What’s your favorite Columbo episode and why?

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by Anonymous

reply 57

February 12, 2023 2:08 AM

My favorite Columbo was the one with Leonard Nimoy because it was the first time I ever saw Columbo get seriously pissed off. Go to 2:15 in the video. It was very shocking to me at the time to see Columbo do this.

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by Anonymous

reply 1

March 3, 2022 3:09 AM

Funny, R1 - that's actually one of my least favorite episodes. My favorites are any episode with Jack Cassidy. I just love him.

by Anonymous

reply 2

March 3, 2022 3:21 AM

R1- Yes, it was the only episode in which he ever showed anger at the killer. It was a very intelligently written episode, imo. The dissolving sutures angle was brilliant. That show never insulted the audiences intelligence. All of the episodes with Jack Cassidy were my favorites. He played a smarmy, glib, ice cold killer to perfection.

by Anonymous

reply 3

March 3, 2022 3:24 AM

I also really loved the episode with Janet Lee. The house she lived in in that episode was beautiful, imo. She killed her husband, who was a doctor, because she blamed him for interfering in her career. But little did she know he was trying to protect her because she had inoperable cancer which had metastasized to her brain. She was losing her memory and actually did not remember killing her husband. She was the only one that Columbo let get away . He could not bring himself to arrest her. He let her boyfriend take the rap.

by Anonymous

reply 4

March 3, 2022 3:32 AM

I’m watching the one with Ruth Gordon right now, R5!

by Anonymous

reply 6

March 3, 2022 3:39 AM

The one with a young Kim Cattrall was good, too

by Anonymous

reply 8

March 3, 2022 3:47 AM

That one features dreamboat Charles Frank who gets locked in the safe!

Jack Cassidy did three Columbos and was great in all of them. Robert Culp did three as well, but the records belongs to Patrick McGoohan, who did four. I love all of them but have two particular favorites: ETUDE IN BLACK, with John Cassavetes at the height of his gorgeousness as a symphony conductor. I like it because they were such good friends in real life. Blythe Danner and Myrna Loy are in it too. But I also LOVE SWAN SONG, with a surprisingly great performance by Johnny Cash as a singer who wants to get rid of his overbearing, religious wife - Ida Lupino. I like this one because Johnny Cash tells Columbo at the end that he really is sorry for his crime and Columbo believes him.

They're all wonderful. Ooh, and let's not forget DL fave Robert Conrad as exercise guru Milo Janus!!

by Anonymous

reply 9

March 3, 2022 3:48 AM

Back in the early 1970s, my mom was a cocktail waitress in Portland, Oregon. She waited on Peter Faulk. Mom smiled in remembrance of his one request. He asked her to help keep the barflies away.

by Anonymous

reply 10

March 3, 2022 3:55 AM

I just loved Peter Falk. I thought is was so endearing when I found out that he was addicted to Court TV when it first started airing. He said that he watched every minute of the Simpson trial , lol. @R9- I can't believe that i didn't remember that one! I was a huge fan of his. Still am. Who was the actor who played a wine connoisseur avd he murder his brother because he was going to force him to sell the family winery?

by Anonymous

reply 12

March 3, 2022 4:19 AM

Sigh, R12, me, typos. And he murdered his brother.

by Anonymous

reply 13

March 3, 2022 4:20 AM

William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy were each guest villains. So were Robert Conrad and Ross Martin. Were there any other co-stars who did separate stints?

The episode with the killer Dobermans was great. Lee Grant made an excellent killer in her outing. I liked the earlier episodes, before Falk made his quirks so over-the-top.

by Anonymous

reply 14

March 3, 2022 4:31 AM

Robert Culp was a guest villain multiple times

by Anonymous

reply 15

March 3, 2022 4:33 AM

elder gay here, but never watched Columbo. will keep these in mind.... thanks, I guess.

by Anonymous

reply 16

March 3, 2022 4:35 AM

r16, try it! You'll enjoy it

by Anonymous

reply 17

March 3, 2022 4:44 AM

Ah, just one more thing, sure. Love him.

by Anonymous

reply 18

March 3, 2022 6:10 AM

[quote] but the records belongs to Patrick McGoohan, who did four.

McGoohan was also a friend of Falk's and I believe he directed a couple of episodes.

by Anonymous

reply 20

March 3, 2022 6:43 AM

I was so disappointed when MeTV lost the rights to airing the show.

by Anonymous

reply 21

March 3, 2022 6:44 AM

R12 That was Donald Pleasance in Any Old Port in a Storm.

One of the very best Columbos is the first one that aired as part of the Mystery Movie wheel. There had been a TV movie that introduced the character four years earlier, but Murder by the Book was the first proper episode, and it was a corker. Starred Jack Cassidy, written by Steven Bochco, and directed by Steven Spielberg. Just a fantastic episode in all respects; they hit the ground running.

by Anonymous

reply 22

March 3, 2022 7:47 AM

R22- Oh! I can't believe that I forgot his name! That's it, thank you very much. That was a great episode, imo. In fact, is there an episode that wasn't good? Seriously, there may be but I can't think of even one.

by Anonymous

reply 23

March 3, 2022 7:58 AM

This really needs a Blu-ray set.

by Anonymous

reply 24

March 3, 2022 8:10 AM

Wouldn't that be great. I'm surprised it isn't.

by Anonymous

reply 25

March 3, 2022 8:26 AM

Another vote for “Any Old Port In A Storm” with Donald Pleasence. Pleasence and Falk are magnificent together in the final scene.

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by Anonymous

reply 26

March 3, 2022 8:57 AM

The one with our Faye, and I haven't even seen it.

by Anonymous

reply 27

March 3, 2022 9:20 AM

Yes, where Faye apparently plays someone with special needs. God what happened to her?!

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by Anonymous

reply 28

March 3, 2022 9:35 AM

I watched it as a child and watched especially hoping for some good houses or locations, and recall too that I was often let down. Maybe it was the atmosphere of rich people and their trappings that kept me optimistic.

When I've rewatched the occasional episode as an adult, I wonder what how I sustained the optimism. The houses were so often just tacky L.A. houses, expensive but nothing of interest: the architectural equivalent of a Gabor sister, all accent and hair and sparkle, but a bit empty and cheap.

The acres of red carpet and brassy gilt and suits of armor and bad raised paneling in low ceilinged rooms. Used car dealer millionaire houses.

Maybe I had been spoiled by Night Gallery locations.

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by Anonymous

reply 29

March 3, 2022 9:49 AM

My favorite is Try and Catch Me, starring Ruth Gordon.

"You murdered my Phyllis. Do you think I didn't know?"

Honorary mentions to all three Jack Cassidy episodes. As others have said, he was the perfect Columbo villain.

The 80s episodes weren't great, but of those, my favorite is Sex and the Married Detective. Lindsay Crouse plays a spurned sex therapist who kills her cheating boyfriend while in disguise.

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by Anonymous

reply 30

March 3, 2022 10:07 AM

Peter Falk said that Ruth Gordon kept farting all the time. He didn’t like that.

by Anonymous

reply 31

March 3, 2022 10:28 AM

R23 the only one I find unwatchable is the last one. The bad techno music throughout was too much. You could tell even Peter Falk saw this as the show's jumping the shark moment. For those that have never watched this show really need to give it a try. I get this really relaxed and calm feeling while watching. My friends make fun of me when I tell them I'm chillin' watching old Columbo episodes but I don't care.

by Anonymous

reply 32

March 3, 2022 3:20 PM

Last Salute to the Commodore is generally supposed to be the nadir of the original '70s episodes. It was one of the extra long ones and send padded. It also played around with the formula in a way that seems like "cheating" to some fans. The clue to nailing the killer was also pretty weak.

That said, I don't hate Last Salute as much as some people do. Still find it watchable.

Another favorite of mine is By Dawn's Early Light with Patrick McGoohan, who won an Emmy for the role.

by Anonymous

reply 33

March 3, 2022 4:38 PM

The one with John Cassavetes and Blythe Danner. I think she was pregnant with GOOP at the time

by Anonymous

reply 34

March 3, 2022 5:28 PM

Dumbest post ever. And that's saying something...

by Anonymous

reply 35

March 3, 2022 5:28 PM

Martin Landau did a nice turn in a dual role as twin brothers.

by Anonymous

reply 36

March 3, 2022 5:43 PM

I like three of the 90s one and the rest, not so much: Fisher Stevens in "Murder, Smoke and Mirrors". The one with the gorgeous Stephen Caffrey in "Columbo Goes to College" and "Columbo Goes to the Guillotine" with Anthony Stevens.

And it's just a coincidence that they all have Stevens/Stephens

by Anonymous

reply 37

March 3, 2022 8:23 PM

I loved the episode that started it all, with Gene Barry killing his wife. Whoever said Columbo never lost his cool except for the Nimoy show never saw this. Columbo comes after Barry's co-conspirator (and mistress) hard. A great beginning to the series. Another great one is when Columbo's boss (Richard Kiley) murders his wife. That episode actually had two different murderers.

Peter Falk was not the first actor to play Columbo. I forget the guy who was first, but he was a character actor who appeared in a lot of Sixties TV shows (Bert something?).

The original choice to play Columbo in the TV show was Bing Crosby, which sounds crazy, but I can actually see that.

by Anonymous

reply 38

March 4, 2022 2:35 AM

"Lovely But Lethal" just for Vera Miles' fabulous 1973 office.

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by Anonymous

reply 39

March 4, 2022 5:56 AM

[quote]because it was the first time I ever saw Columbo get seriously pissed off.

I was watching the one with Robert Conrad and Columbo did get very angry at "Milo" at the hospital after the murder victim's widow ended up there when she OD on booze/pills.

by Anonymous

reply 40

March 5, 2022 6:18 PM

R4, that was a good one. The one with Janet Leigh was better.

by Anonymous

reply 41

March 5, 2022 6:25 PM

Another vote for Ruth Gordon.

Her sadness when she remarked at the end if only Columbo had been the investigator on her niece's death.

I also liked the 2nd episode of Season 1: "Death Lands a Hand". Where Robert Culp accidentally kills his wealthy client's (Ray Milland) young wife. I love Ray Milland in this and the look on Milland's face at the end when Columbo tells him the tale about kids once putting a potato in a car's tail pipe to incapacitate it. Milland pauses and almost goes to look at the nearby car to see if there is a potato in the tail pipe, but then shrugs as if to say, "No, it couldn't be" and walks away, following Columbo.

by Anonymous

reply 42

March 5, 2022 8:15 PM

I love the one with Blythe Danner as a doomed maestro's lonesome wife ... she was pregnant with GOOP at the time! The maestro was played by a dashing but peevish John Cassavettes, before alcohol ruined his looks.

by Anonymous

reply 43

February 6, 2023 2:04 AM

[quote]In fact, is there an episode that wasn't good?

The commodore one mentioned upthread and also the one where the entire episode is Columbo undercover. There’s an additional one where his niece gets married that doesn’t even have a murder in it.

Huge fan here, but there were definitely some stinkers.

My favorite is Suitable For Framing, mainly because of the ending. I won’t spoil it though.

by Anonymous

reply 44

February 6, 2023 2:23 AM

It's good to see all DL love for Jack Cassidy on Columbo. I came to this thread to sing his praises but it's done.

Gena Rowlands was the wronged wife in "Playback" she did a nice job and she looked gorgeous.

by Anonymous

reply 45

February 6, 2023 2:29 AM

I just started watching this on Peacock. This is helpful.

The Gena Rowlands’ episode was good.

by Anonymous

reply 46

February 6, 2023 2:53 AM

The Great American Family (GAC) network is running "Columbo" episodes all day. Which is odd, because they're too Christian to participate with Hallmark movies featuring romances between "non-traditional" couples -- but murder is OK? Maybe since Columbo brings the killer to justice in the end (and there don't seem to be any gay characters).

by Anonymous

reply 47

February 6, 2023 3:14 AM

My favorite is “The Candidate”. It was like Columbia was the cat playing with the doomed mouse through the entire episode. I also liked the ones with the two college students. One of them does an impression of Colombo that was hilarious.

by Anonymous

reply 48

February 6, 2023 3:16 AM

The Janet Leigh episode. Forgotten Lady. You’re sort of rooting for her but the crazy shows through a few times and you’re thinking “bitch is mad as a hatter.”

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by Anonymous

reply 49

February 6, 2023 3:44 AM

My favorite character in any episode is always Columbo's dog.

by Anonymous

reply 50

February 6, 2023 1:33 PM

Another vote for Gene Barry in “Prescription: Murder,” the very first episode in 1968.

Thoroughly entertaining and well done in every way. Highly recommend.

by Anonymous

reply 52

February 6, 2023 5:37 PM

Edie, bring me the ombre chiffon...

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by Anonymous

reply 53

February 6, 2023 5:44 PM

[quote]Favorite Columbo Episode

Supporters of genocide and western imperialism!

Oh.

Never mind.

by Anonymous

reply 54

February 6, 2023 5:46 PM

The one with Janet Leigh was amazing - she played a fading starlet with a brain tumor!

by Anonymous

reply 55

February 8, 2023 2:32 AM

The wife in the Greenhouse Jungle is so cunty.

by Anonymous

reply 56

February 8, 2023 7:49 AM

I like the new “technology” Colombo is always amazed by. It’s amazing how far technology has come.

by Anonymous

reply 57

February 12, 2023 2:08 AM