Columbo: The Return (1989-2003) (Blu-ray Review)

• Reviewed by: Tim Salmons
• Review Date: Sep 09, 2024
• Format: Blu-ray Disc
• 

Director

Various

Release Date(s)

1989-2003 (July 16, 2024)

Studio(s)

Universal Television (Kino Lorber Studio Classics)

• Film/Program Grade: B
• Video Grade: B-
• Audio Grade: A
• Extras Grade: C-

Review

Growing up in the 1970s through to the 1990s, there was hardly a household that wasn’t watching Columbo when new episodes or random specials aired on either NBC or ABC. The show became one of the most popular detective series ever produced, so much so that even after the initial seven seasons had aired, the eccentric, raincoat-wearing, cigar-chomping, but ever-so-clever lieutenant would occasionally be brought back for further investigations. This lasted all the way up until 2003, when the show went on an official hiatus, partly due to producers not being able to greenlight new episodes, but also due to Peter Falk’s failing health and eventual death in 2011. Falk had become a star and won four Emmys because of the show’s massive popularity, despite being in a number of noteworthy and successful films (Husbands, A Woman Under the Influence, Murder by Death, The Cheap Detective, The In-Laws, and The Princess Bride), but the majority of audiences know him simply as Columbo, and probably will forever more.

Columbo as a television entity is nothing if not repetitive. Each week, audiences would be introduced to a new set of guest stars whose main character would commit a deadly act, and it would be up to the always-resourceful Lieutenant Columbo to remain vigilante and stay on their trail, often annoying and needling them until the evidence that he needed to have them arrested would reveal itself. This inverted detective story style, often called the “howcatchem” rather than the traditional “whodunit,” was more or less the same in each and every episode. However, the show’s repetitiousness is part of its charm. Every week, Columbo would always solve the mystery at hand, no matter much it would seemingly elude him or how good the antagonist was at concealing it, and there’s an odd sort of comfort in that. The same could be said of other detective-based type shows, but Peter Falk’s charming yet off-kilter appearance and gravitas managed to keep viewers glued to TV screens in a way that felt fresh and different.

The show ended its original run in 1978 on NBC, but was later revived by ABC for two more seasons as part of the ABC Monday Mystery Movie program, which also shared the spotlight with B.L. Stryker starring Burt Reynolds, Gideon Oliver starring Louis Gossett, Jr., and a revival of Kojak, among others. Columbo was by far the most popular, and even after the ABC Monday Mystery Movie ended, 14 further episodes of the show were produced sporadically between 1990 and 2003, comprising what’s now referred to as the show’s official tenth season. This is also a period where there were a few misfires, including the altering of the show’s established howcatchem formula, mostly in the episodes No Time to Die and Undercover, which were based on 87th Precinct novels by Ed McBain. The final episode attempted to change the show’s visual style, resulting in an offbeat final bow for Peter Falk as the titular character. Guest stars this time around include William Shatner, Faye Dunaway, George Hamilton, Andrew Stevens, Ed Begley Jr., Rue McClanahan, Claudia Christian, Billy Connolly, George Wendt, Anthony Zerbe, Ian Buchanan, Patrick McGoohan, Helen Shaver, Dabney Coleman, Robert Foxworth, Burt Young, Fisher Stevens, Rip Torn, Lindsay Crouse, and Matthew Rhys, among others.

Columbo’s revival during the COVID-19 pandemic, a time when people were finding as many things to watch as possible while being stuck at home, further cemented the show’s popularity. For many, the show was a staple for decades, solidifying Peter Falk as one of TV’s greatest stars, and entering Columbo’s catchphrase “Oh, just more one more thing...” into the pop culture lexicon, often imitated but never equaled. Rian Johnson’s Poker Face would successfully use Columbo as a jumping off point, but there will never be anything quite as thrilling as the titular detective putting the puzzle together and facing off with the suspects. It’s pure television gold.

Columbo’s final three seasons were all shot on 35 mm film by cinematographers Robert Seaman, Jack Priestley, George Koblasa, Fred V. Murphy, Jiggs Garcia, and Feliks Parnell using Panavision cameras and spherical lenses. The show was finished on film and presented full frame at the 1.33:1 aspect ratio, though the final episode was presented in 1.78:1. The Kino Lorber Studio Classics Blu-ray boxed set, Columbo: The Return (1989-2003), features new 4K masters, created by Universal Pictures, of the remaining 24 episodes of the show’s eighth, ninth, and tenth seasons, presumably from their original camera negatives.

Like its predecessor, Columbo: The 1970s – Seasons 1-7, episodes of The Return feature bitrates that range from 20 to 40Mbps, with two 90-minute episodes included on per disc. However, the results are uneven by comparison, and the biggest hurdle is the aspect ratio. All of the episodes have now been cropped and re-framed for 1.78:1, which at times doesn’t make a massive difference, but in others, character’s heads can be cut in half at the top or the bottom of the screen. There’s more room on the sides of the frame, but nothing necessary is revealed. What’s more, the closing credits are not always framed for 1.78:1. Sometimes they’re still framed for 1.33:1, and in at least one instance, an episode is cropped on the left but not the right, filling everything but the left side of the screen. Grain is mostly even from one episode to the next, but some episodes are grainier, possibly taken from later generation elements, while others appear too clean, even a tad waxy. Contrast and color are never an issue as depth and the varying hues of each show is well-represented. Some of the previews of upcoming episodes are included randomly, but not always of the same quality. This is definitely a step up in terms of fine detail and sharpness over standard definition presentations, but there’s room for improvement. It’s unfortunate to report that Universal didn’t quite this run of shows right, which is more frustrating after their stellar work on the first boxed set. They look nice enough, but they’re far from perfect.

Audio is included in English 2.0 stereo DTS-HD Master Audio with optional subtitles in English SDH. Nothing is amiss here either, with good support for dialogue, score, and sound effects, but with the obvious advantage of a non-lossy container to get the most out of it. Also included for each episode are isolated music and effects tracks, also in 2.0 stereo DTS-HD Master Audio.

The twelve Blu-ray discs that comprise the Columbo: The Return (1989-2003) boxed set sit in two separate blue Amaray cases, one of which contains a 12-page episode guide that details the original air dates, cast and crew, and a brief synopsis for each episode. Everything is housed in a thin slipcase with newly-commissioned artwork by Tony Stella. Each disc contains the following episodes:

DISC ONE (SEASON EIGHT – EPISODES 1 & 2)

1. Columbo Goes to the Guillotine (92:49)
2. Murder, Smoke and Shadows (94:37)

DISC TWO (SEASON EIGHT – EPISODES 3 & 4)

3. Sex and the Married Detective (94:07)
4. Grand Deceptions (94:29)

DISC THREE (SEASON NINE – EPISODES 1 & 2)

1. Murder, A Self Portrait (92:30)
2. Columbo Cries Wolf (95:28)

DISC FOUR (SEASON NINE – EPISODES 3 & 4)

3. Agenda for Murder (95:39)
4. Rest in Peace, Mrs. Columbo (96:59)

DISC FIVE (SEASON NINE – EPISODES 5 & 6)

5. Uneasy Lies the Crown (96:12)
6. Murder in Malibu (94:02)

DISC SIX (SEASON TEN – EPISODES 1 & 2)

1. Columbo Goes to College (93:34)
2. Caution: Murder Can Be Hazardous to Your Health (89:59)

DISC SEVEN (SEASON TEN – EPISODES 3 & 4)

3. Columbo and the Murder of a Rock Star (95:42)
4. Death Hits the Jackpot (96:19)

DISC EIGHT (SEASON TEN – EPISODES 5 & 6)

5. No Time to Die (91:37)
6. A Bird in the Hand... (93:04)

DISC NINE (SEASON TEN – EPISODES 7 & 8)

7. It’s All in the Game (95:10)
8. Butterfly in Shades of Grey (92:19)

DISC TEN (SEASON TEN – EPISODES 9 & 10)

9. Undercover (93:23)
10. Strange Bedfellows (93:33)

DISC ELEVEN (SEASON TEN – EPISODES 11 & 12)

11. A Trace of Murder (92:34)
12. Ashes to Ashes (90:11)

DISC TWELVE (SEASON TEN – EPISODES 13 & 14)

13. Murder with Too Many Notes (99:22)
14. Columbo Likes the Nightlife (88:09)

Aside from the music and effects tracks, there are no bonus materials included with this release, nor anything substantial from previous DVD releases.

As I said my review of the previous boxed set, the fact that Columbo is now available on Blu-ray in such high quality is a reason to celebrate. However, approach this second run of shows with tempered expectations. The golden age of the show is over, and it shows, but it’s still nice to be able to revisit this era of the show, even in less than perfect quality. Fans should definitely pick this up, but others may think twice, depending upon their tolerance for uneven video quality.

- Tim Salmons

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