On this date exactly 50 years ago, 1971, this show debuted.

**JAKEPEAVY21** · 09-19-21, 07:34 AM

Nasher, were you alive?

**stevenash** · 09-19-21, 07:34 AM

Peter Falk's Columbo.
I say one the top 10 Detective roles in TV history.
He really was Lieutenant Columbo and correct anybody on the show if they called him "Detective", "Inspector", or "Officer"

Columbo is up there with Steve Mcgarrett, Joe Friday, Hank Voight, Kojack, Sipowicz, Lenny Briscoe, Jack Bauer...

**Vyasports** · 09-19-21, 07:37 AM

I wish there were more episodes of Columbo. I'm always happy when i forget what happened in any episode so I can watch it again. My favorite one is "Identity Crisis".

**stevenash** · 09-19-21, 07:38 AM

Originally posted by JAKEPEAVY21

Nasher, were you alive?

No.
But I'm a Peter Falk fan, two things I like to watch on Sunday's (when football isn't on)
That's the old 'Untouchables" with Robert Stack and Walter Winchell, and Columbo.
(Jack Lord's) McGarrett too (Hawaii 5-0) too, wasn't around then either.

Columbo my mom tells me was her favorite

**louisvillekid** · 09-19-21, 07:52 AM

I still watch reruns of this on over-the-air stations. The movies are great. Still hold up today, plus so many famous actors/musicians appeared in them

**tommir99** · 09-19-21, 08:09 AM

The pilot episode was actually from 1968, prescription: murder. Peter Falk looked much younger in that, compared to the episodes made in 1971.

Lots of good columbos. A friend in deed is my favorite.

**stevenash** · 09-19-21, 08:29 AM

Originally posted by tommir99

The pilot episode was actually from 1968, prescription: murder. Peter Falk looked much younger in that, compared to the episodes made in 1971.

Lots of good columbos. A friend in deed is my favorite.

Technically yeah, one episode, the 'pilot' aired in 1968.
Then this week in 1971 another pilot ran and the show ran as a weekly from 1971 to 1978.

**shooterman** · 09-19-21, 09:07 AM

Let's see, I was 14 in 1971. Never missed a show and actually got my parents, who hated tv shows, to tune in and become fans. Haha

**Buckandadime** · 09-19-21, 09:12 AM

Originally posted by stevenash

Peter Falk's Columbo.
I say one the top 10 Detective roles in TV history.
He really was Lieutenant Columbo and correct anybody on the show if they called him "Detective", "Inspector", or "Officer"

Columbo is up there with Steve Mcgarrett, Joe Friday, Hank Voight, Kojack, Sipowicz, Lenny Briscoe, Jack Bauer...

Might just be an oversight but you forgot to mention, "Who loves ya Baby.."

**stevenash** · 09-19-21, 09:22 AM

Originally posted by Buckandadime

Might just be an oversight but you forgot to mention, "Who loves ya Baby.."

I mentioned Kojack.
I never liked Baretta though.

**Buckandadime** · 09-19-21, 09:35 AM

Originally posted by stevenash

I mentioned Kojack.
I never liked Baretta though.

I was never a fan either..
The bird was the best actor on the show..
Played out in real life what a scumbag he is..
Should have stopped acting after the Little Rascals...

**stevenash** · 09-19-21, 09:51 AM

Originally posted by Buckandadime

I was never a fan either..
The bird was the best actor on the show..
Played out in real life what a scumbag he is..
Should have stopped acting after the Little Rascals...

I watch the old Johnny Carson shows in syndication, he was way before my time , but I study Carson because he was a literal comedy genius, any-hoo he had Blake a few time, the man is truly a blubbering idiot.

One of Carson's best guests ever was McClean Stevenson.
I'm a straight married hetro dude, but Stevenson back in the day was exceedingly handsome, hilarious, and pretty much was swimming in pootang. Dude got laid on demand.

**MinnesotaFats** · 09-19-21, 10:37 AM

Originally posted by Vyasports

I wish there were more episodes of Columbo. I'm always happy when i forget what happened in any episode so I can watch it again. My favorite one is "Identity Crisis".

Aren't there like 70 episodes and 25 movies? That's like 150 hours of footage for ya....can't possibly have that much doritos & mountain dew around lol

**cecil127** · 09-19-21, 12:51 PM

Cant stand Columbo…moves too slow. Two hours? F-that. But I DID recently watch the entire episode with Johnny Cash and it was aight…
What, no love for McMillan and Wife? Chan man, barnaby jones? Lol

**Doublethink** · 09-19-21, 02:27 PM

"I'm gonna spread your brains to White Plains." "Hey Lt. he says he's clean. "Funny he don't smell clean." " Gabage coocheekoo."

**Doublethink** · 09-19-21, 03:00 PM

45 years ago

I originally thought you were going to say "The Gong Show" with genius Chuck Barris, Gene Gene the dance machine, Gary Owens and the original public flasher Jay P. Morgan. But that didn't broadcast until 1976. Some sick stuff on that show. But it made it a few years. I think Chuck had some pebbles rolling out of his nose?

**cecil127** · 09-19-21, 05:09 PM

Originally posted by Doublethink

I originally thought you were going to say "The Gong Show" with genius Chuck Barris, Gene Gene the dance machine, Gary Owens and the original public flasher Jay P. Morgan. But that didn't broadcast until 1976. Some sick stuff on that show. But it made it a few years. I think Chuck had some pebbles rolling out of his nose?

when gene gene the dancing machine would come on my parents would let us throw the pillows from the couch around. Great times, great show….The Unknown Comic…”chunky, chunky, chunky”. Watching them now I almost taste a drip down the back of my throat…

**stevenash** · 09-19-21, 06:54 PM

Originally posted by cecil127

when gene gene the dancing machine would come on my parents would let us throw the pillows from the couch around. Great times, great show….The Unknown Comic…”chunky, chunky, chunky”. Watching them now I almost taste a drip down the back of my throat…

True fact.
Gene gene the dancing machine (Gene Patton) had to have both legs amputated due to complications from diabetes and eventually died from the same complications.

**Bostongambler** · 09-19-21, 06:59 PM

Stevenash, was it a Tuesday night?

**stevenash** · 09-19-21, 07:11 PM

Originally posted by Bostongambler

Stevenash, was it a Tuesday night?

Don't know if it was a Tuedsay night but I do know the song Gene always danced to was "Jumping at the Woodside" by Count Basie and was #11 on the Billboard charts for four weeks.

(Your pal Nasher knows these things because your pal Nasher truly has no life.)

**Doublethink** · 09-19-21, 07:34 PM

But it wasn't chunky, chunky, chunky. It was Chucky, Chucky, Chucky as referring to Chuck to Chuck Barris. Gene Gene was the best. I just thought of one more from that show. "What'cyou" gonna do. I'm gonna play my fiddle now. Or was it I'm gonna play my vio now? I tried to look it up but I can't find it. Funny stuff.

**cecil127** · 09-20-21, 04:44 AM

Originally posted by Doublethink

But it wasn't chunky, chunky, chunky. It was Chucky, Chucky, Chucky as referring to Chuck to Chuck Barris. Gene Gene was the best. I just thought of one more from that show. "What'cyou" gonna do. I'm gonna play my fiddle now. Or was it I'm gonna play my vio now? I tried to look it up but I can't find it. Funny stuff.

i know it was chucky but my iPad corrected it and my eye never picked it up….

**blankoblanco** · 09-20-21, 05:24 AM

Columbo came out before my time but I've loved it since I was a kid watching it in syndication. My mom introduced me to it. One of the greatest characters in television history, and you couldn't imagine it as anyone other than Peter Falk

Several great episodes but a few of my personal favorites were: the one with the chess players, the deadly wine connoisseur, and then the "genius society." Oh also the photography one with Dick Van Dyke as the villain (has one of the best endings/gotcha moments too)

**paulll** · 09-20-21, 07:12 AM

Originally posted by Vyasports

I wish there were more episodes of Columbo. I'm always happy when i forget what happened in any episode so I can watch it again. My favorite one is "Identity Crisis".

Yeah, it was really cool. I would say that Identity Crisis was one of the best episodes

**MaltedHopsFrenzy** · 09-20-21, 08:09 AM

Originally posted by stevenash

So hot even Columbo was drooling.

“Spent some bank, got a high powered jumbo
Rolled up a wooly and I watched - Columbo”

**Roger T. Bannon** · 09-20-21, 03:49 PM

Columbo definitely one of my all-time favs. I used to watch them weekly on the CBS Late Night movie during the summers when I was in high school. Saw them all at least a few times over the decades. Peter Falk was the whole show. He was very comedic in that role which is really what made the show.

Stephen Spielberg directed some of the shows right out of college.

They originally wanted Bing Crosby to play the role. Falk was like their last choice. Kind of a Clint Eastwood sort of thing for the Italian Westerns.

**Doublethink** · 09-20-21, 04:45 PM

Can anybody find any of the skits from The Gong Show with "Watchya Gonna Do". That was really funny too but I just can't find any. I'm pretty sure it came down to I'm gonna play my vio now. Which was a funny act. I'd love to see that again. I'm not sure who the actor was who did it.

**Doublethink** · 09-20-21, 04:54 PM

It could have been on anytime. Tuesday would be a good guess. But I'm pretty sure I used to watch it at lunchtime during college.

**edawg** · 09-20-21, 04:54 PM

Columbo episode: A bird in the hand...
A degenerate gambler kills his rich uncle and romances his aunt to get out of a heavy gambling debt. Could have been 90+% of the posters here!

**Doublethink** · 09-20-21, 09:07 PM

Originally posted by stevenash

Don't know if it was a Tuedsay night but I do know the song Gene always danced to was "Jumping at the Woodside" by Count Basie and was #11 on the Billboard charts for four weeks.

(Your pal Nasher knows these things because your pal Nasher truly has no life.)

Good call Nasher. What about Mannix 1968 And Hawaii 5-0 1969? Please don't start about any copy cats. After 1970. That's all they were.

**Razorbacks1** · 09-21-21, 06:24 AM

Originally posted by Doublethink

Can anybody find any of the skits from The Gong Show with "Watchya Gonna Do". That was really funny too but I just can't find any. I'm pretty sure it came down to I'm gonna play my vio now. Which was a funny act. I'd love to see that again. I'm not sure who the actor was who did it.

Well it was not an actor, but head writer Larry Spencer who did that skit. it was a number of instruments ( horn, xylophone, drum etc. ) which he would attempt to play, but would end up unable to perform due to malfunctions with the instrument. Larry also played the "evil villain" on the Chuckie's Fables skits.