"Just one more thing...": Rewatching Columbo

[Angela Channing]

Another great review @Mel O'Drama.

I really liked this episode from the innovative way in which the murder is carried out, how Columbo uncovers the clues and the drawn out way he reveals the to the murderer to the final twist in which unbeknown to the murder, the dog have been reprogrammed to behave differently when they hear the kill command. The main problem I had with the episode was the total lack of charisma of Nicol Williamson as the murderer. I always think just how much better this would have been had someone like Robert Culp or George Hamilton, or anyone else, had played the role. I found his performance to be kind of ponderous and dull and for me it brought down what otherwise is a very solid addition to the Columbo series.

He reminded me of a young Gordon Jackson

He reminded me of Brian Wilde.

This means How To Dial A Murder isn’t a top tier episode for me.

I'd place it in the relegation zone of the Premier League.

On the plus side, Patrick Williams's score elevates this episode. There are a lot of Herrmannesque strings, and some low cello notes are especially welcome as they sound more than a tad sinister. Plus some more organic-sounding thumps and beats for some of the unsettling moments.

I'm embarrassed to say I don't remember the score but then I've not seen this episode as many times as I've seen Try and Catch Me.

 

[Angela Channing]

there's a lot of these i still have not seen but did ya know that Ed McBain wrote i think 2 of them and one of them was based off his (1972) Novel Sadie when she died
i forget the name of it but it's from (1992) and it had Thomas Calabro or however ya spell his last name? and i forget what the other one is based off of

I don't know specifically which episode you are describing but I would guess it was one of the duds, I could be wrong though. In the revival series, a few episodes were based on other stories and generally they never worked as well because they strayed too far from the familiar Columbo format. I'm sure the Ed McBain novel was great but the adaptation left something to be desired.

 

[Mel O'Drama]

Another great review @Mel O'Drama.

Oh, thanks Angela.

I really liked this episode from the innovative way in which the murder is carried out, how Columbo uncovers the clues and the drawn out way he reveals the to the murderer to the final twist in which unbeknown to the murder, the dog have been reprogrammed to behave differently when they hear the kill command.

Agreed. I liked all those things too, so it shows there was lots to like about the episode.

The main problem I had with the episode was the total lack of charisma of Nicol Williamson as the murderer. I always think just how much better this would have been had someone like Robert Culp or George Hamilton, or anyone else, had played the role. I found his performance to be kind of ponderous and dull and for me it brought down what otherwise is a very solid addition to the Columbo series.

Yes, I can see what you mean. He had a certain something that worked for me. Having not seen him in anything else (that I know) I think I gave him the benefit of the doubt and put it down to the writing, but , it is true to say that the relationship between Columbo and killer seemed to lack fun and sparkle compared with some others.

He reminded me of Brian Wilde.

Oh yes. I can see that too now you've pointed it out.

 

[darkshadows38]

the film was decent to be honest it was pretty faithful to the book as a matter of fact the only difference really was that it was changed from an 87th Precinct Novel to Columbo. le'ts see the 1st was called No Time To die which was looking it up i was wrong on which book it was it was the book 'So long as you both shall Live' which is from i believe (1976) the other which is one i cannot remember if i did see or not is called Undercover from (1994) the 1st was from (1992) well this one was based of the book was based off the 87th book (1970)'s Jigsaw which that one is one of my favorites to be honest the book not the film

 

[Mel O'Drama]

Murder Under Glass

​

An episode with great potential, with a clever kill, a fun backdrop and a good cast.

I was looking forward to seeing what Jonathan Demme would do with a Columbo episode and wondered if he’d manage to include some of his signature POV shots with the actors looking straight to camera. And he did just this, quite late in the episode (between Columbo and killer, naturally).

An episode featuring famous chefs is going to draw only unfavourable comparisons with Double Shock. This one sensibly took a different tone, and featured a very different relationship between Columbo and the antagonist.

I enjoyed the running gag with friends of the victim producing a dish for Columbo wherever he went. In fact he seems to end up revered wherever he goes - including the victim’s funeral.

The exception - and it’s a big one - is killer Paul Gerard. At episode’s end, Gerard tells Columbo he doesn’t care for him, and the Lieutenant replies that the feeling is mutual. It’s highly unusual to see such open contempt from Columbo and while that moment is almost refreshing, the strained relationship between the two does feel like it’s present all the way through, meaning it lacks warmth and humanity. It makes it very difficult to invest in Paul’s scheme, and it also means Columbo himself feels less layered, less interesting and less likeable.

In fact, I’d say this is one of Peter Falk’s broader episodes and there are times when he feels almost out of character. I’m still trying to work out, for example, what all the shouting at the victim’s timid, grieving young nephew was all about.

France Nuyen is familiar to me for several TV roles of the Seventies and Eighties. Perhaps best remembered to me emerging from the Pacific onto the Hawaiian sand in Angels In Paradise: Cheryl Ladd’s first Charlie’s Angels episode. I only recently discovered that France is also Mrs Robert Culp. I wonder how different this episode would have been had he been coaxed into performing with his wife.

As it is, the episode feels like it didn’t quite live up to its potential.

The Gotcha was clever enough. Columbo worked really had to deduce where the pressure cartridge and hollow needle for the bottle opener fitted in. Once again, he went to an extreme and it’s worth mentioning that with my out of order viewing, this is the second consecutive episode in which the killer has tried to dispose of Columbo using the same method as their original kill. 1978 is apparently a very dangerous year to be a homicide detective.

 

[Angela Channing]

It's always fun when a well known Hollywood star appears in Columbo so I had high expectations for this one when I first saw, however it fell short of being a great episode but there was enough in it that I liked to consider it to be a reasonably entertaining instalment of Columbo. They even managed to work Nick Knack Paddy Whack into the score which is always a welcome touch.

An episode with great potential, with a clever kill, a fun backdrop and a good cast.

I really liked Louis Jourdan's portrayal of the murderer so it was a shame that it wasn't a better script to make his appearance more memorable. I agree the murder was another ingenious one though.

In fact, I’d say this is one of Peter Falk’s broader episodes and there are times when he feels almost out of character. I’m still trying to work out, for example, what all the shouting at the victim’s timid, grieving young nephew was all about.

I felt the same way and this was probably one of my least favourite Peter Falk portrayal's of Columbo (although it was preferable to Last Salute to The Commodore but that's a very low bar to get over). No only was it written so Columbo behaved out of character, such as his overly aggressive interrogation of the the nephew, at times I thought Peter Falk looked liked he didn't really care and was just going through the motions.

I enjoyed the running gag with friends of the victim producing a dish for Columbo wherever he went. In fact he seems to end up revered wherever he goes - including the victim’s funeral.

I know it was done for humour but the funeral scene when Columbo passed around the cheque was again out of character. Columbo was always respectful and he wouldn't normally disrupt a funeral to progress his investigation. It was like this episode was written by someone who wasn't familiar enough with the character.

The exception - and it’s a big one - is killer Paul Gerard. At episode’s end, Gerard tells Columbo he doesn’t care for him, and the Lieutenant replies that the feeling is mutual. It’s highly unusual to see such open contempt from Columbo and while that moment is almost refreshing, the strained relationship between the two does feel like it’s present all the way through, meaning it lacks warmth and humanity. It makes it very difficult to invest in Paul’s scheme, and it also means Columbo himself feels less layered, less interesting and less likeable.

This entirely! Not only is it another example of Columbo acting out of character, there was no great rapport between Columbo and the murderer which weakened the episode.

As it is, the episode feels like it didn’t quite live up to its potential.

Sums it up beautifully, however I still like it.

Once again, he went to an extreme and it’s worth mentioning that with my out of order viewing, this is the second consecutive episode in which the killer has tried to dispose of Columbo using the same method as their original kill. 1978 is apparently a very dangerous year to be a homicide detective.

I'm never convinced by why murderers on Colombo attempt to kill the lieutenant. Although he usually works on his own he has the whole LAPD behind him so they must know killing him won't end the police's pursuit of them.

The Gotcha was clever enough. Columbo worked really had to deduce where the pressure cartridge and hollow needle for the bottle opener fitted in.

The gotcha was good but it would have been better if the final scene was Columbo and Louis Jourdan's character bonding over cooking to cement a growing mutual respect that they developed for each other but it was an opportunity missed by the writers.

 

[Mel O'Drama]

It's always fun when a well known Hollywood star appears in Columbo so I had high expectations for this one when I first saw, however it fell short of being a great episode but there was enough in it that I liked to consider it to be a reasonably entertaining instalment of Columbo. They even managed to work Nick Knack Paddy Whack into the score which is always a welcome touch.

Yes. Despite not being the best of episodes it still definitely had some good things going for it.

I felt the same way and this was probably one of my least favourite Peter Falk portrayal's of Columbo (although it was preferable to Last Salute to The Commodore but that's a very low bar to get over). No only was it written so Columbo behaved out of character, such as his overly aggressive interrogation of the the nephew, at times I thought Peter Falk looked liked he didn't really care and was just going through the motions.

I'd agree. I do feel that at this point Peter Falk's performance has lost a lot of the subtlety of the earlier years. It really feels as though the character's eccentricities are being stretched and exaggerated to the point of caricature. Generally it's still enjoyable because of the writing, but in episodes like this it can be quite frustrating.

I know it was done for humour but the funeral scene when Columbo passed around the cheque was again out of character. Columbo was always respectful and he wouldn't normally disrupt a funeral to progress his investigation. It was like this episode was written by someone who wasn't familiar enough with the character.

The Dick Van Dyke episode where he was messing round with the camera at the funeral was along similar lines. But yes, it did seem even more jarring and unnecessary here as he could easily have chosen another time.

Not only is it another example of Columbo acting out of character, there was no great rapport between Columbo and the murderer which weakened the episode.

Absolutely.

I'm never convinced by why murderers on Colombo attempt to kill the lieutenant. Although he usually works on his own he has the whole LAPD behind him so they must know killing him won't end the police's pursuit of them.

It seems a little lazy on the part of the writers and actually makes their killer seem less intelligent.

The gotcha was good but it would have been better if the final scene was Columbo and Louis Jourdan's character bonding over cooking to cement a growing mutual respect that they developed for each other but it was an opportunity missed by the writers.

I'd really like to have seen that. It could have made the entire episode feel a little more worth it.

 

[Mel O'Drama]

Make Me A Perfect Murder

​

A good Columbo episode should be surprising. And this one ticked that box nicely.

On paper, the premise seems a little ordinary: spurned TV executive shoots her lover dead and hides the gun. But with this episode it’s all in the execution.

As Kay Freestone, Trish Van Devere make an unexpectedly watchable killer. Beneath the big hair, pretty porcelain features and purring voice (she’s like an amalgam of Molly Hagan and Kristin Chenoweth) is a calculating and steely killing machine.

The murder-during-the-screening reminds me very much of Double Exposure or Forgotten Lady. Yet, despite the familiar territory, Perfect Murder’s killing is one of my very favourites of the entire series not because of its ingenuity or creativity, but because of the way it’s filmed. Four real-time minutes where we follow Kay as she carries out her murderous mission. The tension ratchets up with every ten second reminder of how long is left. Even more tense than the killing is Kay’s urgent walk back to the projection booth where she needs to change the reel right on cue. Along the way she is held up waiting for a security guard mooching round in the lobby, pawing appreciatively - and very slowly - through a top shelf magazine. We feel Kay’s frustration at every obstacle, and we exhale in relief when she makes it in the nick of time.

This is far from the only tension in the episode. There are a number of standout scenes on this level, from Kay’s paranoid-filled drive (a scene no doubt inspired by Janet Leigh’s similar drive in Psycho) to her desperately trying and repeatedly failing to retrieve the gun from atop the fake ceiling of the lift, knowing Columbo is in the area. This is a contender for the most tension-filled Columbo episode, and all the better for it.

Patrick Williams - at this point my favourite Columbo composer - sells these moments incredibly well as his score picks up the viewer and takes them along for the ride. James Frawley’s direction also feels nicely subjective at times. Slick Kay may be, but we also experience a lot of the fallout and fear that follows her crime in a very real way that we just don’t in most episodes. It’s very welcome.

continued...​

 

[Mel O'Drama]

Make Me A Perfect Murder



continued...

​

The relationship between Columbo and Kay is interesting. For a start, she uses her sexuality at times, telling him he’s attractive in his way or giving him a massage to relieve his tension (not even Robert Culp attempted this one). It’s difficult to gauge his internal response to it. He seems appreciative, but it doesn’t seem to slow down his pursuit by much.

She goes from praising his intellect to being vulnerable in front of him to presenting her argument to simply trying to avoid him.

We also see insights into Kay’s humanity. From visiting the humble home where she was raised - now derelict - to seeing her friendship with Lainie Kazan’s fragile character and the way Kay handles her. On paper it’s superfluous to the story, but these scenes really help as it feels she’s fleshed out and developed as a character.

It’s not all great news in terms of story additions, though. This is the longest episode of the season, but in my mind would probably have been better served if it were a little shorter. A few scenes feel like very blatant padding. Most notably a scene before a commercial break that has several minutes of Columbo pressing buttons in a studio and watching graphics dance on numerous screens is nothing short of excruciating. Similarly, there’s a scene in which Columbo appears on screens talking to Kay through the camera and each shot of him has a different effect. Perhaps it’s telling about the series at this point that anything which gives Peter Falk too much airtime now seems like a bad thing.

I also didn't like that Columbo appeared right at the top of the episode. I can only imagine that someone, somewhere wasn't happy that there were twenty plus minutes of story before Falk arrived on screen. In the opening scene, Columbo's bad driving caused him to collide with police cars. Again! On this occasion they were giving high speed chase, causing him to have a damaged neck for the remainder of the episode. Personally, I feel this early appearance was to the detriment of the episode. He had a really nice introduction to Kay, lying on a sofa with smoke puffing up from the magazine in front of his face. This really should have been his first appearance of the episode.

The supporting cast is great. As well as Lainie, there’s Ron Rifkin (best known to me from my recently rewatched The Trials Of Rosie O’Neill, he was also a good friend of Murder By The Book’s Barbara Colby). There’s also Bruce Kirby as the irritated TV repairman who gives us a nice interlude when Columbo and Dog drop in on him late at night.

My favourite supporting player is projectionist Walter Mearhead, played by James McEachin. He lets it all wash over him and spends his time working on model ships. Unlike his lazy predecessor Roger White, Walter has no interest in blackmail. With nothing to hide, Walt brings out interesting facets in both Kay and Columbo, who both respond to him with what seems to be a genuine appreciation of his healthy outlook on the world. He’s the perfect sidekick.

I’m not sure how I’d rank this one. When it’s good, it’s terrific. But some of the padding is also quite dire. It would probably go somewhere in the lower echelons of the Premier League.

 

[Angela Channing]

After @Mel O'Drama reviewed Last Salute To The Commodore I replied to a comment he made by saying this:

There are still some good episodes to come including the one I consider to be the best episode of the entire series, but that's just me.

I said that because 3 episodes immediately came to mind: Try and Catch Me ("the best episode of the entire series"), How To Dial A Murder, and this one, Make Me A Perfect Murder. Yes it's a flawed episode so I never would consider it to be one of the all time greats but there is so much that is good in it that I think it is a superior one.

The murder-during-the-screening reminds me very much of Double Exposure or Forgotten Lady. Yet, despite the familiar territory, Perfect Murder’s killing is one of my very favourites of the entire series not because of its ingenuity or creativity, but because of the way it’s filmed. Four real-time minutes where we follow Kay as she carries out her murderous mission. The tension ratchets up with every ten second reminder of how long is left. Even more tense than the killing is Kay’s urgent walk back to the projection booth where she needs to change the reel right on cue. Along the way she is held up waiting for a security guard mooching round in the lobby, pawing appreciatively - and very slowly - through a top shelf magazine. We feel Kay’s frustration at every obstacle, and we exhale in relief when she makes it in the nick of time.

Although I previously said Try and Catch Me probably had my favourite murder, this one is up there with it. It a wonderful piece of television. Like you say, there is real tension in how the murder plan unfolds because it's done against the clock. The lead up to the killing when we see how the murderer is treated makes it's not difficult to have some sympathy for her so much so that I was rooting for her to get back in time to secure her "perfect" alibi.

We also see insights into Kay’s humanity. From visiting the humble home where she was raised - now derelict - to seeing her friendship with Lainie Kazan’s fragile character and the way Kay handles her. On paper it’s superfluous to the story, but these scenes really help as it feels she’s fleshed out and developed as a character.

I think it was all a device to make her a more sympathetic character so the audience would be more conflicted and not be entirely against her as she tried to cover her tracks later in the show.

Patrick Williams - at this point my favourite Columbo composer - sells these moments incredibly well as his score picks up the viewer and takes them along for the ride. James Frawley’s direction also feels nicely subjective at times. Slick Kay may be, but we also experience a lot of the fallout and fear that follows her crime in a very real way that we just don’t in most episodes. It’s very welcome.

I never really thought about it until I read your reviews but the last season of Columbo had some really excellent scores.

It’s not all great news in terms of story additions, though. This is the longest episode of the season, but in my mind would probably have been better served if it were a little shorter. A few scenes feel like very blatant padding. Most notably a scene before a commercial break that has several minutes of Columbo pressing buttons in a studio and watching graphics dance on numerous screens is nothing short of excruciating. Similarly, there’s a scene in which Columbo appears on screens talking to Kay through the camera and each shot of him has a different effect. Perhaps it’s telling about the series at this point that anything which gives Peter Falk too much airtime now seems like a bad thing.

I also didn't like that Columbo appeared right at the top of the episode. I can only imagine that someone, somewhere wasn't happy that there were twenty plus minutes of story before Falk arrived on screen. In the opening scene, Columbo's bad driving caused him to collide with police cars. Again! On this occasion they were giving high speed chase, causing him to have a damaged neck for the remainder of the episode. Personally, I feel this early appearance was to the detriment of the episode. He had a really nice introduction to Kay, lying on a sofa with smoke puffing up from the magazine in front of his face. This really should have been his first appearance of the episode.

I often wondered if the demand for a longer episode came quite late in the day so they added some scenes to pad out the time which wouldn't interfere with the main storyline. For example, I think the build up to the murder was probably extended and interspersed with shots of Columbo dealing with his whiplash injury (why did we have to see him in his underwear at a chiropractor?)

The scene with the graphics on the scene was a new low point in Columbo and they didn't learn their lesson as there is a scene a bit like this (and just as ghastly) in Sex and The Married Detective in the revival series when fountains dance in time to some music. If they had dropped all the superfluous stuff from this episode and had a tighter edit, I think this could have been one of the all time great episodes: Premier League in a Champion's League position (apologies to anyone not getting the English football league analogy). The only good thing I could say about the scene when Columbo is playing with the screen graphics is that it provided a convenient opportunity to nip out to use the toilet without missing any of the action.

My favourite supporting player is projectionist Walter Mearhead, played by James McEachin. He lets it all wash over him and spends his time working on model ships. Unlike his lazy predecessor Roger White, Walter has no interest in blackmail. With nothing to hide, Walt brings out interesting facets in both Kay and Columbo, who both respond to him with what seems to be a genuine appreciation of his healthy outlook on the world. He’s the perfect sidekick.

Yes, he was great and it was rare for a black character to be given a reasonably prominent role in Columbo which was almost entirely filled with white actors (the exceptions were A Matter of Honour and A Case of Immunity which featured several Latino actors although in the latter they were playing parts which were supposed to be Arabs). It did seem like a bit of a come down for James McEachin because he played the lead in Tenafly which was another excellent series along with Columbo that was part of the Mystery Movie wheel. I couldn't imagine Peter Falk agreeing to play a small part in an episode of Tenafly.

I’m not sure how I’d rank this one. When it’s good, it’s terrific. But some of the padding is also quite dire. It would probably go somewhere in the lower echelons of the Premier League.

I think that's a fair assessment although I might place it a bit higher, maybe mid table, because I really like this one so I can forgive some of the fluff that was used to extend its running time.

 

[Angela Channing]

the film was decent to be honest it was pretty faithful to the book as a matter of fact the only difference really was that it was changed from an 87th Precinct Novel to Columbo. le'ts see the 1st was called No Time To die which was looking it up i was wrong on which book it was it was the book 'So long as you both shall Live' which is from i believe (1976) the other which is one i cannot remember if i did see or not is called Undercover from (1994) the 1st was from (1992) well this one was based of the book was based off the 87th book (1970)'s Jigsaw which that one is one of my favorites to be honest the book not the film

Maybe those episodes appeal more to fans of the books but personally I wasn't a fan of Undercover. It strayed too far from the usual Columbo format and didn't really feel like and episode of the series and was more like another police procedural starring Peter Falk. Ditto for No Time To Die, in fact I would say those two episodes were both contenders for being the weakest of the rebooted series. Sorry.

 

[Mel O'Drama]

I said that because 3 episodes immediately came to mind: Try and Catch Me ("the best episode of the entire series"), How To Dial A Murder, and this one, Make Me A Perfect Murder. Yes it's a flawed episode so I never would consider it to be one of the all time greats but there is so much that is good in it that I think it is a superior one.

I'd agree with that. It's an episode I'd look forward to watching again despite its flaws. It's great that I can still feel genuinely excited by scenes in Columbo even as the original run draws to a close.

The lead up to the killing when we see how the murderer is treated makes it's not difficult to have some sympathy for her so much so that I was rooting for her to get back in time to secure her "perfect" alibi.

Absolutely. She was one of the more sympathetic killers for those reasons and I felt a little conflicted as I watched.

I never really thought about it until I read your reviews but the last season of Columbo had some really excellent scores.

That's been one of the nicest surprises of this season for me.

I often wondered if the demand for a longer episode came quite late in the day so they added some scenes to pad out the time which wouldn't interfere with the main storyline. For example, I think the build up to the murder was probably extended and interspersed with shots of Columbo dealing with his whiplash injury

That would make sense. Although we don't know for sure what was added, I'd guess that all the filler made this into a poorer episode than it would have been if it were a "regular" 75 minute show.

The scene with the graphics on the scene was a new low point in Columbo and they didn't learn their lesson as there is a scene a bit like this (and just as ghastly) in Sex and The Married Detective in the revival series when fountains dance in time to some music.

Oh dear. I'll consider myself warned.

If they had dropped all the superfluous stuff from this episode and had a tighter edit, I think this could have been one of the all time great episodes: Premier League in a Champion's League position (

I feel the same way.

Yes, he was great and it was rare for a black character to be given a reasonably prominent role in Columbo

Definitely. It's especially eyebrow raising when you consider how multicultural Los Angeles is (and was), but that's TV of the era for you, The only other black character who played a prominent-ish role that springs to mind for me is Lawrence Melville in Identity Crisis.

It did seem like a bit of a come down for James McEachin because he played the lead in Tenafly which was another excellent series along with Columbo that was part of the Mystery Movie wheel. I couldn't imagine Peter Falk agreeing to play a small part in an episode of Tenafly.

Oh interesting. I had no idea, but then I'm not familar with Tenafly (or almost any of the other Mystery Movie wheel series). That does put James's presence here into a new light. I really liked him here, so I'd certainly be up for watching some Tenafly if the chance comes along.

I think that's a fair assessment although I might place it a bit higher, maybe mid table, because I really like this one so I can forgive some of the fluff that was used to extend its running time.

I dare say I might be persuaded to bump it up my own table a bit once it's had time to settle for me.

 

[Angela Channing]

Oh interesting. I had no idea, but then I'm not familar with Tenafly (or almost any of the other Mystery Movie wheel series). That does put James's presence here into a new light. I really liked him here, so I'd certainly be up for watching some Tenafly if the chance comes along.

I don't remember Tenafly in detail as I was really young at the time but of all the Tuesday Mystery Movies (as they were called in the UK) Columbo, McMillian and Wife, McCloud, The Snoop Sisters and Tenafly I remember as being my favourites. I don't think it's ever been repeated on TV in the UK.

 

[Mel O'Drama]

I don't think it's ever been repeated on TV in the UK.

That sounds right, as it would explain why I've never come across it. It doesn't seem to be available on DVD either. Such a shame.

The Snoop Sisters looks great fun and that does seem to have had the occasional DVD release (albeit in other regions).

 

[Mel O'Drama]

The Conspirators

​

Here we are then. The end of the road for the original NBC episodes.

When the episode opened with Clive Revill strumming a banjo while warbling along to a traditional Gaelic song I confess to being worried. I feared an episode filled with Irish stereotypes and terrible accents.

Up to a point I wasn’t wrong. Some of the accents were a little curious. And there were a number of cliche behaviours, right down to the premise of the episode. The episode’s backdrop of the Irish Troubles seems a little tacky to me, because it’s done from the comfort of 3000 miles away by people who are unaffected by it. It doesn’t seem right to create entertainment from it, even for a series which has weekly entertaining murders week after week. Because of the distance involved from the situation - and not just geographically - it can’t seem anything other than broad and simplistic.

Perhaps it makes more sense once it’s known that this wasn’t originally written as a Columbo episode. And, treated as a simple gun running episode, it did work.

Clive Revill was an entertaining antagonist. He took a while to grow on me and I think he really started working for me once he was interacting with Columbo. Physically he reminds me a great deal of Corrie’s Len Fairclough, but with some of his eccentricities he also feels like he could have been the forgotten Doctor who appeared between Patrick Troughton and Jon Pertwee.

Jeanette Nolan - one of the best things about Double Shock - is back for a more subdued role. And Jessica Fletcher’s nephew Grady is here, possibly playing Revill’s nephew (though it isn’t clear).

While I appreciated the time given to the first act leading up to the murder, it didn’t seem very gripping compared with the preceding episode. As things went along and the ship left port with Columbo appearing to lose, I found myself feeling quite invested. The Gotcha was fine, and Falk’s closing line - “This far and no farther”- was perfect for what would have been presumed to be the last episode ever.

Production values seemed particularly high on this episode with some really impressive location work and a lot of helicopter shots, including one of the coast guard speedboat and helicopter giving chase. A shot of Columbo driving over the bridge looked stunning.

For me this isn’t, by any means, a great Columbo episode. It feels more middling and ordinary than it might have done as a series closer. But it’s still watchable enough.

 

[Angela Channing]

I'll cut to the chase, I hated The Conspirators. The best thing I can say about it is that it isn't as bad as Last Salute To The Commodore and if I was given a choice, I would chose to watch Mind Over Mayhem or Dagger of The Mind over this episode. It's probably a better episode than I remember but I've only seen this one a couple of times so my memory of it isn't as great as it is for the others in the series which I have seen multiple times. What I can't forget is how they portrayed a IRA terrorist as a chirpy limerick reciting, banjo playing, affable Irishman, making use of just about every stereotype in existence, bar having him dressed up as a leprechaun. Another stereotype is that Irish men like having a drink so just about ever scene is set in a pub or with characters drinking, even Columbo.

The fact that the murderer has connections with the IRA and supplies them with arms to murder innocent people is overlooked in favour of creating some bonhomie between the murderer and Columbo. It's not for this show to go into the history of The Troubles but when you compare Columbo's dislike of Louis Jourdan's character in Murder Under Glass for reasons I'm not entirely clear about, to his warm friendly banter with a terrorist in this episode, it just doesn't feel right.

The story itself is not particularly strong either. I recently said how much l liked the murders in some other episodes but in this one the murder was very low key and there was no elaborate planning or cover up as is normally the case in episodes of Columbo. The gotcha was ok but not enough to make up for everything that proceeded it.

Here we are then. The end of the road for the original NBC episodes.

There have been a few weak episodes but overall the quality of the whole series is very high and almost every episode still makes entertaining viewing 40 to 50 years after they were made. It's no wonder that TV stations still repeat them regularly and that they still find an audience when they are screened.

Perhaps it makes more sense once it’s known that this wasn’t originally written as a Columbo episode. And, treated as a simple gun running episode, it did work.

I didn't know this but I'll bear it in mind next time I watch this episode and it might make me view it differently.

 

[Mel O'Drama]

I'll cut to the chase, I hated The Conspirators.

I'd say that's perfectly understandable.

I didn't hate it, but I wouldn't be in a hurry to rewatch it either.

What I can't forget is how they portrayed a IRA terrorist as a chirpy limerick reciting, banjo playing, affable Irishman, making use of just about every stereotype in existence, bar having him dressed up as a leprechaun. Another stereotype is that Irish men like having a drink so just about ever scene is set in a pub or with characters drinking, even Columbo.

Yes indeed. There was a whole lot of stereotyping and it's borderline offensive.

The story itself is not particularly strong either. I recently said how much l liked the murders in some other episodes but in this one the murder was very low key and there was no elaborate planning or cover up as is normally the case in episodes of Columbo. The gotcha was ok but not enough to make up for everything that proceeded it.

I'd agree with all of this.

There have been a few weak episodes but overall the quality of the whole series is very high and almost every episode still makes entertaining viewing 40 to 50 years after they were made. It's no wonder that TV stations still repeat them regularly and that they still find an audience when they are screened.

Very true indeed. The series as a whole holds up incredibly well.

 

[Mel O'Drama]

Season Eight (1989)

Columbo Goes To The Guillotine

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Something that proved helpful going into this episode has been a kind of separation in my mind. I can’t help but think of the ABC version of Columbo as an entirely different animal from the Seventies series.

It looks different. Sounds different. Feels different.

I know and understand that this revival will rarely-to-never live up to the peaks of its heyday. But at the same time I view it fondly. This series marked the first time episodes of Columbo became a regular part of my viewing schedule. I’m sure I’d probably come across the occasional repeat here and there, but I’d been too young to watch even the later Seventies episodes on first airing. I might be misremembering, but I seem to recall the return of Columbo making the cover of the TV Times. It certainly was heavily promoted and I think these aired at something like 7:45pm on a Sunday night.

Not having the burden of comparing these episodes with the earlier incarnation, I took them on their own merit and found myself really enjoying them.

But I do somewhat carry that burden here as I’m watching this 1989 episode one night after the final 1978 instalment. It’s a little mind-boggling to think that, in real world terms, twenty one years have passed since Prescription: Murder.

Helping the transition is the gentle continuity of Leo Penn directing this episode, having also directed the previous episode almost eleven years earlier.

I have to applaud this first episode for giving a very unhurried opening act. It’s over twenty four minutes before the Lieutenant is seen (and presumably a little longer still for those watching without PAL speedup). This is how I like it to be.

However, breathing room doesn’t always mean better. I do feel the pacing throughout this episode felt a little plodding at times. This is true of the opening act as well, though the intriguing subject matter kept things the right side of watchable for me and held my interest. For me, the pacing became more of a problem as the episode progressed and there were a number of scenes that would have benefitted from a little brevity.

continued...​

 

[Mel O'Drama]

Columbo Goes To The Guillotine​

continued

​

I have mixed feelings about Columbo’s introduction. I liked the atmosphere of the night scene and the first glimpse of him being from the flash of his lighter as he got another cigar going (his cigars are now brown instead of green, I noticed). But there was also a sense of artifice to the scene. For a start, it was obviously on a backlot set, and so lacked the documentary realistic air of so many previous episodes.

Then there was the music. It feels like John Cacavas had been instructed to come up with a theme for the character. It’s decent enough, but it also feels a little derivative, reminiscent of Poirot with a hint of Tales Of The Unexpected. It also feels a little playful, which isn’t unusual for this series (thinking about some of the fun end title themes we’ve seen), but apart from playing against the mood of the scene, it also felt more like a stock TV character motif rather than a score written for a unique feature-length TV film. I wouldn’t be surprised if it keeps showing up from now on, and I’m not sure how I feel about that.

There’s also the fact that Columbo was the first officer on the scene. He’s traditionally arrived only after Crime Scene Investigators or whatever have done their bit. Has his role changed over the years, I wonder. Or is the writing a little sloppy? For me, the greatest Columbo introductions come when we first meet him through the eyes of the killer as he enters their world. For this reason, I could have done without seeing him discovering the body and would have preferred his first dialogue to be speaking to the plant as Elliot Blake wanders up to him.

There’s little to say about Peter Falk’s performance at this stage. The subtle idiosyncrasies that I admired so much in early episodes have now been dialled up into caricature. He’s still a joy to watch, but more in a “national treasure” kind of way, rather than genuine admiration for a terrific performance.

The cinematography and general look feels very much in tune with my association of the late Eighties/early Nineties era. It’s slick, shadowy and tasteful, but also feels grey, colourless and a little flat.

continued...​

 

[Mel O'Drama]

Columbo Goes To The Guillotine​

continued​

Anthony Andrews has good presence and felt genuinely dark at times as Elliott Blake. Now and then there was a touch of a the Hannibal Lecter to him. Indeed, I found myself wondering if his character was based on the breakout success of Anthony Hopkins in The Silence Of The Lambs until I realised that this episode preceded the film by several years (it’s still feasible he’s based on the version of the character from the book. Or even the Manhunter film. There are even scenes in which Blake is dressed in a white jumpsuit, just like Brian Cox in that film).

But… he was also incredibly obvious as the killer. He feels a little arch, rather like the Eighties vogue for stock nasty British characters in American TV and film. Think Ben Carrington in Dynasty or Philip FitzRoyce in Jaws 3D, throw in a hefty dollop of Simon Cowell’s TV persona and you’ve got Elliott Blake. He was fun to watch but lacked nuance, and there was very little to give me empathy for his character. He pretty much just went round screwing people over. In turn, this made the key relationship of the episode - that between Columbo and the killer - far less interesting than I’d hope for. I don’t really watch Columbo to boo and hiss the moustache-twirling villain like a pantomime. I expect more.

Whether its the character or the actor, Blake also threatens to out-ham Peter Falk at times, most notably in an over-long scene where he visits the crime scene with Columbo and wanders round pretending to pick up on the victim’s suicidal energy which is almost embarrassing to watch.

The killing is one of the more extreme, perhaps suggesting a new level of threat for this new era (it did yield one of the episode’s funnier moments where Columbo pointed out the murder weapon to Blake and told him the victim had been lying there “only without a head”). Naturally, this means that the Gotcha is arguably the most extreme so far. I’ve already made plain my feelings on the killer trying to do away with Columbo, but this also comes with Columbo literally putting his neck on the block and actually counting on the killer trying to kill him. To my mind he had no way of predicting how Blake would react and while it made for a TV-friendly bit of suspense, ultimately Columbo seems reckless to the point of stupidity.

And the less said about the "bang" at the end the better.

I feel like I’ve piled on the negativity with this episode, but actually it had a number of good things going for it. All the same, it’s going to take some adjustment to get fully on board with this Nineties era version of Columbo. Perhaps I never will.