So you three think you're the top dogs when it comes to age, huh?! Methinks not -- I got you guys beat by a good four years, being a stubborn Scorpio, 11/5/53.
Gee, this board?website?forum?whatever sure seems like it's going to be a lot of fun!

Okay. I have a question for you all. I'm sure you all have probably already taken an informal poll of everybody's favorite episode. But what is everybody's least favorite episode?

I have several. Dagger of the Mind, because the two English actors are soo over the top, and I never like camp. Identity Crisis, because half the time I never quite followed the action (I know, those elderly brain cells just aren't what they used to be ) The Conspirators, because I just don't like the murderer, plain and simple -- it's not an episode I'll ever watch again.

And there's two in the later years, I can't remember the names of them, but the one has Columbo tracking puzzle pieces and he gets beats up! Our Columbo get beats up! And the other is where Columbo's nephew's bride gets kidnapped on her wedding day by a psycho. Those two give me the chills, every time. And I'm angry that "they" changed the format on us, and allowed violence.

So, anyway, here's hoping I'm not offending anybody with my choices! Cheers! Carol

Hello Carol and welcome. I'm getting on a bit myself at the age of 44, but I'm certainly not the oldest.

You really do surprise me that you don't like "The Conspirators". That's my personal favourite and one that gives us a little insight into Columbo's nature. It contains my all-time favourite saying of Columbo, which he says to Devlin just after tilting the pinball machine in Devlin's house: "Excuse me sir. I couldn't resist trying your pinball machine. I guess I tried a little too hard. But that's an old problem with me sir — the way I keep steering and pushing and pulling at things. Someday, the whole sky's gonna light up and it's gonna say, 'Tilt'. And that's gonna be the end of the world!"
I also like the humour of this episode, when Columbo is taking a sneak-peek at the erotic art book in the bookstore and one of the customers gives him a dirty look. Very funny.
I've always liked the actor Clive Revill, who played Devlin. He's a great actor. He was in one of my favourite horror movies, "The Legend of Hell House", which also starred Roddy McDowall, who played the villain in "Short Fuse"... another great episode.
I don't know which my least favourite episode is. Off the top of my head, I would say "A Deadly State of Mind", mainly because I don't think George Hamilton is particularly good in that one. I guess it's all down to personal preference!
Nice to meet you anyway!

Hi, Andrew! Wow, you guys on this message board sure are friendly -- all these welcomes are going to my head
I enjoyed what your wrote about The Conspirators. I guess I never really watched it enough, or in depth, to have even heard, much less remembered that wonderful line about the pinball. Isn't that just so totally Columbo -- not just the action while playing, but the phiilosophy behind the words? Thanks for that insight. If I can find my old VHS tape (we're remodeling the gameroom, ugh, and everything is in boxes), maybe I'll play that again.

Okay, stupid question. I'd like to respond to an old post, from a few days ago, about who the sexiest men and women are. I don't stay here in this post, do I? I should reply to somebody in that post area? Thanks, everyone. Carol

carol you are a hoot already! i love it!!!

just let me clear one thing up...when cigargeorge says 'franco' he is talking about me. he calls me that because of the character franco in the movie 'dirty dozen' that was played by john cassavetes.

so another scorpio...i prefer to call us mysterious!! one of my sisters was born the day after you..11/6/53.

and as far as the worst episode goes..it has to be the one you mentioned 'no time to die'..if it were on tv right now i wouldn't watch it!! it's just too creepy!!

carol said...
"Okay, stupid question. I'd like to respond to an old post, from a few days ago, about who the sexiest men and women are. I don't stay here in this post, do I? I should reply to somebody in that post area? Thanks, everyone. Carol"

carol..you go to whatever topic that you want to reply to and post there..

Welcome, Carol.

I was a bit surprised to hear "Dagger of the Mind" mentioned as the least favorite episodes. Although it is amid some stiff competition in Season 2, which was excellent, the final clue and scene was particularly appealing. Peter Falk did not like this episode either, thought it was too gimmicky.

My least favorite is "Undercover."

Carol, the two "later" episodes of "Columbo" that you wrote about are "Columbo: Undercover" and the infamous, "No Time To Die".

I already posted (up there atop this page) that I don't have much love for "No Time To Die". Actually, I really have no love for it all. That ep was based on a book which Peter Falk read and enjoyed. The book didn't feature the Columbo character. For some reason, it was decided to alter the storyline of that book to fit Columbo. Instead, what happened (with obvious disasterous results) is that "Columbo" was altered to fit the story of the book. It's a horrible episode.

"Undercover" is the other episode which most fans that post on these boards hold in low regard. I'm one of them. This episode also suffers from the Columbo character being altered to fit an already bad story. There are loads of truly idiotic moments in this episode (such as Columbo suddenly having a partner), and indeed in the storyline itself (criminals commit robbery/criminals dump loot into bay/criminals rent helicopter to fly over loot in bay to take a photograph of it/criminals get in car chase and all die in crash). I've gone into all that many times before so I won't do it now because it would bore everyone, including me.

Wow, I can tell you must be The Definitive Columbo Fan I didn't know those two eps were held in low regard by most fans and even Peter Falk. It's just not fair to the viewer to throw violence and, like you say, idiotic moments in a Columbo episode.

There's another rather odd ep that doesn't follow the typical pattern, a later one, and unfortunately I can't remember the name of it, but it has Peter's wife in it, and she plays one of two wives of the murderer. The murderer is a painter or sculpter or artist of some kind, and murders his first wife, and one of the clues is her contact lens (and also a painting). Again, it's not the usual Columbo, and I always feel cheated when I watch it. It's so suspenseful -- those "dreamy" sessions with the psychiatrist always give me the chills. And the monacle as a clue, well, that was rather far-fetched, I thought.
Carol

"Dagger of the Mind" is an episode that I enjoy a lot. I thought Basehart and Blackman were hilarious. The ending may be a bit far-fetched, but I think it is still clever and highly amusing!

"Dagger" is also the first episode of "Columbo" that I ever saw...way back in June of '98, so it also has some sentimental value for me!

welcome, carol! it is a fun board.

i agree with you re: dagger of the mind. in fact, i just posted about it under another topic. i dislike the over-the-top performances of both murderers and that horrible hanging body.

i also am not fond of the conspirators, and, in fact, particularly dislike the line about the pinball machine. it seems too self-referential for columbo. i like him better when he is humble and unassuming, and ends up trapping the murderer who totally underestimates him.

i agree with others on the board that columbo became arrogant (and at times goofy) in the later episodes. i think i read that richard alan simmons wanted columbo to be more intense and threatening (in a columbo-ish way) toward the murderers in the later episodes....but for me, having columbo appear in a dramatic cloud of smoke (as in "Bye Bye Sky High IQ") is much less effective than having him fumbling around looking for his pen when Leslie Williams opens the door in "Ransom."

hello Carol - i am Kat from Salt Lake City, Ut - great to have another fan on the board - i can relate to your joy - for the longest time all of my friends thought i was crazy - but i just knew i could not be the only fan of such a great show and this board proves it.

so welcome aboard!!!

Ain't it the truth?! I always kept my Columbo obsession a secret. And wow, but some of the people on this board are even more into Columbo than I am. They're like walking encyclopedias.
It seems like there are many more men on this board than women. Am I correct?
Also, I noticed C. Crisp posted something 4 hours before my time -- it was like 8:30 pm my time, and his/her post was time-dated the next day, 1:30 am. Have we ever polled everybody to see where everybody is from?
Sorry if you folks have already gone over all this. Carol

hi again carol. yes, there are so many people on this site that know their columbo stuff backwards and forwards and in between.. they are amazing.

there are a lot of beloved ukers (that's what i like to call them..because that is what they are ) on this site..and if you noticed, the time is set at uk time. that is 5 hours different than est.
i don't know if a poll was ever taken about where everyone lives but it sounds like a cool topic.

and yes there are many more guys here than women........why do you think i hang out here so much!!!