Product Details

• Actors: Peter Falk
• Format: NTSC
• Language: English
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Number of discs: 7
• Rating: NR (Not Rated)
• DVD Release Date: April 13, 2008
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B0017QLXPM
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #55,594 in Movies & TV (See Bestsellers in Movies & TV)

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  Movies & TV > Mystery & Suspense > Television > Columbo

Editorial Reviews

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Columbo - The Complete First Season

TV detective fans rejoice: Peter Falk's rumpled and infallible Lt. Columbo joins the DVD precinct with a five-disc set that features the detective's first nine appearances for NBC. Though Falk as Columbo (no first name) made his TV debut in 1967, the detective had actually first appeared on an episode of the 1960-61 Chevy Mystery Show (Bert Freed played the role) written by veteran TV scribes Richard Levinson and William Link (The Fugitive, Alfred Hitchcock Presents). The pair turned the episode into a stage play titled Prescription: Murder, which was adapted into a TV movie in 1967 with Falk in the lead. NBC greenlit a two-hour Columbo pilot (Ransom for a Dead Man) in 1971, and the series was launched that fall as part of the NBC Sunday Mystery Movie, a rotating 90-minute program that alternated Columbo with episodes of MacMillan and Wife and McCloud (another Levinson/Link creation). Viewers were quickly won over by Falk's shrewd performance as he matched wits with a host of exceptional guest stars (including Gene Barry, Patrick McGoohan, and others), all of whom assumed that the disheveled detective would never figure out their "perfect crimes"; the popularity and quality of the original series allows Falk to continue to don the trenchcoat some 30 years later for occasional Columbo TV movies.

All seven 90-minute episodes of the 1971-72 debut season are included here, along with Prescription: Murder and Ransom for a Dead Man; unfortunately, as the lieutenant himself would say, "Oh, just one more thing"--no extras are included in the set, but having these fine TV mysteries in one set should be reward enough for armchair sleuths. --Paul Gaita

Columbo - The Complete Second Season

Armchair sleuths, get out your trenchcoats: Universal has released the sophomore season (1972-73) of the classic detective series Columbo, starring Peter Falk as the sage but rumpled police lieutenant. As with the first season, there's plenty of star power in front of and behind the camera to abet Falk in these eight 90- and 120-minute episodes: John Cassavetes stars in the season premiere, Etude in Black, as a philandering symphony conductor, with Blythe Danner and Hollywood legend Myrna Loy in support; Oscar winner Ray Milland is a scheming orchid grower in The Greenhouse Jungle, co-starring Bradford Dillman and William Smith; Robert Culp and Dean Stockwell are a football team manager and owner, respectively, whose disagreements blossom into murder in The Most Crucial Game; and Jeanette Nolan offers stellar comic relief in Double Shock, which features Martin Landau as identical twins--one of whom has murdered their uncle. Performances by Richard Basehart, Laurence Harvey, Leonard Nimoy, Anne Francis, Anne Baxter, and Mel Ferrer also highlight the season; direction by small-screen stalwarts like Boris Sagal, Jeremy Paul Kagan, and Nicholas Colasanto ("Coach" on Cheers) and scripts by Stephen Bochco also bring quality and style to the proceedings. Sadly, no extras are available in this five-disc set, but the stellar image and sound quality (and lack of commercials) should appeal to series fans and newcomers alike. --Paul Gaita

Columbo - The Complete Third Season

Oh, just one more thing, mystery mavens--get ready to be mystified and entertained by the award-winning third season of Columbo, starring Peter Falk as the rumpled but unbeatable Lieutenant. Having taken home Emmys for outstanding limited drama and lead actor in its '71-'72 debut season, Columbo was again named best drama for its third season ('73-'74). The reason for the repeat success? The formula remained the same: intelligent, engaging scripts and direction, guest performances by top actors, and, of course, Falk at center stage as Columbo, the most unlikely of supersleuths, but unquestionably one of the sharpest (the role would later earn Falk three more Emmys between 1975 and 1990). The 10 episodes compiled in this two-disc set again feature top talent from film and television: directors include veterans Jeannot Swarc and Boris Sagal, as well as actors Nicholas Colasanto (better known as Coach from Cheers) and Ben Gazzara (Falk's frequent co-star in the films of John Cassavetes), while the season's scripts feature contributions from Stephen J. Cannell, Steven Bochco, and Larry Cohen. And in regard to co-stars, Falk matched wits with the likes of Donald Pleasance, Martin Sheen, Vincent Price, Robert Culp (in one of four turns on the series), Jose Ferrer, Ida Lupino, and in two novel but effective casting choices, Johnny Cash and hard-boiled mystery scribe Mickey Spillane. And there's even a bonus feature in the form of an episode of the spinoff series Mrs. Columbo, starring Kate Mulgrew as the Lieutenant's oft-mentioned better half. In short, it's 11 hours of solid sleuthing for armchair detectives. --Paul Gaita

Columbo - The Complete Fourth Season

Legendary actor Peter Falk returns in his 4-time Emmy award-winning role as everyone's favorite trenchcoat-wearing Police Lieutenant in Columbo - The Complete Fourth Season. From a spoiled kidnapping plot to murder at a historic military academy, join Columbo in this three-disc set as he asks all the right questions in some of the most deceptive and deadly cases. The captivating fourth season also features such brilliant guest stars as Dick Van Dyke, Larry Storch, George Hamilton, Robert Conrad and more. The landmark crime series that inspired a genre is back, and no murderer can hide for long with Columbo on the beat.

Columbo - The Complete Fifth Season

Peter Falk took home back-to-back Emmy Awards for his portrayal of the indefatigable Lt. Columbo during the show’s fifth season in 1975-76, and the series itself earned two Emmy nominations, which should give an indication of the quality of the episodes contained in this double-disc set. Although the fifth season only featured six episodes, the quality of writing and acting talent is impressive, to say the least: Janet Leigh, John Payne, Sam Jaffe, and Maurice Evans star in the season opener, "Forgotten Lady," about a faded movie queen who may have murdered her elderly husband to finance a comeback; Patrick McGoohan, who won an Emmy for his performance in the fourth-season episode "By Dawn’s Early Light," returns to direct "Identity Crisis", which pits Columbo against a deceptive secret agent (McGoohan, who makes slyly overt references to his Prisoner character throughout the episode), and "Last Salute to the Commodore," with John Dehner and Robert Vaughn as relatives whose disagreement over the fate of a shipping line turns deadly; and then-newcomers Steven Bocho and Steven Spielberg write and direct, respectively, "Murder by the Book," with Jack Cassidy returning for his fourth Columbo turn as a devious PR agent. As far as TV mysteries go, few have been as clever, well acted, and intricately plotted as Columbo, and home detectives should find plenty of sleuthing material to enjoy here. Unfortunately, as with all previous Columbo boxes, the supplemental material is limited; the "Caviar with Everything" episode of the Mrs. Columbo series with Kate Mulgrew is this set’s sole extra. --Paul Gaita

Columbo - The Complete Sixth and Seventh Seasons

Before returning to the television fold in the '80s with a string of successful TV movies, Peter Falk's Lt. Columbo concluded his network sleuthing with eight episodes that aired between 1976-1978; these final two seasons of the original Columbo series are packaged in this no-frills boxed set that should be a welcome addition to any armchair detective's collection. Quality-wise, the performances, writing, and direction in these eight episodes are as top notch as any that preceded it, with a host of terrific guest stars doing their best to match wits with the lieutenant in a string of complex mysteries. William Shatner gives a typically juicy turn as a demanding TV actor facing blackmail in the sixth season opener "Fade in to Murder"; Theodore Bikel and Sorrell Booke (The Dukes of Hazzard) are friends, business partners, and bitter rivals in "The Bye-Bye Sky High IQ Murder Case" (and watch for Jamie Lee Curtis in a bit role as a waitress); the great Ruth Gordon (Harold and Maude) shines as a wily mystery writer in the seventh season's "Try and Catch Me," while a host of fine character actors (including the late Mako, Richard Dysart and Michael V. Gazzo) have reasons for wanting food critic Louis Jourdan dead in "Murder Under Glass," and a very young Kim Cattrall helps Columbo unravel a mystery involving mind control and trained dogs in "How to Dial a Murder." The talent behind the camera in these episodes is equally impressive: Jonathan Demme helms "Murder Under Glass," while Leo Penn takes the final episode, "The Conspirators." As with all of the original Columbo shows (and many of the subsequent TV movies), the episodes presented here are smartly written, crisply acted by a quality cast, and anchored with sly charm and deceptive strength by Falk's Emmy-winning performance. Previous Columbo box sets have included an episode of the spin-off series Mrs. Columbo as an extra, but no such supplement is included here. --Paul Gaita

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Two Different Columbo's, August 31, 2008

By	Zachary Koenig "K-Dawg" (Fergus Falls, MN) - See all my reviews

A quick look at the Columbo character that evolves during this set:

Season One: Great mysteries, but features a much more hard-charging Columbo than in subsequent years, sometimes showing visible rage.

Seasons Two-Seven: Cultivate the Columbo character (disheveled, rumpled raincoat, physical oddities, "just one more thing" etc.) that we know and love!

Thus, while the first season's "intense" Columbo is still entertaining television, the Columbo character that springs forth in the later years is by-and-large more interesting and entertaining.

Just thought I'd point that out in order to broaden your "Columbo" viewing experience!

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Ah! Columbo..., August 31, 2008

By	Kirk D. Skorzak - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I you're a big Columbo fan such as I am you will absolutely enjoy this set. It's complete except for the longer movies, which Amazon also sells as another product.

These are professionally produced discs and their quality and clarity is exceptional. The only drawback is the lack of a detailed program description. There is a small blurb on the DVD sleeve but it doesn't go into much detail. Check out www.tv.com/columbo for a full Episode Guide. It lists original air date, writer, director, co-stars etc.

A good buy for a great show.

3.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic show -- get the UK set, March 23, 2009

By	Sidney Carton (Edinburgh, United Kingdom) - See all my reviews

Unfortunately I cannot paste in a link to another product in this review, so go to Amazon.co.uk and search for the Columbo DVD set for season 1 through 8. It's only 45 pounds (half the price of this set), and it comes in a much nicer case. You'll need to be able to play region 2 discs in your player.

I expect Playback will soon release a set for seasons 1 through 9 and then 1 through 10 and so on. It will be good to have the full set, but to be honest, Columbo's glory days end with season 7. Season 8 is vastly inferior to the first seven seasons, and I expect the later seasons will be also. Though as much as I love Columbo, I'm sure I'll end up buying the complete set when it finally hits shelves sometime hopefully next year.