Columbo - Season 10 Part 2 (Remastered) (1993)

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General		Extras
Category	Crime Drama	None
Rating
Year Of Production	1993
Running Time	708
RSDL / Flipper	Dual Layered Multi Disc Set (8)	Cast & Crew
Start Up	Menu
Region Coding	4	Directed By	Vincent McEveety Dennis Dugan Patrick McGoohan Jeffrey Reiner
Studio Distributor	Madman Entertainment	Starring	Peter Falk Patrick McGoohan William Shatner Billy Connolly Faye Dunaway Rue McClanahan Rod Steiger George Wendt
Case	?
RPI	$39.95	Music	None Given

Video		Audio
Pan & Scan/Full Frame	Full Frame	English Dolby Digital 2.0 Isolated Score & Effects Dolby Digital 2.0
Widescreen Aspect Ratio	None
16x9 Enhancement
Video Format	576i (PAL)
Original Aspect Ratio	1.33:1	Miscellaneous
Jacket Pictures	No
Subtitles	None	Smoking	Yes, Columbo smokes cigars, others smoke
		Annoying Product Placement	No
		Action In or After Credits	No

     You should know the deal by now. A long-running television staple, Columbo stars Peter Falk as the titular homicide detective, who is always seen wearing his iconic rumpled raincoat, smoking a cigar. Lt. Columbo is a highly intelligent policeman who likes to let suspects underestimate him, when he is in fact one step ahead of them more often than not. Each episode of Columbo is essentially a feature-length movie, running between 70 and 95 minutes, and it’s a far different type of show to the likes of Law & Order or NCIS since here we see the murder taking place and the fun is derived from watching to find out how Columbo will get his man. It’s a refreshing change from the typical “whodunit” formula - it’s a “howcatchem,” instead.

     And here we are with the final Columbo DVD set courtesy of Madman, featuring the final eight episodes of this gem of a show. Said eight episodes span a decade of broadcasting, with the first telemovie in this set having aired in 1993 while the finale was broadcast in 2003, a full thirty-five years after Falk first portrayed the role on-camera in 1968. Despite containing one of the worst episodes of the show (“Undercover”), along with a few middle-of-the-road entries, this is still a strong set with plenty of classic Columbo to enjoy. Each episode has a full disc to itself. Here’s what we have:

Disc 1:

It’s All in the Game (91:02)

     Wealthy socialite Lauren Staton (Faye Dunaway) grows tired of her abusive, two-timing lover Nick (Armando Pucci). Lauren conspires with young Lisa Martin (Claudia Christian) to murder Nick, establishing airtight alibis for themselves and setting the murder up to just look like a burglary gone wrong. After shooting him, the women keep Nick’s body warm for hours with an electric blanket, and Lisa fires a shot whilst Lauren is conversing with the building manager. Assigned to the case is Lt. Columbo, who takes an instant shine to the beautiful Lauren. As Columbo begins to snoop around, Lauren seeks to use the detective’s attraction to her advantage, flirting with him and buying him gifts in the hope of avoiding suspicion.

     “It’s All in the Game” kicks off this particular season set with a real bang. The only Columbo episode to have been written by Falk himself, this is an engaging and even touching telemovie, providing another unique spin on the show’s trademark formula. Dunaway won a well-deserved Primetime Emmy Award for her performance here; she’s simply delightful alongside Falk, who continues to play his iconic role without missing a beat. The relationship between Columbo and Lauren is reminiscent of the earlier Columbo episodes, and their interplay is the central focus of the episode rather than just detective work. “It’s All in the Game” is also more gratifying than usual. The end result is timeless, making this one of the best latter-day episodes of the show.

Disc 2:

Butterfly in Shades of Grey (88:30)

     An outspoken but popular talk show radio host, Fielding Chase (William Shatner) is upset to learn that his foster daughter Victoria Chase (Molly Hagan) - who works as a producer on his call-in show - plans to move to New York to pursue a writing career. Investigator Jerry Winters (Jack Laufer) encourages Victoria to follow her dream, even securing a literary agent to allow her to get her novel published. However, Chase calls in a favour to sabotage the deal, and Jerry has his suspicions that Chase is responsible. To prevent Jerry from doing anymore to push Victoria to leave, Chase murders him, setting up an ostensibly airtight alibi by speaking to him on the phone during the murder through the extension at Jerry’s house. But of course, Columbo instantly suspects that Chase is involved in the shooting.

     This is another fine latter-day Columbo, but the big issue with this particular telemovie is that Chase’s motive for murdering Winters is weak, and there are a few holes in his scheme. Indeed, this episode could have done with a rewrite before going before the cameras. Still, there is a lot to enjoy here, especially with Shatner returning to play his second murderer on the show (his first appearance being the Season 6 episode “Fade in to Murder”). Falk and Shatner are fun to watch together, and it’s always enjoyable to watch Columbo do his thing (there is humour, of course). However, pacing is affected by the addition of a gay relationship angle which is not relevant in the grand scheme of things, and the supporting actors are unspectacular. Flaws aside, “Butterfly in Shades of Grey” is another enjoyable if middle-of-the-road Columbo entry, but it lacks the charm and spark of the classic episodes. Quite unexpectedly, this telemovie was helmed by none other than Dennis Dugan, who went on to carve out a long career helming awful Adam Sandler comedy vehicles.

Disc 3:

Undercover (89:23)

     Two men are found dead in an apartment, each clutching a fragment of a photograph. Brought in to investigate is Lt. Columbo, who learns that the killings are connected to the missing loot from a bank heist in which all the burglars were shot dead in a shootout with police. A crooked insurance investigator named Irving Krutch (Ed Begley, Jr.) asks Columbo to assist in tracking down the other pieces of the photo which will potentially pinpoint the location of the hidden millions. Due to his Italian heritage, Columbo goes undercover to recover the missing pieces while trying to figure out Krutch’s agenda.

     And here we are at rock bottom again with one of the worst Columbo episodes in the show’s long history. Much like the equally poor “No Time to Die,” this is an adaptation of an unrelated novel by Ed McBain, and contains very little of the things we love about Columbo. The formula is thrown out once again, and we don’t get to watch Columbo cleverly unravel an ingenious murder plot. Deviations from the formula are not entirely unwelcome by default, but “Undercover” just isn’t any fun, and like “No Time to Die,” it’s not skilful enough to transcend the show. Falk does try his hardest of course, but his undercover persona is difficult to watch. This is also one of the few episodes in which Columbo carries a firearm. Burt Young, perhaps best known as Paulie from the Rocky movies, has a supporting role. This episode also features both Tyne Daly, who previously starred in “A Bird in the Hand,” as well as Falk’s wife at the time, Shera Danese.

Disc 4:

Strange Bedfellows (89:41)

     Thoroughbred ranch owner Graham McVeigh (George Wendt) has grown tired of his brother Teddy (Jeff Yagher), a degenerate gambler who’s constantly in debt to mob bookie Bruno Romano (Jay Acovone). To eliminate the problem, Graham develops an elaborate plan to kill Teddy and frame Bruno for the crime. After fixing a race to put Teddy in deeper debt, Graham lures his brother out to a deserted road before shooting him. The next day, Graham invites Bruno to his ranch under the guise of settling Teddy’s debt, but he kills the mobster and claims self-defence. Moreover, Graham switches Bruno’s revolver with the weapon that was used to shoot Teddy. It looks like an open-and-shut case, but certain small details bother Lt. Columbo, leading him to suspect that Graham is not being altogether truthful.

     At this point in the show’s history, the Columbo producers started focusing on more “experimental” episodes and changing up the formula, leading to the likes of “Undercover” and “It’s All in the Game.” But like “Butterfly in Shades of Grey,” “Strange Bedfellows” strictly adheres to the time-honoured Columbo formula, returning to the usual cat and mouse antics as Columbo snoops around investigating a crime, gradually closing in on his prey. Directed by Columbo veteran Vincent McEveety (who helmed seven episodes of the show in total), there is a nice amount of flair to the telemovie’s construction - see, for instance, the scene of Graham murdering Teddy on a deserted road. Falk does look visibly older here, but he still manages to put his best foot forward, playing the part with his usual charm. Wendt, however, is far from the best antagonist in the Columbo canon, lacking in subtlety to put forward a truly convincing performance. With that said, however, he does have his moments - including an amusing aside during which he chastises Columbo for using his trademark “Just one more thing...” line. All in all, “Strange Bedfellows” is not one of the best latter-day Columbo telemovies, but it’s far from the worst. It’s enjoyable, easy-going viewing, and it gets the job done well enough without reaching the heights of the show’s heyday.

Disc 5:

A Trace of Murder (88:34)

     Cathleen Calvert (Shera Danese) has grown weary of her husband, rich businessman Clifford Calvert (Barry Corbin), and begins an affair with resourceful crime scene investigator Patrick Kinsley (David Rasche). Cathleen wishes to be free of her marriage, but divorce is out of the question thanks to an ironclad prenuptial agreement, and she would be the prime suspect if ever Clifford was to be murdered. To get Clifford out of the picture, Cathleen and Patrick conspire to kill Howard Seltzer (Raye Birk) - an investment broker who’s suing Clifford - and frame him for the murder. Patrick plants evidence to tie Clifford to the crime, and is assigned as forensics investigation on the case. Lt. Columbo suspects something of course, but his work is very much cut out for him.

     Many of the latter-day Columbo telemovies endeavour to shake up the formula to some extent, to mixed results. However, “A Trace of Murder” tweaks the formula just a tad to make it feel unique without ever losing sight of what made the show so charming and successful in the first place. Adding Patrick to the mix makes for a far more interesting episode, as we get to watch the lieutenant working hard to get his man and needing to think separate from the forensics investigator. However, it’s unbelievable that Patrick would get so involved and interested in the case when the evidence speaks for itself, and the climax is unnecessary overkill. Still, the dynamic between Falk and Rasche is dynamite, and this is another episode to feature Falk’s wife of the time, Shera Danese. There’s plenty of charm here, and it’s an enjoyable watch - but it’s not on the same level as the best episodes of this classic show.

Disc 6:

Ashes to Ashes (86:22)

     Funeral director Eric Prince (Patrick McGoohan) has made a very successful living by burying the rich and famous, but his lucrative empire was primarily built on selling celebrity secrets to gossip queen Verity Chandler (Rue McClanahan). The two were lovers for a period of time, but Prince breaks it off, which hurts Verity and motivates her to take revenge. Visiting Prince just a brief period of time before he is to conduct a funeral, Verity reveals that she plans to expose him for stealing an expensive diamond from a deceased film star, and in turn ruin his empire. In a rage, Prince kills her and places the body in the coffin of a man who is to be cremated. The ashes are subsequently scattered all over the Hollywood Hills, ostensibly covering the crime. Lt. Columbo is on the case, and suspects that Prince switched the bodies he cremated to dispose of Verity’s corpse, but proving the crime is a whole other matter.

     “Ashes to Ashes” is the final Columbo episode that McGoohan both directed and starred in, and it’s easy to see why Falk kept his friend involved in the show up until the end. (We can forget about the horrendous misfire that was “Last Salute to the Commodore.”) Falk and McGoohan simply light up the screen whenever they appear together, with both thespians putting their best acting foot forward. Written by Jeffrey Hatcher (his only contribution to the series), the episode does adhere to the standard formula with no great deviations or twists, and the plot isn’t entirely convincing (some of Columbo’s links are tenuous), but it all works thanks to the performances and the competent technical construction. The episode flies by at a brisk pace, making it perfect for a rainy afternoon, and it has replay value. “Ashes to Ashes” is the last truly great Columbo telemovie, and it’s a personal favourite of mine.

Disc 7:

Murder With Too Many Notes (85:33)

     Findlay Crawford (Billy Connolly) has enjoyed a long career scoring Hollywood films, having won awards as well as the admiration of everyone in the business. However, Findlay’s protégée Gabriel McEnery (Chad Willett) has ghost-written most of his recent efforts, for which Findlay has accepted all of the credit and acclaim. Gabriel grows tired of being used and demands credit, even threatening to expose Findlay, which would ruin him. In response, Findlay offers to placate Gabriel by allowing him to conduct an orchestra, but has no intention of actually letting this happen. Findlay drugs Gabriel, places him on the roof, and uses an old freight elevator to push the young man off the building to his death, making it look like an accident. And with Gabriel’s fall happening whilst Findlay is on the stage, he appears to have a foolproof alibi. But he doesn’t count on Lt. Columbo, who’s bothered by some of the finer details of the case.

     Patrick McGoohan was offered the opportunity to both direct and star as the murderer again in this penultimate Columbo telemovie, but he ultimately chose to just direct. “Murder With Too Many Notes” benefits from his directorial touch, and he sticks with an old-fashioned approach to the material - indeed, even though it was produced in the year 2000, the episode has the look and feel of an early 1990s movie. Connolly as a guest star is a stroke of pure genius, and he’s superb as the murderer; charismatic and easy to watch. Moreover, he’s well-matched with Falk - there's one particularly fun moment in which Findlay conducts a short Italian tune to Columbo's bemusement. Unfortunately, the episode utterly falls apart for a disappointing ending. It ends very abruptly, and the evidence to convict Findlay is not convincing in the least. Not to mention, Findlay gives up really easily. It feels as if the ending was cobbled together at the last second without much thought, as it is genuinely shoddy. And that’s a real shame, because the episode is otherwise fine to an extent (a number of unnecessary “filler” moments notwithstanding), and McGoohan deserved better material for his last directorial outing on this show (this is the fifth episode he directed).

Disc 8:

Columbo Likes the Nightlife (84:35)

     When wealthy mobster Tony Galper (Carmine Giovinazzo) is accidentally killed by his ex-wife Vanessa (Jennifer Sky) in her home, she seeks help from her boyfriend, rave promoter and club owner Justin Prince (Matthew Rhys). Justin disposes of the corpse, but snooty tabloid reporter Linwood Coben (Douglas Roberts) secretly snaps photos of the whole event, and blackmails Justin into giving him money in exchange for the negatives. In response, Justin murders Coben and makes the death look like a suicide. Lt. Columbo is assigned to investigate Coben’s death, and instantly suspects that he was the victim of murder rather than a suicide. And during the course of his investigation, he further suspects that the disappearance of Galper is connected.

     Although “Murder With Too Many Notes” remained resolutely old-fashioned in its cinematic technique and narrative, “Columbo Likes the Nightlife” is contemporary Columbo in every sense of the word, with flashier, more colourful visuals and a more modern sensibility. It’s clear that the producers sought to update the show for new audiences, probably in an attempt to boost ratings and get more episodes produced, and for the most part the effort works. It still sticks to the formula to terrific effect, though humour is downplayed. This is a more serious Columbo - the lieutenant is not a bumbling idiot here who lets his suspects underestimate him, but rather a smart, serious detective with superb sleuthing skills. And my word, Columbo is still as sharp as ever, instantly noticing the most minuscule of details. Falk certainly looks his age here, but he still plays the role with gusto. (Let’s face it, though, a 75-year-old homicide detective does stretch credulity...) It is slightly disappointing, however, that the supporting cast is full of forgettable names. Let’s not forget that guest stars in the old episodes were high-profile, after all. “Columbo Likes the Nightlife” is not one of the best telemovies in the Columbo canon, but it’s at least a notch higher than the more middle-of-the-road efforts, and thankfully the long-running show doesn’t go out on a damp squib.

     “Columbo Likes the Nightlife” was not meant to be the end of Columbo, despite Falk’s age at the time, which is why it doesn’t feel like the end. A screenplay was reportedly completed for “Columbo’s Last Case” in 2007, but Falk began to develop severe health problems while the producers were attempting to get the episode off the ground. It certainly is a shame to consider that at least one more telemovie could have been produced, and some may find it unsatisfying that there is no definitive send-off for the show (besides, one more episode would have brought the final count to 70, says my OCD self), but perhaps it’s more fitting that “Columbo Likes the Nightlife” ends like all the others, with Columbo placing the suspect in handcuffs before leaving the scene. In this way, he can live on in our imaginations.

Video

     Whereas any number of older television programmes were shot and/or completed on video, all the Columbo telemovies since the very beginning used celluloid and were edited on film, with no subpar digital intermediates limiting the quality of the presentations. This allowed Universal to prepare brand new high definition masters of the Columbo back catalogue by scanning the original film elements, negating the need for the far more expensive restoration processes that were necessary for video-based television shows like The X-Files and Freaks and Geeks. A complete Columbo Blu-ray set is available in Japan which presumably makes use of these masters, but the set itself is extremely cost prohibitive (and only offers 1080i video). If you want to hold out for Columbo on Blu-ray, it will probably (hopefully) be released in another country at a more agreeable price point sooner rather than later.

     As with every release since Season 8, all the telemovies in this particular season are offered in two editions: one in 1.33:1 full-frame, and the other in 1.78:1 widescreen. Comparing the two versions, it’s clear that the first seven telemovies were cropped and zoomed to create the widescreen editions, meaning the full-frame presentations (as originally broadcast) are open matte and therefore preferable, given the added visual information at the top and bottom. Still, the effort runs deeper than a perfunctory scale and crop; it’s clear that care was taken to properly frame the widescreen versions. The eighth and final episode, “Columbo Likes the Nightlife,” was actually shot for 1.78:1 widescreen, and the full-frame edition is cropped while the widescreen edition is open matte and therefore superior. Viewers are welcome to choose whichever edition they prefer (both have merits), and it’s again commendable that Madman provide both versions.

     Once again, it’s certainly disappointing that there is no Blu-ray release, though the quality of this standard definition DVD is still serviceable nevertheless. It’s clear that the HD remasters were used as the basis for these DVDs. I did notice that the colours looked a bit more vibrant here compared to the previous season release, with warmer skin tones, though blacks are on the milky side. As ever, detailing and texturing is about as good as it could ever be on a heavily compressed DVD. Close-ups fare best, especially of faces. As to be expected, the quality of the transfers do differ depending on the episode - “Columbo Likes the Nightlife” looks the best all-round, with bolder colours and truer blacks, which is understandable given that it was produced and aired in 2003. Also, too, the transfers do differ in quality depending on the shooting conditions of each scene - under dimmer lighting, the image definitely lacks refinement.

     Grain is visible, with its thickness differing from scene to scene. There is evidence of digital noise reduction with some overly smooth-looking shots, a technique that’s standard for Universal catalogue titles, but the DVD is not refined or crisp enough for it to be problematic. Artefacts do crop up, including customary print damage with white flecks and hairs, while I also noticed some ringing and macroblocking. Luckily, I did not detect any problematic black crush or banding. Out of all the telemovies in this set, “Murder With Too Many Notes” looks the roughest, which is surprising given that it was broadcast in the year 2000. Grain is thicker, and the picture is softer on the whole - there isn't much fine detail to speak of. It’s critical to point out that your mileage may vary with this set depending on your equipment and its upscaling ability. Indeed, for perhaps obvious reasons, the video quality fared best when upscaled through my Samsung 4K Blu-ray player on my LG OLED screen, but of course it’s still no match for a true HD presentation.

     It remains disappointing that Madman ceased Columbo Blu-rays after only releasing the first two seasons, as these eight telemovies would no doubt look terrific on a properly-encoded Blu-ray. But for casual watchers who don’t care to notice the difference, this will be good enough. It's worth noting that this set, like all of Madman's Columbo DVD releases, is PAL - and therefore the slight PAL speed-up is in effect. I would personally prefer to view the series as originally shot, at 23.976fps, which is another reason why I can't wait for a Blu-ray release.

     As per usual, no subtitles are available.

Video Ratings Summary

Sharpness
Shadow Detail
Colour
Grain/Pixelization
Film-To-Video Artefacts
Film Artefacts
Overall

Audio

     There are two audio options available here: an English Dolby Digital 2.0 track, and an isolated score and effects track, once again in Dolby Digital 2.0. There is a bit of a modern spin to some of these episodes, some of which are a bit livelier than the older Columbo productions, but the audio remains fairly basic on the whole. I never had any issues with dialogue - it’s consistently well-prioritised and easy to comprehend, which is good news since Madman has again neglected to provide subtitles on this set. I didn’t detect much in the way of dropouts, but there are a few imperfections like minor hiss and some semi-muffled audio, which is probably a combination of the source and the lack of a full restoration. It’s all easy to overlook, however. Music comes through clearly as well. Just don’t expect anything in the way of surround activity or subwoofer, though one must assume that traces back to the source (production information is hard to come by, and it’s therefore unclear whether or not any of the episodes were mixed in 5.1).

Audio Ratings Summary

Dialogue
Audio Sync
Clicks/Pops/Dropouts
Surround Channel Use
Subwoofer
Overall

    As far as I can tell, the remastered video presentations have not been released on DVD anywhere else in the world, and there is no supplemental content on any overseas releases. However, subtitles are available on international releases, leaving you to decide if you prefer remastered video or the option for subtitles. It's a draw, though I'll stick with the remastered video presentations.

     And that's it, that's my last Columbo review. Columbo is timeless, essential television. It's not exactly a realistic cop show, but it's certainly enjoyable, and there are more hits than misses in these final eight episodes. And it's certainly melancholy to see it end. If you enjoy Columbo, you'll enjoy this set.

     Madman's remastered DVD is serviceable from a technical standpoint, but there are no extras as usual. This collection comes recommended.

Video
Audio
Extras
Plot
Overall