I like to think columbo is actually a really gentle, innocent, and spacey person naturally, alongside being an absolute genius. He came to realize his default personality was nearly perfect for throwing criminals off their game and getting close to them without making them withdraw, so he just acts like himself for the most part when entrapping them. Sometimes when he finally proves they murdered someone, he’ll sit with them at the end of the episode and have a drink with them, or help them clean up some personal hobby of theirs laying around their house before driving them to the police station. He’ll turn off the lights in their house as they leave, all the while continually being respectful and kind to them. This suggests that this is really his default personality showing at all times because if it was just an act, he wouldn’t need to keep up the act after the criminal was proven guilty.
He is by no means a genius, most of his revelation would never lead to a conviction, as a detective he is useless. The detective should find evidence, not dream up scenarios and destroy alibis.
I think it's a fun thought to entertain, but I think demonstrably false. I think the reality is that Columbo's true personality is never revealed, and cannot really be guessed, because he is a master of shaping it to be whatever is necessary depending on the person that he is with. That said, speaking as a matter of practicality, trying to be realistic as much as that is a Fool's errand, no one with Columbo's _apparent_ personality ever could have risen to be a lieutenant in the Los Angeles Police Department. There is a scene in one of the earlier episodes, _Death Lends A Hand,_ when he is questioning the golf pro, and he has none of his bumbling personality, none of his lack of assurance: he questions the guy directly, but still smoothly, doesn't beat around the bush, knows exactly what he wants and doesn't hide it, and while he stops short of making direct threats definitely exposes a steel beneath the surface. personally, I think that's who he really is, and everything else is a very well choreographed stage play. (To be clear, the kindness, the compassion, and the politeness is all genuine, but the idea that he is ever lost or confused is definitely not)
One unique aspect of the show that hardly ever gets mentioned is that it subverts the cliche of the detective who's always in hot water with his superiors for bending the rules. Columbo certainly does use unorthodox methods - him never carrying a gun, for example, is against regulations - but he has the absolute faith of the department behind him, always. On more than one occasion, a well-connected antagonist has tried to get him thrown off the case through political pressure, but nothing doing - Columbo's bosses know that once he's got the scent, it's a sure thing. Hell, in one episode the killer was the police commissioner, and he insisted Columbo be assigned to investigate his wife's murder, reasoning that no one could possibly question his innocence if he put the best man on the force on the case (a fatal mistake, of course).
Doctor Handsome There is a lot going on in Columbo. No one ever mentions the class thing - his antagonists are usually arrogant, condescending and bourgeois. Columbo appears to be working class or at least lower middle class, and has little money or perhaps even formal education. Their class arrogance destroys them.
I love how Columbo is this scruffy bumbling looking guy who goes up against the rich and arrogant. And with the full support of his superiors. It’s great.
Never wanted to know whether Columbo's behavior and stories were an act he put on or not. Modern crime shows are all too busy with showing us the characters' private lives that it feels like a lousy soap after a couple of episodes. Falk did a fantastic job in portraying a character with this crutch of having no backstory which kept audiences coming back for more and also the writing was terrific so that couldn't have hurt.
I remember watching reruns as a kid in the 90s and the fascination of uncovering tiny clues to his real self. But always feeling like he had everyone, even the police department hoodwinked.
@@atrocious_pr0xy Sort of. There was a god awful spin off about her also solving crimes while he was at work. But thankfully the show itself even in its later more Murder She Wrote like phase of it never showed Mrs. Columbo.
Columbo perfectly demonstrates that it's not the novelty or our ignorance of the "plot" that creates enjoyment, but how well it is written and executed. It's the ideal counterpoint to the spoiler-free hysteria going on lately. It doesn't matter that we know who committed the crime, how, and that Columbo will get his man and roughly how he will do it; We are happy to be on the ride to see the guy do his shtick. Columbo is a force of nature, relentless, unavoidable, we just have to relax and enjoy the spectacle.
@@dragonchr15I don't think that the fictional activities of fictional antagonists in a fictional police drama can be used to demonstrate anything about real world crime statistics. That said, it cannot be dismissed that Columbo was created and written by two jews, with all their inherent biases, and it's clear that part of the enjoyment of the show is that it is specifically about Columbo taking down the social elite from the position of the everyman. Subconsciously I suppose it can be seen as an Outsiders revenge fantasy upon the most successful elements of the most successful society.
for years I used to have Columbo or most likely an impersonator doing an answer machine message. He'd bumble on for a while then so Oh and one more thing....leave a message after the bip. I thought it was hilarious but people complained the way it made them wait, which made it funnier to me.
decepticonsforever Apparently some doctors in the UK call this a "Columbo"... a patient goes in with minor complaint then says "Just one more thing" and reveals a major one.
I remember Columbo as a kid back in the 70's and thought it was the most boring show imaginable. However, just recently I began watching old reruns of it late at night. I was quite shocked at how well written the show was, and consequently quickly became a fan. The odd thing about it is that there is no "whodunit" aspect to the show. Everything is laid out in the first quarter of the episode (the shows run and hour). Consequently the whole point of the show is to see how Columbo can ensnare the villain (who's in inventively a self confident clever crook) with his wits. It's really a refreshing take on a detective series despite the fact that the show's over 40 years old.
Yes, what a truly inspired act of genius to make a "murder mystery" and intentionally remove the mystery of the murder. And to create a character like Columbo. They tried to basically recreate this with Matlock, which was ok for the first couple of seasons, before it got incredibly hokey (perhaps not helped by an increasingly old and feeble acting Andy Griffith).
T. Gorbach When I saw my first Columbo as a kid with my mom, I had the same reaction. Mostly, I was just screaming through the screen in my head "Can't you see he's a murderer?!" It took me watching the very first Columbo, Prescription: Murder, to finally get it. One of the things I love about this time we live in is how accessible those episodes are for viewing. There's even the occasional bootleg here on TH-cam.
Colombo as antagonist is a really nice way of putting it. I often feel nervous for the characters he’s bringing to justice. Not, of course, that Colombo is in the wrong-murder is murder. But because the show takes so much time to show how the killers work to cover their tracks, there’s a chance of seeing the story through their eyes, and you feel their fear over the possibility of being discovered.
It’s such a shame peter ended up not been able to remember playing Columbo, he knew that he had played him as people would tell him but not what it was like. May you rest in peace peter Michael Falk you where a great actor.
Thank you for giving Columbo the shine that he deserves. I have loved him since I was a young girl and I still watch his episodes today. He is and shall always be amazing and a pioneer to the crime genre.
I can't say I loved him since I was a young girl, but I do enjoy murder mysteries. The distinct intro/reveal format plus Peter Falk's supreme characterisation made the early series into a timeless masterpiece. Just one more thing, they totally nailed the 70's tone, sets, cars and costumes. I'm sorry, have I misunderstood? It's my wife, you see...
Watched the show for the first time as a teen in the late 80’s and loved it right away. Columbo is so adorable and I just love those little things like we don’t ever hear his first name (Frank) in any episode, his dog never gets a name and is just called “dog” and we never get to meet his wife even though he speaks of her in virtually every episode. 🙂
Yep, it's a pretty common misconception that the words Columbia, Columbian etc. are derived from that sailor dude, but he just ripped off Lt. Columbo. I think there were only like two or three seasons back in Columbus' days, but the series was already a classic.
Objective Realist 420 Lol, actually I'd like to see that just to see it, like a cringy trainwreck. Horror, disbelief, curiosity, and perhaps a bit of comedy, emotions you didn't even know you had surfacing to greet the creature that is Nic Cage as Columbo. Know what I mean?
Eh. Even early Columbo could be genuinely bumbling on occasion (for instance, there is one where he nearly drives himself off the road because he dropped something in his car), and later episodes still had him as a genuinely good detective. Columbo is really the definition of a ditzy genius- he's genuinely weird and eccentric, but he's also genuinely brilliant, and he is aware of how he comes across to others so he plays it up at times in order to get others to lower their guards. but that doesn't mean it is totally made up either. I can be the samw way myself to be honest xD Otherwise, I agree with your assessment....just don't sh*t on the later episodes.
only takes a cursory glance at clips to find plenty where he's bumbling for the benefit of no one, except for maybe his dog. i think it's safe to say he's just like that, and of course, knows how to use it to his advantage
There is literally a scene in the early episodes where he is falling down a hill. What's even funnier is that the actor, Peter Falk, tripped there for real.
Aside from some really great writing, it's his character that's so fascinating. So why? He's a completely American archetype. While he's surely intelligent--he doesn't have off the charts IQ like Holmes--he's basically a common man with a common background and tastes. Not only does that make him easy to identify with, it shows that anyone can become an expert by alert and dogged application to a task. His "uncanny" instincts were honed: they're not gifts; he's a totally dedicated professional. It's delightful to watch him take down all these "swells" because while they have extremely high intelligence--probably higher than his--it's always in some narrow and fairly sequestered area. Colombo always has the advantage over them because of the breadth and depth of his experience with criminals: he's seen and analyzed so many different types of people and behavior. That's why he has that astonishing "blink" intelligence: this guy did it; now I just have to fill in the blanks. His dumb guy, humility routine is only partially an act to hoodwink his prey. He has an ego for sure, but he's so invested in his task that it's easy for him to suppress its outward signs. Basically, he knows he's really good at what he does, but like anyone devoted to mastery, he knows he's only as good as his latest case. So he's really a great American hero: a can-do guy who made himself the best and isn't looking for status or medals, just the satisfaction of a job well done.
My mother absolutely adores Colombo. It's her favourite show. She says that Peter Falk reminds her so much of her late father (he died before I was born) it's uncanny. Their looks, way of movement and speaking, all that mannerisms and quirks are said to be just the same. So Colombo is special to me in a way. This series allows me in a way to get familiar with a grandfather I never knew.
One of the greatest detective shows of all time! Columbo was so mesmerizing at just what he did in entrapping the suspects. I never knew that when it was revived in the 80s it became a parody of itself... it seemed basically very much the same (except when he slammed that paperweight down on Leonard Nimoy's desk that was surprising - and AWESOME!)
Leileya Night That's because it was the same! A few episodes tried playing with the formula during that period (for my money, the most effective of those being "Rest In Peace, Mrs Columbo") but just as many kept to the classic structure.
I respect George Rockall-Schmidt's opinion, but remember it is his opinion. In the future you might want to compare watch older and newer episodes and see if you agree that the character became a self-parody later on or not.
@@aaronwriterguy By the 1980s Peter Falk was so powerful that no director could question his portrayal of Columbo and that was a problem. Because Falk, because of his affection for the character and his quirks did sometimes veer into something at least close to self-parody
The only other time I remember him losing his temper like this with a suspect (and both were suspects he had utter contempt for) was with Robert Conrad's Milo Janus.
100 percent agreed with your summery of the 1970's Columbo series. Part of the success in those years, was that talented people of the calibre of writer Steven Bochco, Actor/Director Patrick Mcgoohan and up and coming directors like Steven Spielberg and Jonathan Demme, applied there talents.
The also did one with Police Squad - where Frank Drebin dies! And _three_ with The Prisoner, because Number 6 just kept escaping, and Colombo really works for "Them".
raven lord they had not. there was only an episode with Leonard Neemoy as cunning Murderer. Though there was a little Easter Egg about Neemoy playing Spock hidden in that one :)
+Dennis Fluttershy Then can you explain how both Mr. Spock AND Capt. Kirk was in episodes of Columbo? And how Kate Mulgrew was Mrs. Columbo AND Voyager's Capt. Janeway? Shared Star Trek - Columbo cinematic universe confirmed. Checkmate.
Great show. Unique character. Never had a partner. Can't remember him going to the station much, if at all. Every time he had to contact someone, he'd give the station the phone number of the suspect's house or office he'd be at, in case they needed to talk to him. Before I could put a name to passive aggressive, that was it. Funny how all the suspects were always rich or well-to-do, but they ran the gamut of professions, from businessmen to artists to diplomats...
Jeremy D Oh, yeah, there was a heavy class element to Columbo, which is probably why the show still resonates to this day. It's a direct assault on the myth of the upper classes' status being proof that they were better human beings.
He also never carried a gun, which was of course completely against regulations. I remember one where his superior kept hounding him to renew his certification at the shooting range (which was years overdue), and after dodging it for a while he eventually convinced some poor beat cop to go down and take the test in his place.
Netflix used to have the first 7 series, but they lost them a while back. It was my all-time favorite show to fall asleep during, but I mean that as a compliment.
My girlfriend and I love Columbo. I ordered the full DVD set a couple of months ago, and Columbo and SpongeBob are now pretty much the only things we watch for fun, since everything else is for action movie reviews. Glad to see TH-camrs giving the show some well-deserved respect.
You have no idea how happy i am to see people still mentioning Colombo to this day. I'm only 18 but i grew up watching shows like Columbo, Murder she wrote and others
Mr Dweet-Dweet Despite what Georg just said, take the time to look at the later Columbos as well. I particularly recommend "Rest In Peace, Mrs Columbo".
80s for me. It's well written and well acted. It does have a few gimmicks - the clothing, cigars, car etc... but is well written and well acted. The most similar series of the time for me is Quincy ME, but Quincy moralizes too much. The punk episode is hilarious.
I watched a lot of this because my dad watched it religiously. And it is one of the few procedurals I really liked, because of everything you said. The main actor is so good, I can only see him as that character. And because the show already tells the audience who the criminal is from the start, it gets around the biggest problem of pretty much every mystery procedural. That being that, if you're setting up a "who done it" script, you are limited to one of three outcomes. Either one of the people who are introduced in that episode is the murderer, making it pretty obvious who it is (usually the person with the least motive or time on screen). It ends up being the most obvious person which they ruled out early in the episode. Or pulling the dues ex machina such as a random character that didn't get introduced until the last three minutes is the murderer. None of these ever feel satisfying to me, especially after seeing thousands of episodes over hundreds of series. But Columbo just throws all of that out the window and focuses specifically on character building and detective work.
thank you for giving honor to Columbo! He gets underestimated nowadays. Always loved the series, especially the older ones. Something about his bumbling act and how it lets the mudererd go from smug to nervous to "I think I should worry" to "when will he leave me alone!" it is his very own way to lead the whole case. His well acted inner strength peeking though the facade of an unorganized detective looking like an unmade bed. It is just endearing and fascinating. Looking at Columbo... we don't know lot but what we can tell is that he is humble, and a very nice man. And he has a need for justice and will get it served. And I think that is just enough to keep watching :)
Interesting tidbit about the wife: NBC started an ill-thought spinoff called "Mrs. Columbo" (aka "Kate Columbo" aka "Kate the Detective" aka "Kate Loves a Mystery) that was supposed to be about, of all people, Lt. Columbo's wife. Unsurprisingly it didn't play well with audiences, and NBC performed several different retconns to try to distance the connection between the two characters. By the time "Columbo" returned on air in 1989, the entire "Mrs.Columbo" debacle had been written off as non-canon.
raven lord I dont think it helped that Kate Mulgrew was far to young for the roll as his wife. Mulgrew was born in 1955 so at the time of the original pilot she was just 13 years old and 16 when the series began in 1971.
+EP3mentalist Hmmm, maybe that could explain why Columbo didn't talk much about his wife to anyone, or the circumstance around the marriage. Shotgun wedding? :P
One person and one person only supported that series and that was the executive who wanted a vehicle for Kate Mulgrew. All of the writers and staff of the original Columbo despised the idea. I found it quite offensive myself, lol.
And a merry Christmas to you too Georg. Amazed you got through this episode without mentioning Dostoyevsky. According to the writers, Colombo's character was based on Porfiry Petrovich, the amiable, passive aggressive, faux-bumbling detective in Crime and Punishment who knows full well who the killer is yet lets Raskalnikov's sense of superiority betray him. Makes you think about the show in a whole new light, at least the earlier seasons.
Sandy Coloured Clown Word. I noticed this myself when reading C&P back in the 90's: the similarity between the characters, their habits and the narrative structure is so extreme that Columbo is more a copy than a homage.
I choose to believe what Columbo says about himself and his wife because he, better than anyone, knows that fronts never last. He’s so honest. That’s what makes him a perfect foil for liars.
...and what an under the radar handsome chap he was too! The series is still re-running and I've go it on series link even though I've seen them all umpteem times. Proper cosy Sunday afternoon viewing to escape the grind of modern life and enjoy a bit of wholehearted nostalgia. He was a gentleman and a great character actor, thank you for sharing this, Columbo is a forgotten gem.
Both the Leonard Nimoy episode and Johnny Cash episode are favorites of mine. An average original Columbo episode is already decent, but with a good co-star some episodes are serious contenders for the best television programming to ever grace my eyes.
Ben Davis Oh, yeah...being a guest villain on Columbo became a coveted position after a while. Johnny Cash, Leonard Nimoy, William Shatner, Martin Landau, Patrick McGoohan and even Faye Dunaway in one of the latter day Columbos...the roster is quite impressive.
I think you underestimate the later Columbo, he's less aggressive because he's older. We tend to be like that. Everything about him is an act, at the weekend he drives a Porsche and puts Hugh Hefner to shame.
The easiest act to pull off convincingly is the one that comes naturally. The one that is 99% you but not quite. If you fake everything, you will seem suspicious. So i think he really did love the cheap, old chipped and rusty Pininfarina as his car, that one wrinkly trenchcoat, and was prone to acting slightly confused - perhaps due to being preoccupied with the case to the point of obsession. And it's only this that he needed to hide.
Siana Gearz. I couldn't say you're wrong, since I think that part of the series appeal is that the antagonists are generally more fleshed out than Columbo is. In my less paranoid moments, I agree with your interpretation.
Just as a side note, if you guys want to watch a brilliant movie go for "murder by death". it's still up to date one of my favourite movies with peter falk, and it aged perfectly. Cheers 🍻
Falk and the writers have said that the secret sauce to Columbo is that he IS genuinely a spacy dork, but also a world class detective who knows how to play it up. He is an a lovable oaf by nature with a sharp intellect, and his ability to blend his authentic self with misdirection and mindgames makes him very potent to the kinds of arrogant marks he usually has to deal with.
I really enjoyed this series, thank you. I'm a big fan of Columbo and have all the episodes on DVD. It's really interesting, the more you watch the more you realise how much he manipulates the suspect without them realising.
Yeah. There's the one with Robert Vaughn on the cruise ship. Columbo tells everyone he's on vacation with his wife. At the end of the episode he can't find her until a crew member points her out. If it's not his wife then who is it? Does he just pretend to be married all the time to every person he meets or knows? Then there's the Donald Pleasence episode. Columbo asks to use the phone to call his wife. He keeps his voice quiet so that DP can't hear him. He asks the person what the weather was like when they had their picnic or something the week before(it's to do with his investigation). This person then tells him to pickup some milk and lettuce (I think it was lettuce). Again if it's not his wife, then who? Either he is infact married or he pretends to be married, for some bizarre reason, to every single person he knows.
I was kinda relieved to hear that others thought the 80s seasons were terrible. Never heard others speak on this show which has always been a favorite of mine.
The interpretation that Columbo didn't have a wife at all and telling suspects otherwise as just a method of lulling them into finding him quaint can't be correct. Even though we never see her on-screen, there are episodes where he's looking for her on a cruise ship and mentions her being back at their hotel room in Mexico before there even is a murder or the episode where he keeps trying to ditch a new coat she got him etc. Also there is at least one other recurring character aside from Columbo and the dog, this sort of side-kick sergeant that would appear on occasion.
You know Georg, you've got it really laid down. I mean you've really figured it out. You got all the metaphorical pins in the allery just lined up, just ready for you to knock 'em down. I really gotta hand it to you, Georg. You've got it almost figured out this time. Just one thing about this video, though; I mean it keeps bugging me....
Columbo is the TV version of Dostoyevsky's Crime and Punishment. Mind you, it's never off British TV... but it has aged much better than his contemporaries.
Not sure why people didn’t like the later series, I think they’re all great and it’s awesome seeing him age and the style of the show change through the decades.
It's my favorite show. My mom loved watching it when I was around 12 and I was wondering what all the fuss was about? I quickly thought this is the greatest show ever! Most likeable character ever :) Peter Falk is a legend.
WOW! I just started watching Columbo because of you and I can't believe how good it is. It's slow, boring, and you already know the answer to the mystery. Yet somehow it keeps me more entertained than shows like True Detective. Don't even get me started on Columbo himself lol he's such an interesting character. Thank you for introducing it to me Mr. Schmidt.
my mum always puts it on while shes ironing, now it's just the Ironing Show. im 17 and will probably continue to watch it while ironing well into my adulthood
I started watching Colombo fairly recently. I don't think I had the attention span for it when it was on, but now I really liked it. Except after watching 2 or 3 episodes Netflix took it down, this era's "I just discovered it by watching re-runs but now they stopped showing them."
One of the episodes of Columbo was one of Steven Spielberg's earliest directing gigs before he got to direct Duel, which lead to the directing of Jaws. :)
Hey, no knocking the 1980s revival. That was I got to know Columbo for the first time. There are many from that run I love just as much as the classic run.
My favorite detective... Just one more thing.... Merry Xmas Georg! My favorite episode is when the middle eastern shiek is threatening to have him fired one minute and then wanting to sign a confession without reading it a few minutes later. It's those moments that make this show great.
Can't thank you enough for introducing me to this brilliant series. My gf likes the character so much she has literally said "I want to F*** Columbo" not making that up. Love ur vids
It is just perhaps the most perfect television entertainment yet devised. The connection with Dostoyevsky is very strong. Porfiry in "Crime and Punishment" does not just anticipate "Columbo" but was part of the direct inspiration for Link and Levinson when they created the character. There is also a metaphysical aspect. The character has no home that we see and mostly just tends to "materialise" in the melee of the initial police investigation. He can be read as an Italian-American with a taste for chillies, but he can also be read as a sort of Angel of Justice or Nemesis figure. Columbo somehow immediately set up residence in the subconscious of the world and all these years later is arguably still there.
I'd mentioned enjoying "Poker Face", and a lot of people said "Oh, you gotta see Columbo!" I was too young when it was on the air to appreciate it then, and in the video/DVD age, I figured it was just another 70s cop show -- not what I'd seek out. But since it was recommended to me, I finlly started watching it, and I am hooked. Halfway through Season 3 now, looking forward to the rest ofthe original run. (And it's so cool seeing Mr. Spock plotting to kill Grampa Walton!)
I think the reality is that Columbo's true personality is never revealed, and cannot really be guessed, because he is a master of shaping it to be whatever is necessary depending on the person that he is with. That said, speaking as a matter of practicality, trying to be realistic as much as that is a Fool's errand, no one with Columbo's _apparent_ personality ever could have risen to be a lieutenant in the Los Angeles Police Department. There is a scene in one of the earlier episodes, _Death Lends A Hand,_ when he is questioning the golf pro, and he has none of his bumbling personality, none of his lack of assurance: he questions the guy directly, but still smoothly, doesn't beat around the bush, knows exactly what he wants and doesn't hide it, and while he stops short of making direct threats definitely exposes a steel beneath the surface. personally, I think that's who he really is, and everything else is a very well choreographed stage play. (To be clear, the kindness, the compassion, and the politeness is all genuine, but the idea that he is ever lost or confused is definitely not)
I discovered Columbo pretty late when I was in my early 20s about 10 years ago but I was hooked instantly, I think it's a masterpiece and so enjoyable to watch.
I like to think columbo is actually a really gentle, innocent, and spacey person naturally, alongside being an absolute genius. He came to realize his default personality was nearly perfect for throwing criminals off their game and getting close to them without making them withdraw, so he just acts like himself for the most part when entrapping them.
Sometimes when he finally proves they murdered someone, he’ll sit with them at the end of the episode and have a drink with them, or help them clean up some personal hobby of theirs laying around their house before driving them to the police station. He’ll turn off the lights in their house as they leave, all the while continually being respectful and kind to them. This suggests that this is really his default personality showing at all times because if it was just an act, he wouldn’t need to keep up the act after the criminal was proven guilty.
He is by no means a genius, most of his revelation would never lead to a conviction, as a detective he is useless. The detective should find evidence, not dream up scenarios and destroy alibis.
Good observation.
I think it's a fun thought to entertain, but I think demonstrably false. I think the reality is that Columbo's true personality is never revealed, and cannot really be guessed, because he is a master of shaping it to be whatever is necessary depending on the person that he is with.
That said, speaking as a matter of practicality, trying to be realistic as much as that is a Fool's errand, no one with Columbo's _apparent_ personality ever could have risen to be a lieutenant in the Los Angeles Police Department. There is a scene in one of the earlier episodes, _Death Lends A Hand,_ when he is questioning the golf pro, and he has none of his bumbling personality, none of his lack of assurance: he questions the guy directly, but still smoothly, doesn't beat around the bush, knows exactly what he wants and doesn't hide it, and while he stops short of making direct threats definitely exposes a steel beneath the surface. personally, I think that's who he really is, and everything else is a very well choreographed stage play.
(To be clear, the kindness, the compassion, and the politeness is all genuine, but the idea that he is ever lost or confused is definitely not)
One unique aspect of the show that hardly ever gets mentioned is that it subverts the cliche of the detective who's always in hot water with his superiors for bending the rules. Columbo certainly does use unorthodox methods - him never carrying a gun, for example, is against regulations - but he has the absolute faith of the department behind him, always. On more than one occasion, a well-connected antagonist has tried to get him thrown off the case through political pressure, but nothing doing - Columbo's bosses know that once he's got the scent, it's a sure thing. Hell, in one episode the killer was the police commissioner, and he insisted Columbo be assigned to investigate his wife's murder, reasoning that no one could possibly question his innocence if he put the best man on the force on the case (a fatal mistake, of course).
Doctor Handsome There is a lot going on in Columbo. No one ever mentions the class thing - his antagonists are usually arrogant, condescending and bourgeois. Columbo appears to be working class or at least lower middle class, and has little money or perhaps even formal education. Their class arrogance destroys them.
I love how Columbo is this scruffy bumbling looking guy who goes up against the rich and arrogant. And with the full support of his superiors. It’s great.
Never wanted to know whether Columbo's behavior and stories were an act he put on or not. Modern crime shows are all too busy with showing us the characters' private lives that it feels like a lousy soap after a couple of episodes. Falk did a fantastic job in portraying a character with this crutch of having no backstory which kept audiences coming back for more and also the writing was terrific so that couldn't have hurt.
I remember watching reruns as a kid in the 90s and the fascination of uncovering tiny clues to his real self. But always feeling like he had everyone, even the police department hoodwinked.
And his wife.. was she ever revealed? i always remember him having to call his wife or he just got off the phone with her.
@@atrocious_pr0xy Sort of. There was a god awful spin off about her also solving crimes while he was at work. But thankfully the show itself even in its later more Murder She Wrote like phase of it never showed Mrs. Columbo.
Columbo perfectly demonstrates that it's not the novelty or our ignorance of the "plot" that creates enjoyment, but how well it is written and executed. It's the ideal counterpoint to the spoiler-free hysteria going on lately.
It doesn't matter that we know who committed the crime, how, and that Columbo will get his man and roughly how he will do it; We are happy to be on the ride to see the guy do his shtick. Columbo is a force of nature, relentless, unavoidable, we just have to relax and enjoy the spectacle.
It also demonstrates that WASPs are just as likely to kill someone over money as an inner city drug dealer smoking his competition....
The only show in modern times that came close to this one in terms of what you just described is Monk
Yes, it is not what happens, but how it happens that matters
@@TheLibrarianOG1 Not the only one. There was also father brown.
@@dragonchr15I don't think that the fictional activities of fictional antagonists in a fictional police drama can be used to demonstrate anything about real world crime statistics. That said, it cannot be dismissed that Columbo was created and written by two jews, with all their inherent biases, and it's clear that part of the enjoyment of the show is that it is specifically about Columbo taking down the social elite from the position of the everyman. Subconsciously I suppose it can be seen as an Outsiders revenge fantasy upon the most successful elements of the most successful society.
Oh..just one more thing
for years I used to have Columbo or most likely an impersonator doing an answer machine message. He'd bumble on for a while then so Oh and one more thing....leave a message after the bip. I thought it was hilarious but people complained the way it made them wait, which made it funnier to me.
"Oh..just one more thing"
Thats where Steven Jobs got his punchline from.
decepticonsforever Apparently some doctors in the UK call this a "Columbo"... a patient goes in with minor complaint then says "Just one more thing" and reveals a major one.
I remember Columbo as a kid back in the 70's and thought it was the most boring show imaginable. However, just recently I began watching old reruns of it late at night. I was quite shocked at how well written the show was, and consequently quickly became a fan. The odd thing about it is that there is no "whodunit" aspect to the show. Everything is laid out in the first quarter of the episode (the shows run and hour). Consequently the whole point of the show is to see how Columbo can ensnare the villain (who's in inventively a self confident clever crook) with his wits. It's really a refreshing take on a detective series despite the fact that the show's over 40 years old.
Yes, what a truly inspired act of genius to make a "murder mystery" and intentionally remove the mystery of the murder. And to create a character like Columbo. They tried to basically recreate this with Matlock, which was ok for the first couple of seasons, before it got incredibly hokey (perhaps not helped by an increasingly old and feeble acting Andy Griffith).
There were at least two episodes which were more classic "Whodunits," but those were slipped in a very clever way each time.
T. Gorbach When I saw my first Columbo as a kid with my mom, I had the same reaction. Mostly, I was just screaming through the screen in my head "Can't you see he's a murderer?!" It took me watching the very first Columbo, Prescription: Murder, to finally get it. One of the things I love about this time we live in is how accessible those episodes are for viewing. There's even the occasional bootleg here on TH-cam.
T. Gorbach It's straight out of Dostoyevsky. Quincy has a similar format, less successfully.
Colombo as antagonist is a really nice way of putting it. I often feel nervous for the characters he’s bringing to justice. Not, of course, that Colombo is in the wrong-murder is murder. But because the show takes so much time to show how the killers work to cover their tracks, there’s a chance of seeing the story through their eyes, and you feel their fear over the possibility of being discovered.
He and his dog have a life size statue in Budapest
Villy As they should. Much like the song Hotel California, that character really got around.
It’s such a shame peter ended up not been able to remember playing Columbo, he knew that he had played him as people would tell him but not what it was like.
May you rest in peace peter Michael Falk you where a great actor.
I grew up on a healthy diet of Columbo and it annoys me when no one gets my referencing to him.
I'm happy to see him getting recognition he deserves
Thank you for giving Columbo the shine that he deserves. I have loved him since I was a young girl and I still watch his episodes today. He is and shall always be amazing and a pioneer to the crime genre.
I can't say I loved him since I was a young girl, but I do enjoy murder mysteries. The distinct intro/reveal format plus Peter Falk's supreme characterisation made the early series into a timeless masterpiece. Just one more thing, they totally nailed the 70's tone, sets, cars and costumes. I'm sorry, have I misunderstood? It's my wife, you see...
Watched the show for the first time as a teen in the late 80’s and loved it right away. Columbo is so adorable and I just love those little things like we don’t ever hear his first name (Frank) in any episode, his dog never gets a name and is just called “dog” and we never get to meet his wife even though he speaks of her in virtually every episode. 🙂
This has been a great advent series, Georg. Happy Columbus.
One of the movies, I forget which, the murderer/prey confuses his name on purpose as Columbus, haha.
WolfeSpeider one of the best detective movies
He was so good Sri Lanka named their capital city after him.
it‘s true i know because my uncle worked for the company that did it at the time
also the reason why the late sir Arthur C Clarke moved to Columbo, expecting to find the greatest detective of all time there.
LOL even Columbus copied the name but misspelled it.
Yep, it's a pretty common misconception that the words Columbia, Columbian etc. are derived from that sailor dude, but he just ripped off Lt. Columbo.
I think there were only like two or three seasons back in Columbus' days, but the series was already a classic.
Merry Christmas everyone!
Happy Holidays
Merry Christmas! Thank you for the Days of Christmas videos!
Just one more thing see!! just about there HAPPY HOLIDAYS TO YOU AS WELL M8!!
And it is christmas again. Almost.
Uhhh....just one more thing....
I don't think anyone could do Columbo like Peter Falk.
How about Nicholas Cage as Columbo....lol
Objective Realist 420 Lol, actually I'd like to see that just to see it, like a cringy trainwreck. Horror, disbelief, curiosity, and perhaps a bit of comedy, emotions you didn't even know you had surfacing to greet the creature that is Nic Cage as Columbo.
Know what I mean?
Para Momal Actually there is one comedian that is spot on!
I don't know his name but just look up "Columbo impression"
Kevin Pollak, probably.
Larry David.
I kind of get the impression Columbo is held in greater esteem in the U.K. than it is in the U.S.
Eh. Even early Columbo could be genuinely bumbling on occasion (for instance, there is one where he nearly drives himself off the road because he dropped something in his car), and later episodes still had him as a genuinely good detective.
Columbo is really the definition of a ditzy genius- he's genuinely weird and eccentric, but he's also genuinely brilliant, and he is aware of how he comes across to others so he plays it up at times in order to get others to lower their guards. but that doesn't mean it is totally made up either. I can be the samw way myself to be honest xD
Otherwise, I agree with your assessment....just don't sh*t on the later episodes.
only takes a cursory glance at clips to find plenty where he's bumbling for the benefit of no one, except for maybe his dog.
i think it's safe to say he's just like that, and of course, knows how to use it to his advantage
There is literally a scene in the early episodes where he is falling down a hill. What's even funnier is that the actor, Peter Falk, tripped there for real.
Aside from some really great writing, it's his character that's so fascinating. So why? He's a completely American archetype. While he's surely intelligent--he doesn't have off the charts IQ like Holmes--he's basically a common man with a common background and tastes. Not only does that make him easy to identify with, it shows that anyone can become an expert by alert and dogged application to a task. His "uncanny" instincts were honed: they're not gifts; he's a totally dedicated professional. It's delightful to watch him take down all these "swells" because while they have extremely high intelligence--probably higher than his--it's always in some narrow and fairly sequestered area. Colombo always has the advantage over them because of the breadth and depth of his experience with criminals: he's seen and analyzed so many different types of people and behavior. That's why he has that astonishing "blink" intelligence: this guy did it; now I just have to fill in the blanks. His dumb guy, humility routine is only partially an act to hoodwink his prey. He has an ego for sure, but he's so invested in his task that it's easy for him to suppress its outward signs. Basically, he knows he's really good at what he does, but like anyone devoted to mastery, he knows he's only as good as his latest case. So he's really a great American hero: a can-do guy who made himself the best and isn't looking for status or medals, just the satisfaction of a job well done.
Got the complete series for Christmas. My family truly understands me.
Your actual but suspiciously often absent dog and your imaginary wife?
@@SianaGearz what?
My mother absolutely adores Colombo. It's her favourite show. She says that Peter Falk reminds her so much of her late father (he died before I was born) it's uncanny. Their looks, way of movement and speaking, all that mannerisms and quirks are said to be just the same.
So Colombo is special to me in a way. This series allows me in a way to get familiar with a grandfather I never knew.
One of the greatest detective shows of all time! Columbo was so mesmerizing at just what he did in entrapping the suspects. I never knew that when it was revived in the 80s it became a parody of itself... it seemed basically very much the same (except when he slammed that paperweight down on Leonard Nimoy's desk that was surprising - and AWESOME!)
Leileya Night That's because it was the same! A few episodes tried playing with the formula during that period (for my money, the most effective of those being "Rest In Peace, Mrs Columbo") but just as many kept to the classic structure.
I respect George Rockall-Schmidt's opinion, but remember it is his opinion. In the future you might want to compare watch older and newer episodes and see if you agree that the character became a self-parody later on or not.
@@aaronwriterguy By the 1980s Peter Falk was so powerful that no director could question his portrayal of Columbo and that was a problem. Because Falk, because of his affection for the character and his quirks did sometimes veer into something at least close to self-parody
The only other time I remember him losing his temper like this with a suspect (and both were suspects he had utter contempt for) was with Robert Conrad's Milo Janus.
100 percent agreed with your summery of the 1970's Columbo series. Part of the success in those years, was that talented people of the calibre of writer Steven Bochco, Actor/Director Patrick Mcgoohan and up and coming directors like Steven Spielberg and Jonathan Demme, applied there talents.
I didn't realize that they had done a cross-over episode with Star Trek. How cool!
The also did one with Police Squad - where Frank Drebin dies!
And _three_ with The Prisoner, because Number 6 just kept escaping, and Colombo really works for "Them".
raven lord they had not. there was only an episode with Leonard Neemoy as cunning Murderer. Though there was a little Easter Egg about Neemoy playing Spock hidden in that one :)
They did one with William Shatner as well.
Peter Falk in... TekWar
+Dennis Fluttershy Then can you explain how both Mr. Spock AND Capt. Kirk was in episodes of Columbo? And how Kate Mulgrew was Mrs. Columbo AND Voyager's Capt. Janeway? Shared Star Trek - Columbo cinematic universe confirmed. Checkmate.
God bless my grandparents for showing me Columbo. I love this show so much.
I am only 35 years old but I watched all episodes when I was young. Loved them. I will start again this week. Thanks for this tip
I love how Columbo acts humble and silly sometimes but underneath he’s a genius.
Columbo is the greatest tv detective of all time.
Great show. Unique character. Never had a partner. Can't remember him going to the station much, if at all. Every time he had to contact someone, he'd give the station the phone number of the suspect's house or office he'd be at, in case they needed to talk to him.
Before I could put a name to passive aggressive, that was it.
Funny how all the suspects were always rich or well-to-do, but they ran the gamut of professions, from businessmen to artists to diplomats...
It's also fun that Columbo uses their own teachings against them and eventually beats them on their very battlefield.
Jeremy D Oh, yeah, there was a heavy class element to Columbo, which is probably why the show still resonates to this day. It's a direct assault on the myth of the upper classes' status being proof that they were better human beings.
He also never carried a gun, which was of course completely against regulations. I remember one where his superior kept hounding him to renew his certification at the shooting range (which was years overdue), and after dodging it for a while he eventually convinced some poor beat cop to go down and take the test in his place.
Netflix used to have the first 7 series, but they lost them a while back. It was my all-time favorite show to fall asleep during, but I mean that as a compliment.
Derek Didear they are here.
th-cam.com/channels/zXwq43cFscWT4ZX9QbWwZw.html
Great times back then , my wife and I both love Columbo , very unique show , Peter Falk plays the ultimate bumbler, killers lower their guard .👍🙂
My girlfriend and I love Columbo. I ordered the full DVD set a couple of months ago, and Columbo and SpongeBob are now pretty much the only things we watch for fun, since everything else is for action movie reviews. Glad to see TH-camrs giving the show some well-deserved respect.
You have no idea how happy i am to see people still mentioning Colombo to this day.
I'm only 18 but i grew up watching shows like Columbo, Murder she wrote and others
Mr Dweet-Dweet Despite what Georg just said, take the time to look at the later Columbos as well. I particularly recommend "Rest In Peace, Mrs Columbo".
Columbo is fantastic...still watch it today.
Man, I watched this show back in the 70s. So weird seeing it being talked about like this.
ALurkingGrue So luckyyy!
I could only watch it 2010 for the first time! :D
I agree....
80s for me. It's well written and well acted. It does have a few gimmicks - the clothing, cigars, car etc... but is well written and well acted. The most similar series of the time for me is Quincy ME, but Quincy moralizes too much. The punk episode is hilarious.
I still love the 80's and 90's seasons! ;)
I watched a lot of this because my dad watched it religiously. And it is one of the few procedurals I really liked, because of everything you said. The main actor is so good, I can only see him as that character. And because the show already tells the audience who the criminal is from the start, it gets around the biggest problem of pretty much every mystery procedural. That being that, if you're setting up a "who done it" script, you are limited to one of three outcomes. Either one of the people who are introduced in that episode is the murderer, making it pretty obvious who it is (usually the person with the least motive or time on screen). It ends up being the most obvious person which they ruled out early in the episode. Or pulling the dues ex machina such as a random character that didn't get introduced until the last three minutes is the murderer. None of these ever feel satisfying to me, especially after seeing thousands of episodes over hundreds of series. But Columbo just throws all of that out the window and focuses specifically on character building and detective work.
thank you for giving honor to Columbo! He gets underestimated nowadays. Always loved the series, especially the older ones. Something about his bumbling act and how it lets the mudererd go from smug to nervous to "I think I should worry" to "when will he leave me alone!"
it is his very own way to lead the whole case. His well acted inner strength peeking though the facade of an unorganized detective looking like an unmade bed. It is just endearing and fascinating.
Looking at Columbo... we don't know lot but what we can tell is that he is humble, and a very nice man. And he has a need for justice and will get it served. And I think that is just enough to keep watching :)
it was a sad day when this show left Netflix, I kept in on rotation all the time
Erisi Dlarit it’s here now.
th-cam.com/channels/zXwq43cFscWT4ZX9QbWwZw.html
Who cares what is on NEtflix, why do people have a need to pay for everything on internet. ITS ALL FUCKING FREE
Interesting tidbit about the wife: NBC started an ill-thought spinoff called "Mrs. Columbo" (aka "Kate Columbo" aka "Kate the Detective" aka "Kate Loves a Mystery) that was supposed to be about, of all people, Lt. Columbo's wife. Unsurprisingly it didn't play well with audiences, and NBC performed several different retconns to try to distance the connection between the two characters. By the time "Columbo" returned on air in 1989, the entire "Mrs.Columbo" debacle had been written off as non-canon.
raven lord I dont think it helped that Kate Mulgrew was far to young for the roll as his wife. Mulgrew was born in 1955 so at the time of the original pilot she was just 13 years old and 16 when the series began in 1971.
+EP3mentalist Hmmm, maybe that could explain why Columbo didn't talk much about his wife to anyone, or the circumstance around the marriage. Shotgun wedding? :P
One person and one person only supported that series and that was the executive who wanted a vehicle for Kate Mulgrew. All of the writers and staff of the original Columbo despised the idea. I found it quite offensive myself, lol.
It was a bad idea, and was hampered with some amazingly bad writing. It failed because it deserved to.
wow...executives and studios were always bunch of moneygreeding morons i suppose
Oh...and one more thing...Merry Christmas
And a merry Christmas to you too Georg. Amazed you got through this episode without mentioning Dostoyevsky. According to the writers, Colombo's character was based on Porfiry Petrovich, the amiable, passive aggressive, faux-bumbling detective in Crime and Punishment who knows full well who the killer is yet lets Raskalnikov's sense of superiority betray him. Makes you think about the show in a whole new light, at least the earlier seasons.
Sandy Coloured Clown Word. I noticed this myself when reading C&P back in the 90's: the similarity between the characters, their habits and the narrative structure is so extreme that Columbo is more a copy than a homage.
Sandy Coloured Clown I'm glad someone else has spotted the Russian connection!
I choose to believe what Columbo says about himself and his wife because he, better than anyone, knows that fronts never last. He’s so honest. That’s what makes him a perfect foil for liars.
Love all those big guest star appearances on Columbo, too.
...and what an under the radar handsome chap he was too! The series is still re-running and I've go it on series link even though I've seen them all umpteem times. Proper cosy Sunday afternoon viewing to escape the grind of modern life and enjoy a bit of wholehearted nostalgia. He was a gentleman and a great character actor, thank you for sharing this, Columbo is a forgotten gem.
Wait...there's an episode with Johnny Cash? Need to watch this show now!!!
AND LEONARD NIMOY!!!
I thought I recognized his face...
Both the Leonard Nimoy episode and Johnny Cash episode are favorites of mine. An average original Columbo episode is already decent, but with a good co-star some episodes are serious contenders for the best television programming to ever grace my eyes.
Ben Davis William Shatner was in an episode or 2 too
Ben Davis Oh, yeah...being a guest villain on Columbo became a coveted position after a while. Johnny Cash, Leonard Nimoy, William Shatner, Martin Landau, Patrick McGoohan and even Faye Dunaway in one of the latter day Columbos...the roster is quite impressive.
I think you underestimate the later Columbo, he's less aggressive because he's older. We tend to be like that. Everything about him is an act, at the weekend he drives a Porsche and puts Hugh Hefner to shame.
The easiest act to pull off convincingly is the one that comes naturally. The one that is 99% you but not quite. If you fake everything, you will seem suspicious.
So i think he really did love the cheap, old chipped and rusty Pininfarina as his car, that one wrinkly trenchcoat, and was prone to acting slightly confused - perhaps due to being preoccupied with the case to the point of obsession. And it's only this that he needed to hide.
Siana Gearz. I couldn't say you're wrong, since I think that part of the series appeal is that the antagonists are generally more fleshed out than Columbo is. In my less paranoid moments, I agree with your interpretation.
Just as a side note, if you guys want to watch a brilliant movie go for "murder by death". it's still up to date one of my favourite movies with peter falk, and it aged perfectly. Cheers 🍻
Whenever in appears on TV - day or night... I always watch. It never disappoints.
Falk and the writers have said that the secret sauce to Columbo is that he IS genuinely a spacy dork, but also a world class detective who knows how to play it up. He is an a lovable oaf by nature with a sharp intellect, and his ability to blend his authentic self with misdirection and mindgames makes him very potent to the kinds of arrogant marks he usually has to deal with.
The pilot showed him at his best. Merry Christmas Georg!
Never gets the love in top shows in tv history.
I really enjoyed this series, thank you.
I'm a big fan of Columbo and have all the episodes on DVD.
It's really interesting, the more you watch the more you realise how much he manipulates the suspect without them realising.
People in the show have said they've seen or talked to his wife. So yeah, he was actually married in the series.
Marshal Tenner Winter He had at least two phone conversations, so yeah, Georg is a little full of it on that point.
Yeah. There's the one with Robert Vaughn on the cruise ship. Columbo tells everyone he's on vacation with his wife. At the end of the episode he can't find her until a crew member points her out. If it's not his wife then who is it? Does he just pretend to be married all the time to every person he meets or knows?
Then there's the Donald Pleasence episode. Columbo asks to use the phone to call his wife. He keeps his voice quiet so that DP can't hear him. He asks the person what the weather was like when they had their picnic or something the week before(it's to do with his investigation). This person then tells him to pickup some milk and lettuce (I think it was lettuce). Again if it's not his wife, then who?
Either he is infact married or he pretends to be married, for some bizarre reason, to every single person he knows.
She's there, but never seen on screen. He mentions her regularly.
I used to watch it during its first run when I was a kid. I loved his dog and knew his bumbling was all an act.
I was kinda relieved to hear that others thought the 80s seasons were terrible. Never heard others speak on this show which has always been a favorite of mine.
Columbo is a great fucking show. Preferably the older ones, but it's still alright then too.
Columbo was/is amazing. Television at its zenith.
My favourite show ever
The interpretation that Columbo didn't have a wife at all and telling suspects otherwise as just a method of lulling them into finding him quaint can't be correct. Even though we never see her on-screen, there are episodes where he's looking for her on a cruise ship and mentions her being back at their hotel room in Mexico before there even is a murder or the episode where he keeps trying to ditch a new coat she got him etc. Also there is at least one other recurring character aside from Columbo and the dog, this sort of side-kick sergeant that would appear on occasion.
It's more like she was intended to be a fabrication at first, but eventually became real (even though she never appeared on screen.)
I love columbo ,it was a great show
You know Georg, you've got it really laid down. I mean you've really figured it out. You got all the metaphorical pins in the allery just lined up, just ready for you to knock 'em down. I really gotta hand it to you, Georg. You've got it almost figured out this time. Just one thing about this video, though; I mean it keeps bugging me....
I’ve watched Columbo for as long as I can remember and I’m so glad someone is finally talking about it
"Finally"? There are three podcasts devoted to the show on iTunes.
I still love watching him fall down that hill. Lol
I watch them over and over again on dvd.
I own a Columbo T-shirt, though I don't wear it anymore as I put a few miles on it.
Great to see both Peter Falk & the show getting the credit they deserve... the raincoat had me wondering.
Happy Saturnalia or whatever Georg.
Columbo is the TV version of Dostoyevsky's Crime and Punishment. Mind you, it's never off British TV... but it has aged much better than his contemporaries.
Not sure why people didn’t like the later series, I think they’re all great and it’s awesome seeing him age and the style of the show change through the decades.
You don't have to sell me on Columbo, I'm already sold!
It's my favorite show.
My mom loved watching it when I was around 12 and I was wondering what all the fuss was about?
I quickly thought this is the greatest show ever!
Most likeable character ever :)
Peter Falk is a legend.
God I hope they don't remake this. I mean ppl in this generation shouldn't be denied...but you know they would screw it up
Ended up watching the first season of Columbo on your recommendation, I had a great time!
Columbo! I love this show so damn much.
WOW! I just started watching Columbo because of you and I can't believe how good it is. It's slow, boring, and you already know the answer to the mystery. Yet somehow it keeps me more entertained than shows like True Detective. Don't even get me started on Columbo himself lol he's such an interesting character. Thank you for introducing it to me Mr. Schmidt.
my mum always puts it on while shes ironing, now it's just the Ironing Show. im 17 and will probably continue to watch it while ironing well into my adulthood
Columbo is one of those series I stop and watch every time I see an episode in the TV. It simply is among the best police shows ever made.
I started watching Colombo fairly recently. I don't think I had the attention span for it when it was on, but now I really liked it. Except after watching 2 or 3 episodes Netflix took it down, this era's "I just discovered it by watching re-runs but now they stopped showing them."
Columbo is one of my all-time favorite shows
This was a great series.
I watch the complete series with my wife and my son at the moment. It's a bliss!
One of the episodes of Columbo was one of Steven Spielberg's earliest directing gigs before he got to direct Duel, which lead to the directing of Jaws. :)
Hey, no knocking the 1980s revival. That was I got to know Columbo for the first time. There are many from that run I love just as much as the classic run.
80s baby here and I feel the same.
My favorite detective... Just one more thing.... Merry Xmas Georg! My favorite episode is when the middle eastern shiek is threatening to have him fired one minute and then wanting to sign a confession without reading it a few minutes later. It's those moments that make this show great.
Can't thank you enough for introducing me to this brilliant series. My gf likes the character so much she has literally said "I want to F*** Columbo" not making that up. Love ur vids
My girlfriend and I watched an episode, this was 82, and she said, "If I weren't with you, I'd wanna be with him."
Loved watching this as a kid, this and the likes of A-Team and Kojak.
It is just perhaps the most perfect television entertainment yet devised. The connection with Dostoyevsky is very strong. Porfiry in "Crime and Punishment" does not just anticipate "Columbo" but was part of the direct inspiration for Link and Levinson when they created the character. There is also a metaphysical aspect. The character has no home that we see and mostly just tends to "materialise" in the melee of the initial police investigation. He can be read as an Italian-American with a taste for chillies, but he can also be read as a sort of Angel of Justice or Nemesis figure. Columbo somehow immediately set up residence in the subconscious of the world and all these years later is arguably still there.
Jack Cassidy ones were the best!
One of my all time favorite series. Have the boxed set and all the movies :)
I'd mentioned enjoying "Poker Face", and a lot of people said "Oh, you gotta see Columbo!" I was too young when it was on the air to appreciate it then, and in the video/DVD age, I figured it was just another 70s cop show -- not what I'd seek out. But since it was recommended to me, I finlly started watching it, and I am hooked. Halfway through Season 3 now, looking forward to the rest ofthe original run. (And it's so cool seeing Mr. Spock plotting to kill Grampa Walton!)
Columbo was mega popular in Romania during the 90s
Shout out to Patrick McGoohan. Falk was one of the few people he got on with and he has three memorable roles in the series.
I love Columbo. Especially the scene where he wears a base-cap written NFI on it.
Fun fact: the pilot episode for Columbo was directed by Steven Spielberg.
I think the reality is that Columbo's true personality is never revealed, and cannot really be guessed, because he is a master of shaping it to be whatever is necessary depending on the person that he is with.
That said, speaking as a matter of practicality, trying to be realistic as much as that is a Fool's errand, no one with Columbo's _apparent_ personality ever could have risen to be a lieutenant in the Los Angeles Police Department. There is a scene in one of the earlier episodes, _Death Lends A Hand,_ when he is questioning the golf pro, and he has none of his bumbling personality, none of his lack of assurance: he questions the guy directly, but still smoothly, doesn't beat around the bush, knows exactly what he wants and doesn't hide it, and while he stops short of making direct threats definitely exposes a steel beneath the surface. personally, I think that's who he really is, and everything else is a very well choreographed stage play.
(To be clear, the kindness, the compassion, and the politeness is all genuine, but the idea that he is ever lost or confused is definitely not)
The genius of Columbo is that it is not a "whodunit" but a "why-dunit".
One of my favorite shows!
The best detective show, together with early Poirot.
I even saw some familiar faces like Johnny Cash, Leonard Nimoy, and Donald Pleasants.
Hunter Beebe Tip of the iceberg.
Brilliant series. Love the short episode format.
I discovered Columbo pretty late when I was in my early 20s about 10 years ago but I was hooked instantly, I think it's a masterpiece and so enjoyable to watch.