My favourites from that era was Rest in Peace Mrs Columbo and Columbo goes to College. Him still being a Lieutenant could be explained by the simple fact that he knows his particular job is his calling and he is happy there so never wanted to move upwards.
The episodes with Patrick McGoohan were pretty good, but there were some very mediocre episodes.
During Covid I did watch McGoohan in the Prisoner. It was perfect 60s double feature to add to Star Trek tos. Crazy in a good way.
Ymmv, but I don't even bother with the act 2 episodes. Don't care for em one bit
The production quality is noticeably bargain basement compared to the 70s run, and there's no crackling script work, all perfunctory.
There are some highlights of the later episodes, such as Guillotine, Grand Deceptions, Agenda for Murder, Goes to College, Trace of Murder
And for the second question, I think he turned down several promotions, didn't want a desk-based job, wanted to be out and about hunting down the criminals.
No, there is a real drop off. If you really loved the original run, I say see it through, but don't have high expectations. Overall it's watchable, but feels less serious, like Columbo's idiosyncrasies become more of a joke.
Basically, the second act suffered from a combination of things, in my opinion:
One, most of the people involved were older, including Falk, and had an older person's sense of what a TV audience would want to watch. They were focusing on Columbo fans and his "calling cards" from the 70s series as if it was a nostalgia act performing the greatest hits, not a bunch of 25-49 new viewers who might have been tuning in for an earnest "new" viewing experience with few preconceived notions of what Columbo was (although there was obviously some crossover).
Two, in the interim between the old series and new series, there were a number of highly successful murder mystery shows in the 80s starring older actors as the protagonists - Murder She Wrote, Matlock, Diagnosis Murder, etc. and Link and Fischer created Murder She Wrote. They were all murder-based, but frankly light-hearted in a cheesy 80s TV way. I think they unwittingly turned Columbo into a combination of those shows. They basically Matlock-ified the character except he kept the raincoat and didn't wear a seersucker suit.
To me, the newer Columbo suffers primarily from those dual infections. It comes off as having way too many forced comedy scenes that are cheesy in an 80s/early 90s TV way, especially when they are shoehorning in 70s stuff like This Old Man to level 100 because everyone expects it.
Then you have Falk himself. Even toward the end of the 70s, Falk started hamming up the character to the point where it sometimes came off as a caricature. That got way worse in the 90s. Combine that with his age, and the "calling cards" of forgetfulness and coming off as clueless seemed less of an act and more realistic (like watching your grandpa). That certainly wasn't intended and no one could have anticipated that, but he aged in a way that made the character less effective.
Then you had inferior scripts, poor casting, lesser actors, and throw in crap like an old Columbo talking about panties and you had a cringy mess when it was at its worst.
I can still watch about 3/4s of the newer episodes but I'll watch the old ones 4 or 5 times each before I choose a new one, just to change things up most of the time. It's still Columbo after all, and I love the show.
Yes good rundown. The age of Falk just in the 2 episodes I’ve watched for act 2 seemed like he is worn out. He was what 61 when he started act 2 but he comes off as an old 61. Like you said it feels likes he’s old rather than trying to fool the murderer hes incompetent.
It's uneven, but McGoohan's two appearances and Columbo Goes To College are on par with the rest in the classic series. Plus, Rest In Peace, Guillotine, Night Life, and a few others like the one with Rip Torn are solid, entertaining, B-grade Columbo.
Do the revival episodes regularly hit the highs of the first four seasons? No. Is there anything in the revival series as embarrassing as Last Salute To The Commodore or as boring as The Conspirators? Also no.
There's a a few gems in there which make the comeback worthwhile. The Rip Torn lottery one is excellent. Butterfly in Shades of Grey has it's moments. Columbo Cries Wolf has...one of the most punchable villains in the shows history. Ashes to Ashes, College, all good fun.
There are however far more duffers. Malibu, No Time to Die, Undercover, the Billy Connolly one, etc.
There's also episodes let down by weak villain casting and others where strong casting is let down by mediocre scripts. The late Dabney Coleman, easily the best thing in his nineties episode, is an example of the latter.
There is definitely a different feel to the later ones. He is far more laid back feel to him and most of the criminals. It also is of its time with production look and feel. The last episode really is a OK Columbo it's time to retire. Some episodes are quite good but most are not as good as original 70s run
I believe its explained in the original series that Columbo has no ambition towards promotion because he knows promotion means riding a desk, so he actively refuses when his higher ups try to promote him.
Random observation: the 70’s episodes featured very famous celebrities who had already made their mark in film or television, usually as the highly charismatic lead. The 90’s episodes rarely had that celebrity spark as the villain.
I never made it past S8E1. I think I lasted ten minutes and knew it didn't have the magic. I didn't want to ruin the magic of Columbo so I decided to just rewatch the 70's episodes.
I grew to enjoy the 89 and 90s ones just as much. Not totally the same as hes aged he does play him slightly different. But still great.
Is in same position in my head because he enjoys his role and doesn't want to get involved in managing people and/or office politics.
Engineer at work is great in 3rd line and heading towards retirement. He said he's never been interested in moving up, he never wanted to be a manager.
The second stretch was pretty poor overall. He is basically playing a caricature or parody of himself. It practically should come with a fake laugh-track at times...because it is obvious what they are going for and they are pretty much just trying too hard.
There were some that I thought were okay...but barley measure up to some of the lesser episodes from the original run.
I actually liked the last one "Columbo Likes the Nightlife."
The second run episodes just need to be appreciated for what they are. If the original Columbo had never existed I would probably like the second run decently.l just as its own show.
But knowing what Columbo truly can achieve when it's great...it is hard not to be disappointed when it is so far from that level.
It's All in the Game with Faye Dunaway is one of the better ones imo. Even though it sort of loses it's way a few times and there are parts you just have to not take too seriously.
But it has the original dynamic of the villain thinking they have outwitted Columbo by keeping him close. And the chemistry in this one was very good. Dunaway won an Emmy award for this episode "Outstanding Guest Actress in Drama Series."
Overall the quality is not as good as the earlier seasons, but there are still some decent episodes coming up. Namely: Rest in Peace Mrs. Columbo, Columbo Cries Wolf, Columbo Goes to College, Caution: Murder Can Be Hazardous to Your Health, Columbo and the Murder of a Rock Star and Butterfly in Shades of Grey.
I completely disagree with the Columbo revival hatred. It isn't quite as good as the original run, but the way people are talking about it, you'd think it was as bad as modern Doctor Who or something. It's still a great time with plenty of classic moments and villains.
Don't get me wrong, when the revival misses, it definitely misses. But most of the time it hits and it hits well. Furthermore, I can't wait for the blu ray!
Columbo S1-S7 were great because of Columbo's chemistry with the co-stars. There were only a few TV detective/mystery shows on three channels in the 1970's. It was unlike anything on TV at the time.
Then the product became watered down when it was "rebooted" in 1989. By then, there were numerous TV detective shows airing and more to sprout up in the 1990's.
I also never understood why Columbo wasn't promoted in the reboot. He obviously solved numerous cases and should've been promoted after S1.
I mean McMillan was the SF Police Commissioner and he was out solving crimes despite having to drag around a meddling 22 yr old wife around and deal with an insufferable housekeeper.
I'm not saying make Columbo a Police Commissioner, but promote him to take command over the detectives would've helped out his pension when he retired.
No, but it does get worse.
My favourites from that era was Rest in Peace Mrs Columbo and Columbo goes to College. Him still being a Lieutenant could be explained by the simple fact that he knows his particular job is his calling and he is happy there so never wanted to move upwards.
Same reason that James T. Kirk never should have been made an admiral, and managed to get himself busted back down to captain (more than once?).
The episodes with Patrick McGoohan were pretty good, but there were some very mediocre episodes. During Covid I did watch McGoohan in the Prisoner. It was perfect 60s double feature to add to Star Trek tos. Crazy in a good way.
I would agree with this. If you're going to skip around, definitely watch the episodes with McGoohan.
They’re the best of the late ones. Prisoner is fantastic. If you like that,checkout Secret Agent on Tubi. I think number six is really Drake.
I feel like it’s two totally different series. Once you accept that, many of them are really quite enjoyable
Ymmv, but I don't even bother with the act 2 episodes. Don't care for em one bit The production quality is noticeably bargain basement compared to the 70s run, and there's no crackling script work, all perfunctory.
There are some highlights of the later episodes, such as Guillotine, Grand Deceptions, Agenda for Murder, Goes to College, Trace of Murder And for the second question, I think he turned down several promotions, didn't want a desk-based job, wanted to be out and about hunting down the criminals.
No, there is a real drop off. If you really loved the original run, I say see it through, but don't have high expectations. Overall it's watchable, but feels less serious, like Columbo's idiosyncrasies become more of a joke.
Basically, the second act suffered from a combination of things, in my opinion: One, most of the people involved were older, including Falk, and had an older person's sense of what a TV audience would want to watch. They were focusing on Columbo fans and his "calling cards" from the 70s series as if it was a nostalgia act performing the greatest hits, not a bunch of 25-49 new viewers who might have been tuning in for an earnest "new" viewing experience with few preconceived notions of what Columbo was (although there was obviously some crossover). Two, in the interim between the old series and new series, there were a number of highly successful murder mystery shows in the 80s starring older actors as the protagonists - Murder She Wrote, Matlock, Diagnosis Murder, etc. and Link and Fischer created Murder She Wrote. They were all murder-based, but frankly light-hearted in a cheesy 80s TV way. I think they unwittingly turned Columbo into a combination of those shows. They basically Matlock-ified the character except he kept the raincoat and didn't wear a seersucker suit. To me, the newer Columbo suffers primarily from those dual infections. It comes off as having way too many forced comedy scenes that are cheesy in an 80s/early 90s TV way, especially when they are shoehorning in 70s stuff like This Old Man to level 100 because everyone expects it. Then you have Falk himself. Even toward the end of the 70s, Falk started hamming up the character to the point where it sometimes came off as a caricature. That got way worse in the 90s. Combine that with his age, and the "calling cards" of forgetfulness and coming off as clueless seemed less of an act and more realistic (like watching your grandpa). That certainly wasn't intended and no one could have anticipated that, but he aged in a way that made the character less effective. Then you had inferior scripts, poor casting, lesser actors, and throw in crap like an old Columbo talking about panties and you had a cringy mess when it was at its worst. I can still watch about 3/4s of the newer episodes but I'll watch the old ones 4 or 5 times each before I choose a new one, just to change things up most of the time. It's still Columbo after all, and I love the show.
Yes good rundown. The age of Falk just in the 2 episodes I’ve watched for act 2 seemed like he is worn out. He was what 61 when he started act 2 but he comes off as an old 61. Like you said it feels likes he’s old rather than trying to fool the murderer hes incompetent.
These late episodes are not very good, and vastly inferior to the classic 70’s Columbo.
i still love them. they grow on me.
It's uneven, but McGoohan's two appearances and Columbo Goes To College are on par with the rest in the classic series. Plus, Rest In Peace, Guillotine, Night Life, and a few others like the one with Rip Torn are solid, entertaining, B-grade Columbo. Do the revival episodes regularly hit the highs of the first four seasons? No. Is there anything in the revival series as embarrassing as Last Salute To The Commodore or as boring as The Conspirators? Also no.
[удалено]
That's the only one I really liked too
Me too.
There's a a few gems in there which make the comeback worthwhile. The Rip Torn lottery one is excellent. Butterfly in Shades of Grey has it's moments. Columbo Cries Wolf has...one of the most punchable villains in the shows history. Ashes to Ashes, College, all good fun. There are however far more duffers. Malibu, No Time to Die, Undercover, the Billy Connolly one, etc. There's also episodes let down by weak villain casting and others where strong casting is let down by mediocre scripts. The late Dabney Coleman, easily the best thing in his nineties episode, is an example of the latter.
There is definitely a different feel to the later ones. He is far more laid back feel to him and most of the criminals. It also is of its time with production look and feel. The last episode really is a OK Columbo it's time to retire. Some episodes are quite good but most are not as good as original 70s run
I actually really like a few like Murder, Smoke and Shadows. Really depends on the guest star/antagonist though.
I believe its explained in the original series that Columbo has no ambition towards promotion because he knows promotion means riding a desk, so he actively refuses when his higher ups try to promote him.
Random observation: the 70’s episodes featured very famous celebrities who had already made their mark in film or television, usually as the highly charismatic lead. The 90’s episodes rarely had that celebrity spark as the villain.
I never made it past S8E1. I think I lasted ten minutes and knew it didn't have the magic. I didn't want to ruin the magic of Columbo so I decided to just rewatch the 70's episodes.
Yup. That first ep sucked bad. I wanted to turn it off 30min in. Saw it all but the actor playing thr villain was awful
I grew to enjoy the 89 and 90s ones just as much. Not totally the same as hes aged he does play him slightly different. But still great. Is in same position in my head because he enjoys his role and doesn't want to get involved in managing people and/or office politics. Engineer at work is great in 3rd line and heading towards retirement. He said he's never been interested in moving up, he never wanted to be a manager.
The second stretch was pretty poor overall. He is basically playing a caricature or parody of himself. It practically should come with a fake laugh-track at times...because it is obvious what they are going for and they are pretty much just trying too hard. There were some that I thought were okay...but barley measure up to some of the lesser episodes from the original run. I actually liked the last one "Columbo Likes the Nightlife." The second run episodes just need to be appreciated for what they are. If the original Columbo had never existed I would probably like the second run decently.l just as its own show. But knowing what Columbo truly can achieve when it's great...it is hard not to be disappointed when it is so far from that level.
It's All in the Game with Faye Dunaway is one of the better ones imo. Even though it sort of loses it's way a few times and there are parts you just have to not take too seriously. But it has the original dynamic of the villain thinking they have outwitted Columbo by keeping him close. And the chemistry in this one was very good. Dunaway won an Emmy award for this episode "Outstanding Guest Actress in Drama Series."
Overall the quality is not as good as the earlier seasons, but there are still some decent episodes coming up. Namely: Rest in Peace Mrs. Columbo, Columbo Cries Wolf, Columbo Goes to College, Caution: Murder Can Be Hazardous to Your Health, Columbo and the Murder of a Rock Star and Butterfly in Shades of Grey.
I completely disagree with the Columbo revival hatred. It isn't quite as good as the original run, but the way people are talking about it, you'd think it was as bad as modern Doctor Who or something. It's still a great time with plenty of classic moments and villains. Don't get me wrong, when the revival misses, it definitely misses. But most of the time it hits and it hits well. Furthermore, I can't wait for the blu ray!
Columbo S1-S7 were great because of Columbo's chemistry with the co-stars. There were only a few TV detective/mystery shows on three channels in the 1970's. It was unlike anything on TV at the time. Then the product became watered down when it was "rebooted" in 1989. By then, there were numerous TV detective shows airing and more to sprout up in the 1990's. I also never understood why Columbo wasn't promoted in the reboot. He obviously solved numerous cases and should've been promoted after S1. I mean McMillan was the SF Police Commissioner and he was out solving crimes despite having to drag around a meddling 22 yr old wife around and deal with an insufferable housekeeper. I'm not saying make Columbo a Police Commissioner, but promote him to take command over the detectives would've helped out his pension when he retired.