During the ABC years Peter started making Columbo more and more "cute" and less and less "odd". McGoohan definitely seems to encourage that kind of thing - just look at how bizarre Columbo acts in "Last Salute" compared to the episodes immediately before and after it.

"Identity Crisis" was well directed and well acted by McGoohan, but "Last Salute" was just incredibly bizarre. It was more like an episode of "The Prisoner" than "Columbo".

"Ashes to Ashes" is another solid episode. McGoohan must have been in normal mode. But then we get to "Ashes to Ashes", which, although it's a good episode, does feature some painfully "cute" scenes for Columbo (running around looking for dog food, anyone?). And then let's not forget "Murder with Too Many Notes". This one goes down as the worst "Columbo" of all time. Singing "Clementine" in the stage elevator... the scene where Crawford plays movie music for him... the incomprehensible ending...

I think McGoohan should have stayed in front of the camera. He's too much of a weirdo to stick to the time-tested Columbo formula.

My vote for worst episode is "Mind over Mayhem" with
the robot. It was like they made this episode
for a Saturday morning kiddie cartoon version of
Columbo--a real disgrace.

"Agenda for Murder" is one of the few episodes
of the revival of Columbo that I have seen and
I didn't care for it. It didn't make much of
an impression on me and I thought the bit about
the teeth marks was not impressive.

Although I have great respect for McGoohan as
an actor, the final episode of "The Prisoner"
which he was forced to write when the originator
of the series, George Markstein, quit in a huff
without telling anyone how he intended to wrap
it up,
is considered to be a disaster by many, maybe
most of the fans of the series. It is hallucinatory,
violent, uncoordinated and just downright bizarre.
McGoohan in best in front of the camera.

Oh now I remember you saying that in the past about Mayhem. I remember you saying that bit about it looking and feeling like a Saturday Morning kid's show....and I recall the first time you said that I sat there thinking how right you were. It was a thought which had never occured to me, but you hit it on the head.
And I agree, not a very good episode at all. This is one episode which makes me feel quite claustrophobic. All the scenes in the dreary think tank....there is no panache, no beautiful mansions....and also no chemistry between the murderer and Columbo.