's walking around with a hard boiled egg in one hand an a cigar in the other. My gag reflex kicks in if a get just a small whiff of a hard boiled egg.
I noticed that the hard boiled egg shit started in Season 3. Not sure what made them come up with that.
by Anonymous | reply 264 | July 9, 2021 5:33 AM |
r263, that was one of the best episodes of Columbo.
by Anonymous | reply 265 | July 9, 2021 6:55 PM |
Wasn't there talk of a reboot with Mark Ruffalo (as Columbo's son), or was I hallucinating? I would've watched that.
by Anonymous | reply 266 | July 9, 2021 7:24 PM |
Would you have had sex with Columbo? I mean the 60’s/70’s Columbo, not the 80’s/90’s/00 one.
by Anonymous | reply 268 | July 10, 2021 1:21 AM |
Hell, yes. I'd wear him like a rumpled raincoat.
by Anonymous | reply 269 | July 10, 2021 1:36 AM |
r266, he had no children. But he had a nephew. Played by Michael from Melrose Place. He was a cop too.
by Anonymous | reply 270 | July 11, 2021 1:15 AM |
I recently watched the Johnny Cash episode and I was surprised what a decent actor he was.
by Anonymous | reply 271 | July 27, 2021 10:46 AM |
I agree, R271. Very laid-back and natural.
by Anonymous | reply 272 | July 27, 2021 11:40 AM |
I’ve just started Season 4 of Columbo and I don’t know what it is, but something feels off - like it’s trying to be more comical than serious. Is it just this first episode of Season 4 or does this theme continue? Does the quality of the show start to go down this season or is it just a bad episode?
by Anonymous | reply 273 | August 6, 2021 11:12 AM |
Season 4 definitely was one of the less interesting ones (the military academy episode, the cruise episode).
by Anonymous | reply 274 | August 10, 2021 2:36 AM |
I couldn’t even get halfway through the George Hamilton episode it was so boring.
by Anonymous | reply 275 | August 25, 2021 9:36 PM |
I like the one with the two dobermans
by Anonymous | reply 276 | August 25, 2021 10:11 PM |
Were there any episodes with gay characters or gay murderers or victims?
by Anonymous | reply 277 | September 9, 2021 5:36 AM |