Given that there hasn’t been a new Columbo episode in more than 15 years, you’d be forgiven for thinking that the show was old news. You’d be wrong! This review of the Columbo year aims to succinctly fill you in on anything you might have missed…
What better way to end the year than with a celebration of the very best of Columbo in the shape of fans’ top 10 episodes? Thousands more votes have been cast, so let’s see who’s top of the tree…
Apparently Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned – a premise put to the test in Make Me a Perfect Murder. Is it a sure-fire ratings hit, or a dismal flop certain to lead to bungling TV executives being given their marching orders? Let’s find out…
Columbo is the greatest detective of them all – but that doesn’t mean it was free from fault. Far from it. And some of its worst moments were very bad indeed. Here I chronicle 12 of the series’ most nightmarish scenes. Read on if you dare…
Exciting news! Mark Dawidziak’s masterpiece tome The Columbo Phile has been reprinted to mark its 30th anniversary and is available now at a very reasonable price!
Starring Louis Jourdan as murderous food critic Paul Gerard, and notable for featuring more aspic per square yard of film than any other television production ever, Murder Under Glass is certain to expand waistlines merely by watching. But is Michelin Star-worthy? Let’s find out…
Sherlock and Dr Who writer/producer Steven Moffat has clarified his stance on Columbo following an interview in which he revealed he’d failed in a bid to bring the Lieutenant back to screens.
Steven Moffat, creator and writer of hit UK television series Sherlock and Doctor Who, has revealed he failed in a bid to secure the rights to Columbo. Here’s why I think that’s GREAT news!
Every once in a while I’m stunned to encounter a Columbo fan who doubts the existence of the Lieutenant’s wife. Here I lay out the evidence for Mrs Columbo and pinpoint the moments that prove she’s the real deal.
Many Columbo fans rate Try & Catch Me among their very favourite episodes – and I’m no different. But just what is it about season 7’s opener that makes it such a winner? Let’s take a look…
Congratulations to the lucky winner of the Columbo ‘Suitable for Framing’ competition of last week – but don’t despair if it ain’t you, because you can still get your trotters on a discounted copy of the print until 1 December.
Yes folks, it really is almost that time of year again when we turn our attentions to Christmas wish lists for ourselves and our nearest and dearest. Here I outline a range of splendid stocking fillers that are simply guaranteed to delight Columbo fans.
Here’s a piece of artwork Columbo fans will be desperate to get their fingerprints all over – a print of a magnificent painting created by the uber-talented Alistair Little. And here’s how you can win a copy of your own!
May 22, 1977 was a red-letter day in televisual history. It was the day the best-ever TV episode hit our screens; it was the day The Bye-Bye Sky High IQ Murder Case first aired. Just why is this a Columbo outing with no equal? Let’s find out…
As TV shows go, the ill-conceived and ill-fated Mrs Columbo really takes the cake when it comes to alienating audiences. But Columbo featured enough terrific characters to have pulled off some wonderful spin-off series. Here I consider what might have been…
Although it’s often regarded as the lesser light of Jack Cassidy’s three Columbo outings, I actually think Publish or Perish is the uber-villain’s finest hour. But just what are its very, very finest scenes? Here’s what I reckon…
Not many Columbo guest stars were as close to Peter Falk as Ed Begley Jr. Here, the two-time guest star discusses his recollections of appearing on the show, as well as his friendship with Peter Falk that spanned decades.
You can’t beat a good Columbo ‘gotcha’, but not every episode packs a punch when it matters most. Here I consider the 10 least satisfying Columbo gotchas of the 70s. What do YOU think?
The murky, potentially unexciting, world of family museums was explored in Old Fashioned Murder – the second episode of Columbo’s sixth season. Is it a solid gold belt buckle of an episode, or is it more of a rusty old pot? Let’s see…
Few episodes in TV history are as entertaining as Double Exposure, which features some of the greatest cat-and-mouse interchanges between hero and villain ever written. What are its absolute highlights? Take a look…
Some we love, others we love to hate but just who are Columbo fans’ absolute favourite series’ murderers? Thousands of votes have been cast, so let’s see who’s on your list…
In-jokes abound greeted viewers for the opening episode of Columbo’s sixth season, as the world’s leading TV detective investigated a murder carried out by… the world’s leading TV detective in the meta-tastic Fade in to Murder. Let’s see if it’s any cop…
BFFs John Cassavetes and Peter Falk teamed up to devastating effect in fan favourite episode Etude in Black in 1972. And the wonderful news is that Etude is the latest episode to be made available in full to keen viewers via the official Columbo YouTube channel.
Playwright, lawyer and former US prosecutor Rich Weill is back in this guest post, offering us an alternative ending to the much-maligned Last Salute to the Commodore. Can it salvage one of the least popular Columbo episodes? Take a look…
From the sublime to the ridiculous, Columbo’s fifth season can perhaps best be described as a roller coaster ride. But how does it compare overall to what’s come before it? Let’s take a closer look…
May 2nd, 1976 looked set to be the end of an era. With Peter Falk out of contract, Last Salute to the Commodore threatened to be Lieutenant Columbo’s swan song. Is it a bon voyage, or is it dredging untold depths? Let’s take a deep breath and find out…
Candidate for Crime is almost a brilliant Columbo episode, but is let down by the padding required to take it to a 90-minute running time. Nevertheless, it has a number of terrific scenes that still ensures it’s a treat to watch time and again.
Keen viewers looking to enjoy Columbo in glorious high definition can yell ‘HUZZAH’ in glee after Amazon Prime added 9 episodes to its streaming service.
Great news, fellow Columbo lovers! Hot on the heels of my interview with ace author Mark Dawidziak, I can exclusively reveal that there will be a 30th anniversary reissue of his iconic book, The Columbo Phile, later this year.
He may not have appeared in any episodes, but that doesn’t stop Mark Dawidziak from being considered Columbo royalty. Here, the author of the critically acclaimed casebook The Columbo Phile, recalls his experiences of putting the book together as it celebrates its 30th anniversary.
ALAKAZAM! As if by magic, master villain Jack Cassidy returned to give Columbo’s fifth season a much-needed boost in the illusion-packed Now You See Him. How good is it? I can’t wait to find out…
Here’s a little sneak preview of some of the Columbo goodies lying in store for readers of the blog – plus some things I need reader assistance with, including talented artists and a 70s’ car enthusiast.
Columbo was enjoying a little sojourn south of the border on 1st February 1976, hanging out with legendary matador Luis Montoya in A Matter of Honor. How will the Lieutenant fare on foreign soil this time round? Let’s see…
Revel in one of the single finest TV episodes ever made – Jack Cassidy’s second turn as a Columbo killer in Publish or Perish. All together now: WHO? WHY?
Now this really is good! The ultimate Columbo locations map is your definitive source for the real-life locations from Columbo. Dive in! You won’t regret it…
For some Columbo episodes, finding five truly great moments can be a challenge. For Any Old Port in a Storm, the opposite is true. Whittling it down to just five top scenes is no easy feat when it’s as packed with greatness as a bottle of Ferrier Vintage port…
Chronicling the occasions when Lieutenant Columbo was seen wearing outfits other than his regular shabby suit and raincoat. How many do you remember?
Lovely but Lethal is a lesser light of the Columbo opus, but is still rammed with enjoyable moments. What are it’s very best scenes? Let’s take a look…
Columbo colossus Patrick McGoohan was back to leave another indelible mark on the series on November 2, 1975, as the show’s fifth season reached its halfway stage in the shape of Identity Crisis. After a comparatively lacklustre season up to now, can the presence of McGoohan elevate this to Columbo’s top table? Let’s see…
Ask a Columbo fan about their very favourite scenes and it’s odds-on that a flash of Columbo rage will rank pretty highly in their estimations. Here I consider six examples of Columbo losing his cool and analyse what these displays of emotion really mean.
The shady world of Middle Eastern political skulduggery was front and centre for Columbo fans on October 12, 1975, as A Case of Immunity first aired. Is it the televisual equivalent of a VIP invite to a Suari Legation garden party, or is it more of a night at home reading Arabian Nights? Let’s take a closer look…
The response to my call out to fill in a reader survey in February made my heart sing with almost 1500 of you completing it. Here are the some of the key findings and action points.
Columbo’s Season 5 opener proved that the show had lost none of its ambition by casting Hollywood Royalty Janet Leigh as musical murderess Grace Wheeler-Willis. But can Forgotten Lady win the hearts and minds of a modern audience? Let’s see…
In-show references to Columbo’s previous cases are as rare as hen’s teeth, but they do occasionally surface. Here I chronicle the seven times we get a call back to the Lieutenant’s earlier adventures.
Columbo owes its success as much to the wonderfully cast and charismatic killers as it does to the enduring greatness of Peter Falk. But which of the show’s murderers is the ultimate fan favourite? I’ll leave that up to you to decide…
Now that I’ve sensationally quit the day job, I need your input on my future Columbo endeavours so PLEASE take 5 to fill in a quick reader survey. I’ll heart you forever…
If you long to ‘See The Light’, your chance has arrived after the official Columbo YouTube channel made the crowd-pleasing decision to add Swan Song to their list of available full episodes.
With the cast headlined by the late, great Martin Landau as duplicitous twins Dexter and Norman Paris, Double Shock had it all: pathos, great humour, fully developed secondary characters, plus an actual whodunnit element that kept viewers guessing until the final scene. What are its very, best moments? My thoughts right here…
Despite the Lieutenant’s unmatched deductive prowess, there’s no way all of his arrests will have led to convictions. Here I consider 10 high-profile Columbo killers who would absolutely, positively not be going to jail – even though they’re guilty as sin.
A Columbo short story competition, launched late last year to mark the show’s 50th anniversary, has concluded – and you can read the top entries right here! Fill yer boots…
The day has finally come! You can enjoy Dale Kingston’s crushed velvet tuxedo in full HD glory as Suitable for Framing has joined the episodes available on the official Columbo YouTube channel. So what are you waiting for…?
The cut-throat world of championship chess was firmly in the spotlight in Columbo Season 2 spectacular The Most Dangerous Match, which featured Laurence Harvey as borderline insane Grand Master Emmett Clayton. Here are my top 5 episode highlights…
With the passing of another year, here I chronicle the Columbo stars and contributors we said ‘bon voyage’ to in 2018. May they live long in the memory…
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