I know we get a lot of discussion about who would make a good Columbo if the series were to pick up again or who would have made a good villain if there had been an episode for them. I've wondered about which modern actors would have been good in the original series as certain villains. So, if we could configure our time machines so Peter Falk could match up with these actors at the appropriate time...


Arnold Schwarzenegger: Milo Janus ("Exercise in Fatality") Arnold vs. Peter Falk. "I see your verkout routine didn't last very long, did it?"

Patrick Stewart: Adrian Carsini. ("Any Old Port in a Storm")

Madonna: Grace Wheeler ("Forgotten Lady"). I'm not a Madonna fan, but I can't think of anyone else who can sing, dance and act and be of the approximate age of Janet Leigh.

I'll be curious to hear other's thoughts.

Interesting thought. The problem is that if you change the murderer, you're going to have to change who the victim is and probably a lot of the secondary characters as well.

The idea of John Payne sacrificing himself for Madonna makes me think of his last line from "Miracle on 34th Street." "Maybe I didn't do such a wonderful thing after all!"

As a kind of revenge, you could take an actor you consider really full of himself and imagine him playing Ward Fowler.
Or take an actor you consider a real ham and imagine him playing Nick Frame.

After watching his performance in Knives Out, I would cast Chris Evans as Ward Fowler in a heartbeat.

LMAO - Eric Paddon! Maybe we have Anthony Hopkins playing the Ned Diamond part and he simply lets Columbo take a stupefied Madonna away at the end. (I certainly wish someone would take her away)

I believe Madonna doesn't even deserve a bit roll as in Jamie Lee Curtis as a waitress.