# Why is this episode of Columbo not available on Netflix-on-demand **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 27, 2007, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-this-episode-of-columbo-not-available-on-netflix-on-demand/431393 "2007-12-27T18:27:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2007, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-this-episode-of-columbo-not-available-on-netflix-on-demand/431393/1 "2007-12-27T18:27:26Z")
I am tickled to see that episodes of \*Columbo \*are available on Netflix-on-Demand. I’ve been settling down with him for a few nights in a row now. The On-Demand service actually lets you play one episode at a time, which is awesome. So I watched episodes 1, 2 and 3 of season 4. I’ll be watching episodes 5 and 6 later. But, Netflix says [episode 4 (Troubled Waters")](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0072806/) is not available on demand. Any speculation as to why that is? Do you think Netflix has to get specific releases for each episode? ---
**Author:** ![Wee\_Bairn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/90db22/32.png) [@Wee\_Bairn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wee_Bairn)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2007, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-this-episode-of-columbo-not-available-on-netflix-on-demand/431393/2 "2007-12-27T18:40:05Z")
I don’t know, but per Wiki, it’s the only episode where anyone other than Columbo confirms seeing his wife. Also its one of two episodes directed by Ben Gazzara, so if the other (A Friend in Deed) is also unavailable, maybe that’s the reason… ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2007, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-this-episode-of-columbo-not-available-on-netflix-on-demand/431393/3 "2007-12-27T18:52:34Z")
> [@](#): > > Why isn’t this episode of Columbo not available on Netflix-on-demand? Must … control … red … pen … ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2007, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-this-episode-of-columbo-not-available-on-netflix-on-demand/431393/4 "2007-12-27T19:04:19Z")
Just checked out Season 5 too. “Forgotten Lady,” “Mrs. Columbo: Caviar with everything” and “Identity Crisis” (1, 3 and 4) aren’t available either. They all have different directors. I’m not heartbroken - they ARE available on DVD through Netflix. But with this whole writer’s strike thing it’s interesting to think about the different kinds of releases that need to be signed and rules that need to be made up for different ways to show content. **KneadToKnow** - educate me, baby. I won’t be offended. ---
**Author:** ![mobo85](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b19c9b/32.png) [@mobo85](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mobo85)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2007, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-this-episode-of-columbo-not-available-on-netflix-on-demand/431393/5 "2007-12-27T19:23:46Z")
I think he’s saying it’s a double negative. “Isn’t” plus “not.” ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2007, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-this-episode-of-columbo-not-available-on-netflix-on-demand/431393/6 "2007-12-27T19:29:54Z")
Right on, **mobo85.** My bad. I had a hard time coming up with the right short, descriptive sentence for my title, as you can see. I apologize 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2007, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-this-episode-of-columbo-not-available-on-netflix-on-demand/431393/7 "2007-12-27T20:10:11Z")
[QUOTE=mobo85] I think he’s saying it’s a double negative. “Isn’t” plus “not.” [/QUOTE] Correct, but it’s only a problem because the question you actually wanted the answer to was “Why _is_ this episode of Columbo not available on Netflix-on-demand?” ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2007, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-this-episode-of-columbo-not-available-on-netflix-on-demand/431393/8 "2007-12-27T20:18:54Z")
I reported myself to the Mods, for being a dumbass. Maybe they’ll fix it for me. For all of us. ---
**Author:** ![SkipMagic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skipmagic/32/20706_2.png) [@SkipMagic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SkipMagic)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2007, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-this-episode-of-columbo-not-available-on-netflix-on-demand/431393/9 "2007-12-27T20:29:04Z")
Title edited at the request of the OP. ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2007, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-this-episode-of-columbo-not-available-on-netflix-on-demand/431393/10 "2007-12-29T17:57:15Z")
A standard problem with old TV shows is music rights. (WKRP is the nightmare example of this.) If there was music integral to the episode that couldn’t easily be overdubbed with generic (made for hire) music, then the cost of getting rights to re-air the episode (or redo the necessary parts) might be too high. There can also be problems if there are clips from other things shown. E.g., an old movie on a TV in the background. But this is usually far less of a problem since the rights cost a lot less for clips than music. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2007, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-this-episode-of-columbo-not-available-on-netflix-on-demand/431393/11 "2007-12-29T18:00:05Z")
[QUOTE=ftg] A standard problem with old TV shows is music rights. (WKRP is the nightmare example of this.) [/QUOTE] Malcoml in the Middle is another great example of this. Only season one is on DVD because of the amount of sampled music they used. ---
**Author:** ![Leaper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/4bbf92/32.png) [@Leaper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaper)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2007, 1:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-this-episode-of-columbo-not-available-on-netflix-on-demand/431393/12 "2007-12-30T01:08:59Z")
Ah, yes, that would make sense. “Forgotten Lady” had Janet Leigh’s old movie Walkin’ My Baby Back Home, and “Troubled Waters” had the song “Volare” (is that still under copyright?). I forget what “Identity Crisis” had as far as movies or songs… ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2007, 3:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-this-episode-of-columbo-not-available-on-netflix-on-demand/431393/13 "2007-12-30T03:24:34Z")
I had a feeling it had to do with use of third party copyrights, but I wasn’t sure how to figure it out. I also couldn’t recall if I’d ever seen any sort of thing in _Columbo_ - usually the music is scored just for the episode IIRC. The owners of _Walkin’ My Baby Back Home_ were probably flummoxed when someone called and asked if they could use their movie in an episode of an old TV show to be shown online. “What? We already gave the rights for the goddamn DVD two years ago! Online whatnow? Let’s just say ‘No’ and leave it at that!” ---
**Author:** ![skip20](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/22d042/32.png) [@skip20](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/skip20)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2012, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-this-episode-of-columbo-not-available-on-netflix-on-demand/431393/14 "2012-10-08T19:36:40Z")
is anyone willing to list all of the columbo episodes missing from netflix?