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Submit Your Questions And Comments About … Columbo? (Patreon)

Published:
2021-10-04 15:46:52
Edited:
2021-10-04 17:01:39
Imported:
2026-06
Tags:

Content

Hello, MinnMax community! Joe Juba here, and I’m hijacking the Patreon feed to talk about my favorite October holiday. No, not Halloween. No, definitely not Columbus Day. I’m talking about Columbo’s Day, a holiday I invented as a Columbus Day alternative to celebrate the greatest TV detective of all time. And this year, that celebration is happening here at MinnMax!

So, what is Columbo, you ask? It’s a murder mystery series that began in 1968 and ended in 2003, with the incomparable Peter Falk in the title role. Lieutenant Columbo is a shabbily dressed and seemingly scatterbrained detective, but his unassuming appearance and aw-shucks demeanor result in his being frequently underestimated by criminals until it’s too late.

I unapologetically and unironically love Columbo. Years ago, I saw “Columbus Day” in my calendar, but I mis-read it as “Columbo’s Day,” and realized THAT is a holiday I want to celebrate. I started hosting annual Columbo’s Day parties for a small group of friends, complete with Columbo-themed cakes and party favors. The pandemic has put that tradition on hold, but the Columbo’s Day festivities must go on!

I'm arranging a Columbo’s Day celebration here at MinnMax. I’ll be joined by Ben Hanson and Ross “The Star Wars Guy” Pfund  to record a special video podcast focused on an episode of Columbo, and we want you to participate!

Here’s how it works:

Step One: Watch the Columbo episode called “Murder by the Book,” which is technically the first episode of the first season (but preceded by two pilots). Fun fact: Steven Spielberg directed this episode, before he got famous with Jaws! You can find and stream it easily if you have access to Amazon Prime Video or NBC’s Peacock service, but you may also be able to find it in other places online.

Step Two: Leave a comment right here on this post! Think of it kind of like The Deepest Dive; you submit your specific observations and questions, and we’ll do our best to incorporate them into our discussion! Also, please keep your comments concise – about the length of a tweet.

Step Three: Tune in on Monday, October 11 when the show goes live!

But what should your comment be about? The more focused, the better! We want to hear about your favorite moments, lines of dialogue, and other details. However, because this episode is such a great showcase for what makes Columbo great, you can also ask questions about how it represents the series as a whole and I’ll probably answer in way more depth than you need or want.

Oh, and there is just one more thing: To be eligible to be included on the show, all comments should be posted by 6:00 a.m. (Central Time) on Friday, October 8 so I have enough time to collect/organize them. I’m looking forward to hearing what you think!

Files

Comments

Jaap van Muijden

Every time I think I'm out, they PULL ME BACK IN with this kind of quality content

Joseph Dowdy

Ill take as much Juba content as you give me!

John Bogan

This is my kinda content!

Jonathan Griffin

I’m just writing in to say I absolutely love Henry Mancini’s score in this episode. Also that twist about the murder method being Franklin’s one good idea was amazing.

Christopher Reardon

Hey Cohorts! Joooooe Juba. I finally watched Columbo for the first time ever and I absolutely loved it. Now I'm watching the whole series. Why didn't you say anything sooner? 😜 Peter Falk put on a stunning performance, but I think my favorite character in Murder by the Book was Lilly la Sanka (played by Barbara Colby), the country store owner. The scene at the bar when she's trying to tell Franklin what she knows without actually saying it was a delightful, and that silent scream before Franklin kills her *chef kiss*.

Donnie

Hey friends! The most confusing thing for me the first time I watched this was how you were supposed to enjoy a mystery show when they give you all the answers up front. Apparently the answer is having the detective and the killer playing cat and mouse, but both are acting as the cat and treating the other as the mouse. The back and forth is so fun to watch and when Columbo finally lays out how he’s won, it’s better than any episode of Law & Order. And to anyone who’s only seen this first episode, it does not get old. Please watch more if you haven’t yet. Happy Columbo’s Day!!!

Chandler

I thought the episode overall was just okay. Columbo was a fun character to watch, but I found the murderer to be pretty dull. There wasn't a satisfying big reveal where he solved the case. All the evidence suggests the murder, but doesn't prove it and I don't think this guy is going to jail. I have several questions still: Was your love of columbo a gradual growth or was it passion from the start? If I was only going to watch one more episode, which should it be? Why did he need a bowl to put the egg shells in? Thanks Joe, love you!

Jason Dafnis

Joe – as a longtime fan of Columbo, why do you think so many people started watching during the pandemic? Ben and Ross – Same question, but as people who have presumably less history with the show! I just saw Murder by the Book at a secret screening at the Trylon Cinema in Minneapolis and the "Directed by Steven Spielberg" drop got a legitimate gasp from everyone in the audience. What a crazy, unpredictable thing that makes so much sense in hindsight. This comment is too long already but what the hell, please also talk about The Columbo Dimension: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=opIqbR5ynXk

Bob Buel

Happy Columbo's Day to you and yours! I adored that scene when Columbo offers to make the victim's wife some food. All of his idiosyncrasies are on display here, grabbing ingredients, talking about anything but the case, fumbling through the cooking prep. It instantly makes Columbo incredibly likable, relatable, having a kind heart but also just a pinch of shlubby too. Even his line where he mentions the secrets to a good omelette is a flub - saying "no eggs, all milk" when the script says "no milk, all eggs". A perfect error that someone like Columbo would do in that scenario.

umryan

It might just be me, but are Columbo's methods and questioning tactics anime AF? Maybe it's in the way that he points out minute and seemingly innocuous details that end up being significant to the resolution. Since Colombo predates modern anime however would it be more accurate to say that anime is Columbo AF? I say yes!

Shawn Mills

I really liked the first 20 minutes of the episode (which don't feature Columbo at all) You get a good sense for who the characters are and what their relationship is pretty quickly and the tension keeps escalating since you know a murder is going to be committed but you don't know when or how it will be. I also thought the episode felt like a Phoenix Wright case with the murderer acting very sure of himself at first and slowly unwinding under Columbo's questions.

Preetham Yarlagadda

Really dug this episode and seeing as no ones asked yet, if I wanted to branch out from here, what would you recommend? Just watch chronologically? Are there specific seasons that stand out more than others? Are there different "eras" be it production or narrative throughout the shows history? More Columbo Context please!

Abigail Warner

I grew up watching Columbo with my dad and as a long time fan I can’t wait to see what you’ll have to say about this episode. It’s such a groundbreaking series for showing you exactly how the murder happens and then you get to watch the murderers unravel as they get cocky because Columbo plays it off as if he’s just a bumbling detective who needs their help. Just one more thing... in the spirit of the deepest dive did anyone else notice when Columbo is making the omelette there is cheese already in the bowl before he starts shredding it? Thanks for putting this together I hope more people will see how great this show is. Enjoy your Columbo’s Day

Mike Lynch

The actor playing Ken Franklin (Jack Cassidy) is a real pro. When he's opening the champagne bottle in the first scene, the cork accidentally pops out on its own and he doesn't skip a beat. He laughs it off and continues his dialogue.

Joseph Dowdy

This was my first experience with Columbo and boy were my eyes glued to the screen! After Ms. La Sanka asked for 15k for her silence, I did a quick google search and $15,000 in 1971 has the buying power of $101,000 today. Thanks for the recommendation and Happy Columbo's Day!

Tim Lorow

Columbo is a really interesting character. He is so unassuming and acts like he is just bumbling through the case, though clearly it's a bit of an act. It wouldn't take much editing to make Columbo look like the worst cop ever, by accidently asking several revealing questions and never figuring anything out. It shows how important that the audience has to know the solution to the case before the investigation because then it wouldn't be clear why some minor details are important. For example, it could be totally reasonable that the murderer actually had two bottles of champagne only for himself. Knowing the answer makes each question from Columbo exciting.

Brainfreeze

Mrs. Ferris is surprisingly calm and casual throughout the whole episode, considering what happened to her husband.

James Ford

Joe, My birthday Is October 11th, so do I need to legally change my name to Columbo?

Dan

Hey guys, How well do you think Columbo would resonate with today’s generation? I’m thinking largely of the gaps in technology. It’s on display briefly here with a discussion about long-distance phone calls being made directly vs. dialing the operator, but throughout the series there are many examples. My favorite episode, “Negative Reaction” starring Dick Van Dyke, deals with cameras and film, and the climax of that case may not make sense to younger viewers who have never used anything but a digital camera. I also recall a scene where Columbo was asking everyone in a bar if they could remember if it rained last Tuesday, when a quick Google search would answer that question instantly today. Do you think if you watched this with a teenager, you’d hear “Okay, Boomer” a lot?

Joemomma

This show has style, this show has grace, Ken Franklin has a funny face. I was shocked by the flair in the cinematography of this episode. I was not a Columbo fan (about to be though) so I wanted to know if this is par for the course or a little Spielberg magic. The camera work really sets a tone from start to finish. (Side note: This type of deep dive content has given me a reason to explore media I haven't before and I really appreciate that. The Thing D.D. and this are types of content I hope MM does more of in the future.)

Kyle Silva

First time watching Columbo and I have to say, I really liked it. One weird thing that bothered me though was Ken tried to assure Joanna that the gunshot that happened during Jim’s call was likely a practical joke. How would that practical joke have gone exactly? Also, according to Wikipedia, Jack Cassidy had played 3 different culprits throughout the Columbo series, including Murder by the Book. It also mentions that Robert Culp of the next episode “Death Lends a Hand” also plays a murder in another 3 episodes. I’ve heard of the concept of recycling actors before, but do you find this strange? Is it fair to say that Columbo is alot like The Simpsons, where some episodes contradict the existence of other episodes?

Starkiller

This was my first episode of Columbo, and boy was that good. I don't know if it was Steven Spielberg or if TV was just like that in the 60's but the cinematography was awesome. The extreme closeups whenever people were really getting into each other, the long take of Columbo making the breakfast while cooking for the wife while also lightly questioning her. Also the scene of the police questioning the wife and her just being scatterbrained and exasperated was perfect. It really felt like how a real person would react to finding out their loved one is missing compared to the usual "person crying on the couch while the detectives politely ask them basic questions."

IanTClark

There is no way that guy in the opening scene was actually typing any real words. you’re not fooling anyone buddy!

Alex K.

I really liked how the actual murder was set up this episode. Where you see Jimmy calling his wife, then you notice Ken slowly prepping for the murder in the background with his back to the camera. It is a short scene but manages to be quite tense.

Jeorin

Happy Columbo's Day! I have three very specific things I noticed: 1. When Columbo is making the omelet he puts in a monstrous amount of onion. A 1 to 1 ratio of onion to egg. There's no way that's tasting good. 2. When Ken gifts Columbo the books, there are tons of repeat copies. Columbo got three copies of one book! 3. During the scene when Columbo returns the books to Ken's house, a film crew member is visible in the reflection of the glass panes in the background. The reflection is far too stout to be either actor.

Joshua Duperoy

Hey, Ben, Joe, and Ross First time watching Columbo and got to say I thoroughly enjoyed myself. However, I did find Peter Falk’s character just a tad bit smug for my liking. What do you think? Is it endearing or off putting? Does his character change significantly as the show progresses? Am I just crazy here? One more thing, do we ever get to see Columbo’s wife or is this like a Bob Sacamano situation from Seinfeld?

James Martin

Hey everyone - really awesome episode. Since a lot has already been covered, let's get extra specific here. During the infamous omlette scene: 1) Columbo's onion chopping is truly horrific. He did say he was a bad cook, but my god. 2) He put the butter into a cold pan, but then about half a second after putting the pan down the most artificial 'sizzle' looped sound began and ran for the rest of the scene. Assuming the 'Columbo Omelette' becomes a consistent thing in the series, do his knife skills (and the sound editing) improve as the show goes on!?

Clemens Zobel

Didn't have high expectations going in but I was pleasantly intrigued by the episode. Interested enough to watch some more episodes. Still on the fence about Columbo the character though. By the end of the episode I was starting to see what one might like about him, but early on I was getting weird vibes. That first scene between him and the wife came off a little creepy to me. And he used way too many onions in that omelet.

Ryan Besadny

Has TV crime moved from one star (columbo, murder she wrote, matlock, perry mason) to ensemble (csi(s), bones, psych, criminal mind)? If so, why? Compare Lone Wolf to team effort in crime drama.

MJ

I know she had a crush, but what was Ms. La Sanka doing?? how did she know he'd be at the play, find him in all the crowd, get all his thinking to that point, but not see the next part coming? I liked her but wish she had seen that coming more, or did she and that's a weird subplot? --One more thing, how much is Colombo purposely forgetful and bumbling versus just like that? I thought he could potentially be a cool character for ADHD representation, sometimes distracted or forgetful, but finds unusual clues and gets the job done

Dylan Kelly

I really enjoyed how they mixed the typewriter sounds into song that plays during the first and last scenes in the office, as part of the track. Also glad we have steadycam tech because that shot from the backseat of the car is rough lol