I have been watching a lot of the Hallmark channel airings of the newer Columbo's lately. They cut some scenes but, most comically, they silence certain words like "ass"; words that I don't believe most networks bother censoring. In Butterfly In Shades of Grey they alter: "They were in a gay relationship", and they silenced the word gay, lol. I still have no idea what that title means. Does anybody?

Incidentally Fielding Chase's mustache is atrocious. My wife thinks that Shatner is such a bizarre prima donna that perhaps he suggested the strange mustache and the director didn't want to go against him.


In a masochistic mood I forced myself to watch Undercover and No Time To Die. I couldn't take the latter in one sitting. It's not just bad, it changes Columbo's character to fit him into this family life. Just a terrible episode. Too much like Silence Of The Lambs.

As for Undercover, it's not that bad. It's not a true Columbo episode but it's not unwatchable. The "mafia costume" scene was embarrassing but not as bad as "Oh...the big fish" or the tuba scene in Sex and the Married Detective. I forget which episode it is but there's also a bartender school scene where they where green tuxes and shake the mixers. It's ridiculous.

Overall, while the newer episodes don't approach the quality level of the 70's episodes, I truly enjoy most of them. Columbo Goes To The Guillotine, Butterfly In Shades Of Grey and Death Hits The Jackpot are some of my favorite newer episodes. I think people that skip them all are cheating themselves. If you are a fan of the original Columbo, you should find lots to enjoy in the later episodes. But definitely skip No Time To Die.

Thanks for the thoughtful comments, Pete. I would also say that "Columbo Cries Wolf" ranks favorably among any list of episodes, old or new. While I am a fan of the "formula," here I don't mind the variation of Columbo not figuring it out until way later than his entrance (or for that matter, that the murder doesn't even take place in the first scene). And the literal "Gotcha" ending is unsurpassed.

Sorry ... I just can't associate any of the "newer" episodes as having anything to do with Columbo. In my view, they were simply overkill starring a replacement actor way too old for the role.

Columbo Likes the Nightlife is my favorite newer episode. The new episodes don't compare with the classic series but there are a few that stand on their own and are entertaining to watch. If you don't compare them with the originals you can enjoy them for what they are.

Agenda for Murder
Goes to College
Uneasy Lies the Crown
Bird in Hand
Ashes to Ashes
Murder can be hazardous

I think Self Portrait is like a work of art, it was meant to have an artistic quality and it worked.

I love some of the new episodes too, and there are plenty of older episodes that are not so great too - I think the whole "new ones aren't proper Columbo" don't give them enough credit.

The first 4 seasons are mostly outstanding, but even in Season 1, Dead Weight is pretty poor, S2 I can't usually stand Dagger Of The Mind, S3 Mind Over Mayhem is just awful (would be ok without that stupid robot). I actually like all of S4.

Forgotten Lady which kicks off S5 is outstanding, one of my favourites. However, Case of Immunity and Last Salute To The Commodore are really not good. Then I don't really rate S6 at all - I would rate episodes 1 and 3 as ok and 2 as extraordinarily dull.

For S7, Try And Catch Me is outstanding, and I love How To Dial A Murder, but I cannot stand The Conspirators - just cringeworthy.

So that's the "old" ones - a lot of excellence, but some that I find to be very poor indeed.


As for the "new" ones, all of S8 is good, and Guillotine is outstanding. S9 also has some outstanding episodes - Self Portrait, Wolf, Agenda For Murder, RIP Mrs COlumbo. Uneasy Lies The Crown is okay, although Murder In Malibu doesn't really work for me - the villain is just not a good actor at all.

After that, it's the specials - Colombo Goes To College is okay, but it is one of those episodes where I wonder how the heck he worked out the solution! Murder Can Be Hazardous To Your Health is excellent, Death Hits The Jackpot is pretty good. It's All In The Game is absolutely superb, another of my favourites. Butterfly is good, and I apologies but I really like Undercover :). A Trace Of Murder is excellent, as is Ashes to Ashes. Murder With Too Many Notes is pretty good except for the very ending - needs a more impactful actor than Billy to pull it off properly. Colombo Likes The Nightlife is difficult - the story is fine but the "hip" execution leaves a bit to be desired - but no more so really than some of the "experimental" 70s stuff.

So, in other words, I think there are some duff ones of the "new" series, but there were of the old ones too, although admittedly only vary rarely in the first 3 or 4 seasons. However, I think the good ones of the new series are easily as good as the good ones of the old series, and the duff ones are duff whenever they were made!