This is one of my top five Columbo episodes but it had a few weak points. I don't think there's any way Janice could've known Columbo moved the cigarette lighter from the mantle to the book case, it wasn't a huge clue but her over reaction was priceless. Also after Columbo "accidentally" left his coat in the pool house the cleaning lady could easily have found it before Allen did and that would have ruined the whole plan, plus there's the possibility he wouldn't have gone through the pockets anyway. I had to overlook these two points but it still made for a great episode. The half empty paint can still makes me laugh, and the owner’s manual for the stereo was a clever way to connect Leslie and Allen. The look on her face when he said "isn't this the same stereo you have in your apartment" that's classic Columbo. And of course having everyone meet in the same place at a different time is my all time favorite ending.

Did I miss this episode? I thought I'd seen them all. What season?

Just a lame attempt at humor.... an a little wishful thinking there was one more episode I hadn't seen yet!

In a similar way, I wish I had seen the one that an old friend's wife (she's a real Columbo fan, by the way) still insists that she saw. In that one, Columbo's brother has been arrested for murder in a small town in California, and Columbo goes there to find the real killer, so he can get his brother out of jail. No word on who plays Columbo's brother, and I have never figured out what she actually saw -- maybe a McCloud.

Seems to me there may have been a Monk episode with his brother???

In 2007 I thought I remembered a Columbo episode from the 70s, but turned out it was different show. Anyone know what show this was from? (I know the answer now.)

I made this post in 2007:

But there is another episode I remember that didn't show up. In this one just before the victim died he unplugged the TV and the alarm clock at the same time. Columbo kept trying to figure out why the victim did this. Eventually Columbo got the TV show that was running at the time the TV and clock were unplugged. It was a news cast doing a weather report and referring to the sun, from this Columbo figured out the victim was trying to say his son was the killer.....

I can clearly remember this, could I be mistaken? Were there some episodes from the 70s not released??

That was an Ellery Queen episode - maybe the pilot?

Right, I should look this up and watch it again.