I know "Columbo - Season Three" came out on DVD quite some time ago. Just prior to it's release, I watched "A Friend In Deed". Therefore, I never got around to watching this episode on the DVD. Until last night.

The only scene within the episode that I had not seen before was when Columbo's car breaks down. Columbo gets out of the car to check the engine and then tries to wave down passers-by in cars for a ride.

The big treat though are the "Tonight On Columbo" previews prior to the episode. These previews are absolutely hysterical! The editing is perfect and sets up some incredibly funny "scenes" which don't actually happen within the context of the episode. There's Hugh Caldwell sobbing about not meaning to kill his wife. Cut to Commisioner Halperin laughing his head off. Then there's Halperin on the phone seemingly begging the person on the other end of the line to "say it." At which point we see Hugh Caldwell on the phone saying, "Yes darling, completely."

The funniest of the previews shows Columbo entering the bathroom in Commisioner Halperin's house. He is seen walking toward the bathtub. There is then a cut and we see Margaret Halperin relaxing in the tub and saying, "Please leave the room darling, you know I like to bathe in private." (It's also interesting that in the episode itself, a different shot is used when Margaret speaks this line. There is no close up on her as in the preview. We only see the back of her head reflected in the huge closet mirrors as she relaxes in the tub.)

Some truly excellent editing on this one! I wonder if the episode's director, Ben Gazzara had input on this together with Peter Falk?!

A great episode. Richard Kiley is superb as the
bad guy. The directing and music is really excellent.
I am uncomfortable with Halperin drowing his wife in
the bathtub, didn't he realize that the medical
examiner would discover this.
This is one of the "Watergate" episodes, i.e. episodes made at the time of the scandal on the theme of evil politicians ("Candidate for Crime" is another). It is somewhat surprising that Columbo doesn't seem to be taken off guard when the evidence points at the Deputy Police Commissioner, someone he knows and has worked with, is the culprit.

Regarding the promos---there is a good one with "Etude in Black"...Alex Benedict says to his wife Janice "stop hounding me", but then in the promo they follow it with the scene from the Hollywood Bowl where Columbo says "that's my job!"

i gotta check out those promos..they sound hysterical