I agree about titles with the name "Columbo" in the title. The series Monk uses "Mr. Monk" in each episode and that works for that series but not with Columbo.

Regarding the Bye Bye Sky High episode, I always thought the Bye Bye part of the title refered to Bye Bye Birdie as in the victims name. Or is his name Bertie? I'd have to check my copy of the Columbo Phile on that.

Several episodes had working titles that were later changed. For example "Now You See Him" was originally titled "Quicker than the Eye" and "Caution: Murder can be Hazardous to your Health" was simply titled Smokescreen. And of course "No Time to Die" was originally titled "The Worst Columbo Ever"...Well just kidding there, but In both cases and other I can't immediatly think of the orignal titles appearred on the shooting script.

Rex I love your title The Worst Columbo Ever for No Time to Die...it is much more fitting!

Headache, good take on the Bye-Bye title...I never understood it, but I think I'll run with your explanation.

And Try and Catch Me was originally titled Catch Me If You Can....I don't like either title.

Oh, you really should not get me started...

Instead of How to Dial a Murder...

A Man of his Word

Don't Say a Word

or

Command Performance?

Instead of Negative Reaction..

Proof Positive

A Picture of Innocence

or

Arrested Development?

Instead of Fade in to Murder...

Shot on Location?

Instead of Death Hits the Jackpot...

Dead Giveaway

The Chance of a Lifetime

or

All That Glitters?

Instead of Butterfly in Shades of Gray...

Dead Air?

Okay, all right, I'll stop and take my meds now. It's not really an obsession.

Oh, just one more.

Instead of Lovely but Lethal...

If Looks Could Kill?

Joe (in recovery)

Joe, your titles are great!

I'll also add my name to the list of those who find the titles with "Columbo and..." (etc.) to be lame. Rather boring in fact. (The titles, not necessarily the episodes.)

It's my understanding that "No Time To Die" was in non-fact, originally titled, "No Time To Come Up With An Original Script Idea That Will Work For The Columbo Character, So We'll Purchase The Rights To A Shoddy Novel, Scratch Out The Name Of The Detective Used In That Novel And Replace It With The Name 'Columbo' And Hope That None Of The Millions Of Columbo Fans Watching Will Have Enough Intelligence To Realize It".

You can see why they decided to alter the title. The original was just too long.

OK, I think I know what "Bye Bye Sky-High IQ Murder Case" means. I think it can mean "Say Goodbye to your High IQ Because You've Just Easily Given Yourself Away." I think it has a lot to do with the fact that Oliver really DOES have a high IQ but he's outwitted by the shabby Lieutenant at the end (such a stupid end, too). Now could someone PLEASE tell me the meaning of "Dead Weight"?

excellent list joe!!

headache, i think they should have went with the original title for no time to die....look at it this way..by the time they aired the full title, there would have been no time left to show the episode!!!

sean, dead weight has always puzzled me too...maybe the fact that he throws the body overboard and it is supposed to be a dead weight, but it actually floats to the top??
i obviously don't know the answer!! maybe someone else can explain it to us.

"Dead Weight" could also refer to Hollister discarding an unnecessary burden who was just dragging him down. And the dumping of the body off the boat into the ocean was a symbolic illustration of getting rid of dead weight on a boat. ???

I always thought the "Bye-Bye" in the IQ episode was intended to be a description of how high Oliver's IQ was. So high that the average person could only stand there and wave "bye-bye" to it. ???

"Dead Weight" could also refer to Hollister's beloved pistol. He loved it and cherished it so much that he couldn't part with it when he OBVIOUSLY should have - after committing murder with it! So that pistol became like an albatross around his shoulders, bringing him down, or weighing him down. That pistol was a real "dead weight" around his shoulders. That's my take on it.

Now then, as to "Columbo Likes The Night Life"... As is evidenced on screen during the episode, Columbo likes the night life because it's at night when his wife makes lasagna for him. I think the "L" in "Life" was a typo. It was supposed to be "Columbo Likes The Night Wife". That's my take on it.