Columbo!!

[Christopher]

just a question i've got up to series eieght on dvd how many series are there? been trying to get em all hopefully i've made it.

There were eight seasons during the original, classic NBC run in the 1970s. But COLUMBO returned on ABC in the late '80s and in the 1990s for new episodes and movies and many of those are now becoming available to buy on disc.

Actually there were only seven seasons, preceded by two pilot movies. Well, actually one standalone TV movie based on a play, then a pilot movie to see if the idea would work more than once, then six seasons as part of the NBC Mystery Movie wheel from 1971-77 (alternating with McCloud, McMillan and Wife and assorted also-rans in the fourth slot), then a seventh "season" of five intermittent specials in '77-8 after the Mystery Movie series had been cancelled.

The revival series was part of an ABC Mystery Movie wheel that ran for two seasons from 1989-90, along with such little-remembered partners as B.L. Stryker with Burt Reynolds, Gideon Oliver with Louis Gossett Jr., Christine Cromwell with Jaclyn Smith, and in the 1990 season a brief Kojak revival with Telly Savalas. History repeated itself after a fashion, with Columbo continuing as a series of standalone TV movies after the rest of the wheel came to an end. After four episodes in the first Mystery Movie season and six in the second, it then had three movie specials in the '90-'91 broadcast season (meaning fall to spring), two in the '91-2 season, one in November '92, three in the '93-4 season, then intermittent specials in '95, '97, '98, 2000, and 2003. (Wikipedia's episode guide for the revival series just lists them by year, not season.)

The "Eighth Season" on DVD is actually the five episodes from 1989, meaning the first season and one from the second of the ABC Mystery Movie. There's a recently released "Ninth Season" DVD of the six 1990 episodes, meaning the rest of the second season and the first post-Mystery Movie special. The remaining 13 specials from 1991-2003 have not yet been released on DVD, apparently.

 

[cooleddie74]

The original 1968 TV-movie that launched COLUMBO as a series and character("Prescription: Murder") still holds up extremely well. Gene Barry is one of the all-time greatest Columbo antagonists and killers and the feel and atmosphere of the original pilot movie is unique in that this is when Peter Falk still wore his shorter haircut of the 1950s and 60s and the trademark raincoat wasn't worn nearly as much as it would be in the series-proper.

 

[RobertScorpio]

Yes...I just saw it recently. I know this is strange, but it reminds me of WHERE NO MAN HAS GONE BEFORE, Treks second pilot. All the elements are there, but in a more straight forward way. Does that many any sense???

Rob

 

[Samurai8472]

Oh, indeed. Bobby even uses the "Oh, just one more thing" mannerism. He's basically Columbo with Asperger's Syndrome.

That always gets on the guilty person's nerves.

Columbo- Oh, just one more thing

Accused person thinking- What now!? can't you just go AWAY?

 

[An Officer]

^ He lulls them into a false sense of security, then swoops and catches them off-guard all innocent like...

 

[cooleddie74]

Oh, indeed. Bobby even uses the "Oh, just one more thing" mannerism. He's basically Columbo with Asperger's Syndrome.

That always gets on the guilty person's nerves.

Columbo- Oh, just one more thing

Accused person thinking- What now!? can't you just go AWAY?

Of course, that's just an act in many respects...Columbo trying to make them nervous so they'll break a little more and let something slip.

 

[RobertScorpio]

Oh, indeed. Bobby even uses the "Oh, just one more thing" mannerism. He's basically Columbo with Asperger's Syndrome.

That always gets on the guilty person's nerves.

Columbo- Oh, just one more thing

Accused person thinking- What now!? can't you just go AWAY?

Of course, that's just an act in many respects...Columbo trying to make them nervous so they'll break a little more and let something slip.

I just saw the one with NIMOY last night. Still one of my favorites because its kind of like SPOCK vs COLUMBO (with grandpa Walton's life hanging in the balance!!!)

Rob

 

[Rincewiend]

I have the first 9 seasons right now...



The last 2 contain 2 series each...
So season 6&7 and 8&9...
3 seasons to go...

 

[Gojirob]

http://www.southroad.com/brightfame/stories/justonemorerandom.html

A bit of Falk-based humor (I hope).

 

[cooleddie74]

I'm thrilled and happy to see this Columbo thread still alive and kicking! That show has been one of my all-time favorite TV series since I was a teenager still in high school, and I'd easily rank it with golden classics like TOS, THE HONEYMOONERS, TWILIGHT ZONE and the like as one of the best series ever to air on American television in any decade. It is simply the best and most inventive cop/police drama to ever air in this country. Even the LAW & ORDERs and CSIs with their unique takes on the genre don't touch COLUMBO for sheer, solid writing, consistent quality and the enjoyability of the characters..both good and villainous.

 

[RJDiogenes]

I just watched Uneasy Lies The Crown yesterday morning. Pretty good, if not the best; the dentist had quite a nice plot going, implicating himself in the cover up to make himself presumptively innocent of the murder-- and the Digitalis in the crown was a nice gimmick. Paul Burke was great in this episode.

Only three more movies and I'm done with everything that's on DVD. I wonder if there's a release date for the next set....

 

[RobertScorpio]

I'm thrilled and happy to see this Columbo thread still alive and kicking! That show has been one of my all-time favorite TV series since I was a teenager still in high school, and I'd easily rank it with golden classics like TOS, THE HONEYMOONERS, TWILIGHT ZONE and the like as one of the best series ever to air on American television in any decade. It is simply the best and most inventive cop/police drama to ever air in this country. Even the LAW & ORDERs and CSIs with their unique takes on the genre don't touch COLUMBO for sheer, solid writing, consistent quality and the enjoyability of the characters..both good and villainous.

We just watched THE PRINCESS BRIDE earlier today..one of my favorite Falk roles outside of Columbo...

Rob

 

[datagal]

The actor who played Lee Kelso in "WNMHGB" was in the second COLUMBO movie/episode. The one with Lee Grant. I have several years of the series on disc and the first year had a lot of gems.

I've always been very fond of the Roddy McDowall episode where he's a MENSA-level chemist who concocts the exploding cigar case.

I love the ending of that episode with McDowall.
I also love it when Columbo let the killer's inflated ego get the best of him/her in the end. (The episodes with Dick Van Dyke and Richard Killey are the best examples)

 

[cooleddie74]

The actor who played Lee Kelso in "WNMHGB" was in the second COLUMBO movie/episode. The one with Lee Grant. I have several years of the series on disc and the first year had a lot of gems.

I've always been very fond of the Roddy McDowall episode where he's a MENSA-level chemist who concocts the exploding cigar case.

I love the ending of that episode with McDowall.
I also love it when Columbo let the killer's inflated ego get the best of him/her in the end. (The episodes with Dick Van Dyke and Richard Killey are the best examples)

McDowall hammed it up brilliantly in that one. That same year, Kim Hunter was in the Ross Martin episode about the art dealer. And both episodes were made the same year ESCAPE FROM THE PLANET OF THE APES was a smash in theaters. McDowall and Hunter had---collectively---a rather awesome 1971.

 

[siskokid888]

The thing that always amazed me about the show was that you knew who the killer was from the get go, yet you are still riveted simply by the act of Columbo figuring out the crime! A tribute to Falk and to the writers of the show.

 

[cooleddie74]

The thing that always amazed me about the show was that you knew who the killer was from the get go, yet you are still riveted simply by the act of Columbo figuring out the crime! A tribute to Falk and to the writers of the show.

The main reason it's so damn awesome. It's the process of the cat-and-mouse and the psychology and pressure Columbo uses that is so engrossing and original for its era. It's Chinese water torture...but positive results!

 

[RobertScorpio]

The thing that always amazed me about the show was that you knew who the killer was from the get go, yet you are still riveted simply by the act of Columbo figuring out the crime! A tribute to Falk and to the writers of the show.

The main reason it's so damn awesome. It's the process of the cat-and-mouse and the psychology and pressure Columbo uses that is so engrossing and original for its era. It's Chinese water torture...but positive results!

What actor, whether they be TV or Movie star, could step in and play that part. And I don't mean a cheap imitation. I mean someone who could take the role and make it as much apart of them as Falk made it for him...anyone out there??? And no, I don't see the guy playing MONK as that guy. I have seen many comparing the two...but I don't see it at all. Peter Falk's Columbo, IMO, is in another league...Monk is okay filler...but not 'prime-rib' in my opinion...

ROb

 

[matthunter]

Oh, indeed. Bobby even uses the "Oh, just one more thing" mannerism. He's basically Columbo with Asperger's Syndrome.

That always gets on the guilty person's nerves.

Columbo- Oh, just one more thing

Accused person thinking- What now!? can't you just go AWAY?

Of course, that's just an act in many respects...Columbo trying to make them nervous so they'll break a little more and let something slip.

Based on this thread I went and bought the first 8 seasons on DVD for £40. I also did a bit of digging on Wiki about the series to remind myself of the titles of the episodes I really liked (the DVD insert has no episode synopses), and discovered that Falk used to ad-lib a lot of Columbo's frustrating mannerisms (like hunting around in his pockets for something and pulling out unpaid bills and the like) to get the actors he was playing off impatient too - those moments weren't always in the script so his ad-libbing pissed off the other actor, which translated into their performance!

I've gotta take some offence at the view that they tried to shoehorn in elements like a younger sidekick for Columbo... Mac (who did indeed appear in Last Salute to the Commodore) was quite good - at least, a million miles ahead of Sgt. Wilson... as seen in Now You See Him...

 

[RobertScorpio]

That always gets on the guilty person's nerves.

Columbo- Oh, just one more thing

Accused person thinking- What now!? can't you just go AWAY?

Of course, that's just an act in many respects...Columbo trying to make them nervous so they'll break a little more and let something slip.

Based on this thread I went and bought the first 8 seasons on DVD for £40. I also did a bit of digging on Wiki about the series to remind myself of the titles of the episodes I really liked (the DVD insert has no episode synopses), and discovered that Falk used to ad-lib a lot of Columbo's frustrating mannerisms (like hunting around in his pockets for something and pulling out unpaid bills and the like) to get the actors he was playing off impatient too - those moments weren't always in the script so his ad-libbing pissed off the other actor, which translated into their performance!

I've gotta take some offence at the view that they tried to shoehorn in elements like a younger sidekick for Columbo... Mac (who did indeed appear in Last Salute to the Commodore) was quite good - at least, a million miles ahead of Sgt. Wilson... as seen in Now You See Him...

I actually thought Walter Koenig was pretty good the couple of times I saw him as the side-kick..

Rob

 

[Christopher]

I've gotta take some offence at the view that they tried to shoehorn in elements like a younger sidekick for Columbo... Mac (who did indeed appear in Last Salute to the Commodore) was quite good - at least, a million miles ahead of Sgt. Wilson... as seen in Now You See Him...

Sure, they did a good job with the mandate the network imposed on them, but it's a simple fact, not a "view," that it came about due to pressure from the network. Just because the network imposes something doesn't mean it can't turn out well if the producers handle it right.

I actually thought Walter Koenig was pretty good the couple of times I saw him as the side-kick..

You must be confusing Koenig with someone else. Koenig only had a very small role in one Columbo episode, actually one with William Shatner as the killer, "Fade in to Murder."