After the ratings flop that was ‘Ashes to Ashes’, Columbo badly needed a hit in order to remain a viable proposition for Universal and ABC. Could this story of a past-his-prime movie composer slaying his young protégé hit all the right notes? Let’s see…
With a cast simply awash with household names, ‘Ashes to Ashes’ promised to be the sort of blockbuster Columbo experience all too rarely witnessed since the Lieutenant’s 1989 comeback. But is it an episode worthy of eulogising? Let’s find out…
Billed as a celebratory special to mark the series’ 25th anniversary, ‘A Trace of Murder’ saw the Lieutenant rise Phoenix-like from the ashes of the ‘Strange Bedfellows’ debacle of two years earlier. Something to get excited about, or yet another disappointment? Let’s see…
Starring man mountain George Wendt as an unlikely double killer and Oscar-winning actor Rod Steiger as a menacing mob boss, ‘Strange Bedfellows’ burst onto screens on May 8, 1995. A sure-fire winner or another also-ran? Let’s find out…
Airing on May 2, 1994, ‘Undercover’ was the second of the series’ two dreaded Ed McBain 87th Precinct novel adaptations. Can it manage to insert Columbo into the world of serious police procedurals without enraging viewers? Let’s see…
Famous for William Shatner’s colour-changing moustache, the poetically titled ‘Butterfly in Shades of Grey’ made its bow on January 10, 1994. Is Shatner’s extravagant style a good fit for a dark tale of murder, manipulation and inappropriate attachments? Let’s see…
Hollywood goddess Faye Dunaway became the most famous Columbo guest star ever when she popped us as Lauren Staton in 1993’s ‘It’s All in the Game’. Is this Peter Falk-penned vehicle worthy of such a stellar leading lady? Let’s take a look…
After an eight-month rest to recover from the trauma of ‘No Time to Die’, Columbo burst back onto screens in November 1992 investigating a triple homicide in ‘A Bird in the Hand..’ Worth the wait, or one to forget? Let’s see…
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…
When Columbo took to the high seas on 9 February 1975, you better have packed your sense of fun – because this is an adventure like no other for the dear Lieutenant. But is Troubled Waters plain sailing all the way, or a star-crossed journey destined for Davy Jones’s locker? I can’t wait to find out…
Featuring Robert Culp at his beastliest as moustached murderer Paul Hanlon, The Most Crucial Game from Season 2 is packed with great moments. But which rise to the surface like a block of ice just used to club a man to death in a pool? Here’s my take…
Columbo took a dark twist for its Season 3 finale, with A Friend in Deed pitting the Lieutenant against his own superior officer, Deputy Commissioner Mark Halperin. Is it a shining jewel in the Columbo crown, or just too dark for its own good? Let’s see…
Did Columbo’s creators really see the light when casting Johnny Cash as country crooner Tommy Brown in Swan Song? Or does the episode crash and burn like a light aircraft flown into stormy skies? Let’s see…
Robots! Boy geniuses! Supercomputers! Flashing lights! Yes folks, Columbo Mind Over Mayhem sets its stall out to impress with its array of cutting edge technology. But how effective is the murder mystery at its heart? Let’s find out…
Robert Culp is back in his third and final appearance as a Columbo killer! But is Double Exposure a suitable send-off for one of Lieutenant Columbo’s most fearsome opponents? Let’s slip on our yellowest jackets, prepare some subliminal cuts and find out!
Featuring one of the great guest star appearances from Donald Pleasence, Any Old Port in a Storm is many fans’ absolute favourite Columbo episode. But how does it stand up to rigorous review? Let’s pop the cork and find out…
Boasting a brilliant cast and a unique beauty industry backdrop, hopes were high that Season 3’s opening episode Lovely but Lethal would match the curtain-raising efforts from the first two stellar seasons. So let’s dust off our fashion turbans and sharpen our eyebrow pencils in readiness to see if it lives up to the hype…
In a series marked by twists and turns, Columbo Season 2 saved it’s biggest surprise till last, serving up an actual whodunnit with feuding identical twin brothers vying for contention as the Lieutenant’s number one suspect. But is Double Shock electrifying stuff, or just a shocker? Let’s find out…
Starring an irate Laurence Harvey, The Most Dangerous Match pits Lieutenant Columbo against a fiendish chess Grandmaster. How will he outsmart such a wily mind? Let’s see…
Columbo broke new ground on November 26 1972. For the first time ever the Lieutenant stepped outside his Los Angeles comfort zone and mixed it up with a bunch of stereoptype-tastic Brits on a work visit to Scotland Yard. Can ‘Leftenant’ Columbo cut the mustard in old London town? Let’s see…
Bad Bobby Culp is back and – joy of joys – he’s badder than ever! But is The Most Crucial Game a Superbowl of an episode, or a tepid mid-table tussle? Let’s see…
Columbo’s hotly-anticipated second season kicked off in grand style with the big budget Etude in Black, guest starring Peter Falk’s BFF John Cassavetes. But does it live up to the hype? Let’s see…
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