Posted on 06/15/2021 11:08:16 AM PDT by mylife
Over the past year of hibernation, many viewers have rediscovered the joy of watching Columbo. The landmark 1970s TV mystery series starred Peter Falk in his multiple-Emmy-winning role as a raincoat-wearing, cigar-smoking detective who always had just one more question. The show was also popular in the time of its original airing, where it rotated on the NBC Mystery Movie schedule and featured an array of dazzling murderous guest stars like Janet Leigh, Leonard Nimoy, and John Cassavetes.
Columbo’s reach even stretched to other countries: The people of Romania, for example, were huge fans. So much so that in 1974, when the Columbo episodes for that season ran out, the populace protested, and the Romanian government reached out to Falk himself to try to stem the uprising. This week, Twitter user John Frankensteiner dug up a 1989 Chicago Tribune article relaying the incident. Many on Reddit have called bullshit—but Falk told the story himself in his memoir Just One More Thing, and also during a 1995 David Letterman appearance.
The confusion, as Falk explains, came from the fact that the Romanian government had a quota on how much American television could be viewed in the country. With Columbo averaging less than 10 shows per season, the people of Romania were convinced that the government was keeping more episodes from them, stoking fears of a massive protest. So the U.S. State Department invited Falk to a meeting in a New York hotel room with a representative from Romania.
(Excerpt) Read more at avclub.com ...
That’s a title, not a name. It was Frank. Never mentioned in any show but in one where Columbo is showing his ID you can blow that part and read it.
A local parochial school invited in some veterans for their Veterans Day assembly. Afterwards, there was a breakout session where a vet would meet with a class and answer questions. One boy asked a grizzled old vet if he was ever wounded. He replied, “yes, I lost an eye” and proceeded to pluck out his glass eye and pass it around. The kids thought it was great but the teacher looked like she was going to faint.
Many became series of their own: MacMillan and Wife, Columbo, McCloud, Banacek, Quincy M.E.
Most didn’t like Amy Prentiss, Faraday and Company. Madigan (with Richard Widmark), The Snoop Sisters, Hec Ramsey, Tenafly, Cool Million.
2 I don’t remember- Laigans Rabbi and Mccoy.
I was making a bad joke. Never knew it was Frank.
I have Snoop Sisters. Not bad.
Some of the others I missed completely as well.
One strangely heartfelt episodes starred Donald Pleasence, “Any Old Port in a Storm”, in which he was one of the top wine connisseurs in the world, who is believed to have killed his rotten half-brother to prevent him selling the family winery to a merchant company so he can pay off his gambling debts.
A key factor was that his sense of taste was so acute, he could tell if a wine had been improperly stored, warm enough to change the flavor, making it undrinkable as far as he was concerned.
But the truth was that his brother had ruined the families multi-million dollar wine cellar by inattentively allowing the temperature to rise, ruining the collection.
Columbo drove out to the winery and saw Pleasence throwing full bottles of wine off a cliff into the ocean rocks below. The scene of the two of them sitting there at sunset was beautiful.
I also liked McMillan and Wife, McCloud, Ellery Queen, City of Angels, Delvecchio, Banacek, and others like that that A&E had on back in the early to mid ‘90s. I would not mind seeing the Snoop Sisters or Hec Ramsey, in regards to you mentioning ones that were not on as long as Columbo, McCloud, McMillan, etc.
Snoop Sisters and Hec Ramsey were on YouTube.
Without looking it up, I think it’s Frank.
I try to avoid theaters where a lot of people wear raincoats, LA or not.
I liked Cool Million and Tenafly.
My nephew's fiancee is from Transylvania.......it's true.
Yup, see 61
Kate Mulgrew?
Wow...I didn’t think it lasted that long....well, it did and it didn’t. 1971-2003, and according to IMDB, the 13th season lasted for eight years.
Sadly, he’s dead Jim.
It was hard to guess the killer.....b/c sometimes it was the gorgeous Louis Jourdan.
I wonder if he drove his Volvo to the interview with valet parking.
Yes! And Dick Van Dyke played a villain in Night at the Museum (with Ben Stiller).
LOL! You’re reminding me of Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story.
Also featuring Ben Stiller! LOL
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.