Columbo appreciation
 

I can't stop watching this show on Netflix. Things I love about Columbo:

1. Falk's portrayal of Columbo is rightfully iconic. His overly polite, bumbling manner is constantly being mistaken for incompetence. He's often being truly patronizing and the murderers mistake it for stupidity. His instantly memorable character tics (being "surprised" how much luxury things cost, "forgetting" to eat, his invisible wife, his sqeamishness around guns etc) are all endearing and a joy to spot. When he drops the mask, gets serious and shrewdly lays out his case the transformation is always startling.

2. The scripts are excellent top to bottom. The plots are often ingenious and remarkably watertight for a TV show. Great clues, good schemes, nice "gotcha" moments. Also, the series was constantly self-referential with many episodes pointing subtly back to the show's history. The show is essentially about the downfall of arrogance and knows that there's nothing more entertaining than watching a rich, vain heel get what they deserve.

3. Each episode is very rewatchable. The "reverse detective" structure is extremely effective in developing dramatic tension in a unique manner. Also, each episode was shot as a stand alone film with uneven episode lengths and unique filming styles employed from one episode to the next. No network would tolerate a non-serial, 90+ minute show with no theme tune, adult plotting and subtle writing these days. However, as a result the show is never cliched even 40+ years later.

4. The show's production always involved excellent talent. The guest stars were mostly A-listers in their time, the writers were all well known Hollywood talent, the directors were the best on TV (Spielberg directed the first true episode).

5. The frequent location shoots and top-drawer production values added immeasurably to the quality of the show. The network spent a lot of money producing this show, as a result the show holds up visually to this day.

6. For its time and with a few notable exceptions, the show is remarkably non-judgmental in its treatment of (what could have been) divisive topics like questionable morality, feminism, non-Americans, politics, drugs, sexuality, minorities etc. There are remarkably few cringe-worthy moments in the show, especially when compared to any other contemporaneous show.

Top five episodes:
1. Murder by the Book
2. Any Old Port in the Storm
3. By Dawn's Early Light
4. Try and Catch Me
5. Troubled Waters

Re: Columbo appreciation
 

On a related note, the complete series is $42.50 on Amazon today.

Re: Columbo appreciation
 

I couldn't agree more.

I never paid attention to this show growing up, and probably wouldn't have appreciated it that way I do today when I watch.

Like you I thought the same thing this summer, and I binged in the summer for a couple of seasons, but have this show in my hip pocket for further binging.

This show was split into two as well, it came back in the late 80's and those can be found on Hallmark and or METV I don't know if Netflix has those. I watched a bunch of those as well, and they are terrific.

Peter Falk was great in this, and I agree it holds up incredibly well. A great Netflix watch at any time.

The older A list starts are a real treat to watch, almost every ep has some start power.

The writing talent was great as well, Steven Bocho cut his teeth on this show he is all over the early eps and Ep #3 was directed by a gent known by the name of Steven Spielberg!

Good stuff!!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_o...pisodes#Pilots
The NBC years (1968–1978)
The ABC years (1989–2003)

Re: Columbo appreciation
 

I'm tempted, but this is not in BluRay, the Netflix and hallmark recordings all look pretty sharp, I wonder if it will be released in bluray?

Re: Columbo appreciation
 

I don't recall watching the show much, but I really like Rockford and Magnum. Would I like this as well?

Re: Columbo appreciation
 

Unequivocally yes. I also like Rockford but Columbo's in another league. Watch "Murder by the Book" (the first non-pilot episode) and see if you like it.

Re: Columbo appreciation
 

I really like the show, but one thing that bothered me was that nearly every episode was about someone rich or famous.

And regarding the talent, I also found it amusing that Robert Culp was the guest star/killer three times in as many years. It just shows how much they viewed these more as made for TV movies than a traditional TV series.

Re: Columbo appreciation
 

Jack Cassidy was the murderer three times, Patrick McGoohan was the killer four times.

Re: Columbo appreciation
 

Sorta related, I watched Silver Streak after many years and Patrick McGoohan was the bad guy -- his voice did sound familiar at least.

Re: Columbo appreciation
 

I haven't watched the show since I was a child, when my mother was watching it, but I liked it a lot back then. It seemed to stand out from the rest of her detective/court shows.

Re: Columbo appreciation
 

Stephen J Cannell wrote an ep or two of Columbo, so yes defintely!

Re: Columbo appreciation
 

Good show. Much better than something like "Murder She Wrote", which, while it had its charms (primarily Lansbury), was largely soap opera hokum.

Re: Columbo appreciation
 

The one with Leonard Nimoy was pretty good, too; it was one of very few times there was a scene in which Columbo loses his cool.

Re: Columbo appreciation
 

I go through the set every 10 years or so. One of the best, big three network shows, of all time.

Re: Columbo appreciation
 

Columbo is my favorite TV show of all time. As much as I love GOT and Breaking Bad, there is just nothing like Columbo. "Any Port in a Storm" is my favorite episode I think.

Re: Columbo appreciation
 

I bought all the DVD box sets when they came out. The show was far better in its early years, but even the 90s episodes had some gems. I agree with everything you said. Storylines were always great and riveting. Acting was also fantastic.

My personal favorites (apologies for lack of titles off hand...i am a fan..but not an expert).

Any Port in a Storm - As you mentioned this is a great episode with Donald Pleasance.

Great Santini - One of the Jack Cassidy episodes where he is a magician.

An episode where there is a developer building a new city center and he kills the texan financer.

The episode with the writer who provides arms to the IRA.

The episode with the Chess Grandmaster who is deaf.

John Cassavettes as the music conductor.

Nicol Williamson as the killer who programs his dogs to kill when they hear the words Rose Bud.

As much as i love McGoohan, his accent always distracts me when he is trying to play an American. The episode with him as the Army Colonel is still very good.

Re: Columbo appreciation
 

As someone mentioned, i forgot Robert Culp was in this so often. Between him, Cassidy and McGoohan you had practically every killer on the show. The episode with Culp as the PI who accidentally kills the wife of a client is a great one. He always plays such a smarmy son of a bitch.

Another great episode that came to mind was the one where the Police Chief does the criss cross murder with his friend. Episodes like this are great because of the the way Columbo nails them in the end.

So of the weakest episodes i find are the one with the twins played by Martin Landau (who is usually great), the episode with the woman who killed but is experiencing early signs of dementia. Most of the later episodes as i said, especially the one where the guy runs like a Playboy Magazine and pretends to be killed.

Re: Columbo appreciation
 

A Stitch in Crime, excellent episode. That scene is great: Columbo loses his patience, slams down the water pitcher and directly threatens the murderer. He's through fucking around. As you said, this display of genuine anger never happens anywhere else in the entire run of the series and it's shocking.

Re: Columbo appreciation
 

Any time Cassidy is the killer, you know it's going to be a great episode. It's called "Now You See Him" and I really like to story in this one.

Blueprint for Murder, Patrick O'Neal as the murderer. Good choice.

Most Dangerous Match, featuring a particularly gruesome way to (try) to kill someone.

Etude in Black, a classic among Columbo fans.

By Dawn's Early Light, already mentioned above.

This is all from memory, maybe I need to watch less Columbo...

Others worth mentioning:
Identity Crisis: McGoohan as a murdering spy, Columbo tangles with the CIA.

Negative Reaction: Dick Van Dyke as a particularly despicable murderer: a photographer who offs his wife and then frames an ex-con. The gotcha is especially satisfying with this low life.

Swan Song: Johnny Cash essentially playing himself (except as a murderer) who kills his wife and girlfriend in a particularly inventive way. Great last second gotcha at the very end.

Candidate for Crime: Jackie Cooper delivers a great performance as a true asshole: a completely amoral murdering congressman who will do anything.

Forgotten Lady: a faded film star murders her husband. The motive and resolution are truly heartbreaking in this case. A unique episode in many ways.

Murder under Glass: Louis Jourdan as a slimy restaurant critic kills a restaurant owner who he's extorting. In a rare situation, Jourdan actually tries to kill Columbo. Columbo seems to particularly relish catching him.

Most Crucial Game: Culp as a NFL team manager who offs the playboy team owner in a Swiss watch of a plan. The victim is played by an almost unrecognizable Dean Stockwell, who was also in Troubled Waters.

Re: Columbo appreciation
 

I would guess that they would think the demographic wasn't a match. MOD would be your best bet, but who knows how long that format will last either.

Re: Columbo appreciation
 

I always loved the one with the Mensa group, and the Faye Dunaway episode of the new ones is great as well.

Re: Columbo appreciation
 

Excepting for the theme tune, PBS's Masterpiece Mystery tends to follow this. It's interesting to note that Columbo was part of a "Mystery Movie" series for most of its run, where it traded off airings with other mystery series.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_NBC_Mystery_Movie

In this was it's pretty close to how Masterpiece Mystery works, although Masterpiece Mystery tends to all of the season's episodes for one series before moving to the next:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Myster..._on_Mystery.21


It's also interesting to note that there was an 11-year gap between seasons 7 and 8 of Columbo, meaning it's a show that was effectively relaunched.


CBS also recently had the Tom Selleck starring Jesse Stone series of TV movies, although those were limited to one a year:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jesse_...r)#Filmography

Re: Columbo appreciation
 

Just the other day was watching a Law & Order rerun. Detectives Bratt and Orbach are sent to LA in connection with a case. They run into Robert Culp(playing himself) on the beach.

Re: Columbo appreciation
 

There is an episode where Culp plays a researcher in advertising and subliminal messages. The episode is mostly set at his company building which includes a theater for test screening. Since the murder took place during a screening Columbo spends a lot of time looking into the procedures of showing a film, where everyone one was, etc.

The episode is memorable to me because it was the first time I saw film reel cigarette burns explained. They are the kind of thing that you never fully notice until they are pointed out and then you can never unsee them.

Re: Columbo appreciation
 

I honestly do not remember that one.

Re: Columbo appreciation
 

Wasn't the Dunaway episode one of the few where the murderer is not arrested?

Re: Columbo appreciation
 

You seemed to have gotten some episodes mixed up. The one that explains cue marks doesn't star Culp:
https://misterslimm.wordpress.com/20...ive-tv-review/
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0077353/

Re: Columbo appreciation
 

Yeah it does, it's "Double Exposure". It's a great episode marred only by the 70's subliminal psychobabble. Culp is a perfect smarmy asshole in this one, the murder of the projectionist is particularly infuriating for the audience.

"Make Me a Perfect Murder" is a plodding, middling episode with the one saving grace of a somewhat complicated and well defined murderer.

Re: Columbo appreciation
 

Again, from what I can find, "Make Me a Perfect Murder" is the one that explains cue marks, and is pivotal in catching the killer. From a transcript of the episode:
I can't find anything in the transcript for "Double Exposure" explaining cue marks, cue blips, cigarette burns, etc.

You can check the transcripts yourself here:
http://www.springfieldspringfield.co...w=columbo-1971

Re: Columbo appreciation
 

Just remembered another good one, it has William Shatner and the one small thing he forgot to do gets him caught, and it's a good one.

I remember the one with Culp and the subliminals, it was a good one. He always played a self righteous prick on the show.

Re: Columbo appreciation
 

I prefer the 70's episodes over the 90's because the 70's shows had a better class of guest stars and
supporting actors then the later episodes.

One of my favorites is the one with Dick Van Dyke as a murderous photographer.

Re: Columbo appreciation
 

So I started watching the series on Netflix, and I noticed that Netflix only has the NBC TV series; it's missing the 2 TV movies that preceded the show, and the 24 episodes that aired on ABC between 1989-2003.

Amazon has the complete series set on sale for $42 today, so I grabbed that:
http://smile.amazon.com/Columbo-Comp...dp/B008RJ6TTC/

Re: Columbo appreciation
 

I loved this show as a kid. May have to revisit it on Netflix. I am just afraid it may not hold up and my childhood will be ruined... :sad:

Re: Columbo appreciation
 

From the few I've watched so far, it holds up pretty well. There's some era-specific quirks to some of the cases though; for example, in the first episode of the show, Murder by the Book, the murder plot relies on a particular quirk of the landline telephone system at the time. In that sense, the show can be watched like a product of the times, similar to reading the original Sherlock Holmes stories nowadays or reading Agatha Christie novels.

Re: Columbo appreciation
 

I think the format, where we see the murderer commit the crime, helps it to still be enjoyable. Cases are solved on flimsy, illegally obtained evidence. Supposedly smart people confess to crimes that any semi-competent lawyer could get them out of. But the great performances and the knowledge that they did it makes it all work.

Re: Columbo appreciation
 

This show holds up incredibly well.

First because Falk is great in this, second because the guest stars are fantastic.

I just ordered the complete series as well. I never watched this as a kid, but am enjoying the hell out of it now.

Re: Columbo appreciation
 

Brought all the seasons on dvd years ago for my Mom. These still sit on one of her dvd shelves never open & unwatched.
Pretty sure I paid a pretty penny for these single season box sets.

Re: Columbo appreciation
 

I can't say I loved it but I was entertained. Plus, I had no choice but to watch it. We only had one tv in the 70's. The character irritated the hell out of me. I guess I would confess if he kept coming. :lol:

Re: Columbo appreciation
 

Netflix needs to do a revival with Mark Rufalo. Rufalo would be up for it, and it would bring viewers to Netflix, especially since they could release the episodes not all at the same time.

Re: Columbo appreciation
 

I liked the one with Eddie Arnold of Green Acres fame who plays a retired colonel or general. Just seeing Falk wear down his patience is a joy to behold.

Also like the one where the record player arm triggers caps that sound like gun shots.