Columbo

What should I write here? The lieutenant is a legend - him and everything that comes with him. His car, his dog named Dog, his wife who no one has ever seen, his first name that no one knows, his battered Peugeot... All of this contrasts with Columbo's brain being more powerful than NASA's computers. The guy is simply a knockout, not to be underestimated. "Uh, sorry, I forgot... It's such a small thing, but it keeps me awake. Purely for the paperwork, you understand? Yeah, what did I..." (07/12/2009)

A brisk and gripping episode with Columbo in an almost secondary role. You can tell by the many imaginative and not-quite-TV scenes that the director wasn't just anyone. (22/12/2011)

There are few episodes where Lieutenant Columbo is such a nerve-wracking, stomach ulcer-inducing, eternally returning, curious monster, but the killer deserved it. And there’s also the brilliant line with the dog named Dog. (22/12/2011)

Leonard Nimoy kills. That should be enough for a review, right? (22/12/2011)

Another of my favourite episodes with a sympathetic "killer in black", whose actions everyone can understand. The Lieutenant pokes around in a plane wreck and in people's consciences and gradually becomes a big Tommy Brown/Johnny Cash fan. But the singer would gladly waive such popularity. (22/12/2011)

A tremendously funny episode with Columbo sleeping in barracks, a nasty murder by cannon, must fermenting outside the window, a sour Colonel and likeable cadets. (22/12/2011)

Columbo on a boat… Sorry, on a ship… And with his wife… Without waders… And Robert Vaughn as an obnoxiously confident killer. The only flaw is the amateur ballistics with the mattress. I'm still amazed that the lieutenant didn't punch a hole in the deck or one of the onlookers. (22/12/2011)

An almost Poirot-like episode. Cleverly written, full of great dialogue, playing on a more serious note, sensitive and with a beautiful ending. (22/12/2011)

Too bad Leslie Nielsen didn't play the killer. Nothing against Patrick McGoohan, but he would certainly make an interesting opponent. Otherwise, the episode is very interesting, we even wade into some kind of espionage waters with the lieutenant, and it's probably good to know in advance that the plot is a bit more complex this time and deserves more attention. (22/12/2011)

A refreshing episode. The Lieutenant on vacation learns about Mexico and the cunning of its killers. And we could almost get to see Mrs. Columbo. (22/12/2011)

That incredibly vile, horrible, creepy hag makes this episode hell for me every time. Perhaps because of her, this otherwise relatively short film drags on for so long. (22/12/2011)

My favourite IRA episode. The whole final sequence with the ship is one of the best Columbo moments, the main villain is not so evil (and is charmingly funny), the Lieutenant is brilliant, and the music is great. (22/12/2011)

One of the most thrilling Columbo endings ever. I know it by heart yet I always breathe a sigh of relief. (22/12/2011)

One of the best episodes of Columbo. This time it’s personal for the Lieutenant, or is it? Either way, the ending is heart-attack inducing. (22/12/2011)

One of the most memorable episodes, though unfortunately somewhat longer. The final twist, however, is absolutely flawless. (22/12/2011)

If for nothing else, this episode deserves the maximum rating for the scene in which the students ask Columbo questions and he answers why he does his job in the first place. But then there are those moments like "Just laugh, little boys...", when the dumb students make fun of the shabby detective, unaware that the imaginary noose has been tightening for a long, long time. Excellent. (22/12/2011)

Excellent episode by Ed McBain. And the lieutenant grabs his gun, which, as we know, is very rare. (22/12/2011)