this post was submitted on 22 Jun 2024
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i love this series. peter falk really found a home in the character.

it had this interesting schtick where the murder is quite obvious, often occurring during the opening credits. the guest star of the week attempting to pull of some perfect murder and then columbo seemingly stumbling around them attempting to solve it.

each episode wasnt about who did it, or how they did it.. it was all about the mistake made that would lead columbo to the truth

columbo deserves a reboot, or at least something columbo-like. are there any shows with a similar format?

anyone have any fond memories of columbo?

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[–] [email protected] 23 points 6 months ago (1 children)

columbo deserves a reboot

Nah, we don't need everything we're nostalgic for to be rehashed for the newer generation.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 6 months ago

Please go take over a movie studio. We need you

[–] [email protected] 21 points 6 months ago (1 children)

I just recently started watching, and I'm on season 3 already. It's so good!

Also:

[–] [email protected] 3 points 6 months ago (1 children)

Let me introduce you to a slice of Canadiana, Seeing Things about a reporter who gets psychic visions about crimes. The visions are usually pretty ambiguous and the episode is spent working out what they mean. A part of our heritage

[–] [email protected] 2 points 6 months ago

Oh this sounds wonderful! Thanks!

[–] [email protected] 20 points 6 months ago (1 children)

Have you given Poker Face a shot? I think it might be up your alley.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 6 months ago

nope, i will check it out!

[–] [email protected] 13 points 6 months ago

Honestly this is one of my favorite shows ever, I think my grandma introduced it to me one day when she visited. Peter falk is just so charming. I should really watch it again if I can find it

For a while I would watch an episode before bed until I had seen everything. There's no way to really reboot Columbo, but some spiritual successor could be good.

[–] [email protected] 13 points 6 months ago (1 children)

I've been watching a lot of programs from the 60s and 70s lately, and Columbo is a great one. There's something so calming and disarming about the entire tone of the show, which Peter Falk fits perfectly into.

It's interesting, because after you've watched a few episodes, it becomes a great "background" show, with its low intensity. But if you're paying attention to it, despite the recurring themes each episode, they change things up enough that it doesn't get old like some shows from the period can be prone to do.

I'm not sure they could pull off the same vibe of a show quite as successfully today, but that's not so bad because there's so much existing material to go back and watch.

It's available on Prime video for anyone who's looking to give it a try

[–] [email protected] 6 points 6 months ago

It is also on tubi

[–] [email protected] 9 points 6 months ago

IMO what the latest generations are missing out on is the absolute randomness of on air TV.

TV used to be flipping through channels until something caught your attention, even if it isn't or wasn't what you were in the mood for and absolutely finding it interesting/a good watch.

We caught ourselves this last vacation chilling at our rental watching an old (late 90s) movie we haven't seen in a long time and it clicked for me: our kids curate thier own watchlists and looking at a thumbnail or reading the description isn't the same as coming across a show a quarter of the way through trying to figure out whats going on and staying until the end.

A bit of a boomer take, but it's an experience im close enough to be one to make.

[–] [email protected] 8 points 6 months ago

My partner introduced me to Columbo and it's become a game to see when he knows who did it and what he needs to connect to make the case. It's one of the great TV shows and detectives.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 6 months ago

I'm looking for something to watch after Homicide: Life on the Street, and maybe you just convinced me it's Columbo. Strong childhood memories of it.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 6 months ago* (last edited 6 months ago)

I second lemmyng's suggestion of Poker Face. It is a faithful and very entertaining addition to the 'inverted detective' genre popularized by Columbo.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 6 months ago

Maybe not exactly your cup of tea, but Elsbeth is very similar in structure to Colombo (which I loved)

Also agree with Poker Face, excellent site.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 6 months ago

used to watch that and murder she wrote with my grandmother. had a pretty long debate one night as to whether or not columbo had a glass eye

[–] [email protected] 4 points 6 months ago
[–] [email protected] 3 points 6 months ago (1 children)

I remember the one where somebody killed themselves but tied the gun to a rope so it would slide down behind a wall and disappear

[–] [email protected] 2 points 6 months ago

was there one with the weapon tied to balloons? not sure if that was columbo...

[–] [email protected] 3 points 6 months ago (1 children)

I'm a big fan. Have rewatched the series a few times in recent years after only catching it randomly as a kid in the 80s. Highly recommend Shooting Columbo if you're interested. Great website too pointing out interesting aspects. https://bonaventurepress.com/SHOOTING-COLUMBO/

[–] [email protected] 2 points 6 months ago

awesome thank you!

From its auspicious beginning — 50 years ago in an episode directed by Steven Spielberg

til!

[–] [email protected] 1 points 6 months ago

I dimly remember most of the episodes was just Columbo being annoying to the suspect until they gave up some clue to the motive of the crime. It was a funny, if somewhat predictable, gimmick.