I admit the ending is far-fetched, but I think it’s clever, and it makes me chuckle. I love the setting, atmosphere, and characters in the episode. And I love the English mystery aspect.

RE: Identity Crisis. Yes the plot is convoluted and hard to follow, but a reason I like it a lot is because it has one of the best casts.

Patrick McGoohan
Leslie Nielsen
Vito Scotti
Val Avery
Bruce Kirby
David White
Barbara Rhoades

Another is that the interaction between Columbo and the murderer is among the best. Peter Falk said he thought so too.

The one thing great about these postings that I have witnessed over the years it the diverse amount of episodes that individuals rank highly. I believe I have witnessed every episode with the exception of Last Salute either listed as soneone's favorite or in their top ten. This is of course referring to the original 45 episodes of the series original rub. What a great testament to this series! No one is wrong when it comes to ranking Columbo episodes.

Sometimes it's just one scene or the ending or a bit of dialogue that clinches it for me. If you mention Columbo to people who haven't watched much of it, they will always refer to the 'rosebud' episode. Pleasance was fantastic in 'Any old port' and I just love how Spock got taken down in 'A stitch in crime'.

1. How to dial a murder
2. Any old port in a storm
3. A stitch in crime
4. Death lends a hand
5. Negative reaction
6. A friend in deed
7. Identity crisis
8. Fade into murder
9. Prescription murder
10. Columbo cries wolf

My goodness... so many choices.

I'll call this my Top 10 Favorite Episodes - not necessarily the "best", because, as has been stated several times, qualifying the best of Columbo is purely subjective.

1. The Conspirators
2. Now You See Him
3. Murder By The Book
4. Prescription Murder
5. Any Old Port in the Storm
6. An Exercise in Fatality
7. A Stitch in Crime
8. Troubled Waters
9. How to Dial A Murder
10. Columbo Goes to College

There's really not much difference, to me, between anything in my #5-20 list and choosing just 10 right now is rather difficult. This list would probably be different were I to compile it next week.

Always a fun topic to discuss.

I like Lucerne's comment about how sometimes it's just about the ending that makes a favorite episode. That is how I feel about THE MOST. CRUCIAL GAME. The scene in the owner's box between Culp and Falk is just amazing!

Undercover would definitely make my top 10, when I want to watch a columbo episode it's definitely one of the top few that comes to mind, and generally that's regarded as one of the worst.

Others I like a lot are the high iq one, murder under glass, columbo goes to college, guillotine, agenda for murder, double exposure, prescription murder, ransom for a dead man, conspirators, just to name a few that come to mind that are among my favourites.

A post regarding one's Top Ten Columbo episodes... AGAIN? Geesh, I just posted my Top Ten May 30th, 2009. Prior to that June 21st, 2006.

For those reading this who didn't bother to memorize my Top Ten lists those few months - years - decades ago, here are those lists... AGAIN!

May 30th, 2009:
1. Negative Reaction
2. Blueprint For Murder
3. Double Shock
4. Try And Catch Me
5. Columbo Cries Wolf
6. Murder By The Book
7. Rest In Peace, Mrs. Columbo
8. Death Hits The Jackpot
9. Forgotten Lady
10. Short Fuse

June 21st. 2006
1. Prescription: Murder
2. Murder By The Book
3. Blueprint For Murder
4. Dagger Of The Mind
5. Double Shock
6. Negative Reaction
7. Now You See Him
8. Columbo Cries Wolf
9. Rest In Peace, Mrs. Columbo
10. Death Hits The Jackpot

Thought to look for a Top Ten from Cassavetes45. The wonderful Columbo-loving woman to whom this forum is dedicated. Have only found one list, from February 6th, 2009. Here's Carleen's Top Ten from then.

1. Forgotten Lady
2. Negative Reaction
3. Etude In Black
4. By Dawn's Early Light
5. A Friend In Deed
6. Any Old Port In A Storm
7. The Most Dangerous Match
8. Identity Crisis
9. How To Dial A Murder
10. Fade In To Murder

For someone who went on and on about how terrific John Cassavetes was, you'd think "Etude" would have been her #1 favorite. It is fitting however, being that Cassa has most certainly not been forgotten around here, that her favorite was what it is.

And what the heck... Since it has been 14 years since I seemingly last thought about it, here's my current Top Ten favorite Columbos list.

1. Murder By The Book
2. Negative Reaction
3. Blueprint For Murder
4. Double Shock
5. A Stitch In Crime
6. By Dawn's Early Light
7. Short Fuse
8. Swan Song
9. Columbo Cries Wolf
10. Prescription: Murder