The Lt. Columbo Forum

An area where fans from all over can ask each other questions and voice their own ideas and opinions on anything Columbo.

This Forum is fondly dedicated in memory of  "cassavetes45"  (Carleen Zink),
Columbo's greatest fan and a great friend to us all.
​​​​​​​​​​​​​​
The Lt. Columbo Forum
Start a New Topic 
Author
Comment
View Entire Thread
Re: Cringe-worthy Moments

It’s like says “I don’t like the dog or the raincoat or the cigar.” Go back to bed.

Re: Cringe-worthy Moments

Probably the most cringeworthy "moment" was all the soundtracks from the ABC era. From the very first episode in 1989, the soundtrack is notably different, and sounds absolutely awful. It completely ruins any atmosphere the old shows retained.

Re: Cringe-worthy Moments

oh rob,
I will have to disagree with you there. Perhaps its a generation thing, but frankly the music in these later episodes sound more modern and are better I think. Agenda for Music is good, so is Uneasy Lies the Crown. And lets not forget, Murder, a Self portrait. How can you say this is bad? And what about Sex and the Detective? Another good one!

Re: Cringe-worthy Moments

Adam
oh rob,
I will have to disagree with you there. Perhaps its a generation thing, but frankly the music in these later episodes sound more modern and are better I think. Agenda for Music is good, so is Uneasy Lies the Crown. And lets not forget, Murder, a Self portrait. How can you say this is bad? And what about Sex and the Detective? Another good one!

Sorry Adam, I just can't agree with you there. I find the soundtrack to be way over the top and much too "cliché 80s" for my tastes.

It was quite inconspicuous in original run and that worked perfectly for the atmosphere and style of the show. In the 80s/90s episodes it's overdramatic and sticks out like a sore thumb.

Re: Cringe-worthy Moments

I'm okay with almost any soundtrack that was WRITTEN FOR the thing it's in. What I mean is, one of my pet peeves is a whole lot of music (especially vocal songs) that already exist, being worked into a story. Even when it's "period" songs worked into a period story, and ones that I definitely LIKE, it can still get on my nerves. So any given music that someone sat down and wrote for the story can be all right with me.

Re: Cringe-worthy Moments

e and Rob are correct. Overusing 'This Old Man', and the poor quality of the music in general, are good examples of the clownish nature of many of the '90s episodes.

Re: Cringe-worthy Moments

My 2 cents: The Cringeworthy ERA

Personally one of the main reasons I find it so hard to watch the revival era episodes is because of Peter's performance. He just isn't the same, and it seems he is rushing through his lines and reading them off without any emotion or genuine acting, like he already knows what he's going to say 10 seconds ahead of time, and it makes all his dialog feel so unnatural. Most of his costars are worse. He is not at all like he was in the original seasons... I'm sure others here must know what I mean. There are SOME moments where he brings back that classic Columbo feel, but rarely. Also, he doesn't have any chemistry with most of the actors, except a few like McGoohan and Hamilton. That's what is cringeworthy to me, it makes the later episodes almost unwatchable.

The 11-year hiatus must have just been too long for Peter to reignite that flame, to reembody the character of Lt. Columbo.

Oh, and the episodes are waaayy too long. So boring.

Re: Cringe-worthy Moments

Petey2012
My 2 cents: The Cringeworthy ERA

Personally one of the main reasons I find it so hard to watch the revival era episodes is because of Peter's performance. He just isn't the same, and it seems he is rushing through his lines and reading them off without any emotion or genuine acting, like he already knows what he's going to say 10 seconds ahead of time, and it makes all his dialog feel so unnatural. Most of his costars are worse. He is not at all like he was in the original seasons... I'm sure others here must know what I mean. There are SOME moments where he brings back that classic Columbo feel, but rarely. Also, he doesn't have any chemistry with most of the actors, except a few like McGoohan and Hamilton. That's what is cringeworthy to me, it makes the later episodes almost unwatchable.

The 11-year hiatus must have just been too long for Peter to reignite that flame, to reembody the character of Lt. Columbo.


I quite agree. Falk had outgrown the role (and grew too old) to deliver the same sort of exuberance, so the whole post-original series era was cringeworthy to me as well. The only one I ever caught when it originally aired was "Ashes to Ashes," and that was exactly what I kept thinking throughout the entire tedious assault on my Columbo senses. Yeah, my misguided loyalty helped me to endure the whole 2 hours, but it was the first episode I ever saw I couldn't wait to end.

Re: Cringe-worthy Moments

"Ashes To Ashes" is brilliant with absolutely fantastic performances from both Peter Falk and Patrick McGoohan. There are some really terrific and hysterical scenes between the two and some heartbreaking scenes between Peter Falk and the murder victims puppy! One of my very most favorite Columbo episodes of all.

Re: Cringe-worthy Moments

now I see I love the newer episodes because this is how I came to know about Columbo. I wasn;t around or living during the earlier ones. But when I watched the earlier ones for the firset time, yes they are very good. And i know what you al mean about his acting. He seemed more serious and into his role in the earlier episodes. again personally the music in earlier episodes is just lousy! but perhaps all shows back then had such a terrible music to me.

But, I do think good music adds to the show and I admit I love 80s as I grew up during that era. Ashes to Ashes is one where Its an OK episode. Frankly he is too old for the role and all that grey is distracting. but dont get me wrong, there were some earlier episodes I liked so much I watched it over and over. but the music was lacking, I think.

im obessive. Ive been watching uneasy lies the crown or scenes from agenda for murder like every night.

Re: Cringe-worthy Moments

Adam
again personally the music in earlier episodes is just lousy!

you are assuredly allowed your opinion, but i don't think you've actually listened to the music in the earlier episodes. there are so many classic and beautiful scores within them.

Re: Cringe-worthy Moments

perhaps.. maybe I missed something. NExt time I watch, I will pay particular attention to the music.
since we cant agree, lets just at least agree that Adam is the biggest fan of Columbo! heehe

Re: Cringe-worthy Moments

oh boy.. i have no idea why you need to proclaim that all the time, especially because you haven't seen all of the nbc episodes.
we're all big fans of columbo here--that's why we frequent this forum.

Re: Cringe-worthy Moments

cassavetes45,ma'am, I have every single episode and I have seen all of the episodes. Some of the NBC ones, I have seen several times in fact.
one of my fav from those is Double Exposure, and A Friend in Deed.
I like Swan Song, too!

by the way, I love web design Im in the process of creating a columbo site!

Re: Cringe-worthy Moments

Let me add to those who believe "This Old Man" was increasingly overused as time went on. It represented the gradual transformation of Columbo from wonderfully mysterious and clever to more iconic caricature of a sort. The perfect Columbo is the Columbo of early episodes like "Death Lends A Hand" where the gimmicks are not there yet.

I also think it was a big mistake music wise to have not retained Gil Melle's Columbo "Theme" from the episodes he scored in S1 for overall consistency in later years. I always felt Melle's theme captured the essence of the Columbo character in terms of light hearted wimsey but still a serious, brilliant detective underneath the exterior.

Indeed, it's really the series biggest flaw technically that there is no consistent theme over the years music wise. Watch the whole run of "McMillan And Wife" and you still get the familiar Jerry Fielding theme over the run of the series that provided some consistency to the characters. Columbo deserved that a lot more than "This Old Man".

Re: Cringe-worthy Moments

There's a moment in Short Fuse that isn't a "cringe-worthy" moment for me, and yet it kind of belongs here, and it's that "Silly String" scene. Everyone acts surprised by it (not just startled) and one man even asks Rodger if it's his own invention. My question is, did anyone in 1971-72 (including serious-minded adults) not know that Silly String existed? As for that man's question, he probably couldn't have asked it in a flattering way, because this was while Rodger still had that "Junior" image instead of anyone thinking that he was "standing to inherit" the place.

Re: Cringe-worthy Moments

Grant
There's a moment in Short Fuse that isn't a "cringe-worthy" moment for me, and yet it kind of belongs here, and it's that "Silly String" scene. Everyone acts surprised by it (not just startled) and one man even asks Rodger if it's his own invention. My question is, did anyone in 1971-72 (including serious-minded adults) not know that Silly String existed? As for that man's question, he probably couldn't have asked it in a flattering way, because this was while Rodger still had that "Junior" image instead of anyone thinking that he was "standing to inherit" the place.

Interestingly enough, Silly String was only invented just around 1971 or 1972. The first patent for the product was issued in 1972:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silly_String#History

That's probably why it was even featured on the episode, because it was a new popular invention at that time.

Re: Cringe-worthy Moments

I would say that the entire character of Roger Stanford was cringeworthy. I don't know...something about that soft voice/English accent contrasted against that immature/boyish persona and his antics just rubbed me the wrong way. And exactly how old was the character supposed to be...twenty-something? Roddy McDowall was over forty at the time.

Re: Cringe-worthy Moments

Yes, but that boyish quality was practically the story of Roddy's life. I've mentioned it before, but it's such a switch to see him playing such an incredibly trendy early ' 70s character, as opposed to those fairly straight-laced ones he played at the same time. I just wish it had shown Rodger's home - lava lamps and black lights and incense burners everywhere! (And those wouldn't be any too comical to me, since I've never "outgrown" any of those three things.)

I had no idea Silly String started that late. I never owned any, but STILL, I always kind of thought it came along much earlier than that.

Re: Cringe-worthy Moments

i wish we had seen rodgers home too. if only to see the first seasons 'second male guest'.

Re: Cringe-worthy Moments


tsk tsk.

Re: Cringe-worthy Moments

I must be having a dense moment...I don't get robbie's joke.

Re: Cringe-worthy Moments

I would like to also add Dagger of the Mind, Last Salute To The Commodore, and Mind Over Mayhem episodes as a cringe moment while we're at it!!

Re: Cringe-worthy Moments

e, i'm sure you know about ken franklin's line in 'murder by the book' when he asks james ferris to his cabin and says 'you will be my first male guest'.
i'm assuming that robbie is alluding to the fact that roddy mcdowall was gay, and if we were privy to seeing roger stanford's apartment, he might possibly have a male guest over.

(it sorta loses some of the funniness with my drawn out explanation of it. )

Re: Cringe-worthy Moments

Thanks, cass. I figured Roddy's "preferences" had something to do with it, but I didn't make the connection to the line in "Murder by the Book."

Re: Cringe-worthy Moments

glad to oblige, sir.

Re: Cringe-worthy Moments

On the matter of Roddy's ability to play much younger than he was. He already had a track record of that, since a few years before his "Columbo", he actually played a high school senior when he was 38 in the satirical comedy, "Lord Love A Duck" with Tuesday Weld. That may have been what they were channeling when they came up with him for the part.

Re: Cringe-worthy Moments

helen crump was one of the things that ruined TAG show as far as many fans are concerned (myself included) so the more shes insulted the better.




cassavetes45
(it sorta loses some of the funniness with my drawn out explanation of it. )


yeah sorta...
e
I must be having a dense moment...I don't get robbie's joke.

how long have you been a lieutenant, lieutenant?

Re: Cringe-worthy Moments

Mrs. Melville would have put it together like that!

Re: Cringe-worthy Moments

I don't have very many truly *cringe-worthy* moments. I'd call them awkward moments, if anything--and even at that, I've learned to appreciate them as part of the Columbo experience. There is one scene that truly does make me cringe--in the ABC run, there's an episode (Murder of a Rock Star, or something like that) that features a completely unnecessary cameo by Little Richard. The whole thing is weird, but especially when Columbo walks in during a Little Richard performance and is shown in brief reaction shots "getting down" to Richard's music. I have to look away--very uncharacteristic and forced.

Other minor cringes:

Columbo ogling Milo Janus's secretary.

Alex Benedict speaking to his mechanic with a phony British accent for no apparent reason (and right after the mechanic indicated his private annoyance with Benedict's self-importance, too). (Sorry, Cassa!)

Columbo interrogating Mario DeLuca (Vittorio Rossi's nephew) in Italian, getting suddenly, unnecessarily, and very uncharacteristically combative. And it's overacted.

Ken Franklin pretending to be attracted to Lily LaSanka, and her buying it.

Columbo standing directly in the path of the marching regiment in By Dawn's Early Light (while looking for the door in the gym), as if he didn't hear them approaching.

"Lovable" Dr. Hiedeman insulting his nurse and generally being rude to everyone.

Columbo pulling off his shoes in Double Shock and daring Dexter Paris to "compare arches."

Every time Mrs. Peck goes off the deep end blowing up at Columbo.

Columbo visiting the shocked and grieving Nora Chandler and having her say silly things on the phone to his brother-in-law.

Pretty much any scene in Mind Over Mayhem.

Columbo flirting with pre-teen girls in Bye Bye Sky High and Etude in Black.

Harold Van Wyck, when caught in a lie, trying desperately to get his wife to cover for him.

The thinly-veiled racism in the opening of A Matter of Honor, where the Mexican people are shown feigning injury after a minor fender-bender to bilk an American tourist.

Pretty much every scene in Last Salute to the Commodore. Especially Swanny's grating and inappropriate fake laughter.

And yeah, Columbo reacting with feigned surprise to the big "reveal" of Beth Chadwick's new 'do, when he had already been looking at her for a good minute or two.

Re: Cringe-worthy Moments

Good list, John.

Another scene I never liked is in "Any Old Port" when Columbo has that exchange with Karen Fielding when she asks for his name and he gives her a hard time. I don't know if it is truly cringeworthy, but it is annoying and pointless.

Re: Cringe-worthy Moments

I'd like to add the final scene in 'Dagger of the Mind'. A very disappointing final clue, and the reaction of Nicholas Crane on being confronted with no evidence whatsoever is a bit embarrassing.

Re: Cringe-worthy Moments

Another SMALL one of mine is about Stitch In Crime, the scene where Dr. Heidemann is insulting the nurse because she makes Columbo put out his cigar. I know he's mainly just being a funny "crotchety" Will Geer character, but that's Helen Crump he's insulting! And then there's that line about her "antiseptic self." She may not be a stereotyped "hot nurse," but she isn't exactly hard to look at, is she?

Re: Cringe-worthy Moments

Even though I haven't seen it in a long while, I have to agree about the Little Richard cameo, but for a couple of built-in reasons. First, I have a problem with about 90 per cent of ALL cameos, at least the kind where the people play themselves instead of playing roles. Second, for a while Little Richard was the KING of that kind - any given week you could turn on the TV and hear something like "Hey - you're Little Richard!" So (no offense to him) it really wore thin for me.

Re: Cringe-worthy Moments

First off, it's not often we get to a "Page 2" of replies on this board!

Cameos irritate me too. It's understandable that Columbo would encounter "stars" in Hollywoodland, but oddly, it's more "real" when he encounters fake stars like the Nora Chandler type, than actual stars. One of the worst is in "Uneasy Lies The Crown" when Columbo encounters not one, not two but three stars. Ron Cey, Nancy Walker and Dick Sargent. (Oddly, this same episode features one of those "fake stars". The murder victim. Hmmmm. What if they had chosen Dick Sargent as the murder victim? Oooh. How surreal!)

Columbo's "oh gosh, oh gee, who is this guy? I know this guy" is exceptionally cringeworthy. It would have been funny if Columbo, upon recognizing Nancy Walker from "McMillan and Wife" would have said, "Gee, I always enjoyed those "NBC Mystery Movies".

And why didn't Columbo say to Dick Sargent, "I once met a big-shot from the CIA who looked just like the actor who played your boss on "Bewitched". Or, "I once met a Scotland Yard cop and also a Cruise Ship sailor guy who both looked just like the actor who played Dr. Bombay on "Bewitched"."

Anyway, those cameos during that card game were completely unnecessary to the point of making you wonder why those actors were included in the first place? They could have been any card playing buddies.

Re: Cringe-worthy Moments

I couldn't agree more about the weirdness of Columbo encountering "real" stars. I had totally forgotten about the card game scene, but yeah, definitely cringeworthy. For one thing it disrupts the illusion, such that we're suddenly watching real people instead of characters (which is exactly why Columbo couldn't make the kind of humorous self-references Headache suggests). But also, as Headache points out, it just feels weird--why are these actors even there? It's as if they all wanted to be in a Columbo episode for some reason, and someone owed them a favor, so they got shoehorned in. It almost feels like product placement.

And yeah, what made Little Richard's cameo especially odd was that he was playing himself, yet at the same time kind of wasn't--none of the characters reacted as you might expect, with "holy crap, it's Little Richard!" They more or less acted as if he was just some musician. One character even tells Columbo to "just ask for Little Richard," as if she were telling him "just ask for Fat Tony." If Richard were truly playing himself, the character would have said something like "Little Richard is playing there tonight, and the guy you want will be backstage with him."

Re: Cringe-worthy Moments

Oh! Oh! Another real cringe-o-licious moment is in Murder With Too Many Notes, when Findlay Crawford is conducting snippets of movie themes and Columbo is obediently reporting what images they convey (e.g., the theme from Jaws: "oh, the fish, the fish..."). Ouch. Also, same episode, when Columbo is driving Findlay home at the speed of smell. Or pretty much that entire episode, come to think of it.

Re: Cringe-worthy Moments

The entire episode of "No Time to Die" is pretty much cringeworthy, but what especially got me was at the beginning when Columbo was being introduced around to everyone as "Lieutenant Columbo" and referring only to "Mrs. Columbo", and it was obvious they were intentionally avoiding the first names.

Usually that works fine in the show, but when you're at a wedding with your own family and they don't say your first name at all, it ruins the suspension of disbelief altogether. The rest of the episode was dreadful, of course.

Re: Cringe-worthy Moments

Bit late here, but I will add the notorious 'playing with the monitors' scene from 'Make Me a Perfect Murder'.

Re: Cringe-worthy Moments

"Death lends a hand" : At the end when Columbo confess : "when I was young, I put a potato in the exhaust pipe". Ray Milland is tempted to check if the Robert Culp's car has broken down in consequence of a potato !

"Etude in black" : When Columbo talks about the name of his dog with the bachelor girl.

"Requiem for a falling star" : When Columbo said "Thank you, I will say at your boss you are very efficient". And the other character replies : "But I am the boss !"

"Negative Reaction" : When the nun confuses Columbo with a beggar.

"Playback" : When Columbo confuses air conditioning grille with an artwork.

Re: Cringe-worthy Moments

There's just no cringe-worthy moment to me. And I don't understand how anyone can be bothered by all the moments that have been mentioned here to be honest.. Don't get me wrong, and I don't want to offend anyone, everybody's perfectly entitled to be bothered by any scene they want, but I just don't understand it that's all.

Although, to be entirely honest, there are only two episodes in which there are some cringe-worthy moments to me : the last two episodes, Murder With Too Many Notes and Columbo Likes the Night Life. They are my least two favorite episodes for a reason.. (the only two episode that could NEVER be on my top ten).

I have a lot of respect for Peter Falk, and I feel sorry for what I am about to say, but yes in those two episodes there are times in which Columbo looks very old. Like the scene when the murderer follows Columbo in his car in Murder With Too Many Notes, and Columbo drives very, VERY slowly.. That's pushing it a bit, especially that this scene is way too long.. There are many moments like that in those two episodes. Besides the discussions between the murderers and Columbo (the main strenght of that show for me) are not particularly bright, mainly because the three murderers clearly lack of character, of intelligence, and the actors themselves lack of talent. Fortunately Peter Falk's interpretation is still quite good overall nonetheless, which is why I still watch those two episodes regularly.

But other than that all the scenes from all the others episodes are just pure delight for me.

Re: Cringe-worthy Moments

Oliver
There's just no cringe-worthy moment to me.

Although, to be entirely honest, there are only two episodes in which there are some cringe-worthy moments to me...


So then, to you, there are no cringe-worthy moments except for the cringe-worthy moments?

Re: Cringe-worthy Moments

clint enbill, you'll never change.........and i love it.

Re: Cringe-worthy Moments

Apparently some people did not quite understand what I meant to say.

It is very simple, really, I am sure everybody will be able to understand with these new explainations : in fact when I first answered this thread I just did not think about the last two episodes at all (they are usually not the first ones I think about as they are clearly my least favorite ones) and that is why I answered that there was, to me, no cringe-worthy moments whatsoever.

However once I finished the first part of my post I realized that I forgot about these last two episodes and so, as I am an honest person, I just had to mention them as there are indeed some scenes that could be considered as cringe-worthy (to me) in these episodes. I realize that what I said in the second part of my post is quite a contradiction to what I said in the first, which is why I started the second part of my post with : "Although, to be entirely honest...".

Also I would like to add that I should not have said that the moments I talked about in these last two episodes were cringe-worthy but rather : "to be entirely honest, there are only two episodes in which there COULD BE some cringe-worthy moments to me". Yes cause even if these moments are weird I do not think that I would go as far as considering them cringe-worthy in reality.. Cause as weird as they are they do not bother me that much at the same time, if they would I just wouldn't watch these two episodes regularly. And I do. So that's another reason why I said there were no cringe-worthy moments to me because.. there just are not any in reality. Just a few weird moments in the last two episodes but that is all..

So I admit that I misspoke, and that this post was quite weird overall (I am sorry for that) but all what I just explained was honestly not that hard to understand... and everyone could have figured it out easily. Well let's just say that some people are just slower than others. After all we are all different.

Also I will never understand how some people take pleasure in focusing on the mistakes of others (the legendary internet trolls). And even less how some other people can praise them for that.. This kind of attitude can be understandable if you are under 20, but if you are over 20 or, even worse, over 30.. well let's just say that it is more worrisome. Personally I would never do that, if I do not understand what someone just said I'd rather ask the person to clarify and when I post my first worry is to add to the discussion. I want to have great discussions, not making fun of other people.. Well again we are all different and some people just need more time to mature I guess.. Still it is very sad. At least to me.

Re: Cringe-worthy Moments

It made sense to me the first time Oliver.

Re: Cringe-worthy Moments

Well, Oliver, perhaps if you didn't start out your post by being dismissive of the entire topic, then the people who did enjoy contributing to it might not take delight in pointing out your own hypocrisy. Just a thought.

Re: Cringe-worthy Moments

Amy43
It made sense to me the first time Oliver.


Glad to hear that Amy. Thanks. :)


John
perhaps if you didn't start out your post by being dismissive of the entire topic


Deeply sorry but I was NOT dismissive in ANY WAY. Here's what I said in my post : "Don't get me wrong, and I don't want to offend anyone, everybody's perfectly entitled to be bothered by any scene they want, but I just don't understand it that's all."

I was just being honest (I can't help it, sorry if it bothers anyone) and I clearly said that I did not want to offend anyone (which I truly meant).

Read more carefully next time.


As for the part about "my hypocrisy", I think I explained myself clearly enough in my last post and I don't need to repeat myself. Can't believe some people still don't understand what I meant.. But whatever.

Re: Cringe-worthy Moments

This is an easy one for me. In "Make me a perfect murder", the shuck-and-jive routine that the projectionist performs for Kay. I've read the script and that scene is meant to show that the two like each other, but I think it was an error in judgement and I can't bear to watch it.

I don't know if it's my imagination, but it seems that both actors are uncomfortable during that scene.

Re: Cringe-worthy Moments

Bump