Columbo: The Return (1989-2003)

As I mentioned in my previous review of Columbo Seasons 1-7, this show really isn’t a traditional television show and these episodes aren’t really episodes persey. It’s best to think of the entirety of Columbo as a long-running series of TV movies of the week. They weren’t always aired on a weekly basis and they never really adhered to a seasonal structure. This show was also made in that golden era when a nobody Joe-Schmo who had some talent behind a typewriter could concoct a great Columbo story and see that story make it to primetime television. 

From 1971 to 2003, Peter Falk was in the mix for 67 thrilling, highly entertaining episodes (or films if you will). Not all of them were winners, but many were some of the best 90 minutes of television writing, acting, and directing you’re likely to find. That’s something for a series that ran for three decades! 

The series was absolutely in its prime through the first seven seasons in the 1970s. A ten-year break later and the Character was on great footing but the stories themselves could be a bit uneven. One case to the next we could see Columbo at his best, or worse - and that could largely depend on who was directing and/or the guest star. Columbo lifers know well the contributions of Patrick McGoohan. As a frequent guest star and director, he could deliver some of the best episodes and one particularly notorious dud. Case in point, the man brought the political thriller with Season 9’s Agenda for Murder - a genuinely terrific episode. But then he brings the series’ penultimate episode Murder with Too Many Notes to the screen and it’s almost a complete disaster. 

Murder with Too Many Notes is one of those cases where a nobody, an amateur writer Jeffrey Cava could concoct a terrifically tantalizing script for a Columbo adventure. Through the right hands, the script ended up in front of Falk’s eye and the star wanted to do it. Turning it over to his frequent collaborator Patrick McGoohan, a great script became a mess and a limp second-to-last episode for the famous detective series that spends more time making a joke of our famous detective rather than celebrating his ingenuity. The episode was so rotten it was filmed in 1998 but didn’t drop on TV screens until 2001 as something of an afterthought. Ironically enough, absence made the heart grow fonder and it was a ratings smash. For a great breakdown of the history of this episode head over to The Columbophile Blog - it's a great read!

The good that came from Murder with Too Many Notes is ABC executives got the gumption to give Falk’s detective one last outing with Columbo Likes the Nightlife. The only episode shot this side of the millennium, Falk’s Detective Columbo goes out with a hell of a final case. Sure, not the best of the best, but better than the bulk of the 90s output. It’s modernized without taking the character into uncharted territory. It felt like going back to the series’ original episodes where Columbo is sharp as a tack but never lets on as he solves the murder. Any comedy feels natural and not at the expense of our favorite detective. All of the pieces line up, we don’t have too many logical leaps or plot conveniences, and the reveal is a classic Columbo moment. 

For Columbo: The Return - these last 24 episodes may not stack toe-to-toe with the original 1970s-era episodes, but they’re all entertaining - even the bad ones. And I’d put this series far above what would come later. As television moved into the “murder porn” genre with shows like Homicide and became more wizz-bang techno-bable-nonsense with series like CSI and Bones, the true classic “detective” was lost in favor of a team of colorful returning characters. You’d have the Uptight stick-up-their-butt, the groovy cool but smart loose cannon, the reliable goof, the hotty tech, etc. but they were nothing compared to the quiet, shrewd, and observant classic detective. I’d say that’s largely why Monk was a success. It was characters using their brains instead of fake tech visual effects. It’s why rewatching any Columbo episode is more rewarding than any of those other shows. It’s a celebration of wit and intelligence not flashy visual effects for fake technology. 

Vital Disc Stats: The Blu-ray
Columbo: The Return delivers the final 24 episodes of the classic series to Blu-ray with a 12-disc set from Kino Lorber Studio Classics. Each disc is a Region A BD-50 and holds only two episodes to a disc. The discs are held in a pair of multi-disc cases with individual trays so no disc stacking. The cases are housed in a lovely paper slipcase with new art by Tony Stella. Each disc loads to a static image main menu with standard navigation options. 

Like the previous Columbo set, each episode is sourced from a new 4K remaster from NBC Universal. However, unlike the previous set, all of the episodes for Columbo: The Return have been reframed to 1.78:1 - even if that wasn’t the original broadcast aspect ratio. To clarify my position, I’m not inherently against this practice - I don’t love it but if it's done well and respects the series and it works, then I give it a pass. The X-Files Series Blu-rays is a good example of the work done for the early episodes to conform to the look of the later seasons. The reframing of Monk feels largely the same. It wasn’t necessary but it works and doesn’t hurt the show. In contrast, what was done to Seinfeld or MASH is terrible and never should have been released that way. 

Then we come here to these late ‘80s, ‘90s, and 2000s era Columbo episodes and I have to say they’re solid reframes. It’s an example where you can tell some measure of care and attention was paid to how the frame would impact the importance of any given scene or clue reveal. For uniformity’s sake, I would have rather had these episodes hold to their 1.33:1 broadcast ratio, but I don’t really have any complaints about 1.78:1. That may be a sticking point for some and I totally respect that.

As a case of taking what we’re given, I’d say each episode makes a fine debut on Blu-ray. Details are largely crisp and clean without any egregious smoothing or edge enhancement. Fine lines and facial features generally come through with great clarity. Film grain is present throughout each episode and there’s a great sense of image depth. Keeping two episodes to a disc ensured that bitrates remained stable. Colors are vibrant and healthy. That said, it’s interesting to see the series move from the 1980s to the early 2000s and how that use of color and visual design could change. All around I’m quite pleased with the transfers for these episodes. Again, like many out there, I’d rather see them in their true 1.33:1, but this is an example of reframing done with some measure of care. 

On the audio side each episode comes with a very good DTS-HD MA 2.0 audio mix. Given the style and presence of the show, dialog is key and it’s never lost. You’ve got to be able to hear Falk give his signature “Just one more thing…” line reads! Sound effects and scoring might not be very distinct one episode to the next, but they’re all strong and well-appointed. In some episodes, this is more of a priority than others. Sometimes an ambient throw-away sound effect is actually a clue, and like the dialog those moments come through with perfect clarity. I didn’t get through all 24 episodes of this set, I got through better than half and sampled around the rest and I didn’t encounter any auditory issues or missing pieces. That said, as big a fan as I am, I’m not a Columbo expert, so if there are any seasoned series veterans out there who catch a glitch or missing moment please chime in!

Now a case befitting the titular detective are the missing bonus features. When KLSC originally announced this series, they had created and listed a slew of extra features and sadly they had to be canceled. No reason was given but it must have been one serious legal hangup. So alas, we again have no extra features for this series.

Even if it’s a bad episode, I’d stack any episode of Columbo against the avalanche of cornball murder porn shows we have rolling on TV and streamers today. Peter Falk made the show what it was. Again and again, he played to this deceptively diminutive persona and always delivered one hell of a reveal exposing all of the clues and catching his killer. Now whether or not that was entirely successful depended on the writer and director of any given episode! Some episodes certainly are better than others, but they’re all enjoyable. 

The series comes to a close on Blu-ray with Columbo: The Return pulling together the final 24 episodes. Die-hard fans may balk at reframing Falk, but overall the new 1080p 1.78:1 transfers work well. Audio is solid throughout without issue there. I lament the lack of extra features but for 2233 minutes of amazing entertainment, I have to call this Highly Recommended