Now that I’ve completed my reviews of all 69 Columbo adventures comes the really hard task: ranking every episode in order of preference.
Comparing the Lieutenant’s revival and classic era instalments is no straightforward task, so disparate they often are in tone and presentation. Nevertheless, I’ve given it some serious thought and have managed to compile what I now consider my personal ultimate Columbo episode ranking.
As many of you will know, the upper echelons of my Columbo favourites’ list is an immovable feast. My top 10 has been well established for years and officially chronicled on this site. There will be no surprise entries there from the Lieutenant’s 1989-2003 catalog, although I can confirm the presence of at least one new Columbo in my overall A List.
Can the worst dross of Columbo’s ABC years deny the dreaded Last Salute to the Commodore the wooden spoon at the foot of the standings?
The greater level of interest for readers, I suspect, will lie in how many new episodes appear in total across my A-C lists (i.e. those I consider extremely-tolerably watchable), and whether the worst dross of Columbo’s ABC years plumb sufficient depths to deny the dreaded Last Salute to the Commodore the wooden spoon at the foot of the standings.
And lest viewers worry that I’m damning non-A List episodes with faint praise, it’s worth pointing out again that I consider my A List simply to be the best of the best. Episodes on the B List still represent outstanding viewing, and are adventures I’m happy to return to time and again. Even episodes on my C List still have plenty to recommend them, so if your favourites don’t correspond with mine, it doesn’t necessarily mean that I consider them woeful television.
To aid in your understanding, I have categorised my categories in simple terms: –
- A List = Incomparable TV. Will never tire of watching
- B List = Outstanding entertainment with numerous magical moments
- C List = Would happily watch anytime they came on TV, but rarely select from DVD collection
- D List = Lesser efforts with some redeeming features
- Z List = Will only watch under extreme duress
Now all that’s left to do is dive in and see what ranks where in the Columbo pantheon of greatness…
My complete Columbo episode ranking list
(ABC era episodes in bold print)
- The Bye-Bye Sky High IQ Murder Case
- Suitable for Framing
- Publish or Perish
- Double Shock
- Murder by the Book
- Negative Reaction
- A Friend in Deed
- Try & Catch Me
- Death Lends a Hand
- A Stitch in Crime
- Now You See Him
- Double Exposure
- Lady in Waiting
- Troubled Waters
- Any Old Port in a Storm
- Prescription: Murder
- Columbo Goes to College
- A Deadly State of Mind
- An Exercise in Fatality —B List starts here—
- Make Me a Perfect Murder
- Identity Crisis
- Swan Song
- The Most Crucial Game
- By Dawn’s Early Light
- Etude in Black
- Candidate for Crime
- Greenhouse Jungle
- Playback
- Blueprint for Murder
- Ransom for a Dead Man
- Forgotten Lady
- Columbo Likes the Nightlife
- Agenda for Murder
- Requiem for a Falling Star
- Death Hits the Jackpot
- Columbo Cries Wolf
- Fade in to Murder
- Rest in Peace, Mrs Columbo —C List starts here—
- Murder Under Glass
- A Case of Immunity
- Ashes to Ashes
- It’s All in the Game
- Dead Weight
- The Conspirators
- The Most Dangerous Match
- Lovely but Lethal
- How to Dial a Murder
- Columbo Goes to the Guillotine
- Short Fuse
- A Matter of Honor
- Sex & The Married Detective
- Mind Over Mayhem
- Caution: Murder Can Be Hazardous to Your Health
- Butterfly in Shades of Grey
- A Bird in the Hand…
- Murder, A Self Portrait —D List starts here—
- Murder, Smoke & Shadows
- Columbo and the Murder of a Rock Star
- Uneasy Lies the Crown
- Old Fashioned Murder
- Dagger of the Mind
- A Trace of Murder
- Strange Bedfellows —Z List starts here—
- No Time to Die
- Grand Deceptions
- Undercover
- Last Salute to the Commodore
- Murder With Too Many Notes
- Murder in Malibu
To give you an at-a-glance- breakdown, I have just one new Columbo episode on my A List (Columbo Goes to College) and a further four on my B List (albeit it none of them in the top 30). If that makes for depressing reading, this dearth of top-tier episodes is somewhat off-set by my ranking eight more of the Lieutenant’s ABC outings on the still-watchable C List. That gives largely positive rating to 13 out of Columbo’s 24 new episodes – a shade over 50% of them.
The gulf in class between Columbo’s two televisual eras is most evident in the D and Z Lists, which are dominated by new episodes (11 out of the remaining 14 stories, and six out of the bottom seven). Much as I detest Last Salute to the Commodore, it was comprehensively outdone in the stink stakes by Murder With Too Many Notes and the utterly wretched daytime soap stylings of Murder in Malibu.
Of note, two out of those three episodes (Last Salute and Too Many Notes) were directed by Patrick McGoohan – a perennial favourite guest star to countless Lieutenant lovers, but a man responsible for some calamitous Columbo crimes. His series legacy will be explored in a future article.
Now I turn things over to you. I’d love to hear your thoughts on my final rankings. Am I being too harsh on the new Columbo episodes with so few entries making my top 40? Which classic episodes can you not believe I rate lower than certain revival counterparts? And am I right in ranking Murder in Malibu rock bottom of the standings? All opinions welcome, as long as they stay respectful and courteous to your fellow fans.
Now it’s time for me to make like a banana. Come back soon for more (hopefully) rib-tickling breakdown of the highs and lows of Columbo’s ill-fated ABC years.
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In Agenda for Murder, Columbo unwittingly gets evidence via a discarded peice of chewing gum in Finches office. WITHOUT A WARANT. It would not be admissable evidence, yet Finch obviously admits guilt buy saying, “A peice of cheese”?
The Most Crucial Game keeps climbing up my list. Top 3 now. The writing is so tight without being hand-holding, there are no disposable scenes, Falk’s acting, particularly in the scene with the guy that broke into Culp’s home, and the way they did the clock chime and shutting off the radio at the beginning.
Some randoms: I’d put Dabney Coleman’s acting in Murder of a Rock Star as one of the top highlights of the series. I hated the overacting laugh of the gallery curator in Suitable for Framing. Love the voyeuristic scene at the foot of the stairs at Cassavettes’ house about real estate costs. Watching those two old friends spar throughout is a treat.
I rated some of the episodes 20 years ago and I beg to differ with Fade in to Murder, with Shatner (much higher) and Identity Crisis (much lower).
Just stumbled upon this on the Internet Archive site https://archive.org/details/chevy-mystery-show-enough-rope-1960
Apparently the recording of the only pre-Falk Columbo tv appearance on the Chevy Mystery Show from 1960. Is there a plan to review it as well in the future?
Maybe. I have the episode downloaded from the Internet Archive but haven’t got round to watching it yet.
Wow, that came out way faster than expected, there’s indeed a massive difference in your ranking between the episodes of the first and second era, I personally liked undercover a lot more, especially because of the treasure hunt and would’ve put it between my favourite episodes, whereas I would’ve put no time to die last, mostly because it’s more like a regular movie than a columbo.
I agree on malibu being really bad and I also really like sky high iq murder case, especially like the fact oliver makes columbo solve a puzzle and the genius setting.
Columbo Likes the Nightlife was a quality episode, and was a satisfying and satisfactory finale for the series. It should be an A-list episode.
Can you imagine how we’d all feel if Murder in Malibu was the last-ever Columbo?
Two other points in favor of Nightlife:
Matthew Rhys has had a successful career, which validates him being selected to be a Columbo villain. He is superior to several other Columbo villains.
And while I don’t dislike the woman, Shera Danese wasn’t in the last episode, either. That would have left a bad taste if she were the villain or heavily involved somehow.
Thank you, Columbophile, for your blog and your comprehensive reviews. And thanks to the commenters for their input.
A Friend Indeed. The murderer was a cop, and Columbo’s boss! Love the look on Halpin’s face after Columbo figured out what was what… 😆
I more or less agree with your list. Except I think Short Fuse to be a nice funny episode deserving higher ranking. I think that Columbo Cries Wolf isvoverrated. A first part too long and a final part with the gotcha too rushed and short. Finally Ashes to Ashes was too funereal with a dissatisfying gotcha. Apart for that I greatly appreciate your work and your insight on our favourite detective’s series
“Bye Bye”, Now you see him, Port in any old storm, are episodes I could watch over and over–there are no scenes that lag or too much filler–like in Etude in Black which would be in my top 3 if they had trimmed it by 15 minutes.
Couldn’t resist my own list of faultless episodes :
Double Exposure;
Suitable for Framing;
Exercise in Fatality;
Murder by The Book.
Thereafter it becomes much more difficult, but Prescription Murder, Blueprint, Any Port, Etude in Black and The Most Crucial Game would figure highly.
My top 5 (I don’t know in what order) would be: The Most Crucial Game; Murder by the Book; Prescription: Murder; Make me a Perfect Murder; and… Sex and the Married Detective.
And I rate “Old Fashioned Murder” higher dan CP does.
Sorry if I’ve commented to this effect before (I have, after all, been following this excellent blog for years). I have a particular love for the first season. This is partly because of the ways it looks and sounds: hangover form the sixties in the styles and decor, rather than the drearier look that comes as the seventies progress. And the soundtracks to those early episodes are spectacular. So I don’t rate “Dead Weight” or “Short Fuse” anywhere nearly as low as you. Even in the writing and acting departments, I can’t see much wrong with them.
A very good point. Sixties style seems timeless.
Also, the late sixties/early seventies are now called the “Second Golden Age” of Hollywood. You still had writers from the Fitzgerald, Faulkner and Chandler eras who were active and influential – such as Steve Fisher and Leigh Brackett.
Ian, of the “connective tissue” that makes Classic Columbos rewatchable and high on CP’s list, the brilliant soundtracks to each 70s episode may be the most underappreciated. CP’s reviews give props to many of these moments, and the regression of the scores and music elements through the two Columbo eras is further evidence of the decline in overall Columbo quality.
I have to disagree with you here, Glenn. Many epsiodes from the 90’s stand out because of the music. They kept a great composer like Patrick Williams on the payroll and his scores are terrific, some of them really make the episode. And in another way the scores for episodes like Columbo likes the nightlife and Columbo cries wolf also work very well.
Williams was the stand-out composer during the early ABC years but aside from his work, the scores rarely hit the heights that were commonplace in the 70s. Even Dick De Benedictis’s 90s scores became twee and irritating as the decade progressed.
I’m not saying the music in the 90’s era was the same as in the 70’s (and I love the music of the 70’s episodes the same as you do). Many aspects of the show were different, but I don’t think the music suffered as much as you imply here. It doesn’t serve as a good example for “the decline in overall quality”. The music became different, yes, it was another decade, and believe me, when it comes to music I like the 70’s era much more than the 90’s. But the composers made use of this change in musical style and it often worked. For me the variations of the Old Man theme were a welcome addition to the show too. Columbo got his own leitmotif (if there is an English term for this I never heard it) and it suited the character. But this of course must be a matter of taste.
Although not 100% complete, this is a thorough 36-minute summary of the soundtrack highlights during the Columbo years. And yes, for music tastes, it’s different strokes for different folks. Listen for the Columbo leitmotif that Gil Melle created for “Dead Weight”. Billy Goldenberg had one too, which he used in “Lady in Waiting” (both terrific). David, can you point to the New Columbo leitmotif you reference? I haven’t picked up on that one.
With the “new” Columbo leitmotif I meant the variations on the Old Man theme.
Thanks for sharing the video, I’ll listen to the entire soundtrack tonight.
By the way, I agree, especially Columbo’s leitmotif in Lady in waiting is terrific.
It’s my cell phone ringtone to this day. Just exquisitely moody.
That’s some choice for a ringrone Hugo! Haven’t got that one but whenever I receive a text message Columbo says Just one more thing.
Just recently, I had a colleague at work asking me what the ringtone was.
I’m not saying I particularly enjoy twee 90s music (aside: though in the interests of full disclosure I should admit my 1990s childhood friend actually achieved some very modest fame in a self-proclaimed twee band. Search “the besties prison song” on Youtube, if you dare. The absolute funniest part about it are all the people in the comment section who were searching for System of a Down’s Prison Song and are saying What the Hell Is All This Rubbish) and it’s true the 70s music has a nice nostalgic feel to it… but *come on*. All that atonic shtick that was 70s Columbo soundtracks was *such* an overused fad. I have no experience as a composer but if you locked me up in a room with a few textbooks on the 12 tone technique (and maybe the whole tone scale and Debussy and other assorted atonal stuff) with a little food, water and preferably some mind-altering substances, I’m pretty confident I’d be able to crank out soundtracks equal to or rivaling 70s Columbo. I’m not saying there’s *zero* skill involved but life is a hell of a lot easier when you don’t have to worry about all that pesky stuff like, err, consonance or melody or tension resolution.
I’ll grant a small handful of exceptions on my statement about 90s Columbo scores, but for much of the time, it was tired variations on “This Old Man” and goofy music cues to hammer home the point that we were witnessing a “comedy” scene.
De Benedictis was mentored by the legend Billy Goldenberg, and their 70s soundtracks were simply outstanding. Whether De Benedictis decided on his own to assembly-line his New Columbo scores, or whether he was told to, there was a noticeable difference in quality.
Although, to be fair, the musical exploitation of “This Old Man” dates back to the classic era: Jonathan Tunick’s score for “Murder Under Glass.” [“Glass” was Tunick’s only Columbo score and, according to IMDb, his first composing credit. He is known better as a Broadway orchestrator (particularly for Stephen Sondheim).]
Bernardo Seagall’s closing theme for “Last Salute” beat Tunick to it. But the chow-down montage of “Under Glass” is probably worse. Although – not gonna lie – I dislike them all.
Terrific list! My personal favourite is ‘Friend in Deed’. Another one I’d have in my top 5 would be ‘Candidate for Crime’, I was surprised to see it quite so low. ‘Goes to College’ is by far the best of the later episodes. And good to see ‘Malibu’ at the bottom as it’s truly abysmal. ‘Last Salute’ is terrible, for sure, but it still kinda looks and feels like a Columbo episode despite all its oddness, unlike ‘Malibu’.
I find “Murder in Malibu” quite poor, while “Last Salute” is just plain perverse.
It’s interesting to read about everyone’s favorite episodes. I agree that there are episodes I keep watching over and over again while others, especially the later episodes, I could just leave. I think what makes certain episodes more memorable for me, episodes that I compulsively re-watch simply because I either enjoyed them so much or because I can’t find anything on TV I care to watch, is how Colombo (Falk) interacts with the murderer. The more interesting the interaction, the more I’m riveted.
Your list is interesting. Admittedly, I hardly watch The Bye-Bye Sky High I.Q. Murder. I’ll watch when it’s on but I don’t go out of my way to watch it. You are correct that when you find a Colombo episode you really like, you’ll watch over and over again. I find this is the case with the episodes from the 70s. I watch these more than later episodes though I really enjoyed Sex and the Married Detective. My favorites are Double Exposure, Any Old Port in a Storm, How to Dial a Murder, Requiem for a Falling Star, Now You See Him, The Most Crucial Game and Etude in Black.
Samantha, I completely agree! Classic Columbo is truly timeless television. God bless Levinson, Link and Falk!
While I’ve known for years that The Bye Bye Sky High IQ Murder Case is CP’s personal favorite episode and that there is generally very little to choose from between the A-List and even some B-List episodes, I just realized that Negative Reaction may very well be the closest thing to a perfect Columbo episode. It features two onscreen murders, an unlikable villain who is well acted and has great chemistry with Falk, features more humor than any other episode while still being serious when it needs to be, has one of the best gotchas in the entire series and is one of the few, if not only one of the longer episodes which doesn’t feel padded and makes good use of all its “filler” scenes. It would be among my episodes of choice if I were to introduce a friend or relative to the series. Double Exposure is another episode I rate very highly because the cat and mouse mouse game between Columbo and Culp in that episode may be the best ever in the entire series.
Double Shock is overrated for using the tired “twins gimmick”(used 3 times on Gilligan’s Island!). No Time to Die is not even a true Columbo and is universally considered the worst entry of the series. Identity Crisis was a silly, confusing effort to capitalize on the news of its time and should rate near bottom. Likewise, Columbo Goes to Guillotine asks too much of the viewer and offers an unlikely ending. Sex and the Married Detective was underrated and adheres well to the series formula. Likewise for Murder Smoke and Shadows. Columbo Cries Wolf departs from the formula and has us missing Columbo being Columbo for most of its time.
I broadly agree with your episode rating, one notable exception is that I’d have Murder By The Book at the top of the tree. Agreed that Murder In Malibu has a distinctly soap-like flavour to it – as for it bringing up the rear, maybe, but, Dagger Of The Mind has to be a serious contender too, although, I’ve found this episode has grown on me over the years and after repeated viewings.
Thanks for taking the time to compile your listings, all the very best, and just one more thing…
Have a great day!
Mark S Doughty. ‘
A good list CP! One I can generally get behind. Except, two very notable exceptions. Bye, Bye is a middling episode, at best. Definitely not number one. It’s has a dingy setting, is at times 90s era silly and has an overweight, sweaty bully as the murderer. Not great viewing. And, Too Many Notes doesn’t belong near the bottom. It has a ton of flaws, sure, but Billy Connelly is easy and fun to watch as the murderer, it follows the classic Columbo formula pretty well and shows us a neat way of using an elevator as means for establishing an alibi. It deserves a lot better than being ranked nearly dead last.
I can appreciate why CP and some others would rate Bye Bye so Sky High…after all, from what I read, this was originally intended to be the final episode of the Classic era which I imagine at least partly explains the zany title. Fortunately, Falk was convinced to return for one last 70s season. Still, the episode doesn’t disappoint in its philosophical musings and interplay between Falk and Bikel and I do like it far more today than I did years ago. There are so many good episodes from the Classic era that I personally can’t make any set in stone conclusions.
This episode didn’t really do it for me but Theodore Bikel was fantastic. He was truly a multifaceted actor and wonderful to behold in every role.
What is the obsession with the Bye Bye SkyHigh episode? No way that the physical proceedings of the gun going off could have proceeded, step by step, mechanically, in sequence, for the murder. Absolutely ridiculous, unbelievable plot. No way in the A ratings!! Columbo Cries Wolf should definitely replace this one in the A group. One of the best “ gotcha” endings!
My episode review gives an abundance of reasons why I rate Bye-Bye so highly. Yes, there are plot holes (same as per every episode) but the proportion of great scenes is so high they’re easily outweighed.
It’s been brought up elsewhere in this blog that the childhood or adult entry point for someone into the world of Columbo viewing likely has an impact on their episode judgements. This psychology makes sense. In his ep review, CP is quite transparent in letting us know that “Bye Bye” was the first Columbo he remembers seeing, at age 10 in the late 80s. Although I implicitly trust CP’s impartiality in his review, and there are very legit reasons for giving TBBSHIQMC kudos, I would probably not rank it in the Top 20.
“The Most Crucial Game” was my first Columbo memory, watching it as a teen in 1972. Quite simply, the Gotcha completely blew me away – it was the clue that wasn’t there! The ep is absolutely in my Top 10, much higher than most others would rank it. My adult self knows that Hanlon’s lawyers would easily explain away the missing clock chime. But Columbo knows Hanlon’s guilty, Hanlon knows that Columbo knows that Hanlon’s guilty, and the viewer knows that Hanlon knows that Columbo knows that Hanlon is guilty. As far as my teenage self was concerned, that reveal stuck the landing.
Those who first watched Columbo in the 90s – and continued to watch those 90s eps – probably enjoy them now much more than those who were initiated into Columbo in the 70s. That’s going to affect personal rankings, and there’s nothing wrong with that subjective viewpoint. It’s natural. That subjective “feeling” also means that it may be difficult to move someone off an opinion in a debate. But that’s what intelligent critiques are there for, which is kinda the point of CP’s Blog enterprise.
Agree 100%, Glenn. My first Columbo memory was “Ransom for a Dead Man.” Although not among my current favorites, my reaction was strong enough that, when it was announced that Columbo was returning in the fall, I couldn’t wait to watch. And that first fall episode — “Murder by the Book” — remains No. 1 on my list to this day.
And those of us raised in the classic Columbo era undoubtedly had elevated expectations, making the reboot episodes generally disappointing by comparison.
Columbo Goes To The Guillotine should be in the A rated group!
As always, The Columbophile is thought-provoking. I can’t disagree with the choices for the A-List (and isn’t that what really counts for Columbo fans), I would simply quibble here and there with the order. Which is to be expected from a show so rich in personal memories for many of its admirers.
But to mention just two: I really think Any Old Port in a Storm should have a higher ranking, if only due to the performances of Donald Pleasence and Julie Harris alone. Watching them interact with Falk and each other always satisfies. Pleasence always seems on the point of exploding from internal agitation during the entire episode.
Also Negative Reaction arguably has the most wonderfully comic scenes of any Columbo episode, which raises it in my estimation. Columbo’s interactions with Vito Scotti as a wino, and Joyce Van Patten as a nun, as well as the Lieutenant’s “drive” with driving instructor Larry Storch are not only fine comedy, but they also highlight the aspect of Columbo that means the most to me, and I think accounts for his character’s enduring relevance (something the empty goofiness of some of the later episodes lack). Namely, Columbo is essentially a humane person, particularly with working folk, marginalized people, the down-and-out. He likes them, or at least empathizes with them. You won’t get that from Holmes or Poirot. Negative Reaction brings that out more than any other episode, I think.
It’s my own personal mission in life to convince more people to rate Any Old Port significantly lower. Yes, the chemistry was nice, I gladly admit that, but in terms of climax, denouement, and overall logical cohesion it was possibly the worst we’ve ever seen in Columbo, be it 70s or 90s. I can forgive a lot… but the plot holes were so massive and so overlapping that I actually had no idea what the hell just happened when the credits rolled the first time I saw it.
But I quite agree about Negative Reaction’s humor. Actually, I actually thought the scenes with the victim was some of the funniest stuff in all of Columbo. The way she kept on insulting him even as she was being tied up was simply priceless.
Sorry, CP, but “Columbo Goes to College” does not belong anywhere on your A list. It violates almost every rule of an A list Columbo. The villains are not accomplished, formidable adversaries. Quite the opposite, they’re downright juvenile. And unlike the best Columbo villains, 100% unlikeable. Jordan Rowe (Robert Culp) filled in for the powerful villain squaring off against Columbo — but he isn’t the murderer. And his intervention prevents the full, direct Columbo vs. killer interplay that is a hallmark of an A list episode. As for the ending, the reconstruction of the murder before an entire college class is so hard to credit. Who assembles a class for a shooting? And, as noted, the gotcha is lifted in its entirety from a much better episode. Rate this episode No. 1 from the reboot era if you wish, but please don’t put it in the upper Columbo echelon. Even as a ‘90’s consolation prize.
I think the greatest sin of “College” is the disastrous slo-mo playback.
Maybe I don’t read enough posts here, but I didn’t realize there’s an agreed-upon list of requirements for an episode to make the A-List. And certainly, if there is, exceptions can be made. Take A Stitch in Crime, for example. Dr. Barry Mayfield is way beyond unlikeable! And that episode, despite not fulfilling the requirement for villain “likeability” is on almost everyone’s Top Ten List, including CP’s. Chacon a son gout!
My A-list criteria is a collection of factors. No one factor is controlling. “College” fails on numerous prongs. Furthermore, the best Columbo villains ARE likeable (in the sense Columbo mentions in his “Try and Catch Me” speech). Barry Mayfield is highly respected, trusted completely by Dr. Hidemann, and charms Marcia Dalton (Nina Talbot). And if a particular villain isn’t as likeable, the episode had better compensate for this departure in some way. “College” doesn’t.
Rich, I understand your hesitancy regarding College but I still like it just cuz it was fun seeing our fave detective take down those two arrogant punks. The legalities of the episode don’t matter: this is the Columboverse and every murderer gets the justice they deserve!
College greatly entertains me and ticks a load of boxes I look for in a Columbo episode in terms of humour, character interactions, douchebaggery of villains etc. One of Falk’s better performances of the era, too, so loads to enjoy.
But “Incomparable TV”? Really? That’s your A-list definition. You can still regard “College” as “outstanding entertainment with numerous magical moments” without putting it on the A list. That’s the B-list definition.
Don’t let it trouble you, friend. College deserves its place at my Columbo top table.
I’m sure there are some regular readers of this blog who were hoping perhaps the passage time along with additional rewatches would make the host more partial to this or that episode. But I for one am glad CP stuck to his guns as it applies to the A list. No two viewers will agree on every placement, but I think Suitable, Publish, Friend, Double Shock and Death Lends are episodes that absolutely positively merit inclusion somewhere in the Top 10. And CP’s got every one of ’em on his.
As for the bottom of the list, well, feels a little futile to debate the quality shade of lipstick on pigs. And there’s nothing in CP’s D or Z lists that I would personally go to bat for.
It’s telling that the only ABC episode that makes CP’s A List is “Columbo Goes To College” which has an ending lifted straight from Classic Columbo’s “A Friend In Deed” much higher up on the same list. Which begs the question- is there anything new under the Sun when it comes to a great mystery climax? I haven’t read enough detective fiction to say for sure. One of the best things about Classic Columbo was the extent the writers went to to not repeat themselves. I guess recycling the gotchas didn’t matter with the passing of time.
Can’t really agree with your rankings
Any episode made in the 70s with the exception of the horrendous
“Salute to the Commodore” should out rank any of the ABC movies.
Also Lovely but Lethal and Old Fashioned Murder are much better
than your ratings !
Goodness!
I wouldn’t put Murder With Too Many Notes as low as you do, given the effort Billy Connolly and Dick DeBenedectis put into it. I have been thinking about Old Fashioned Murder so much that I think it must be better than I thought (Joyce Van Patten deserved an Emmy nomination). I positively loved A Case of Immunity.
I haven’t seen much at all of the “New” episodes, but from CP’s descriptions of them (masterful), I might like them better than he did.
I rather like it when Columbo is less intrusive and obnoxious (his characterization in Prescription: Murder is extremely off-putting and knocks that near the bottom; the cruelty of the Murder and arrogance of the Murder in Any Old Port sends that one straight to last place of the 69).
Columbo genuinely learning things is a concept I truly love. I think I would enjoy some of the ’90s episodes where he learns about cell phones, ’90s fashions, and rave nightclubs.
It’s all in the eye of the beholder…But, we will be able to use the TV on alternate nights…My list would be very different…No more valid than yours, just very different.
Indeed, it’s all highly subjective. Some people even rate Last Salute as their number 1…
I largely, generally agree about the placement of episodes, save the most dramatic reversal of placing “Bye-Bye…” in the high forties and “Try and Catch Me” and “Troubled Waters” in the high thirties. I’ve long thought – and agreed – that “Goes to College” is the strongest of the ABC episodes and ranks above many of the original NBC episodes as being more enjoyable.
My Top 10
Suitable for Framing
Now You See Him
Swan Song
Lady in Waiting
Try and Catch Me
A Stitch in Time
Death Lends a Hand
Troubled Waters
Etude in Black
By Dawn’s Early Light
Guilty pleasure: Dagger of the Mind
The only 90s era I like:
Columbo Goes To College
Death Hits the Jackpot
Here’s some honorable mentions:
Murder by the Book – “Mr. Franklin!”
Blueprint for Murder – Goldy, queen of sass
Double Shock – The irascible Mrs. Peck
Columbo Cries Wolf – Ian’s hot nymphs
Columbo fans’ mileage will of course vary on where you distribute your own personal rankings among the library of 69 episodes. Me, I’d significantly reduce “Bye Bye”, “Double Shock” and “Lady in Waiting”, and give a major upgrade to “Forgotten Lady”. But CP alludes to what I think is a very key element to how we grade each episode – rewatchability.
I believe that the key to this repeatability is what I would call the Columbo “connective tissue”. These are all the production elements that hold an episode together while Columbo pursues the killer. These features would include the scripting, direction, music score, sets, costuming, locations, supporting actors, camerawork, editing, guest stars, and the overall ability to strike the right balance of serious crime-solving, characterization, and humor. In Columbo 2.0, even when there were halfway decent scripts, they were invariably burdened with low-wattage casting, inadequate acting (including Peter Falk), cringeworthy heavy-handed humor, cliché-d music cues, excruciating filler, trite variations on “This Old Man”, uninspiring Gotchas, and enough run-of-the-mill production elements to tilt the episode to Mediocre-Poor. For the huge majority of these 90s affairs, one, perhaps two viewings were enough.
On the contrary, Classic Columbos took such care to have high movie-quality “connective tissue” in every episode, that even when a script, plot or Gotcha didn’t quite hit the mark, the 90-120 minutes remained watchable. And became rewatchable. There was little cringing (“Commodore” excepted, natch). It was that essence that New Columbo failed to grasp, and their failures in all those connective elements – even beyond the clumsy “humor” – became a cascading set of issues through the 90s. Nothing elevated any episode to a higher standard. This doesn’t mean that the 90s didn’t have any strong moments. There were, but stringing these moments together consistently into a truly great episode never happened for me.
But I can repeatedly stream the 70s episodes even if an installment comes up well short of the quality of the masterpieces. It’s why you might find some heretofore hidden value in duds like “Old Fashioned Murder” or “Short Fuse”. If you find these elements in New Columbo as well, more power to you. For me, they’re almost an exclusive domain of the 70s run, and they make the rewatching all the more rewarding. Again, again, and again.
Hi Glenn, I agree with your assessment about rewatchability. Your comment just now made me realise that exactly that has been the most important factor for determining my top 69. Not the only factor mind you: my favourite episode, Any Old Port, is a treasure I permit myself to watch once a year, on New Year’s morning to start off the year on a high. This way the episode remains extra special to me.
However the episode I’ve watched the most times is Sex and the married detective. And here we come to a point where we disagree on what it is that makes an episode rewatchable.
I know and fully admit that the quality of the 90’s episodes is generally worse than the original 70’s run, as you have pointed out on numerous occasions. But the conclusions you’re drawing here in this comment I cannot entirely share. Despite the flaws in the 90’s episodes I find many of them very rewatchable. Not in the way I return to Any Old Port once a year, but to get a much needed shot of Columbo the addict in me so often needs. I can give many examples here, but let’s stay with Sex and the Married Detective to clarify: There is an excellent premise here, when a psychologist doesn’t just start fantasizing about killing the lover that betrayed her, but actually does so – and starts to realise that she loves her alter ego Lisa more than she loves herself. Add to that the fantastic score by Patrick Williams; the many humorous encounters Columbo has with dr. Alleby’s colleagues; and dr. Allenby taking every risk in the book by not getting rid of alter ego Lisa until it is too late.
And yes, this is the episode with the tuba scene. According to your comment, requirements for the rewatchability of an episode include not having “cringeworthy heavy-handed humor, cliché-d music cues, excruciating filler, trite variations on “This Old Man”, uninspiring Gotchas”. The tuba scene will probably fall under “excruciating filler” and I can’t blame you there, I don’t know either why they put in a scene like this.
To me the tuba scene is silly and unnessecary. But it doesn’t make the episode any less rewatchable. I can’t hate that scene as much as I hate Columbo working with the mob, or seeing Columbo get beat up in Undercover, because these have actually damaged the most important feature of the show: the character Columbo.
For that matter I don’t understand the hate against Grand Deceptions either. I must have watched that one over 30 times and I will watch it again. It’s definitely not the best episode but we see Columbo cracking a case in an episode full of comfortable moments, good add libbed lines by Peter Falk and the fact that a Columbo toy soldier features the playground battlefield at the end doesn’t ruin it for me. That final shot is about the only thing that’s really wrong with the episode.
So, though I certainly feel that some episodes should not have been made (and except for Last Salute they are all from the 90’s), I think we agree on what we love most about Columbo. But I like some other aspects too, perhaps best described as the comfort Columbo brings me, in the 90’s episodes too. A few silly scenes don’t spoil that for me, because once they have passed, there will be Columbo again, haunting his suspect in the way he does best. This is what makes me come back to Columbo time and again.
So back to rewatchability. Of course it’s greatness that we love to return too. My favourite movies outside of Columbo all have it. But it is also the little things: the recited poem about the camel in Grand Deceptions; the moment Columbo tells us he knows the motive for a crime, but is afraid that no one will believe him, in A Matter of Honour; Columbo taking pictures of London in Dagger of the mind; or the funeral medley in Ashes to Ashes (yes I love that scene, it makes for perfect contrast with all that’s going on). That scene would probably make you keep away from Ashes, but for me that one too is very (re)watchable.
For a final illustration, here’s the top 5 of my top 69:
1. Any old port in a storm
2. Sex and the married detective
3. The conspirators
4. Double exposure
5. Agenda for murder
I can certainly agree with putting Any Old Port at the top of the list. It’s simply great television.
This is a good description of the qualities of “Sex and the Married Detective”.
And: is the tuba-scene really worse than the cooking-scene in “Double Shock”? They’re both as foam in a packaging.
David, you have found rewatchable elements in New Columbo that I’ll admit have eluded me, but such discussions are why we have the CP Blog.
One of the great joys of Columbo Rewatching is that because we know what to expect, we can focus our attention on the little things. I enjoy the directorial touches, like “Double Shock”s Robert Butler foreshadowing the role that twins will play, showing us duality of objects (pairs of paintings, cameo plaques) and images (most striking when Lisa opens the bathroom double doors and the room resembles a negative-positive photograph). Or Harvey Hart’s smooth, sweeping camera gliding gracefully through Grace Wheeler’s home in “Forgotten Lady”. Or “Prescription”s Richard Irving setting up the camera with the floor, two walls, and ceiling effectively “boxing in” Columbo and Flemming as they begin their classic verbal jousting in the doc’s office.
The classics treated each episode as a quality movie, even when it wasn’t. That’s what made them so rewatchable, and why they dominate the As, Bs and Cs of my own list.
Thanks Glenn, for replying, and I can’t argue with any of the beautiful examples that you just mentioned.
I rarely rewatch a ‘90’s Columbo. I saw them all when they first were aired, and forced myself to rewatch each of them in anticipation of CP’s reviews. Otherwise, I’ve only watched them because (owing to my high regard for the entire Columbo franchise and after a long hiatus) I wondered if I hadn’t overlooked something brilliant. I hadn’t.
On the other hand, I could rewatch the ‘70’s episodes repeatedly. Sure, a little gap between viewings is optimal, but not essential. The one exception is “Old Fashioned Murder.” I’d rather watch a “Last Salute to the Commodore” Film Festival than “Old Fashioned Murder.”
I wouldn’d expect anything else from you, Rich. Though I will understand how you can rate Last Salute higher than Old Fashioned Murder… even though I’ve read your explanations.
I was inspired by this website (which I’ve now been coming back to for over two years now – thank you so much for all the wonderful writing you do about this magnificent show) to do a Columbo marathon and create my own rankings. I largely agree with your overall ranking. A Stitch in Crime is my personal favourite episode, but I agree Columbo Goes to College is the best of the new era and that Murder in Malibu edges out Last Salute to the Commodore to be the worst one overall (although for me this may be for a more personal reason – some of our family lives in a foreign country. One of these cousins came to visit us and we wanted to show her how awesome Columbo was. At the time, we had been going through the 90s era episodes for the first time. By pure bad luck, Murder in Malibu was the next one we hadn’t watched. She rightfully thought we were lunatics after we had hyped up how great the show was before showing her that, lol. Luckily the next episode was Columbo Goes to College, so we were able to drag her back in front of the TV the following night to rectify our mistake).
I would rank “An Old Fashioned Murder” at the very bottom. Definitely z list. Can’t even stand to watch this one. Extremely boring. I on the other hand would rank Troubled Waters, Dagger of the Mind, and the Episode where he is in Mexico in my top 10. Love the fact he is just doing his thing and he is away from home. Speaks to his character.
Dagger of the Mind is a divisive one. In my view it was meant more tongue in cheek (not entirely unlike Fade in Murder, in a way) and its flaws were thus more enjoyable than annoying to me (and others: https://columbophile.com/2017/03/19/columbo-dagger-of-the-mind-a-second-opinion/ ).
On the other hand: Old Fashioned Murder is widely despised by a lot of people but I have to admit I’m one of the ones who would put it in the top 25% somewhere (and it had the potential to be much higher.) It had a great villain–probably the best female villain on the whole show–the “timewasting” segments at least gave us a few moments of genuine humor (like his ridiculous haircut), and a well above-average “anti-gotcha” with the ashtray trick.
What it lacked… was a good ending. No real gotcha, and with the motivations of the villain rather murky and apparently contradictory. But there are head-canon ways to fix it, which I mention in the comment section of that episode–in a nutshell either she only intended her niece to go through a temporary inconvenience, or else (and I like this theory but I confess I have next to no evidence for it) her fondness for her niece was actually affected all along and her apathy/resentment towards her family ran far deeper than we suspect.
(I hasten to point out that OTHER episodes–like CP’s #15–have unbelievably absurdist endings that pile impossibility on top of impossibility on top of inconsistency, that simply cannot be fixed by any amount of head-canon.)
25,26,27 would be in my top 10….shocking
I started to watch reruns some years ago and enjoyed many as i had remembered seeing the episodes when first on the air. But I have to say – as the episodes go on after the first years – I’ve taken a 180d turn and fine many of the episode juvenile, over-acting, noisy & touchy touchy which happens I suspect as the star of the first years gets more influence in production. I’m really thinking now, even with the actors over-acting, that there must have been set parties imbibing who knows what whether liquid or whatever. I don’t like the wife reference 8 times in one episode, the mustache on Shatner, and The Last Salute of the Commodore has to be the worse episode of any I’ve seen of drama detective – all of the stupidity listed above and more. I mean, how did Falk get away with all the touchy stuff, squeezing in like an immature child, noise on the dock then more squeezing in to a woman. Wow, the series really degraded after the first years so now half the episodes are Z, I realize is fantasy show – but heck, how it it every murderer shows up right away and incriminates him or herself. Or is it ok to say him or her today? To many times the murderer gives Columbo all kinds of options.
I would argue for promotion for Exercise in Fatality – as well as Crucial Game, Etude in Black, Blueprint and and Candidate for Crime.
I regard Exercise in Fatality as an almost perfect episode – highly plausible and authentic story and completely convincing performance from Robert Conrad.
“Bye Bye” continues to baffle me. It seems more Agatha Christie than classic Columbo. Like the classic Perry Mason series from the late fifties, I feel the best Columbos have an authentic and absorbing feel for time and place – eg Double Exposure, Fatality, Prescription, Framing.
In my book the whole lot of the later episodes would not hold up as well. But maybe the nostalgia factor makes it easier for them, as the classic case cracking trope works better in a time where forensics were limited to finger prints.
Maybe for the same reason I am less forgiving in the Z-section.Murder in Miami and Murder With Too Many Notes both at least used what the format offered, whereas No Time To Die and Undercover just walked all over everything Columbo has ever been, as if somebody hated the show really really much. Same goes for Last Salute Of The Commodore, as it is just a disjointed mess, which would be embarrassing for every crime series.In fact even the worst 90s stink could compete with that one; void of a coherent plot, a charismatic villain and a clever resolution – it is a miracle that it did not kill the series for good.