... Yeah. That one got me. And it's so very apt.

I can understand why Pratchett.... Found inspiration in that sentence.

I lost it at that one...

Couldn't sum it any better than his own words... cause that's how it is.

🤣

Bit hard to play, seeing as Columbo would always stalk The Murderer, talking to ancillary characters as well, of course, but it was Always the murderer that he talked to the most, while the episode would show the murderer trying to cover their tracks, glare at Columbo’s back, etc etc. how she missed all that........

@@vercoda9997 have you tried being old?

@@mirabletest Not that old, clearly.

@@vercoda9997 I admit, she was usually done with the whodunnit part by the middle of the episode :) But I think it really made it more enjoyable for her, and she'd always watch that show that way! Admittedly, come to think of it - she very much disliked the sight of people getting "murdered"; maybe she just made do with skipping those "unwatchable" parts... Usually, when us grandkids were over, she asked us to watch the first five minutes while she was doing some chore in the next room, not spoiler her on the murderer, but get her up to speed on who the characters were.

@@decnet100 And if not a whodunnit, she at least made it a howdunnit.

I agreed all the way up to the "non-judgemental" part. He's totally judging everyone connected to the murder. If he wasn't he wouldn't be playing dumb. He very quickly susses out who did it, and then uses the dumb act to lull the murderer into overconfidence - which invariably leads to the killer making a mistake. He is the consummate detective.

He’s an American 2nd doctor from doctor who

And a lot of murderers call him out on it and tell him to drop the act. Some only realise it too late.

I would say that the writers, producers and Peter Faulk never wanted to reveal how "smart" Columbo really was. I think they wanted that part to be a mystery to the audience, maybe something open to interpretation. There are many scenes where Columbo irritates the murderer by bumbling and fumbling around, talking about things completely unrelated or pulling papers out of his coat like his phone bill. The thing is, we as the audience are never sure if this is Columbo putting on an act or if this really is how he always behaves. So, I wouldn't say Columbo is intelligent as much as he is dedicated and observant. (Spoiler here) In the episode with Nimoy, we see the murderer is very intelligent and almost always one step ahead of Columbo. It gets to the point where we see Columbo have a rare outburst of anger and contempt towards the murderer. During the entire episode, Columbo just can't find that proof he needs because Nimoy's character outsmarts him the whole way. Nevertheless, Columbo continues to do everything he can to find proof. He never gives up. He has to work harder than the murderers and its that dedication that may seem like intelligence, but maybe its just Columbo out working his opponent.

@@joelmarksbury4376 I have to disagree. Columbo IS intelligent, and while some of the bumbling is his personality, he exaggerates it to lull the suspects into a false sense of ease, which is usually their downfall. There is the occasional suspect that outsmarts him for a while, but usually not so much. The way you can tell is at the end, the bumbling idiot act drops, the dopey eyes turn razor sharp, and he snaps his trap around them. Heck, you can see a little of that razor sharpness in his eyes occasionally throughout. It is mostly an act, as I said, an exaggeration of his character's personality. You are supposed to know he is intelligent, and know he is playing the suspect for a fool, that is the whole point of his character, which is why he is one of my favorite detectives. Peter Faulk was genius in that role.

Which is why I love Dr. Mayfield who was able to figure out that Columbo is clever and just laugh at his face finally breaking Columbo's act where the good detective for a very rare time was actually serious in front of his suspect.

Interesting lesson if we were to all drop our ego

Lol. I'd think that was hilarious.

Concur, that's hilarious.

My family also loves to adopt catch phrases from shows and movies, people don’t really get me until they meet my parents lol

I'm going to have to use that now.

Or "You don't have to be Columbo to work that out."

Thanks for the community post, friend. For some reason yt refuses to send me any notifications for Roses...

@@victoriashevlin8587 I agree, youtube has really gone down hill in that way. *walks away* Oh wait, there's just one thing, how did you find this video?

Thank you, Dom, for leading us here! I'm so glad I stumbled upon Columbo last year, it's a great show, and this was indeed a lovely tribute to it.

there are numerous reasons that i adore peter faulke and his remarkable performance. a lot of happy memories, watching tv with my grandfolks at the weekend back in the eighties :)

when i stop to think about it there is always just one more thing :P

"No needless running, no further protest, the murderer sees that it’s over" Well, except for that British couple in season 2 where the husband had a mental breakdown and started quoting the play he was just in and the wife started pleading and bawling like a baby.

Yes, me too!

His wife never appeared on camera?

@@arricammarques1955 : Never.

@@arricammarques1955 never, thats the entire joke of his constant referral to his wife, she never appears on the screen even once despite clearly being important in Columbo’s life

"Columbo" made Peugeot cars cool. (He drove a 1959 Peugeot 403 Covertible.) kzfaq.info/get/bejne/mrKmqNClsse9lXk.html

They could salvage it into canon by making her his sister-in-law.

Too funny. Personally, I am not a big fan of Kate Mulgrew to start with. Something about her rubs me the wrong way.

@@staceymeans134 I mean he is Italian in the show right. They have huge families so that could work. Maybe a cousin?

She was not believable in the role, but in the episodes I saw, she was still married to Columbo and they had a daughter, but he was never in the show seemingly "on a case"...never mentioned divorce on the episodes I watched which were included on my Columbo dvd set...

@@jamiebraswell5520 if I’m correct, she refused to let her daughter(s) see Peter Falk while he was dying from dementia. A law was passed in his name that involves visitation or custody for the infirm.

Oh yeah. I remember that one. We got a double murder too.

Absolutely. That episode, “A Friend In Need” is my favorite, too. Columbo had to play it really cagey because the murderer was his boss.

@@mediumjohnsilver Thank you I had forgotten about that. A lot of reasons it's my favorite episode.

I think that episode is from the last season of the original block of Columbo. If I remember correctly, the policeman had a wealthy wife, he murdered her by drowning her in the bath tub and staged a fake robbery of his house.. Another good episode is when a real estate developer buries a body in cement and starts to build a high rise on top of the body...

@@mamadouaziza2536 yup. I’ve seen every episode and loved how none of the plots were really recycled. However, I like the original block a bit more because the later seasons were still cool but I feel like they kinda stretched how Columbo figured out the mystery. Also the original did a better job of taking you step by step through what tipped him off and they showed more so you could see the clues before Columbo did.

I think it's because you're on the same side. In whodunnits, you're trying to figure out who . . . done it. You want the same thing as the detective, but you're not a team or anything. But in Columbo, you and Columbo are the only two people in the world who know who the murderer is. Even if other people are on his side, you are the only two that know for a fact who did it.

It is very comforting, yes. I rewatch the show every few years for that reason. I think it's a mix of things. The character feels very human, very decent, very warm, down to earth and humble (in sharp contrast to most of the murderers of the show), but he is at the same time always extremely calm and confident that sooner or later he will catch the murderer. He is never scared and he is never thrown off. The few times he seems nervous you know it is an act and he has something up his sleeve. It is basically watching a likeable person, the type of person you would feel comfortable and safe around, that is so good at what he does that you don't need to worry about whether or not he will succeed. Even when the murderers seem truly evil you can relax every time Columbo is in the scene. You know he will win, no matter how smart or ruthless the murderers are. And even though the plots are somewhat similar and the structure is always the same, you never know what specific trick he is going to use or what details he is going to pick up on. So it is a familiar and comforting structure with enough variation to make every new episode interesting. And the time period, music and settings gives it a certain nostalgic feeling that is very cozy. Also the fact that there is practically no violence in the show. There is at least one murder in every episode of course, but besides that it's just Columbo talking to people. He doesn't carry a gun and he never fights anyone.

I think the slow tempo of the show and lack of crazy plot twists and explosive discoveries is what makes this show so relaxing to watch ;)

When he mistakes the air ventilation for a piece of artwork I scream laughed!

Every episode you saw Columbo prove himself the better of all the bad guys, but he did it with such self-effacing gentle humor. Love that show!

Now I’m not saying you’re wrong or doubting you but how does a tombstone become sweet

@@lemonnomel9416 because it’s a cute joke about him and his wife.

@@stefanfilipovits21 oh. Duh. That is rather cute

@@lemonnomel9416 it was actually kind of weird. I feel like half the graves in that cemetery were celebrities with jokes on their headstones. It was like the haunted mansion tbh. Jack Lemmon, Jackie Collins, Falk, Hugh Hefner, Merv Griffin, and Billy Wilder all had jokey headstones.

@@stefanfilipovits21 I mean I expected nothing less of Jack Lemmon at least.

It's the episode with the murder at the club for geniuses.

Whenever I watch that episode, I think it would be cool to have a prequel series. Where he's just starting out, and honing his skills.

It is The Bye-Bye Sky High I.Q. Murder Case. That is my favourite Columbo scene.

The Bye Bye Sky High IQ Murder Case, season 6 episode 3 broadcasted in 1977 I think.

@@B1_66ER It's one of my favorite episodes.

I recommended the one with the undertaker a while back and it was hearted so... 😁 maybe

I would LOVE that

Yeah please do!

A full watch through really is amazing though. My wife and I watched through the original run about 5 years ago. No regrets!

I know them all by heart but I'm sure Roses would surprise me!

Fantastic episode.

Saw that episode a few weeks ago, absolutely broke my heart. Janet Leigh was fantastic in that episode too.

Just in case... wasn't the episode called "Forgotten Lady" with Janet Leigh? I think Requiem for a falling star was a different one.

Especially tragic when you think about what happened to Peter Falk.

Oh, yeah, that's an episode from season 5 called "Forgotten Lady" and it still breaks my heart every time. It's so tragic in every way. :(

The sad part is that I read that in his older years he had dementia and didn't believe that it was him playing the character. I love Colombo and was sad to hear that Falk lost his memory of it

I think he put a lot of himself in Columbo. He would have to have done to have that kind of enthusiasm for him after so many years.

the one with Donald Pleasance is good also with Columbo and him drinking wine at the end

@@stellertonybeller1972 the guy that killed his brother and was being blackmailed by his assistant?

@@oreox1000 Any Old Port in a Storm i think it was called

I always found that interesting, since the Johnny Cash character might be the worst of all murderers in the show

one of my dad's fave moments too! it's a good one.

I loved it too

I think there are three that depart from the established formula. Bird in the Hand, No Time to Die and the one you mentioned.

Don't forget the one at the Playboy Mansion, where the murdered woman suddenly appears and is alive after all, making Columbo look silly in front of everyone...

@@philsurtees That was a variation on an early Columbo story, where an architect was getting a rich man's second wife to fund a city wide project. He had to have his victim be "missing" because if he was declared dead, the fortune would all go into a trust his widow couldn't do much with. But as you say, in "Columbo Cries Wolf", the eventual victim wanted a big publicity stunt that would raise the value of her magazine (she had 51% of the stock, her eventual killer had 49%). But once Columbo had been humiliated, the killer struck, believing Columbo couldn't do a thing. Similarly, in the early story (I don't recall the title, my bad), once Columbo dug up the foundation of the high rise, the killer architect thought he could move his victim's body there and Columbo would never be allowed to dig it up again given the expense and public humiliation.

@@nancyjay790 "Blueprint for Murder" (series 1) also kind of had Columbo being publicly humiliated.

The football episode was great. Plan was brilliant, but the kid wanted ice cream.

I also love Death Lends a Hand, especially the music! I always kind of felt like the score that plays when Columbo is first seen driving down the road to get to the scene is the Columbo theme song. My favorite episode in probably the whole series is Double Exposure, it's just fantastic chemistry between Culp and Falk.

It's on Sundance right now!!

A Stitch in Crime. He loses his temper confronting Robert Conrad, too, in Exercise in Fatality! You are right, it's awesome!

This is interesting.....my favourite also.....did these two actors have a dislike for each other?.....

@@stevesharp401 In a Stitch in Crime? Columbo got angry because Nimoy's character laughed at him and Columbo knew he was running out of time to stop a murder from happening. It's one thing for a person to try to obfuscate a murder but it's another to rub it in that he's going to kill someone.

This episode was the first time I'd ever seen Nimoy without all the Vulcan getup :) It was kind of a shock for twelve year old me lmao

love that one so much

Double Shock! It was written by the great Stephen Bochco (LA Law, Hill St. Blues, NYPD Blue).

The Janet Leigh and Ruthe Gordon episodes quite touching. In Leigh's episode, he lets her go (as Sherlock Holmes did a few times in his own cases) because she was dying and that in a few months, she wouldn't even remember committing the murder. At the end of Ruth Gordon's episode, when Columbo has caught her, she says she wishes it had been Columbo who investigated her niece's murder.

@@steventitch4169 In Leigh's episode she didn't even remember committing the murder by the time Columbo started investigating it which is why he was willing to accept her friend's false confession (which both knew wouldn't hold up until after she died).

The fantastic Jack Cassidy was in three episodes. Murder by the Book, Now You See Him & Publish or Perish.

Great use of wide angle lenses and low level angles in those episodes, to make you feel tension building

ooof, the mystery writer one got me when she said if Columbo were investigating her niece's death then she wouldn't have done it

Yes yes yes! 100% agree.

all the jack cassidy episodes are fantastic, he always played a great villain. i also love the episode with columbo visiting the UK (i forget the title, i think it was season 2)

@@SullyWoodley That episode was fun, watching Columbo around london. But i must admit, that i didn't care too much for the plot and the ending was a bit weak.

My favorite episode is "any old port in a storm". The dynamic between Donald Pleasence and Peter Falk is just great.

how dosen't? 😏

So it wasn’t just me?!

Oh my god, same!

You, both of my sisters, and apparently Fiona Apple lol

So apparently did Kitty Forman. "You just want to give him a bath!"

Excellent way of saying it!

Fantastic description! Different types fo tension there!

Cat & mouse is a better description. But to me, showing a killer at the beginning ruins the repeat factor.

@@mazengwe28 I see the set up as two people, in this case Columbo and the murderer, each making calculated moves trying to get the upper hand against the other. It's a mind game where a mistake or wrong move on either side could be devastating. I see it this way because they are both essentially on equal footing at the beginning and it is only through their manipulation of each other that one is able to come out on top.While I admit cat & mouse is a fitting description, I am curious what makes it better?

@@FettManTAG Well I guess I never looked at it that way because the bad guy already played his part. He is just answering enough questions to not give himself away. Cat & mouse is more the the cat is after theouse hutbjas to go through a maze or obstacles to catch the mouse. Now if the murderer was a serial killer, then maybe I would think of it more as a chess match. But I do see your point of view though, especially the way you explained it.

They are suave while he has a childlike honesty

Yes! In a lot of murder mysteries, they try to make the murderer sort of sympathetic. I love that even if Columbo has some empathy for these killers, we as viewers can delight in these wealthy assholes getting their comeuppance.

It's a kind of social satire on the poor vs the rich

Especially when they are so full of themselves, and superior, and sure that Colombo can't possibly catch THEM. Mwahahaha.

@@papusman Though there are the rare cases where we are given enough about them to sympathize with their plight and why they felt they needed to act. I recently saw By Dawn's Early Light, the murderer in that episode comes off as honorable, respectable, legitimately caring for his charges, and terrified of a future without his school. It's reprehensible what he did, but his reasons are so well laid out. Unlike most of the murderers he doesn't try to mislead Columbo, he obviously doesn't help him, but he is always incredibly cordial and stoic. In the end its his innately honest nature that gives him out. I've seen nearly four seasons of the show by now, but that one really stayed with me, despite all of the other brilliant characters thus far.

I'm the same age and watched it with my mom. I picked up the autobiography awhile back if you haven't read it I'd highly recommend it.

Same here I’m 36. I have fond memories of watching it with my dad! In the last few years I’ve watched a lot of episodes with my younger gf who didn’t know about the show at all. I hope to watch them with my kids one day. This kind of show is still great even when it’s old as it doesn’t need extravagant effects and big budget for the story to be captivating!

I`m the same age as you, watched it when I was little. :)

Im 35. When I was a child, we had 2 television stations. I agree up watching Columbo, Murder She Wrote, Dial M for Murder, Matlock, mash, a-team.

In my 40's. This and other murder mysteries were things our whole family enjoyed together, including my younger brothers. You're definitely not alone.

Well, he did get a bit more wacky and exaggerated past, like, season four. Less subtle about the confused detective charade, and weirder in his interactions with witnesses and the like.

Swan Song

Yes ! and caught him because he had his guitar flown on a seperate flight - when normally he never lets the guitar leave his side

I heard he shot a man in Reno just to watch him die. Columbo caught up with him though?

@@w00dyblack I would have too that's the thing. It's something any musician would do. Totally a giveaway.

Yeah, it's in one of the late-80s revival episodes. They also made it very clear there's been no divorce and the two were happily married. Total erasure of the "Mrs. Columbo" debacle.

Untill the "Rest in peace Misses Columbo" Episode, i totally thought he invented his wife to get the Murder to talk

Right. I spent awhile thinking she was supposed to be fake. Of course then we get Kate Mulgrew in the Mrs. Columbo spinoff which got rebranded as 'Kate Loves a Mystery' It never worked as well, even if Kate was a great actress.

@@DasKame I was listening to an interview with Falk and he was asked if the character invented his wife. He said that he always believed Columbo's wife was real but that he wasn't sure how many relatives he actually had being that there was always a neice or cousin that just hapened to have some experience relevant to the case.

@@richmcgee434 Do you know what episode? My dad and I have been debating it for weeks.

Fred Savage was truly blessed.

Been watching Columbo since I was 7. Appreciate it more every year. Downloaded Peacock on my TV JUST for the show. I'm 38 now, but man, no other show fills me with such...satisfaction upon viewing

Reading this reminded me, I was watching one of the Hallmark mystery movies and the main character ( a caterer or a matchmaker or something) had the last name Dove, and then later they said she changed it from the Italian 'Columbo", and I noticed she said "...just one more thing..." a lot.

I would totally accept it as canon

I liked it! Columbo is SOoooooo much smarter than the average bear, they were having him meet another genius

The one where he goes to London, "Dagger of the Mind," is off the rails too.

Oh yeah, when Columbo doesn't like the victim. Those are always good. Like the arrogant body builder. Columbo was nice for a while, then he got fed up with him.

The most off the rails one is based on an 87th precinct novel by Ed McBain where Columbo solves the mystery of his nephew’s kidnapped bride from their wedding reception. It’s a terrible Columbo movie but a pretty good Ed McBain.

Oh yeah. That was fun.

That would be excellent

Oh dang Ruffalo would be perfect

That's a really nice casting idea

No...

You're right.. I've read it and it's like he's reading you a story, like in The Princess Bride 😁 he should have done an audiobook!

Totally agree! :=)

"Jimmy its Angel! Ya gotta help me!" (Best theme of all time starts playing)

Also Peter Falk ❤

Murder by Death is pretty problematic though. Especially Peter Sellers' character. Instead watch The Cheap Detective. It's a much better Neil Simon movie starring Falk.

I think she did! Or was I dreaming?

I totally agree. Murder By Death is a great movie that is a sendup of many detective tropes. I still quote parts of that movie. "I'm not a Frenchie. I'm a Belgie!"

@@DasKame they even threw in an extra Columbo joke in the german dub

Totally! Who can forget him in the restaurant thundering *_"AN EXCITING MEAL HAS BEEN RUINED BY THIS LIQUID FILTH!”_* He was a bit unhinged, you're right. I liked the way the assistant basically used the situation to blackmail him into a relationship. She'd obviously fancied him for a while. It was completely unnecessary to the plot, but to me those type of things give a story that little something extra...

This was also Peter Falk's favourite episode. He very much liked Donald Pleasance, and I think it shows in the performance.

@@philsurtees To this day, I will not leave wine in the car, no matter the weather... I don't want to end up with LIQUID FILTH!

He's like an ant infestation. Spray him with Raid all you want, you'll still have one hell of a time getting rid of him.

Yes! A brilliant episode because Nimoy's character is Super Duper Uber Arrogant, and it's an excellent example of the highly intelligent murderer thinking this bumbling, scruffy idiot will never be able to catch him...

It’s also one of the few times when Colombo shows anger, dropping his facade

Leonard Nimoy is a fantastic villain in that one, and the ending was just classic.

@@christopherrichardson2945 aw when he slams that desk and Nimoy jumps. Best Columbo moment since Prescription: Murder and his ranting in that, imho.

It was a masterclass of directing suspense. Both the villian and hero are at the edge of their breath. I remembered it was close. They both respect and fear each other. One is at the verge of giving up and the other almost collapse.

Season 2 Episode 1 Etude in Black

I NEED THIS

Id love that too. I've been a poirot nut since I saw Death On The Nile when I was 16. Id love to get a PUR take on poirot.

Agreed. I grew up with Suchet as Poirot, and watching anyone else in the role is just bizarre. So many adaptations make him too silly imo, while Suchet had a perfect balance of the silly and serious aspects of the character.

David Suchet is the best Poirot, hands down!

@@c.argelfraster1291 he narrates the books and does an amazing job and i LOVE his poirot. However, my first Poirot was Ustinov in Death On The Nile and he's still my personal favorite. I know thats blasphemy but I can't help but love him.

@@stefanfilipovits21 Well, you know what they say, you never forget your first Poirot 😉 I'll never shame anyone for their love of Poirot, no matter which portrayal it is!

There is an old QI episode in which Frank Skinner talks about a discussion he had with David Baddiel, about wether Columbo had a glass eye or not. The entire time he was talking about that, I kept thinking of that line: "Three eyes are better than one."

I know a guy who was a limo driver in the 80's and had Falk as a customer. One day they were in an accident and the limo had to be towed. Falk called for another limo and made sure the first limo driver came with him and was dropped off at home. From everything I've seen, heard, and read he sounds like a genuinely good guy.

@@stefanfilipovits21 Wow! I like to think I'm nice, but that wouldn't have even occurred to me

Wow, me, too! I was an extra, and while I didn't exactly "meet" him, he did say hi to a bunch of extras while I was there.

You left out his Grandpa in "The Princess Bride."

@@nancyjay790 True, but I was going for his more Columbo shows.

Man, Helen Shaver as the Killer was such a disturbing, pittyfull and still meanecing Murderer

@@DasKame Helen Shaver is AWESOME!

Also a "Columbo"-style Movie

Oh yes, please!

@@DasKame The detective is pretty Columbo-like, but "Knives Out" is still a whodunit rather than a howcatchem.

@@tildessmoo I think it is kind of both but you do not know it is a who done it at first

​@@worthasandwich I think it's far enough into the movie to be a whodunit with a long dénouement, but that's just my opinion.

There was at least one 1970s era TV guide review of the show that expressed the exact same opinion. Not everyone found Falk's character portrayal charming even back then.

"Alright I'll go to jail! Just please please get this man away from me!"

"annoys the criminal into admitting it is them" Ah yes, the famous scene in A few good Men.