very near my list wouldn't have requiem for a falling star in top episodes would easily replace it with identity crisis.

Or just say which episodes you'd switch from the list I gave..

TOP

"Perscription: Murder" (1968)
"Murder by the Book" (1971)
"Death Lends a Hand" (1971)
"Lady in Waiting" (1971)
"Blueprint for Murder" (1972)
"Etude in Black" (1972)
"Candidate for Crime" (1973)
"Double Exposure" (1973)
"A Friend in Deed" (1974)
"An Exercise in Fatality" (1974)
"Negative Reaction" (1974)
"By Dawn's Early Light" (1974)
"Forgotten Lady" (1975)
"Identity Crisis" (1975)
"Now You See Him..." (1976)
"Try and Catch Me" (1977)
"Death Hits the Jackpot" (1991)
"It's All in the Game" (1993)
"Ashes to Ashes" (1998)

DECENT:

"Dead Weight" (1971)
"Short Fuse" (1972)
"The Most Crucial Game" (1972)
"Dagger of the Mind" (1972)
"Requiem for a Falling Star" (1973)
"A Stitch in Crime" (1973)
"The Most Dangerous Match" (1973)
"Swan Song" (1974)
"Troubled Waters" (1975)
"Playback" (1975)
"How to Dial a Murder" (1978)
"The Conspirators" (1978)
"Columbo Goes to the Guillotine" (1989)
"Agenda for Murder" (1990)
"Rest in Peace, Mrs. Columbo" (1990)
"Columbo Goes to College" (1990)
"Caution: Murder Can Be Hazardous to Your Health" (1991)
"Columbo and the Murder of a Rock Star" (1991)
"Undercover" (1994)
"A Trace of Murder - 25th Anniversary Movie" (1997)
"Murder with Too Many Notes" (2000)

WORST:

"Ransom for a Dead Man" (1971)
"Suitable for Framing" (1971)
"The Greenhouse Jungle" (1972)
"Double Shock" (1973)
"Lovely but Lethal" (1973)
"Any Old Port in a Storm" (1973)
"Publish or Perish" (1974)
"Mind Over Mayhem" (1974)
"A Deadly State of Mind" (1975)
"A Case of Immunity" (1975)
"A Matter of Honor" (1976)
"Last Salute to the Commodore" (1976)
"Fade in to Murder" (1976)
"Old Fashioned Murder" (1976)
"The Bye-Bye Sky High IQ Murder Case" (1977)
"Murder Under Glass" (1978)
"Make Me A Perfect Murder" (1978)
"Murder, Smoke, and Shadows" (1989)
"Sex and the Married Detective" (1989)
"Grand Deceptions" (1989)
"Murder: A Self Portrait (1989)
"Columbo Cries Wolf" (1990)
"Uneasy Lies the Crown" (1990)
"Murder in Malibu" (1990)
"No Time to Die" (1992)
"A Bird in the Hand..." (1992)
"Butterfly in Shades of Grey" (1994)
"Strange Bedfellows" (1995)
"Columbo Likes the Nightlife" (2003)

Top Episodes :

Prescription: Murder
Ransom For A Dead Man
Murder By The Book
Death Lends A Hand
Dead Weight
Suitable For Framing
Lady In Waiting
Short Fuse
Blueprint For Murder
Etude In Black
The Greenhouse Jungle
The Most Crucial Game
Dagger Of The Mind
Requiem For A Falling Star
A Stitch In Crime
The Most Dangerous Match
Double Shock
Lovely But Lethal
Any Old Port In A Storm
Candidate For Crime
Double Exposure
Publish Or Perish
Mind Over Mayhem
Swan Song
A Friend In Deed
An Exercise In Fatality
Negative Reaction
By Dawn's Early Light
Troubled Waters
Playback
A Deadly State Of Mind
Forgotten Lady
A Case Of Immunity
Identity Crisis
A Matter Of Honor
Now You See Him
Last Salute To The Commodore
Fade In To Murder
Old Fashioned Murder
The Bye Bye Sky-High I.Q. Murder Case
Try And Catch Me
Murder Under Glass
Make Me A Perfect Murder
How To Dial A Murder
The Conspirators
Columbo Goes To The Guillotine
Murder, Smoke, And Shadows
Sex And The Married Detective
Grand Deceptions
Murder, A Self Portrait
Columbo Cries Wolf
Agenda For Murder
Rest In Peace, Mrs Columbo
Uneasy Lies The Crown
Murder In Malibu
Columbo Goes To College
Caution: Murder Can Be Hazardous To Your Health
Columbo And The Murder Of A Rock Star
It's All In The Game
Butterfly In Shades Of Gray
Undercover
Death Hits The Jackpot
No Time To Die
A Bird In The Hand ...
Strange Bedfellows
A Trace of Murder - 25th Anniversary
Ashes to Ashes


Decent Episodes :

Murder With Too Many Notes
Columbo Likes the Nightlife


No worst or trash episode for me.

I just came across this fairly old topic, and thought I'd submit my own choices. However, I've hardly ever watched any of the 1989-etc episodes, and certainly can't recall specifics from any of them, so here I'll just make a list with the first 45. And like the previous posts, this list is according to the chronology of the series, with the earliest episodes leading.

Top Episodes

Ransom For a Dead Man
Death Lends a Hand
Etude in Black
A Stitch in Crime
Candidate for Crime
Double Exposure
Swan Song
A Friend Indeed
An Exercise in Fatality
Negative Reaction
By Dawn's Early Light
Playback
A Deadly State of Mind
Identity Crisis
Last Salute to the Commodore
Old Fashioned Murder
How to Dial a Murder
The Conspirators

Decent Episodes

Prescription Murder
Murder by the Book
Suitable for Framing
Lady in Waiting
The Greenhouse Jungle
The Most Crucial Game
The Most Dangerous Match
Double Shock
Any Old Port in a Storm
Publish or Perish
Mind Over Mayhem
Troubled Waters
Forgotten Lady
A Case of Immunity
A Matter of Honor
Now You See Him
Fade in to Murder
The Bye Bye Sky High I. Q. Murder Case
Try and Catch Me
Make Me a Perfect Murder

Worst Episodes (By "Columbo" Standards)

Dead Weight
Short Fuse
Blueprint for Murder
Dagger of the Mind
Requiem for a Falling Star
Lovely but Lethal
Murder Under Glass

Of course, every episode is fantastic, and I'll watch every one over and over again, but it's the top tier that really pull me in in every (or almost every) way, from writing, to acting, directing, music etc

Well that's a difficult thing to say.

I'll try...

Top :
- Ashes to ashes
- murder, a self portrait
- columbo goes to the guillotine
- Try and catch me
- Murder under glass
- Make me a perfet murder
- old fashioned murder

Hesitation top/decent :
- forgotten lady
- sex and the married detetive
- agenda for murder
- it's all in the game
- (lady in waiting, maybe)

Worst :
- columbo likes the nightlife
- no time to die
- columbo goes to college
- columbo and the murder of a rock star
- murder in malibu

Decent : the other ones.

Of course it' difficult to rank many of the episodes.

I can say that some of them can be reunited under a common atmosphere, episodes like : old fashioned murder, make me a perfect murder, murder a self portrait, try and catch me, even IQ murder, these episodes share a common atmosphere, almost like tales, with soft orchestral classical music which vehiculate many feelings. The way to present the story is rather slow too and looks almost like a tale in its way to tell the story; these episodes could perfectly fit for the Christmas Holidays, I think...

Also I really appreciate the main feminine figures of some episodes, especially in old fashioned murder, make me a perfect murder, and try and catch me, they all have committed murders but we can understand that they are actually far away to be bad, they are anti-heroines who greatly suffered a loss and try to overflow the way they can (except for "make me a perfect murder, who the murderer tries to have great ambitions in a man's profession while she clearly isn't hard enough (or too compassionate for this kind of job) to fit the job she targets - and I like especially the very end of the episode where her compassionate aspect contrasts with her hard willing to fight in order to go on in her life - I really appreciate this contrast - fight to go on but willing to remain as "human" as possible, that's why I find this end very touching).

At the contrary, the feminine figure in "lady in waiting" is really impressive but because of the contrary : the frustration of many years of dependance made her completly cold and transformed, and the "ghosty" music transcripts it very well, it makes almost afraid, especially at the end of the episode where she is completly icecold-hearted, destroyed actually by her brother and her willing of independence which became too big and violent after years of frustration.

After this, in another registry, I appreciate ashes to ashes and vote for me, where the old Mc Goohan is really good, especially in "ashes to ashes" which is one of my favorites, very nice, funny and smart episode, up to me, they succeeded to talk about death in a very interesting way ^^
Murder under glass, about food, is very good also, I sometimes listen to this episode in MP3-format in my phone when I'm out in the city ^^

Well, that was the main idea for me.

I just finished the whole series and I'm in withdrawal.

Top

"Murder by the Book" (1971)
"Death Lends a Hand" (1971)
"Blueprint for Murder" (1972)
"Etude in Black" (1972)
"A Stitch in Crime" (1973)
"The Most Dangerous Match" (1973)
"Candidate for Crime" (1973)
"Negative Reaction" (1974)
"By Dawn's Early Light" (1974)
"Playback" (1975)
"Forgotten Lady" (1975)
"Identity Crisis" (1975)
"Now You See Him..." (1976)
"Try and Catch Me" (1977)
"Murder Under Glass" (1978)
"Make Me a Perfect Murder (1978)
"Agenda for Murder" (1990)
"Columbo and the Murder of a Rock Star" (1991)
"It's All in the Game" (1993)
"Ashes to Ashes" (1998)

Decent

"Prescription: Murder" (1968)
"Ransom for a Dead Man" (1971)
"Short Fuse" (1972)
"Double Shock" (1973)
"Any Old Port in a Storm" (1973)
"Double Exposure" (1973)
"Publish or Perish" (1974)
"A Friend in Deed" (1974)
"Trouble Waters" (1975)
"Fade into Murder" (1976)
"The Bye-Bye Sky High IQ Murder Case" (1977)
"How to Dial a Murder" (1978)
"The Conspirators" (1978)
"Columbo Goes to the Guillotine" (1989)
"Murder, Smoke and Shadows" (1989)
"Sex and the Married Detective (1989)
"Grand Deceptions" (1989)
"Murder, A Self Portrait" (1989)
"Rest in Peace, Mrs. Columbo" (1990)
"Caution: Murder Can Be Hazardous to Your Health" (1991)
"A Trace of Murder" (1997)
"Murder with Too Many Notes" (2001)

Worst (NBC Level)

"Dead Weight" (1971)
"Suitable for Framing" (1971)
"Lady in Waiting" (1971)
"The Greenhouse Jungle" (1972)
"The Most Crucial Game" (1972)
"Dagger of the Mind" (1972)
"Requiem for a Falling Star" (1973)
"Lovely but Lethal" (1973)
"Mind Over Mayhem" (1974)
"Swan Song" (1974)
"An Exercise in Fatality" (1974)
"A Deadly State of Mind" (1975)
"A Case of Immunity" (1975)
"A Matter of Honor" (1976)
"Last Salute to the Commodore" (1976)
"Old Fashioned Murder" (1976)

Worst (ABC Level)

"Columbo Cries Wolf" (1990)
"Uneasy Lies the Crown" (1990)
"Murder in Malibu" (1990)
"Columbo Goes to College" (1990)
"Death Hits the Jackpot" (1991)
"No Time to Die" (1992)
"A Bird in the Hand..." (1992)
"Butterfly in Shades of Grey" (1994)
"Undercover" (1994)
"Strange Bedfellows" (1995)
"Columbo Likes the Night Life" (2003)

TOP

Death Lends a Hand
Etude in Black
A Stitch in Crime
Double Exposure
A Friend Indeed
An Exercise in Fatality
Negative Reaction
Identity Crisis
How to Dial a Murder
Prescription Murder
Murder by the Book
Double Shock
Any Old Port in a Storm
Now You See Him

DECENT

Suitable for Framing
Ransom For a Dead Man
Candidate for Crime
Swan Song
By Dawn's Early Light
Playback
A Deadly State of Mind
Lady in Waiting
The Most Crucial Game
The Most Dangerous Match
Publish or Perish
Mind Over Mayhem
Troubled Waters
Forgotten Lady
A Matter of Honor
Fade in to Murder
Try and Catch Me
Make Me a Perfect Murder
Dead Weight
Blueprint for Murder
Requiem for a Falling Star
Lovely but Lethal
Murder Under Glass
The Conspirators


WORST

The Bye Bye Sky High I. Q. Murder Case
The Greenhouse Jungle
A Case of Immunity
Dagger of the Mind
Short Fuse
Last Salute to the Commodore
Old Fashioned Murder

How The Hell Can Swan song one of the best clumbos ever be in the worst category ?

For The meantime I am only going to list original episodes (1968 - 1978 )

Very Best 10

1 Try and Catch Me
2 Negative Reaction
3 Identity Crisis
4 The bye bye - sky high IQ murder
5 Swan Song
6 Make Me a perfect Murder
7 Suitable for framing
8 A Stitch in Crime
9 Double Exposure
10 Playback

Upper Mid tier

11 A friend in deed
12 Double Shock
13 Blueprint for murder
14 Prescription Murder
15 Publish Or Perish
16 Death Lends A hand
17 Murder By The book
18 Etude In black
19 Now You See him
20 By Dawns Early light
21 The most crucial Game
22 A deadly state Of mind
23 How to Dial a murder
24 Ransom For a dead Man
25 Any old port in a Storm

Lower Mid Tier

26 A case of Immunity
27 The most Dangerous Match
28 Forgotten Lady
29 An Exercise in Fatality
30 Greenhouse Jungle
31 Fade in To Murder
32 Lady in Waiting
33 Short Fuse
34 Lovely but Lethal
35 The conspirators

poor Episodes

36 Mind over Mayhem
37 Dead Weight
38 Old Fashioned Murder
39 Requiem for a Falling star
40 Murder Under glass
41 Dagger of the Mind
42 A matter of Honor
43 Last salute to the commodore

2 episodes have slipped my mind but i ll be pack to re-rank them

I remember 1 of the episodes which is Candidate for crime which I put top of the lower Mid tier ahead of a case of immunity

The other episode you missed out is Troubled Waters which is the cruise ship episode with Robert Vaughn. It seems to be a popular episode but i've never been fussed on it and i would probably forget it on my list too

How did did I forget Troubled waters I will swap it with playback putting it into 10th
I will replace playback with an Deadly state of mind and put deadly state in the lower mid tier .

This is My Revised Worst Ten Seventies episodes

1) Last salute to the Commodore
2) Dagger of the Mind
3) Old Fashioned murder
4) Requiem For a Falling star
5) Murder Under Glass
6) A Matter of Honor
7) Mind Over mayhem
8) Dead Weight
9) Lady in waiting
10)Greenhouse jungle

I may re shuffle one or two at a later point