Review of Columbo: Series 2

Introduction

Someone once said regarding the popularity of Star Trek, that at any one time, there would be an episode showing somewhere in the world. With the advent of multi-channel television, that statement becomes even truer. Star Trek isn`t the only property to which that applies though, and in recent years, more and more series have become the wallpaper to our lives. When it comes to murder mysteries, none is more ubiquitous than Columbo, the dishevelled detective, the crumpled cop. The very same day I received the second disc of Season 2 to review, Channel 5 broadcast one of the episodes on it.

The Columbo formula was perfected early on. We would be introduced to the guest characters early on in the show, and invariably see the events leading up to a particularly inventive murder, at which point Lieutenant Columbo of LAPD Homicide would be called in to investigate. What would follow would be an intellectual game of cat and mouse, as the murderer would try and outwit the detective, but the tenacious detective would weasel out the one flaw in an otherwise perfect alibi. Season 2 consists of 8 of the made for TV movies.

1. Étude in Black
2. The Greenhouse Jungle
3. The Most Crucial Game
4. Dagger of the Mind
5. Requiem for a Falling Star
6. A Stitch in Crime
7. The Most Dangerous Match
8. Double Shock

I received Disc 2 as a taster, with The Most Crucial Game and Dagger Of The Mind on it.

The Most Crucial Game sees the death of millionaire playboy Eric Wagner come under investigation. Wagner inherited a sports empire from his father, but was more interested in partying and relaxing than running the business. For that he had appointed Paul Hanlon as business manager. Hanlon is a temperamental man, quick to fly off the handle, and Columbo`s suspicions are aroused when he is informed of his employer`s death. Hanlon has an alibi that places him at an American Football game at the time of the death. Despite everything pointing to a tragic accident, Columbo begins a typically dogged investigation, with the most important question yet to be answered, "Just how much are those shoes?"

Columbo visits London in Dagger Of The Mind. He`s been invited as a VIP to observe Scotland Yard`s latest methods. When an in-law of the Detective Chief Superintendent dies in a fall at his stately home, it`s fortunate that Columbo is on the scene to notice a tiny irregularity. Sir Roger Haversham was a patron of the arts, and had recently been persuaded to produce a new performance of Macbeth in the West End. Columbo`s suspicions take him to suspect the husband and wife acting team of Lillian Stanhope and Nicholas Frame. They`ll have to give the performance of their lives to pull the wool over Columbo`s eyes.

Video

Once upon a time, American TV used to be filmed, not videotaped. It didn`t make much difference back in the seventies and eighties, as we watched on small television sets with tinny sound. But now that DVD has come of age, these older shows look so much better than their mid-eighties counterparts. Columbo is one of those shows that was shot entirely on film, and that shows in the 4:3 transfer, with a clear and well-defined image. The colours are strong, and the only issues are related to the film, a hint of grain, some print damage, and the occasional flicker. You may also see some moiré on some of those seventies fashions. It all looks as good as, if not better than the frequent television broadcasts.

Audio

You get a choice of DD 2.0 English, French, German, Italian and Spanish, with subtitles in these and five further languages. The dialogue is clear of course, and the sound reflects the distinctly mono source. You couldn`t really ask for more.

Features

Not a thing.

Conclusion

There are detective shows, and then there is Columbo. Columbo is one of the most enduring characters ever created for television; Peter Falk`s portrayal is unique and unparalleled. Columbo is a shambling scruffy man, laden with trademarks, the cigar, battered car, crumpled overcoat, somnolent basset hound and wife who is ever present in spirit. But it`s his humble manner, the way he disarms the suspect with an almost sycophantic interest in their lives that makes all the difference. Compared to the usual arrogant and all-knowing detectives of Conan Doyle and Christie, Columbo is a wholly different animal. The Columbo formula is also slightly different than the usual detective show. We already know who the murderer is by the end of the first act, and the stories are all about how they will be discovered. It`s the cat and mouse game played by murderer and detective that makes the shows so compelling, and it also gives them a rewatchability factor that straight mysteries would lack. The guest stars who would be attracted to the Columbo shows would be top notch, and each story would take the audience into a new world, a new echelon of society that they could learn about with the Lieutenant. One week it may be the movie industry, the next it may be a MENSA association or a hospital. It would all be a battle of wits and intelligence, with the only violence shown being the crime being investigated.

The Most Crucial Game is one of the weaker Columbo offerings. The story and the guest characters aren`t sufficiently developed over the running time. The overture is effective enough in introducing victim and killer, but the motive for the crime remains unclear. This is Robert Culp`s second outing as a nemesis for Columbo, but here the relationship between them is much more antagonistic. Usually there is a rapport that develops between detective and suspect, Columbo usually gets to know them and insinuates his way into their lives. Half the joy of a Columbo episode is seeing him immerse himself into the world of the suspect, but there is little of that here. So with an ambiguous motive and a lack of chemistry between Columbo and Hanlon, all that`s left is the investigation. Columbo`s character and eccentricities are enough to keep the attention, but The Most Crucial Game fails to stand out.

Dagger Of The Mind is a little more special however. Once in every US series` life, the cast will up sticks and relocate to the UK for a special episode in the olde country. This time it`s Columbo`s chance to show the humble British police how it`s done. Cue plenty of culture clash, as Columbo is faced with a language he barely comprehends, the chance to do a little sightseeing and a run in with British Customs. As per all these episodes, you`ll see the Houses of Parliament, Big Ben, Buckingham Palace, the ubiquitous Routemaster and many of our finest Bobbies. Of course, as soon as the action shifts to anywhere less recognisable, it all begins to look like Southern California, and the extras` English accents all make Dick Van Dyke proud. There is also that ever-present Olde English soundtrack featuring plenty of harpsichords. I think most Americans visiting the UK for the first time are shocked to learn that we`ve left the 19th Century. Richard Basehart and Honor Blackman are the suspects this time around, and we get to know their characters well, and more importantly the motivations behind the crime. The Lieutenant also charms them and it`s interesting watching them fall into his snare. Add to that the perfect British Butler as played by Wilfred Hyde-White, and the entertaining sight of watching Columbo trying to eat while his hosts discuss a post-mortem report, and this turns out to be a class Columbo mystery.

I have had a look at the IMDB entries for the other episodes, and a few spring to mind as instantly memorable. A Stitch in Crime guest stars Leonard Nimoy as a rather dangerous surgeon, The Most Dangerous Match is the one with the Chess Grandmaster who just can`t stand losing, and Double Shock stars Martin Landau starring as twins, and in which Columbo finally meets his match in an aggressive housekeeper. In fact all of these stories are classics, having been shown on television many times before. And that is my one reservation with this boxset. Rarely a week goes by when there isn`t a dose of Columbo on television. These stories haven`t been resurrected from a deeply buried archive, and indeed will still be fresh in many minds. The set itself has no extras, and will really appeal to the most devoted of fans. I can understand releasing television on DVD that will attract the most purchasers, but when the shows are still available to anyone with an aerial and TV guide, it makes the boxset a little redundant. Especially when there are plenty of shows that haven`t been dusted off in decades. When it comes to detective shows, I wonder if Cover Up or Matt Houston will ever make it to the silver disc.

Columbo is still classic TV, given a perfunctory release in this boxset, with broadcast quality sound and picture and an absence of extra features. As long as Columbo remains a stanchion of television schedules, this boxset is one for committed fans only. Just one more thing…