The Columbo Confab Podcast
Steve and Sean beak down and discuss each episode of "Columbo", one by one, and in no particular order.
Episodes
So this is it. To cap the podcast off, Steve and Sean discuss their top five and bottom five episodes in both the 70's era of Columbo and the 90's. They also reveal the plans for their next project!
Have a comment or a question for the hosts? Follow the podcast on Twitter at @columboconfab.
Accountant and certified genius Oliver Brandt (Theodore Bikel) is threatened with exposure by his business partner for embezzling funds from their clients. Brandt executes a Rube Goldberg-esque murder scheme to murder his colleague at the home of the Sigma Society, a club for individuals with remarkably high I.Q.'s. Brandt soon finds out he may not be the smartest man in the room when Columbo is assigned to the case. Is this epi...
When affluent restaurant critic Paul Gerard (Louis Jourdan) finds himself in a pickle of a disagreement with the owner of a successful Italian restaurant, he kills the main by poisoning a bottle of wine. Columbo is hot on the case, and he's pretty sure Gerard is his murderer, but he can't figure out how the poison got into the bottle. Is this one a Michelin three star? Or is it as palatable as a gas station burrito? Listen in a...
Electronics engineer Harold van Wyke (Oskar Werner) murders his mother-in-law to retain his role in the family business and to cover up his extramarital affairs. When Columbo stumbles upon the crime scene, however, Van Wyke soon realizes that it's going to take more than just some fancy videotape equipment to outsmart the policeman. Is this one worthy of the top shelf at Blockbuster? Or will you find it in the bargain bin at Tar...
In "Swan Song" (1974) country music artist Tommy Brown (Johnny Cash) is tired of being blackmailed by his domineering evangelical wife. He arranges a complicated murder scheme involving an airplane crash, some spiked coffee, and a parachute. Tommy's a nice fellow, despite his vices, but he keeps his cool when pursued by Lieutenant Columbo. Is this one worthy of the Grand Ole Opry? Or does it belon...
It's time once again for a Mrs. Columbo discussion, and we promise this will be the last one! In "Caviar with Everything" (1979) Caterer Sybil (Claudette Nevins) bumps off her business partner with an overly complicated involving caviar and train tracks. Is this one a smooth Russian sampling? Or can you find it on the bottom shelf at the gas station? Listen in and find out what Steve and Sean think!
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Ambitious and young, Beth Chadwick (Susan Clark) must get out from the thumb of her domineering brother to live the life she desires badly, so she shoots him as he enters her bedroom, pretending that she thought it was an intruder. Of course, things aren't that easy for Beth, because Lieutenant Columbo is on the case, and it only takes a newspaper on the hall table to set him on Beth's trail. What did Steve and Sean think of this...
In "Requiem for a Falling Star" (1973), when aging starlet Nora Chandler (Anne Baxter) has a motive for bumping off a gossip columnist but mistakenly kills her personal assistant instead, it becomes clear to Lieutenant Columbo that the death was a tragic murder-turned-accident...or is it? Is this one worthy of an Academy Award? Or should it be in the back pages of the newspaper? Listen in and find out what Steve and Sean thought...
Psychiatrist Dr. Eric Mason (Nicol Williamson) uses his dogs and his love of movie props to murder his best friend for revenge for his adulterous affair with Dr. Mason's late wife. The stakes are raised when Mason finds himself being pursued by the pesky Lieutenant Columbo. Is the episode a blooming rosebud? Or is it for the dogs? Listen in and find out what Steve and Sean have to say!
Have a comm...
In "A Case of Immunity" (1975), a diplomat (Hector Elizondo) murders a colleague for his own financial and political gain. However, Columbo finds himself embroiled in foreign and political affairs when he quickly discovers who the killer is. Is this a tasty dish of curried beef? Or a rotting bit falafel in a gas station heater? Listen in and find out what Steve and Sean thought!
Have a comment or ...
We're back! We kick off lucky Season 13 of the podcast with "A Matter of Honor" (1976), starring Ricardo Maltaban as a murderous Mexican matador who bumps off a man who witnesses too much. However, Columbo's in town, and when he crosses paths with the local police, he can't help but get involved. Is this one worthy of a standing ovation? Or is it just a lot of rice and beans? Listen in and find out what Steve and Sean think!
<...
It's been a while since we brought our listeners a new episode, and while we promise more reviews of more Columbo episodes in the near future, check out our discussion of the Mrs. Columbo episode "A Puzzle for Prophets", in which Kate pits herself against a murderous medium. Is this one truly mystifying? Or is it worthy of James Randi's shoe heel? Listen and find out!
Have a comment or a question f...
In "Candidate for Crime" (1973), Nelson Hayward (played by Jackie Cooper) shoots his campaign manager because he knows where all the proverbial bodies are buried. Columbo must sift through a myriad of clues including a smashed street lamp, a broken watch, and a new jacket to pin the crime on Hayward. Is this episode a grand old party? Or is it not even good enough for the primaries? Listen to what...
Ruth Lytton (Joyce Van Patten) commits a double murder to keep her beloved museum of antiquities open in "Old Fashioned Murder" (1976). Columbo will need to brush up on his knowledge of relics and drag out a few skeletons in the Lytton family's closet to solve this crime. Is "Old Fashioned" hip in a mid-century sort of way? Or does it belong in your grandmother's basement? Listen in and find out w...
In "Now You See Him" magician The Great Santini (Jack Cassidy) is in a dilemma when his manager discovers he's a former Nazi and his holding his feet to the fire for a bigger share of the profits. When Santini kills him to keep his secret safe during his own performance, everyone's favorite rumpled detective is hot on the trail. Is this one worthy of David Copperfield? Or should it be reserved for ...
When professional photographer Paul Galesko (Dick Van Dyke) bumps off his nagging wife and makes it look like the work of a kidnapper, Columbo must focus to bring down a killer who is as ornery as he is talented. Is this episode suitable for framing? Or should it be discarded into the fireplace? Listen in and find out what Steve and Sean think!
Have a comment o...
In "Short Fuse" (1972) chemical genius Roger Stanford (Roddy McDowell) rigs an exploding cigar box to kill his uncle and inherit his position and stay within his aunt's good graces. But when Columbo appears on the scene, does Roger become too clever for his own good? Was this episode a blast? Or was it a bomb? Listen to what Steve and Sean have to say and find out!
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