# Columbo TV show **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** tv-shows-scripted\ **Created:** [January 27, 2021, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/columbo-tv-show/931652 "2021-01-27T23:32:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Mijin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mijin/32/9369_2.png) [@Mijin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mijin)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2021, 2:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/columbo-tv-show/931652/41 "2021-01-28T14:06:15Z")
A few weeks back I started watching Columbo again, as in my nostalgic mind it was a really clever show where Columbo put together the various clues. On rewatch, it’s just silly fun. Despite Columbo needling away at his target throughout the episode, the actual solution usually comes from the killer just doing something completely stupid and unforced. And even then, it’s usually something completely circumstantial that would almost never be sufficient to get a conviction. Still love the show, and of course Columbo himself, but don’t think of it as a detective mystery. ---
**Author:** ![DSeid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dseid/32/20194_2.png) [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2021, 2:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/columbo-tv-show/931652/42 "2021-01-28T14:08:50Z")
This thread makes me miss my dad. Watching Columbo with him is a very fond memory. We skipped most of the others. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2021, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/columbo-tv-show/931652/43 "2021-01-28T14:28:44Z")
> [@StarvingButStrong](#): > > I enjoyed these until I realized virtually all of them came down to the same two solutions The other problem is, they all start off _as_ ‘solution’ cases: Banacek only gets called in to solve an ‘impossible’ crime if the police are baffled as to how it could’ve been done and so are the private insurance investigators. Columbo could show up and get told, yeah, this would be a locked-room mystery _unless we grant that it was a suicide in that locked room, as per this handy note saying that’s what happened._ Or: seems to me it’s impossible that anyone could’ve pulled this off _except the guy who says he was framed but sure looks guilty, which would explain everything_. Or: _you know, it’s totally possible that any passing thief could’ve mugged the victim and just, like, hit too hard_. Or: _this looks like an accident_. Or whatever. I enjoyed Banacek a lot, but Columbo had plenty more to work with on his way to a howdunit. ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2021, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/columbo-tv-show/931652/44 "2021-01-28T14:44:11Z")
For me, Columbo episodes were two types - where Columbo actually uses smarts to solve the case (like Ross Martin episode) and the ones where he just hounds the killer into confessing with absolutely no evidence. Or worse yet, like the Laurence Harvey epiode, where Columbo’s “solution” is bass-ackwards\*. If these killers would just shut up, they’d never get convicted. The Law and Order fan in me says a lot of them get acquitted at trial. As for Bannercheck, there were episodes of actual theft. The prototype car on the train was an actualy clever theft. It would never work in real life, but it was clever! Banacek had two problems with his episodes. One was the show cheated. They never anticipated their audience being able to rewatch, but in several episodes, when you see the crime in the beginning, and compare to Banacek’s end of episode “here’s what happened”, there are differences! The other was that, in for example the case of the missing wedding carriage, where the container was “switched” (no spoilers!), any competent investigator would have assumed some sort of switch, and opened every container still on the dock. Don’t need Mr Ten Percent for that. Evern Carlie could have figured that out! 🙂 \*the case involved Harvey’s charcter, who was deaf, murdering a guy by shoving him into an industrial trash shredder. But the device had a safety, so that it would stop if someone fell in. I guess he fell in enough to be mortally wounded and bleed out, rather than be shredded. Anyway, it looks like a tragic accident. But Columbo figures, well IF someone pushed the guy in to murder him, and the machine stopped due to the safety, then the killer would have noticed, and finished the job. But since the machine, which was very noisy, stopped, then only a deaf person wouldn’t have noticed. But you see, since the guy actually DID die, even with the safety, it still could be explained as an accident. And if Harvey has just shut up, he’d have skated. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2021, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/columbo-tv-show/931652/45 "2021-01-28T14:48:44Z")
> [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](#): > > \*the case involved Harvey’s charcter, who was deaf, murdering a guy by shoving him into an industrial trash shredder. But the device had a safety, so that it would stop if someone fell in. I guess he fell in enough to die without actually being shredded. Anyway, it looks like a tragic accident. But Columbo figures, well IF someone pushed the guy in to murder him, and the machine stopped due to the safety, then the killer would have finished the job. But since the machine, which was very noisy, stopped, then only a deaf person wouldn’t have noticed. > > But you see, since the guy actually DID die, even with the safety, it still could be explained as an accident. And if Harvey has just shut up, he’d have skated. IIRC, the guy was recuperating in the hospital when Harvey finished him off. ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2021, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/columbo-tv-show/931652/46 "2021-01-28T14:55:03Z")
> [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](#): > > IIRC, the guy was recuperating in the hospital when Harvey finished him off. Ah that helps a little. I hated it so much, I forgot that detail. 🙂 Still, Columbo’s thinking is wrong. But on the other hand, anyone that likes Barney’s Beanery can’t be all bad. ---
**Author:** ![Railer13](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/railer13/32/9742_2.png) [@Railer13](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Railer13)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2021, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/columbo-tv-show/931652/47 "2021-01-28T15:13:18Z")
One of the _Columbo_ episodes that I liked featured Jack Cassidy as a diabolical magician who murdered his boss. Columbo, of course, saw through the illusion and solved the crime. ---
**Author:** ![Andy\_L](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c67d28/32.png) [@Andy\_L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Andy_L)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2021, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/columbo-tv-show/931652/48 "2021-01-28T15:15:33Z")
I watched that one quite recently (it featured Columbia producing copy after copy of the damning evidence, in a bit of sleight of hand). ---
**Author:** ![Mijin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mijin/32/9369_2.png) [@Mijin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mijin)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2021, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/columbo-tv-show/931652/49 "2021-01-28T15:28:09Z")
I thought I’d write the solutions to the first 5 Columbo episodes to illustrate what I mean. In a spoiler box of course. In fairness, I think Columbo could get convictions in 2 out of the 5 cases (the first and the last one), so that’s something. But they’re almost devoid of detective work or solid logic. Ep1 (pilot) : The murderer’s accomplice is his mistress, and Columbo manages to trick the murderer into admitting he doesn’t love her; she hears this and so will rat him out. The murderer had no reason to admit this, and of course one implication is that if he really loved her, it would have been the perfect crime. Ep2 (pilot2): Somehow the existence of a briefcase of money is sufficient evidence to prove that a ransom was never paid, since how could the murderer have sufficient money to pay a ransom and still have so much remaining? Ep3: Columbo finds a note about a story idea for a murder, written before the murder, that happens to superficially match some of the details of the actual murder. Ep4: Columbo tells the murderer that a contact lens is missing from the victim’s body, and must be in his car or the murder scene. The murderer is caught trying to dispose of a contact lens. Ep5: The murderer used his fancy famous gun to kill the victim, then donated the gun to a museum. Ballistics matches the gun to the murder weapon. Bonus points in this episode for the killer managing to seduce a witness to the crime despite 1) The witness being much younger and prettier than the murderer and 2) The idea of seducing the witness being fucking stupid. ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2021, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/columbo-tv-show/931652/50 "2021-01-28T16:59:25Z")
> [@Mijin](#): > > Ep4: Columbo tells the murderer that a contact lens is missing from the victim’s body, and must be in his car or the murder scene. The murderer is caught trying to dispose of a contact lens. I have to note, this was used in a Law and Order Criminal Intent, and it worked like a charm, with the bonus of not appearing stupid in the episode.\* The killer was a detail-driven perfectionist, and had stored the victim’s body in his garage chest freezer. Goren tricked him into thinking that a tooth cap had fallen off. The killer spent the entire night taking the garage apart in a vain attempt to find the (non-existant) cap. Of course, if he’d have just shut up, he’d have gotten away with it, too. I should check to see if Levinson and Link wrote that CI episiode. 🙂 \*eta, the CI episode is listed in IMDB as a “connection” to the Columbo episode! ---
**Author:** ![Mike\_Mabes](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mike_mabes/32/1782_2.png) [@Mike\_Mabes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mike_Mabes)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2021, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/columbo-tv-show/931652/51 "2021-01-28T18:50:30Z")
> [@Mijin](#): > > the actual solution usually comes from the killer just doing something completely stupid and unforced. **any time you try a decent crime** , **you got** fifty **ways you** ’ **re** gonna **fuck up**. If **you** think of twenty-five of them, then **you** ’ **re** a genius. Who remembers who said that? ---
**Author:** ![peccavi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peccavi/32/388_2.png) [@peccavi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/peccavi)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2021, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/columbo-tv-show/931652/52 "2021-01-28T20:46:32Z")
> [@Mike\_Mabes](#): > > > [@terentii](#): > > > > Blythe Danner > > I’ve had a crush on her ever since Hawkeye did in MASH Crush? Turn it into a full on obsession, watch [Lovin’ Molly](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0071780/?ref_=fn_al_tt_2). > [@AHunter3](#): > > If I recall correctly the very first ones were “Banacek” and “Madigan”, neither of which are particularly well-remembered. Banacek is well remembered enough for the Simpsons to devote an episode to a parody. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/owUXSMOOkE4/maxresdefault.jpg "The Simpsons: Manacec") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=owUXSMOOkE4&t=70) ---
**Author:** ![Andy\_L](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c67d28/32.png) [@Andy\_L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Andy_L)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2021, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/columbo-tv-show/931652/53 "2021-01-28T20:50:42Z")
Which used a classic Banacek plot - with faked thefts, hidden swaps and all that. ---
**Author:** ![Mike\_Mabes](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mike_mabes/32/1782_2.png) [@Mike\_Mabes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mike_Mabes)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2021, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/columbo-tv-show/931652/54 "2021-01-28T20:53:59Z")
> [@peccavi](#): > > Crush? Turn it into a full on obsession, watch [Lovin’ Molly](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0071780/?ref_=fn_al_tt_2). Directed by Sidney Lumet, with Anthony Perkins. I will ---
**Author:** ![Biotop](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biotop/32/321_2.png) [@Biotop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biotop)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2021, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/columbo-tv-show/931652/55 "2021-01-28T21:03:41Z")
What about the car that vanished from a moving train? Or the paintings from the truck? Or the armored car vanishing over the cliff? Or the horse that was switched on the track? Or the disappearing airplane with the flat tires? Or the jewel-encrusted cross? Sure the whole point was figuring out how the trick was worked, but as a huge fan of John Dickson Carr, that kind of solving is a whole lot of fun. ---
**Author:** ![Biotop](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biotop/32/321_2.png) [@Biotop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biotop)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2021, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/columbo-tv-show/931652/56 "2021-01-28T21:05:24Z")
The above of course relating to Banacek. ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2021, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/columbo-tv-show/931652/57 "2021-01-28T21:06:08Z")
I’ll add that Banacek and McMillan (with or without wife) and Columbo episodes hold up. But damn - I loved McCloud when they were new, and I tried watching them and they are the stupidest things I’ve seen in some time! What a disappointment. I guess they were written for ten year old boys. 🙂 ( I love how the “Manacek” Simpsons really brought out the slow pacing of 70s shows.) I’d love to see Cool Million again. What a surprise to see there were only FIVE episodes! It seemed to run a whole season. I guess that’s what happens with a “wheel” show. They’ll probably never get released on DVD or streaming. I remember I liked Madigan and Tenafly. Wonder if they hold up? ---
**Author:** ![Andy\_L](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c67d28/32.png) [@Andy\_L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Andy_L)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2021, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/columbo-tv-show/931652/58 "2021-01-28T21:19:56Z")
Remember the “Snoop Sisters” - that one didn’t last. A forgotten, different kind of “wheel” - for a time, the “Hardy Boys” live action show, the “Nancy Drew” live action show, and the “Brady Bunch Variety Hour” (heaven help us!) took turns in the same Sunday night time slot. [The Brady Bunch Hour - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Brady_Bunch_Hour#Scheduling) ---
**Author:** ![peccavi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peccavi/32/388_2.png) [@peccavi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/peccavi)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2021, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/columbo-tv-show/931652/59 "2021-01-28T21:39:21Z")
> [@Andy\_L](#): > > Which used a classic Banacek plot - with faked thefts, hidden swaps and all that. As well as poking a little fun at the 70’s television man’s man- smokes, drinks, and is a little bit doughy, but a chick-magnet nonetheless! ---
**Author:** ![Lucas\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lucas_jackson/32/303_2.png) [@Lucas\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucas_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2021, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/columbo-tv-show/931652/60 "2021-01-28T21:54:39Z")
> [@StarvingButStrong](#): > > I enjoyed these until I realized virtually all of them came down to the same two solutions: > > 1. Either the stolen item was still there, just disguised. > > or > > 1. The item was never really there to begin with. > > The only exception I can think of off hand was the football player who vanished from the field in the midst of a game. While that may be true, it was still fun to second guess the writers. I know what’s going to happen on Jeopardy, but I still watch it every day. And as mentioned above, the dialog was pretty good. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/columbo-tv-show/931652.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/columbo-tv-show/931652.md?page=4)