I know that the NBC Mystery Movie's last season was 1976-77, but there were five new Columbo movies shown in the 1977-78 season. Were these just randomly scheduled, or were they part of some other rotating series? I notice that the days vary between Monday for the first two, Tuesday for the third and Sunday for the last two. Any information on this would be much appreciated. Many thanks.

Good question Steve, I've wondered that myself.

Unfortunately I don't have an answer but have always wondered if it had anything to do with the fact there were only 3 episodes on the 6th season.

After 5 years of 6-8 epsiode seasons, why change to just 3?

Strange...

The 5 shows that year were scheduled in some of NBC's TV-movie slots, rather than being part of any rotating series. I think the three episode season the previous year was partly a function of Falk's ongoing desire for shorter seasons and partly a function of the change in production staff. The first two episodes aired early in the season were produced by Everett Chambers, but the third, produced by newcomer Richard Alan Simmons did not air until May.

In any case, the smaller Columbo order surely contributed to the dissolution of the NBC Mystery Movie, as Columbo was the highest-rated of the group, particularly in later years. Three Columbos, separated by 7 months would not help NBC much in its quest to win Sunday nights.

Many thanks for the info Lee.

From Mark Dawidziak's much sought after "The Columbo Phile: A Casebook - A Complete and Illustrated History of Television's Finest Mystery Series":

"NBC canceled its Mystery Movie in 1977. While Quincy had been spun off into a successful weekly series, McCloud and McMillan had come to the end of their prime-time careers. The day of the character cop was passing. Cannon, Banacek and Hec Ramsey had come and gone. Kojak and Baretta would be gone by the end of the following season."

"Still, even with the Mystery Movie gone after six seasons, NBC was desperate for more Columbos. By now deep in third place, the Peacock Network was willing to put up with long shooting schedules and zooming budget overruns if the lieutenant would just stick around.

"Universal didn't feel quite so kindly. The Columbo price tag was becoming less and less tolerable to studio executives. This was the moment when NBC offered to pick up the excess expenses.

"Columbo wasn't a regularly scheduled series during the 1977-78 season. Instead, NBC presented five Columbo mysteries as occasional specials. Under this arrangement, however, more episodes were produced than during the sixth season, when Columbo supposedly was a series in the Mystery Movie wheel."

"In early 1978, Peter Falk told a reporter that it was "a flip of the coin" as to whether there would be another season of Columbo. But the coin had been deemed too expensive by NBC, which no longer cared to pick up the budget overruns. There was no official cancellation notice. The series was just quietly discontinued.

"I wanted more time to do other things," Falk said, "but that was only part of the reason. Columbo just wasn't that important to the network anymore. When the Mystery Movie was around, I think it was important for the network to lock up Sunday nights for a season. When we were part of the wheel, Columbo helped nail down Sunday night. Five or six movies weren't as imporant to them. On its own, Columbo no longer was life and death to the network."

Thanks for that, Headache2112

I am sorry, but I have now chosen a random post to answer. I just noticed that one doesn't have to watch this page in the threaded version, and I wonder if a thread can be bumped.

Lady said...
"I am sorry, but I have now chosen a random post to answer. I just noticed that one doesn't have to watch this page in the threaded version, and I wonder if a thread can be bumped."

hi again Lady.
i always use the 'board style'. i find it much easier and clearer to understand when a new post has been made.
and about bumping a thread....well, in the 'board style' if you post on a thread it will automatically 'bump' the thread up to the top of the page.