The Columbo Podcast

The forty third episode of Columbo was titled The Conspirators and was the final episode of the show’s seventh season and the last of the original run. An Irish entertainer kills when he believes he has been double-crossed in a weapons deal. In this podcast Gerry and Iain look at the end of Columbo’s original run and reflect on season 7.     Clive Revill takes top billing as Joe Devlin, an all-round entertainer and an active participant in the then-ongoing military dispute in Ireland. He arranges with Albert Paulsen‘s Vincent Pauley to acquire a large cache of weapons to ship out to Ireland (long way from LA to Dublin by boat!) but when he suspects foul play, executes Pauley in a hotel room.   There was a bigger cast for this episode than in recent weeks. Jeanette Nolan and Bernart Behrens as Kate and George O’Connell were crucial supporters of Devlin’s ambitions and of the arms deal he brokered with Pauley. Michael Horton played young Kerry Malone, the other member of their cell.   There were a number of other key roles – L.Q. Jones as Pauley’s weapons dealer; Sean McClory as the captain of the ship destined to carry the guns (a long, long way round) to Ireland; Deborah White as Angela, a book store assistant who provides a vital clue; and talk show host Carole Hemingway as herself   Leo Penn is behind the camera for the second of his three Columbo episodes after the Season 3 classic Any Old Port in a Storm working with Howard Berk‘s script from an idea by Pat Robison. Berk also wrote Season 4’s By Dawn’s Early Light and went on to pen two Mrs Columbo episodes in 1979. Pat Robison has no other screenwriting credits.   If you have thoughts on any aspect of The Conspirators, please share them below, or find us on Twitter at @columbopodcast.   The Columbo Podcast is widely available – on iTunes, Stitcher, tunein, Pocket Casts or pretty much wherever you choose to receive and manage your podcasts. If you enjoy the show it would be greatly appreciated if you consider leaving ratings and reviews on these sites – particularly iTunes – as that can make a big difference to growing the podcast’s audience.   The Conspirators was released in 1978. It is 100 minutes long and originally aired on the...

The forty second episode of Columbo was titled How to Dial a Murder and was the fourth episode of the show’s seventh season. A behavioural psychologist seeks revenge on his best friend for an affair with his wife, with the help of his well-trained dogs. In this podcast Gerry and Iain look at an episode that tests the boundaries of criminal responsibility.     Nicol Williamson stars as Dr Eric Mason, an apparently grieving widower whose wife – we learn – has recently died in an accident. Ultimately it transpires that Mrs Mason had been engaging in an extra-marital affair with Dr Charles Hunter (Joel Fabiani), ostensibly Eric’s best friend. Unaware that his secret is out, Hunter visits Mason’s home, where he is tricked into uttering a word that Mason’s dogs have been trained to respond to violently. The dogs kill Hunter, with Mason’s alibi established.   There is a small principal cast in this episode, with primary support offered by Sex and the City’s Kim Cattrall as Joanne Nicholls, a student lodging with the Masons, Tricia O’Neil as a specialist dog trainer, Frank Aletter as Mason’s physician Ernie Garrison and a young Ed Begley Jr. as the police officer charged with guarding Mason’s dogs before their scheduled destruction.   Director James Frawley returned after helming both Try and Catch Me and Make Me a Perfect Murder in Season 7 and would return for three further episodes. Writer Tom Lazarus produced a teleplay from Anthony Lawrence‘s story in the sole contribution to the series for both men.   If you have thoughts on any aspect of How to Dial a Murder, please share them below, or find us on Twitter at @columbopodcast.   The Columbo Podcast is widely available – on iTunes, Stitcher, tunein, Pocket Casts or pretty much wherever you choose to receive and manage your podcasts. If you enjoy the show it would be greatly appreciated if you consider leaving ratings and reviews on these sites – particularly iTunes – as that can make a big difference to growing the podcast’s audience.   How to Dial a Murder was released in 1978. It is 73 minutes long and originally aired on the NBC network. It can be viewed on Netflix in the United States and is available on DVD in other countries, including a comprehensive box set of all the show’s seasons released by Universal.  

The forty first episode of Columbo was titled Make Me a Perfect Murder and was the third episode of the show’s seventh season. A television executive seeks revenge after she is betrayed by her lover. In this podcast Gerry and Iain look at an interesting episode with echoes of previous shows throughout.     Studio executives Kay Freestone (Trish Van Devere) and Mark McAndrews (Laurence Luckinbill) are involved in a secret relationship at the outset of this mystery, a pairing that Freestone believes comes with an implicit (or perhaps explicit) arrangement for each to support the other’s career. When McAndrews is promoted to the network’s New York office and refuses to either take Freestone along or to promote her into the post he is vacating, she interprets his behaviour as a betrayal and sets in motion a plot to kill him and escape suspicion.   James McEachin‘s Walter Mearhead is a projectionist, unwittingly recruited to support Freestone’s alibi, while Patrick O’Neal returns to the show, after featuring in Season One’s Blueprint for Murder, as network boss Frank Flanagan. There are other minor supporting roles, but the episode focuses heavily on Freestone and her ultimately futile efforts to escape Columbo’s suspicion.   Director James Frawley earlier helmed this season’s Try and Catch Me and would return for four future episodes. Writer Robert Blees made his only contribution to Columbo with this tale.   If you have thoughts on any aspect of Make Me a Perfect Murder, please share them below, or find us on Twitter at @columbopodcast.   The Columbo Podcast is widely available – on iTunes, Stitcher, tunein, Pocket Casts or pretty much wherever you choose to receive and manage your podcasts. If you enjoy the show it would be greatly appreciated if you consider leaving ratings and reviews on these sites – particularly iTunes – as that can make a big difference to growing the podcast’s audience.   Make Me a Perfect Murder was released in 1978. It is 100 minutes long and originally aired on the NBC network. It can be viewed on Netflix in the United States and is available on DVD in other countries, including a comprehensive box set of all the show’s seasons released by Universal.   Tweet

The fortieth episode of Columbo was titled Murder Under Glass and was the second episode of the show's seventh season. A famous food critic kills to keep his extortion of restaurant owners concealed. In this podcast Gerry and Iain look at a suave killer who isn't prepared to come quietly.

The thirty ninth episode of Columbo was titled Try and Catch Me and was the first episode of the show’s seventh season. A successful author seeks to avenge her niece’s murder. In this podcast Gerry and Iain look at a game of cat-and-mouse between a playful killer and the lieutenant.     Season seven kicks off with a memorable contest between Columbo and Ruth Gordon‘s Abigail Mitchell.  Over the course of the show the two gain respect and no small degree of fondness for one another; but as understandable as Mitchell’s actions are, they still add up to murder and the lieutenant is left with no choice but to take her in.   The victim of Mitchell’s act of vengeance is her niece’s widower, Edmund Galvin – played with perfect detachment by Charles Frank. The episode features a small principal cast – Mariette Hartley returns (after an appearance in Season 3’s Publish or Perish) as Abigail’s assistant Veronica; Mary Jackson plays her housekeeper Annie and G.D. Spradlin makes an impression as her loyal attorney Martin Hammond. Beyond these three only Jerome Guardino (Sgt. Burke) and Marie Silva-Alexander (Veronica’s belly-dancing instructor) have credited appearances.   This episode marked the arrival of Richard Alan Simmons as the show’s producer and he was to implement a focused approach to storytelling, as we discuss on the podcast.   James Frawley directs the first of his six Columbo episodes (he would ultimately helm more than half of season seven’s shows) from a script by Gene Thompson (interestingly uncredited for his involvement in writing Ransom for a Dead Man).   During the podcast Iain was convinced that Dog was played by a new actor in this episode. If you have thoughts on that or any other aspect of Try and Catch Me, please share them below, or find us on Twitter at @columbopodcast.   The Columbo Podcast is widely available – on iTunes, Stitcher, tunein, Pocket Casts or pretty much wherever you choose to receive and manage your podcasts. If you enjoy the show it would be greatly appreciated if you consider leaving ratings and reviews on these sites – particularly iTunes – as that can make a big difference to growing the podcast’s audience.   Try and Catch Me was released in 1977. It is 73 minutes long and originally aired on the NBC network. It can be viewed on Netflix in the United States and is available on DVD in other countries, including a comprehensive box set of all the show’s seasons released by Universal.

The thirty eighth episode of Columbo was titled The Bye-Bye Sky High IQ Murder Case and was the final episode of the show’s short sixth season. On the brink of exposure for embezzlement, a genius uses his ability to plot the perfect murder. In this podcast Gerry and Iain look at a contest between two highly intelligent characters.     Although not sticking to a classic head-to-head format throughout, this episode is nevertheless dominated by Peter Falk’s Columbo and Theodore Bikel as Oliver Brandt, killer of Sorrell Booke‘s Bertie Hastings. Hastings has uncovered evidence of embezzlement by Brandt, but is unaware that Brandt knows all about his investigations. When the matter comes to a head Brandt shoots Hastings dead before executing a plan, which has been prepared with precision, in order to cover his tracks.   Brandt and Hastings are members of a MENSA-style high IQ organisation called the Sigma Society. Also attending the meeting on the night of Hastings’ murder are Jason Danziger (Basil Hoffman) and Caroline Treynor (Carol Jones), amongst others. Kenneth Mars plays a new member who is proud to be accepted into the society. Additional support comes from Samantha Eggar as Brandt’s two-dimensional wife Vivian, Howard McGillin as George Camponella – an employee loyal to Brandt – and Peter Lampert in an uncredited role as Alvin Metzler, Hastings’ secretary who later becomes the target of Brandt’s ire.   Jamie Lee Curtis makes one of her earliest television appearances as a disgruntled waitress who insists Columbo purchase a new donut if he is to eat on her restaurant’s premises. Curtis, of course, follows in the footsteps of her mother, Janet Leigh, who starred as the killer in Season Five’s Forgotten Lady.   Sam Wanamaker directs the first of his two Columbo episodes, working with a script by Robert M. Young. Young did not write for Columbo before or since and is probably better known for his screenplay for 1975’s Escape to Witch Mountain.   If you have thoughts on any aspect of The Bye-Bye Sky High IQ Murder Case, please share them below, or find us on Twitter at @columbopodcast.   The Columbo Podcast is widely available – on iTunes, Stitcher, tunein, Pocket Casts or pretty much wherever you choose to receive and manage your podcasts. If you enjoy the show it would be greatly appreciated if you consider leaving ratings and reviews on these sites – particularly iTune...

The thirty seventh episode of Columbo was titled Old Fashioned Murder and was the second episode of the show’s sixth season. Faced with the loss of her life’s work, a museum curator turns on those closest to her. In this podcast Gerry and Iain look at the impact of an emotional story.     There was a familiar face opposite Columbo in this episode as Joyce Van Patten returned to the show after a small role in Season Four’s Negative Reaction. Playing Ruth Lytton, curator of the family museum, she turns to murder after her brother Edward (Tim O’Connor) suggests that the financially prudent course of action is to sell the museum and its contents. Caught up in her plot is Milton Shaeffer, a security guard played by the episode’s writer Peter S. Feibleman.   Oscar winner Celeste Holm as Lytton’s sister, Mrs. Brandt, offers a melodramatic distraction, while Jeannie Berlin‘s Janie Brant is the victim of Ruth’s attempted framing, despite an apparently close relationship between the two women. Jess Osuna appears as Tim Shaeffer – brother of Milton and having an extra-marital affair with Janie – while Jon Miller also appears as the creatively-named Sergeant Miller.   As noted, Peter S. Feibleman wrote the teleplay from a story by Lawrence Vail. Vail, in turn, appears to have been a pseudonym for Peter S. Fischer. Director Robert Douglas helmed his only Columbo episode, but viewers may have recognised his name from an acting turn in Troubled Waters where he played Dr. Pierce.   If you have thoughts on the Feibleman/Fischer/Vail myster or any other aspect of Old Fashioned Murder, please share them below, or find us on Twitter at @columbopodcast.   The Columbo Podcast is widely available – on iTunes, Stitcher, tunein, Pocket Casts or pretty much wherever you choose to receive and manage your podcasts. If you enjoy the show it would be greatly appreciated if you consider leaving ratings and reviews on these sites – particularly iTunes – as that can make a big difference to growing the podcast’s audience.   Old Fashioned Murder was released in 1976. It is 73 minutes long and originally aired on the NBC network. It can be viewed on Netflix in the United States and is available on DVD in other countries, including a comprehensive box set of all the show’s seasons released by Universal.  

The thirty sixth episode of Columbo was titled Fade in to Murder and was the first episode of the show’s sixth season. A television star turns to murder under pressure of blackmail. In this podcast Gerry and Iain look at a fascinatingly layered story of a famous TV detective.     A smaller cast was used in this episode, compared to Season Five’s finale and it was Star Trek veteran William Shatner who had the chance to shine as we were presented a traditional head-to-head between Columbo and the killer. Shatner played Ward Fowler, television’s highest paid star for his role as Detective Lucerne, who was suffering at the hands of Clare Daley (Lola Albright). Daley’s knowledge of Fowler’s past meant she was in a position to blackmail him and she had taken advantage – pocketing half his earnings over a significant period of time.   Supporting the principal cast were Bert Remsen as Mark Davis, a friend of Fowler’s who was drugged and tricked into believing he could provide an alibi; and Alan Manson as Sid Daley, husband of Clare and another plausible suspect in the case. There was a pleasing cameo from Walter Koenig as a Sergeant Johnson, his first collaboration with Shatner since Star Trek was cancelled. (Both men had, however, appeared on (separate) episodes of Medical Center and The Virginian in the intervening period.) Timothy Carey made his third and final appearance on the show as Tony, a witness to the killing.   Fred Draper returned after portraying the killer in the previous episode, playing an extra on Fowler’s show who was fired for failing to deliver his lines correctly right at the start of the episode. This was his sixth and final Columbo appearance.   Director Bernard L. Kowalski returned for his fourth and final stint behind the camera, working with a script by Lou Shaw and Peter S. Feibleman from a story by Henry Garson. Shaw previously wrote Season Five’s A Case of Immunity, while this was Feibleman’s first involvement with the series.  This was to be Garson’s one and only contribution to Columbo and is his final recorded writing credit altogether, although he would live a further 27 years to the age of 91. He is perhaps best known for writing the 1960 Elvis Presley movie GI Blues.   If you have thoughts on any aspect of Fade in to Murder, please share them below, or find us on Twitter at @columbopodcast.   The Columbo Podcast is widely available – on iTunes, Stitcher, tunein, Pocket Casts or pretty much wherever you choose to receive and manage your podcasts. If you enjoy the show it would be greatly appreciated if you consider leaving ratings and reviews on these sites – particularly iTunes – as that ...

The thirty fifth episode of Columbo was titled Last Salute to the Commodore and was the highly controversial final episode of the show’s fifth season. An array of suspects are presented as the show departs from its usual format. In this podcast Gerry and Iain look at what was changed and the extent to which it helped or harmed the character of Columbo.     There were a number of returning actors in this episode. Robert Vaughn took top billing, having portrayed a killer in Season Four’s Troubled Waters, while Wilfrid Hyde-White, John Dehner, Joshua Bryant and Fred Draper also appeared in new roles. Bruce Kirby reprised his part as Sergeant George Kramer.   The episode did not follow the usual format. Dehner’s Otis Swanson, the Commodore referred to in the Episode title, was murdered near the start of the episode with the audience led to believe Vaughn’s Charles Clay was responsible. Later, however, Clay himself is murdered and suspicion falls on Diane Baker‘s Joanna Clay – daughter of Otis and wife of Charles. She is joined as a suspect by Wayne Taylor (Bryant), the Commodore’s lawyer Kittering (Hyde-White), the Commodore’s new love Lisa King (Susan Foster) and Clay’s cousin ‘Swanny’ Swanson (Draper).   In an Agatha Christie-style finale Columbo, Kramer and Dennis Dugan‘s Sgt. Theodore ‘Mac’ Albinsky gather the suspects in a single room before solving the case in front of them. As it turns out, Joanna, Kittering, Wayne and Lisa killed nobody, with Swanny responsible for both murders.   As with most of the actors, the director and writer were both returning to the show. Jackson Gillis penned seven episodes across the first three seasons, but this was his first script since then and his last for a further fourteen years. The episode was directed by Patrick McGoohan, his second stint behind the camera and perhaps his most scrutinised.   During the show we asked if anyone recalled the contemporary reaction to this episode. If you have thoughts on that or any other aspect of Last Salute to the Commodore please share them below, or find us on Twitter at @columbopodcast.   The Columbo Podcast is widely available – on iTunes, Stitcher, tunein, Pocket Casts or pretty much wherever you choose to receive and manage your podcasts. If you enjoy the show it would be greatly appreciated if you consider leaving ratings and reviews on these sites – particularly iTunes – as that can make a big difference to growing the podcast’s audience.   Last Salute to the Commodore was released in 1976. It is 95 minutes long and originally aired on the NBC network. It can be viewed on Netflix in the United States and is available on DVD in other countries...

The thirty fourth episode of Columbo was titled Now You See Him and was the fifth episode of the show’s fifth season. A popular magician kills to conceal his darkest secret. In this podcast Gerry and Iain look at Columbo’s efforts to outsmart a master of illusion.     Returning for the third and final time, Jack Cassidy is our killer once more. As ‘The Great Santini’ he delivers a strong and memorable performance, portraying an arrogant culprit with a genuine belief that he’s carried out a perfect crime. Tied in to an onerous contract by manipulative club owner Jesse Jerome (Nehemiah Persoff), under threat of blackmail, Santini’s efforts to renegotiate are rebuffed. Jerome threatens to reveal Santini’s secret past as an SS officer in Nazi Germany, unaware of how vulnerable he is as the last man alive to know this about the magician.   Bob Dishy returned as Sergeant Wilson, his second and last appearance in the role, supporting Columbo in his inquiries. Important roles at the club are played by Robert Loggia (manager Harry Blandford), Cynthia Sikes (Santini’s daughter-cum-assistant Della) and George Sperdakos as Thankery; while Victor Izay made his second of three Columbo appearances as the locksmith Lassiter. Della’s boyfriend, the club singer, was played by Patrick Culliton, a magic aficionado himself, who briefly reflects on the episode here.   Perhaps the most remarkable supporting part was an uncredited role. Long-term Columbo extra Mike Lally played a retired high-wire artist who remembered Santini from the old, though post-war, days in Europe. The character is also named Mike Lally and there are a couple of complimentary lines in there for him that it’s clear the actors are enjoying.   Harvey Hart returned to direct in his fourth and – like Cassidy and Dishy – final stint behind the camera and the script was written by Michael Sloan, who did not write again for Columbo, but has gone on to have a strong career as is perhaps best known for creating The Equalizer, most recently portrayed on film by Denzel Washington.   If you have thoughts on any aspect of Now You See Him please share them below, or find us on Twitter at @columbopodcast.   The Columbo Podcast is widely available – on iTunes, Stitcher, tunein, Pocket Casts or pretty much wherever you choose to receive and manage your podcasts. If you enjoy the show it would be greatly appreciated if you consider leaving ratings and reviews on these sites – particularly iTunes – as that can make a big difference to growing the podcast’s audience.

The thirty third episode of Columbo was titled A Matter of Honor and was the fourth episode of the show’s fifth season. An ageing matador kills a dear friend to conceal an uncomfortable truth. In this podcast Gerry and Iain look at a vacationing Columbo and his unofficial contribution to the investigation.     As legendary matador Luis Montoya, Ricardo Montalban – perhaps best known for his role as Khan on the original series of Star Trek and in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan – creates an impressive villain, commanding and arrogant in an effort to mask his own extreme cowardice and fear. Having been exposed as a fraud in front of Robert Carricart‘s Hector Rangel as the pair tried to rescue Rangel’s son from a bull, Montoya chooses to murder his friend rather than run the risk of others finding out the truth.   Pedro Armendariz Jr.‘s Commandante Sanchez is tasked with investigating the death, drawing on the expertise of Columbo who happens to be on holiday in Mexico at this point. Rangel’s son, Curro (Adolph Martinez), is enlisted by the lieutenant to help expose Montoya in the episode’s dramatic conclusion.   Emilio Fernández, as ranch hand Miguel, and Maria Grimm, as Montoya’s daughter Nina, also offer support as the story progresses.   Director Ted Post returned for his second and final stint behind the Columbo camera, following A Case of Immunity earlier in Season Five. Writer Brad Radnitz, meanwhile, penned his only script for the show.   During the podcast we asked if anybody knew whether the episode was filmed in Mexico. If you recognised any of the locations or have thoughts on another aspect of A Matter of Honor please share them below, or find us on Twitter at @columbopodcast.   The Columbo Podcast is widely available – on iTunes, Stitcher, tunein, Pocket Casts or pretty much wherever you choose to receive and manage your podcasts. If you enjoy the show it would be greatly appreciated if you consider leaving ratings and reviews on these sites – particularly iTunes – as that can make a big difference to growing the podcast’s audience.   A Matter of Honor was released in 1976. It is 70 minutes long and originally aired on the NBC network. It can be viewed on Netflix in the United States and is available on DVD in other countries, including a comprehensive box set of all the show’s seasons released by Universal.  

The thirty second episode of Columbo was titled Identity Crisis and was the third episode of the show’s fifth season. A double agent kills a CIA operative in Columbo’s jurisdiction. In this podcast Gerry and Iain look at the way the lieutenant takes on a skilled opponent.     Patrick McGoohan returned to Columbo after his debut in Season Four’s By Dawn’s Early Light, directing and starring in this episode. He plays Nelson Brenner, a CIA agent with a secret second identity, by day a high-level consultant who prepares speeches for politicians and socialises in elite social circles.   Brenner’s victim is also portrayed by a returning guest star, Leslie Nielsen. The character is referred to as ‘A.J. Henderson’, but this is an assumed identity and his real name is never known. His CIA codename is ‘Geronimo’. He suspects Brenner to be a double agent, but more importantly knows Brenner has held on to money he’s due for his part in an earlier operation. Ultimately, this dispute leads to Geronimo’s death.   Series regulars Val Avery, Bruce Kirby and Vito Scotti played important roles as an ex-cop turned barkeeper, Sgt. Kramer and politician Salvatore Defonte respectively, while Otis Young was key as Lawrence Melville, an ex-con under the malevolent influence of Brenner’s alter-ego. David White‘s appearance as Phil Corrigan, Director of the CIA, pulled things together in the final stanza.   McGoohan’s directorial debut saw him working with William Driskill‘s thrid and final Columbo script – all for 1975 episodes after Season Four’s Troubled Waters and the Season Five opener Forgotten Lady. McGoohan would go on to direct four further episodes, right up until the year 2000.   During the podcast we asked if anybody could spot Paul Gleason, who is credited with the role of ‘Parsons’ in the episode. If you spotted him or have thoughts on any other aspect of Identity Crisis please share them below, or find us on Twitter at @columbopodcast.   The Columbo Podcast is widely available – on iTunes, Stitcher, tunein, Pocket Casts or pretty much wherever you choose to receive and manage your podcasts. If you enjoy the show it would be greatly appreciated if you consider leaving ratings and reviews on these sites – particularly iTunes – as that can make a big difference to growing the podcast’s audience.   Identity Crisis was released in 1975. It is 95 minutes long and originally aired on the NBC network. It can be viewed on

The thirty first episode of Columbo was titled A Case of Immunity and was the second episode of the show’s fifth season. Internal conflicts lead a diplomat to kill two colleagues while the US government pressures Columbo to drop the case. In this podcast Gerry and Iain look at the way Columbo builds his case and a dramatic resolution.     The versatile Hector Elizondo features as Hassan Salah, First Secretary to the Suari King, who conspires with Sal Mineo‘s Rahman Habib to murder Youssef Alafa (André Lawrence). Alafa is the Security Chief at the Suari Legation in Los Angeles and internal politics seem to be the primary motivation. Salah goes on to kill Habib as well to ensure he is not implicated in the killing of Alafa.   Brioni Farrell as Xenia, a member of staff at the Legation; and Barry Robins as the aforementioned Suari King played important supporting roles as Columbo built his own alliances. Dick Dinman‘s brief appearance as government agent Kermit Morgan was also critical in establishing the particular complications of the case   Ted Post directed in the first of his two Columbo episodes, while Lou Shaw‘s teleplay of James Menzies‘ story was also the first of two engagements on the show. By contrast, this was Menzies’ only involvement with Columbo.   If you have thoughts on any aspect of A Case of Immunity please share them below, or find us on Twitter at @columbopodcast.   The Columbo Podcast is widely available – on iTunes, Stitcher, tunein, Pocket Casts or pretty much wherever you choose to receive and manage your podcasts. If you enjoy the show it would be greatly appreciated if you consider leaving ratings and reviews on these sites – particularly iTunes – as that can make a big difference to growing the podcast’s audience.   A Case of Immunity was released in 1975. It is 70 minutes long and originally aired on the NBC network. It can be viewed on Netflix in the United States and is available on DVD in other countries, including a comprehensive box set of all the show’s seasons released by Universal.   Tweet

The thirtieth episode of Columbo was titled Forgotten Lady and was the first episode of the show’s fifth season. A one-time star of stage and screen kills her husband to fund a comeback. In this podcast Gerry and Iain look at the unusual circumstances that impede Columbo’s investigation and the unlikely resolution that follows.     Holywood icon Janet Leigh is mesmerising as Grace Wheeler, a faded star who dreams of a comeback – unaware of the brain tumour that will soon kill her. Perceiving her husband, Dr Henry Willis (Sam Jaffe), as an obstacle, she kills him and fakes his suicide before forgetting her role in his death completely on account of her illness. Without recourse to a killer’s incriminating behaviour there is a greater challenge facing Columbo than usual.   Leigh herself was a Holywood star in the 50s and 60s, starring in a number of productions including Walking My Baby Back Home, a fictionalised version of which appears in the episode. Her face became familiar to film fans around the world when it was used to promote the Alfred Hitchcock movie Psycho – in which Leigh starred and for which she won a Golden Globe and an Academy Award nomination – in 1960. From 1966 onwards the vast majority of her work came on television, including appearances in The Love Boat and The Twilight Zone.   John Payne played a key supporting role as Ned Diamond, Grace’s long-term dance partner and friend, while Maurice Evans and Linda Gaye Scott were charming as Raymond and Alma, the household’s housekeeping husband-and-wife team. Johnny Carson also made an appearance as the couple tuned in to his show at the end of a day’s work.   Harvey Hart‘s third of four directorial stints followed By Dawn’s Early Light and A Deadly State of Mind from Season Four, while William Driskill penned the second of his three 1975 episodes to follow Troubled Waters. Neither man had any further association with Columbo past the end of the fifth season.   We asked on the podcast if anyone knew whether Johnny Carson recorded the clips used specifically for Columbo. If you have thoughts on that or any other aspect of Forgotten Lady please share them below, or find us on Twitter at @columbopodcast.   The Columbo Podcast is widely available – on iTunes, Stitcher, tunein, Pocket Casts or pretty much wherever you choose to receive and manage your podcasts. If you enjoy the show it would be greatly appreciated if you consider leaving ratings and reviews on these sites – particularly iTunes – as that can make a big difference to growing the podcast’s audience.   Forgotten Lady was released in 1975. It is 100 minutes long and originally aired on the NBC network.

The pilot episode of Columbo was titled Ransom for a Dead Man and preceded the show’s first season. An ambitious wife disposes of her husband to take control of their assets. In this podcast Gerry and Iain look at the story of this pilot episode and its relationship to the series that followed.     The original run of Columbo spanned seven seasons. With the Columbo Podcast having reached the conclusion of Season 4 it seemed an opportune moment to produce a special episode looking back at the 1971 pilot that immediately preceded that run. Academy Award winner Lee Grant squared off against Peter Falk’s fledgeling Columbo in a 98 minute show that laid firm foundations for the series to follow.   Grant’s Leslie Williams was a lawyer, married to another – Harlan Warde‘s Paul Williams – and stepmother to Patricia Mattick‘s erratic Margaret Williams. Although the episode does not make this explicit, it seems likely that she is looking to gain unfettered control over their financial assets. She murders him and stages a fake kidnapping to cover her tracks. Margaret returns from her private school in Switzerland when her father goes missing and offers further irritation to Leslie.   Grant went on to win her Oscar in 1976, following nominations in 1952 and 1971 and ahead of a further nomination in 1977, all for the Best Actress in a Supporting Role category. Her win came for Shampoo opposite Warren Beatty, Julie Christie and Goldie Hawn and was that movie’s only success from its four Academy Award nominations.   There was a much larger group of supporting actors here than we saw once Season 1 began. From John Fink as Michael Clark, Williams’ associate at her legal practice, to Jean Byron as Pat, a tennis-playing friend to Leslie; from FBI agent Carlson (Harold Gould) to Paul Carr as Hammond, one of Carlson’s team, there were an array of talented supporting actors who helped sustain a strong show.   This was Richard Irving’s final stint behind the Columbo camera, while writer Dean Hargrove went on to be a producer and executive producer on 20 episodes of the show, between 1971 and 1975.   If you have thoughts on any aspect of Ransom for a Dead Man please share them below, or find us on Twitter at @columbopodcast.   The Columbo Podcast is widely available – on iTunes, Stitcher, tunein, Pocket Casts or pretty much wherever you choose to receive and manage your podcasts.