I began to watch Columbo with my grandparents. Like any kid of the 1980s, I was given to my grandparents when the parents wanted to go out. Oftentimes I would stay the entire weekend. When I was with my grandparents, they ruled the remote with an iron fist. So, I never had a choice in what I would watch. Grandpa loved Bud Spenser and Terrence Hill westerns, Charlie Bronson, and Samurai movies. Grandma loved Japanese chamber dramas, the films of Seijun Suzuki, and anything with Denzel Washington in it (she was an early adopter from his St. Elsewhere days). So, they weren’t always aligned with tastes. One of the few things they could agree on with Columbo.
In fact, it was maybe the only thing my grandparents agreed on, and around 1989 they divorced. Which was heartbreaking for a plethora of reasons. One of them was because who would I watch the newly announced Columbo series with?
Well, the answer as with many things for this reviewer’s younger self… was alone. The table had already been set, so to speak, for me. By this point those re-runs of the 70s era Columbo had worked their magic along with Princess Bride (which as a kid I dubbed the Columbo Episode Not About Solving a Mystery). I was hook, line, and sinker a fan’s fan of Peter Falk.
Upon reviewing this set I realized that I had more vivid memories of this era of Columbo than I did of watching reruns of the 70s era series. To me Columbo: The Return felt more iconic because of Falk’s leaning into all of the misa gosh and tomfoolery that makes the character so him. These episodes have a shabbier quality than the previous but no less compelling. As with precious few things Columbo aged like a fine wine.
Columbo: The Return kept the winning formula that originated in the 70s (be on the lookout for the episodes they adapted from Ed McBain novels). They showed you the crime. Then we watched, with great joy, as our favorite Detective solved the crime before our eyes. It wasn’t the mystery or whodunit. It was a howcatchem! They never made the crime a mystery. The show (conceived of by Richard Levinson and William Link) was always about the character more than the plot. The interactions, the characters, and the asides made the character and show, so lovable and great. What I loved and still do love about Columbo is just how relaxed and humane the show and the character are. Columbo never pushes that he’s a cop to anyone he meets. This allows for people to be their good or terrible selves to the man. There’s great comedy and character in the way he is so differenetial to everyone and how abusive they are to him. Only a true eccentric like Peter Falk could give life to this kind of character beyond the normal A-B-C’s of the standard detective. Falk gave us just a normal dude who loves stogies, dogs, chili, football, fishing, and above all else his wife – who happened to be the greatest living detective of his time.
Though never to be outdone by anyone trying to get away with murder is one Peter Falk as the intrepid unique Det. Lt. Columbo. Falk is the most unconventional of choices for a detective when you think of the Mickey Spillane’s hardboiled cliché that loitered both the small and big screen. The series in the star’s hands is both dramatic and comedy gold. It’s a wonder how easy the actor made it look. The role even after years fits the actor like a perfectly fitted glove. In fact, Falk is given more latitude to just “be Columbo” without any sort of affectation or adherence to plot in this iteration of the series. The asides feel like they could come out of a Cassavetes’s film their so comfortably long.
Not to just give Falk all the praise, Columbo: The Return would be nothing if not for the “villains” of the shows. These roles are filled with only the very best actors of the era. Not just TV actors but Film actors and legends alike. Everyone from Dabney Coleman to Patrick Bauchau to Fisher Stevens to Patrick McGoohan to Billy Connolly to George Hamilton to William Shatner to Rod Steiger (not the killer but a mob boss) and more! Though no one could top, personally for this review, the work done by Academy Award Winner Faye Dunaway is the standout (more on that later…).
Columbo The Return from its origins in the late 1980s to its finale in 2003 is the kind of unique mystery series that took its form from the 1970s and applied it to current cultural norms of the era. One that they’ve still never managed to duplicate in its wit, charm, humanity, and above all else intelligence. At the center of this perfect series – Peter Falk is the best to ever do it.
However, in the new era of Streaming, there is one contender. The Rian Johnson/Natasha Lyonne-created Poker Face uses the same structure and shambling genius character to much success. In fact, Lyonne’s Charlie Cale is the spiritual successor to Columbo in all the right ways. If this show had been made decades earlier Columbo and Charlie would have had a team-up episode.
Below is a list of this reviewer’s favorite episodes:
Season 8 Episode 1: Columbo Goes to the Guillotine
Magicians. Think Tanks. Psyche-Ops. The CIA. Columbo’s first episode back is a doozy of a plot involving a great headline-making oddity of the late 80s – something Stranger Things has mined for their mythology – that is the CIA’s investment in things like Remote Viewing and Telekinesis. The show does a great job of deflating this ridiculousness and solving how they did it – with the help of a wiseass pre-teen Magician (“ILLUSION Michael”, the kid is literally GOB from Arrested Development). The best part of the episode is Falk himself who hasn’t lost a step in the decade-plus since he last played Columbo. In fact, he’s gotten better (e.g., shabbier).
Season 8 Episode 2: Columbo Murder, Smoke and Shadows
In the biggest ode to the most famous of Columbo directors Steven Spielberg, the modern era has Columbo go up against a neophyte wunderkind director Alex Brady (an inspired Fisher Stevens) who’s murdered someone from his past who is threatening his latest big-budget production. The Columbo sharing a milkshake with Alex scene is worth the price of admission alone. Though the old Universal Studios sets (where the tour used to go, RIP O.G. Universal Studios Tours!) and the various “Effects” department sets they use will delight anyone who grew up going to Universal in Los Angeles back in the day.
Season 9 Episode 1: Columbo Murder, A Self Portrait
Alright. I do love this for the murdering Artist played by one of my favorite character actors Patrick Bauchau (The Pretender stans unite!) and the polyamorous relationship that confuses the shit out of our ever-dogged Detective. BUT. Huge “but”. It’s the opening five-minute sequence that has Columbo and Dog (his ever-faithful basset hound) enter into a Dog Show. The scene is an utter joy, if for nothing more than watching Falk’s face as he and Dog go through the show course. The rest of the episode is great but the opening moment with Falk in full joy mood has one wishing that Christopher Guest had seen this episode and was inspired to cast the Actor in Best in Show.
Season 10 Episode 7: Columbo It’s All in the Game
This may be the best Columbo episode ever (though catch me on another day and I may say Johnny Cash’s episode). It’s fitting that it was written by Falk himself and took him close to twenty years of tinkering to complete. A Gigolo (Armando Pucci) has been murdered by one of his many women (Dunaway) and Columbo is on the case. What Columbo and the audience didn’t bargain for is the feels… all the feels. Dunaway is fantastic as the single suspect to almost gets the Detective (isn’t there always one?). However, it’s the wonderful chemistry between the two that makes this such a great episode. The episode is written and performed marvelously by the two titans. The script gives both the latitude to have some great moments and great lines; Would you be very angry if I did that again? The response; Do it again, I’ll let you know. It may be the very best episode… you’ll just have to watch and decide for yourself.
The Transfers
The transfers of the show remastered in 4K by NBCUniversal are utter delights.
Each of the Episodes has been remastered in 4K by NBCUniversal. The show looks spectacular. One piece of information that aids in the fact that the show looks so good is that the series, like many of the big-budget shows of the era, was shot and completed on 35mm. There was video and post-production done on video for many shows in this era thankfully NBCUniversal finished the show on Film so there was no video during the postproduction process other than to transfer to the final broadcast form leads to an image that is revelatory for anyone that has come to love Columbo The Return. Everything from top to bottom is nearly flawless. The color reproduction, the black levels, and the contrast levels are better than anything seen before (even miles ahead of the DVDs released almost twenty years ago). The razor-sharp image retains not just the beautiful grain structure, but they haven’t touched the image itself and done any sort of AI or DNR trickery. I mention this because the image can sometimes change based on the stock and lighting used on a given day on set. It’s a beautiful affectation that normally is drowned out by modern transfers to give the appearance of consistency, which, isn’t what is truly representative of the image that was captured by the filmmakers. Bravo to Kino Lorber for ensuring that the transfers have retained everything that made them beautiful.
The Extras
They include the following;
Isolated Music and Sound FX tracks on select episodes.
The Final Thought
Kino Lorber has given a truly wonderful Summer-time gift for everyone with Columbo: The Return. This is the TV set of the year. Highest possible recommendations!!!
Peter Falk returns to his most iconic role in the sequel TV series Columbo: The Return. Kino Lorber has released the series with wonderfully restored picture and sound.
The Show
Peter Falk is …
Columbo.
I began to watch Columbo with my grandparents. Like any kid of the 1980s, I was given to my grandparents when the parents wanted to go out. Oftentimes I would stay the entire weekend. When I was with my grandparents, they ruled the remote with an iron fist. So, I never had a choice in what I would watch. Grandpa loved Bud Spenser and Terrence Hill westerns, Charlie Bronson, and Samurai movies. Grandma loved Japanese chamber dramas, the films of Seijun Suzuki, and anything with Denzel Washington in it (she was an early adopter from his St. Elsewhere days). So, they weren’t always aligned with tastes. One of the few things they could agree on with Columbo.
In fact, it was maybe the only thing my grandparents agreed on, and around 1989 they divorced. Which was heartbreaking for a plethora of reasons. One of them was because who would I watch the newly announced Columbo series with?
Well, the answer as with many things for this reviewer’s younger self… was alone. The table had already been set, so to speak, for me. By this point those re-runs of the 70s era Columbo had worked their magic along with Princess Bride (which as a kid I dubbed the Columbo Episode Not About Solving a Mystery). I was hook, line, and sinker a fan’s fan of Peter Falk.
Upon reviewing this set I realized that I had more vivid memories of this era of Columbo than I did of watching reruns of the 70s era series. To me Columbo: The Return felt more iconic because of Falk’s leaning into all of the misa gosh and tomfoolery that makes the character so him. These episodes have a shabbier quality than the previous but no less compelling. As with precious few things Columbo aged like a fine wine.
Columbo: The Return kept the winning formula that originated in the 70s (be on the lookout for the episodes they adapted from Ed McBain novels). They showed you the crime. Then we watched, with great joy, as our favorite Detective solved the crime before our eyes. It wasn’t the mystery or whodunit. It was a howcatchem! They never made the crime a mystery. The show (conceived of by Richard Levinson and William Link) was always about the character more than the plot. The interactions, the characters, and the asides made the character and show, so lovable and great. What I loved and still do love about Columbo is just how relaxed and humane the show and the character are. Columbo never pushes that he’s a cop to anyone he meets. This allows for people to be their good or terrible selves to the man. There’s great comedy and character in the way he is so differenetial to everyone and how abusive they are to him. Only a true eccentric like Peter Falk could give life to this kind of character beyond the normal A-B-C’s of the standard detective. Falk gave us just a normal dude who loves stogies, dogs, chili, football, fishing, and above all else his wife – who happened to be the greatest living detective of his time.
Though never to be outdone by anyone trying to get away with murder is one Peter Falk as the intrepid unique Det. Lt. Columbo. Falk is the most unconventional of choices for a detective when you think of the Mickey Spillane’s hardboiled cliché that loitered both the small and big screen. The series in the star’s hands is both dramatic and comedy gold. It’s a wonder how easy the actor made it look. The role even after years fits the actor like a perfectly fitted glove. In fact, Falk is given more latitude to just “be Columbo” without any sort of affectation or adherence to plot in this iteration of the series. The asides feel like they could come out of a Cassavetes’s film their so comfortably long.
Not to just give Falk all the praise, Columbo: The Return would be nothing if not for the “villains” of the shows. These roles are filled with only the very best actors of the era. Not just TV actors but Film actors and legends alike. Everyone from Dabney Coleman to Patrick Bauchau to Fisher Stevens to Patrick McGoohan to Billy Connolly to George Hamilton to William Shatner to Rod Steiger (not the killer but a mob boss) and more! Though no one could top, personally for this review, the work done by Academy Award Winner Faye Dunaway is the standout (more on that later…).
Columbo The Return from its origins in the late 1980s to its finale in 2003 is the kind of unique mystery series that took its form from the 1970s and applied it to current cultural norms of the era. One that they’ve still never managed to duplicate in its wit, charm, humanity, and above all else intelligence. At the center of this perfect series – Peter Falk is the best to ever do it.
However, in the new era of Streaming, there is one contender. The Rian Johnson/Natasha Lyonne-created Poker Face uses the same structure and shambling genius character to much success. In fact, Lyonne’s Charlie Cale is the spiritual successor to Columbo in all the right ways. If this show had been made decades earlier Columbo and Charlie would have had a team-up episode.
Below is a list of this reviewer’s favorite episodes:
Season 8 Episode 1: Columbo Goes to the Guillotine
Magicians. Think Tanks. Psyche-Ops. The CIA. Columbo’s first episode back is a doozy of a plot involving a great headline-making oddity of the late 80s – something Stranger Things has mined for their mythology – that is the CIA’s investment in things like Remote Viewing and Telekinesis. The show does a great job of deflating this ridiculousness and solving how they did it – with the help of a wiseass pre-teen Magician (“ILLUSION Michael”, the kid is literally GOB from Arrested Development). The best part of the episode is Falk himself who hasn’t lost a step in the decade-plus since he last played Columbo. In fact, he’s gotten better (e.g., shabbier).
Season 8 Episode 2: Columbo Murder, Smoke and Shadows
In the biggest ode to the most famous of Columbo directors Steven Spielberg, the modern era has Columbo go up against a neophyte wunderkind director Alex Brady (an inspired Fisher Stevens) who’s murdered someone from his past who is threatening his latest big-budget production. The Columbo sharing a milkshake with Alex scene is worth the price of admission alone. Though the old Universal Studios sets (where the tour used to go, RIP O.G. Universal Studios Tours!) and the various “Effects” department sets they use will delight anyone who grew up going to Universal in Los Angeles back in the day.
Season 9 Episode 1: Columbo Murder, A Self Portrait
Alright. I do love this for the murdering Artist played by one of my favorite character actors Patrick Bauchau (The Pretender stans unite!) and the polyamorous relationship that confuses the shit out of our ever-dogged Detective. BUT. Huge “but”. It’s the opening five-minute sequence that has Columbo and Dog (his ever-faithful basset hound) enter into a Dog Show. The scene is an utter joy, if for nothing more than watching Falk’s face as he and Dog go through the show course. The rest of the episode is great but the opening moment with Falk in full joy mood has one wishing that Christopher Guest had seen this episode and was inspired to cast the Actor in Best in Show.
Season 10 Episode 7: Columbo It’s All in the Game
This may be the best Columbo episode ever (though catch me on another day and I may say Johnny Cash’s episode). It’s fitting that it was written by Falk himself and took him close to twenty years of tinkering to complete. A Gigolo (Armando Pucci) has been murdered by one of his many women (Dunaway) and Columbo is on the case. What Columbo and the audience didn’t bargain for is the feels… all the feels. Dunaway is fantastic as the single suspect to almost gets the Detective (isn’t there always one?). However, it’s the wonderful chemistry between the two that makes this such a great episode. The episode is written and performed marvelously by the two titans. The script gives both the latitude to have some great moments and great lines; Would you be very angry if I did that again? The response; Do it again, I’ll let you know. It may be the very best episode… you’ll just have to watch and decide for yourself.
The Transfers
The transfers of the show remastered in 4K by NBCUniversal are utter delights.
Each of the Episodes has been remastered in 4K by NBCUniversal. The show looks spectacular. One piece of information that aids in the fact that the show looks so good is that the series, like many of the big-budget shows of the era, was shot and completed on 35mm. There was video and post-production done on video for many shows in this era thankfully NBCUniversal finished the show on Film so there was no video during the postproduction process other than to transfer to the final broadcast form leads to an image that is revelatory for anyone that has come to love Columbo The Return. Everything from top to bottom is nearly flawless. The color reproduction, the black levels, and the contrast levels are better than anything seen before (even miles ahead of the DVDs released almost twenty years ago). The razor-sharp image retains not just the beautiful grain structure, but they haven’t touched the image itself and done any sort of AI or DNR trickery. I mention this because the image can sometimes change based on the stock and lighting used on a given day on set. It’s a beautiful affectation that normally is drowned out by modern transfers to give the appearance of consistency, which, isn’t what is truly representative of the image that was captured by the filmmakers. Bravo to Kino Lorber for ensuring that the transfers have retained everything that made them beautiful.
The Extras
They include the following;
The Final Thought
Kino Lorber has given a truly wonderful Summer-time gift for everyone with Columbo: The Return. This is the TV set of the year. Highest possible recommendations!!!
Kino Lorber’s Blu-Ray edition of Columbo: The Return is out now
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