The Columbo Files – Blueprint for Murder Review

Hey, this is Joe Sanfilippo. You're listening

to the Geekcast Radio Network. Hey, it's Mistress

Carrie, and you are listening to Studio 2009.

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to adjust the volume Hello and welcome back into

our studio. You're now inside studio 2009 only

on the geek cast radio network I'm of course

Tf2 and Mike joining me once again. Is that good

old detective Dave Draper? Hello, sir. How are

you? I'm good, sir. How are you? Pretty good.

Pretty good. It is a Friday. It is a very long

Friday for me I have a bunch of stuff going on

but when you find people are hearing this Six

days from now, hopefully all that will be done.

You should make it seven days. Well, you can't

because you got the time. You can't. You could

make it seven days and then it would also be

a Friday. Yeah, yeah, could be. We play it on

Friday. Yep, yep, yep. That's the way we work

around here, folks. This is episode of Not Really.

This is episode 119 of Studio 2009. Today we

continue our journey as we put our trench coats

on and jump back in time with Columbo. Put a

little country music on the tape player? No.

God, no. We'll get to that in a minute. Yeah,

because that was probably the most TV thing ever.

we need country music and it's like okay this

is this is tv version of country music when you're

playing playing playing playing playing playing

yep we are looking at the blueprint for murder

as these are the colombo files here inside the

podcast and as always we're starting at the beginning

and i'm going to mention this here and now unfortunately

when we get to the next season toby got the first

two episodes flip -flopped for season two so

It's that I'm gonna have to talk to them about

that. I'm gonna have to send them a nicely worded

message on Twitter For the win Yeah, yes. Yes.

Yeah, I agree. I've never I will never not agree

with that but for ease of use and and financial

reasons to me is a good resource. All right so

I Almost said prescription blueprint for murder

Elliot I want to point something out real quick

because this is the like it's the second shot

of the of the episode First shot is the car.

Yep. What's the second shot? Shoes. Yep I thought

that was funny because you you posted some things

on Facebook like some clips of Peter Falk Which

would you talked about in the last episode? Yeah,

and how like he is in his Emmy Was it his Emmy

Award? No, it was it was the the questionnaire

by Bernard Pivo Yeah tour on inside the extra

studio when you go to heaven and you meet God

What do you want God to say to you and he says

I'm much better for those shoes. Yeah, which

is Just weird because that's a Colombo line that

has not come up in the first season. Yeah, it

will eventually though And it seems like no matter

how much research I do into Peter Falk that Colombo

like We've talked, we've talked for 15 years,

folks, not Dave and I necessarily, but on the

Geekcast Radio, we've talked 15 years now or

so about how certain actors or actresses are

a central role. That's what they're known for.

Like, do they do other stuff? Yes. But they're

known for, and literally, I think there are very

few actors that, I mean, are not locked into

a specific role. I mean, that's kind of like

the double -edged curse of being an actor. I

mean, Leonard Nimoy, God, I can't remember the

guy's name, the fourth doctor from Doctor Who,

all the doctors from Doctor Who, all kind of,

I can't remember, my brain is, the guy with the

big curly hair. Tom Baker. Tom Baker. Tom Baker

really resented being typecast as Doctor Who

and never came back until the, 50th anniversary,

I think the one with uh Or the doctor time of

the doctor the one the one with matt smith in

a tent and john hurt and that was oh god, I went

crazy in the theater and jason was like What

are you getting excited about? It's like Tom

freaking baker and doctor who for the first time

in like 40 years Yeah, but like yeah, but a lot

of you know actors do get sort of typecast in

a you know Even if they go on to other roles.

I mean mark camel Will always be Luke Skywalker,

you know, like, you know, there's there's a generation

that does him as a joker Yep, you know Harrison

Ford has actually had a very broad career, but

he'll always be Indiana Jones and Han Solo I

think I think that's very common and Colombo

was so many impression I get was was so Peter

Falk Mm -hmm where he wasn't you know he was

playing a role, but he wasn't yeah I mean he

was being himself playing a role you know what

I mean because there are actors that are actors

that act And they're actors that are kind of

themselves like Tommy Lee Jones is kind of always

Tommy Lee Jones in every movie And he'll be known

for the fugitive where we're you know it was

very Peter all his clothes were Peter Falk's

clothes you know Falk was a smoker, but he smoked

cigarettes, but Colombo smokes a cigar that might

be That might even be Falk's actual damn car.

Who knows? I'm gonna have to do research on it

now to find out. I mean, that would be cool as

hell. In fact, he bought the raincoat in New

York City when he was visiting at one point because

it was raining. This episode, folks, surprised

me in the information because... Usually this

happens third season fourth season fifth season

of a television show where the stars Get to go

behind the camera Peter Falk direct this episode

directed this episode I was like no wonder why

I like this because it's done by the guy with

the character and There's so many character moments

in this so many good ones So there's also a lot

this episode is very chock full of if you watched

TV in the 70s or reruns in the 80s There were

a lot of familiar faces including the victim

Forced talker who was the original one of the

original Ghostbusters. So back in the day Yeah,

there was a TV show and I actually because I'm

old I actually watched it and then the movie

came out like ten years later Right and became

a big hit and all of a sudden there was this

cartoon And I was like, wait a minute, this cartoon

reminds me of the show I watched when I was a

kid, because it was owned by the same company.

And they were like, hey, we did a TV show called

Ghostbusters. And they actually gave Columbia

the rights to use the name. But they were like,

let's capitalize on the sudden popularity of

ghosts. So there was a TV show in the 70s called

Ghostbusters, which had Forestalker and Larry

Storch and Bob Burns in a gorilla costume. It

was a wacky Saturday morning TV show where they

lasted like four episodes. They went around and

went after ghosts and then in the 80s they did

a cartoon, Filmation did a cartoon version of

it except it was their kids and they had sci

-fi aspects and apparently they had really cheap

crummy toys that are now worth all the money

which is why the cartoon for the movie is called

The Real Ghostbusters because they distinguish

it from Larry Snorch who was also more famous

for F -Troop than Ghostbusters but I just thought

I'd... Boy, that really knocked it for a loop,

but I was like, he's the first Ghostbuster. You

know, and that show got 15 episodes. I think

15 were made. I'm not sure all those aired. I

think like three or four aired. Well, a lot of

that back in the day. Again, take with grain

of salt Wikipedia, it says original air date

and it has all the original air dates and I don't

see anything here in this article saying that.

It didn't be... Nope, that's just home media.

I don't see any information saying only certain

episodes aired yet, but I could be wrong. What

was the date on that? 75. Okay, I was four years

old. Yes, you were. Okay, so this series is unrelated

to the 84 film. Yeah. Oh, yeah, absolutely. And

it's a joke. Yeah, yeah, yeah. They're Ghostbusters.

And then they were, their names were Spencer,

Tracy, and Kong. And for a sucker, played Kong.

Played Kong, yep. And Tracy was the gorilla.

Played by Bob Burns, who was a guy who was known

in Hollywood for owning his own gorilla suit.

I believe he was also a robot monster. So this

says that 15 were produced it does not usually

Wikipedia they'll say that it's 15 were produced

but only X number aired. I don't see a line here

saying Only X number have aired or did air at

the time and 70. I don't know. It is what it

is It's funny because I just got a notification

thing. I got a check and whatever but Loonie

Tunes, Daffy Duck's Quackbusters is hitting either

Blu -ray or 4k media release next year. I love

the Quackbusters episode. Anyway, so yeah, Columbo,

Markham and Williamson. There's a moment in this

where I almost thought I heard Columbo say Mr.

Williams as in Mrs. Williams from episode 2.

He didn't. He said Williamson. I just heard it

wrong. I just heard him say it too fast or something.

But basically, Elliot Markham, who is an architect

with a vision for a city of the future and a

penchant for classical music, his latest project

is being bankrolled by the young wife of Bo Williamson,

played by Forrest Tucker, a wealthy industrialist

who has been away on a lengthy overseas business

trip. When Williamson returns and finds out how

his money is being spent, he is furious. So basically

the crux here is Markham likes classical and

Williamson likes country. And classical country

is not a thing. At least it wasn't back then.

No. That's literally a line in the episode is

they don't go together. No. Mean it's for TV

like yeah, I I mean I actually have on my radio

I have a country station, but it's you know like

for Willie Nelson and Johnny Cash, you know like

who really went around back in the early said

like I said the their version of country music

is so Blatantly stereotypical You know guy drives

out of the city Your music on the soundtrack

is twang twang twang twang twang twang twang,

you know, like it's practically dueling banjos

It's it's you know, it's it's the most cartoonish

reduction of hee -haw Possible as opposed to

like Willie Nelson or Johnny Cash or you know,

the more modern Shania Twain or you know so but

yeah, like it is because because a force Tucker

plays like a They never say how he got his money,

but I always kind of think of it like a Texas

oil man, you know, yeah Very southern guy very

because he's got like a what what's his hood

ornament like a bulldog or something? Yeah, it's

like that. He's got a big Cadillac with like

a big animal hood ornament I can't I I never

quite caught what it was Yeah, he's he's he's

that big Texas oil man guy and he just got back

from Europe and finds out that his wife is funding

Williamson City and there was a fit Wow, we got

real quiet in here. And then the artist tech

guy kind of like that was kind of a neat that

was a weirdly effective moment is Williamson

gets in his car and Like is fumbling around for

something and he leans over and you see the the

guy sitting in the backseat Yeah, you see the

guy before he sees him. Yeah. Yeah way before

like oh, yeah Like ridiculously before he sees

him because he backs up and it's like you're

not turning your head far enough back to see

sir. Yeah And I'm like, I mean, I kind of feel

like if I got my car, I would notice someone

sitting in the backseat. Oh, yeah. It was a nice

shot. Yeah, absolutely. The beginning of this

I really liked because, again, what I'm liking

about all the various episodes of the show is

how each of the beginnings is slightly different.

A lot of the times we will have a music cue or

a music stinger or something. In this, it's just...

City noise silence car noise silence and him

with his cap shoes with his his business dress

shoes and there's no music There's nothing until

later and I thought I thought that was really

cool and interesting for the beginning of this

and of course said, you know Architect construction

site. Well, you know, that's where the body's

gonna be. Ah But it's not it's not But it's not.

But normally you would assume that, you know,

people in construction, when they really belabor

that idea of, hey, you know, they dug a big hole

and then filled it with concrete the next day,

and boy, that'd be a really great place to bury

a body. Yep, absolutely. The brother -in -law

attorney that, again, you've talked about before,

about Colombo mentioning his family. He brings

up his brother -in -law. That's interesting.

They did the whole, well, you haven't found a

body. You don't have anything concrete. Okay.

Well, to explain that, the whole thing is, Williamson

explains that in his will, if he dies, the money

goes to his wife eventually, but it's in a trust.

So she lives off the ... Interest. Interest yeah,

sorry. Yeah, which you know nowadays would be

nothing but Anyway, but the point being so he's

got it if she if he's still alive She can spend

his money, you know, as long as he doesn't stop

her So the whole thing is to kill him but make

it seem like he's still around He hides the body

Not not not to get caught or have an investigation

but because he wants people to think that he's

still alive and that the wife can still fund

Williamson City. The whole fly in the ointment

is that he had an ex -wife, Goldie, who he was

still close to, but she's very casual about it.

He felt like he was important enough that he

needed a trophy wife, a new model. about Beau

Williamson than that little lady you'll learn

in a lifetime. Lover, take my word for it. He

has shuffled off this veil of tears. Well, how

do you know that? Because he always calls me

before he leaves town, and this time he didn't.

Yeah, but if he didn't call you, how do you know

he left town? I spoke with the child bride. You

mean Mrs. Williamson? The current Mrs. Williamson.

I call her the next ex. Oh, don't get me wrong,

lover. She's half my age and twice as pretty,

but I like her. Oh. Bo reached the point where

he thought he needed a younger woman, and she's

better than most. I gotta say this for you, you

got a pretty healthy attitude. I can afford it.

He pays, you know? This was the 70s, people.

And he keeps her very well, anyway. Keeps her

in gold by May. They're still very close, so

she's convinced he's gone. And then they find

the car at the airport suggesting that he'd gotten

on a plane and flown somewhere. And that's the

whole crux of the thing is when Colombo gets

in the car, although... What was weird, because

I've seen this episode before, and I know that

was one of the twists. It's weird that by the

time you see Columbo in the car, he's already

playing the country music. You really should

have shown him get in the car and turn on the

classical station first. Because when the architect

takes the car to the airport to believe the car

there as bait, he's listening to his classical

records, or his classical music. So that's like

the thing is Clemo gets in the car and hears

the wrong kind of music. He notices all the tapes

are all country. All the presets on the radio

are country. But supposedly the one thing that

was on the radio when he got in, which we don't

actually get to see, which I feel is a little

bit of a flaw. The episode's great anyway, but

like because I was looking for it, I really noticed

it. You should have seen him get in the car and

turn on his country music. Now, when he's in

the car, he's playing with the radio when he

goes back to the country music station. but just

pointing that out and then picking it up a little

bit. Yeah, absolutely. No, I mean, you're right.

That's the thing about that scene is the music

is all over the place and other things. I really

like how this episode, I like the filmmaking

of this episode. I like the thing we mentioned

earlier with the guy, with Mark in the back seat

and we see him before... Will Williamson season.

I like the way that's done. Goldie. Goldie's

a character. Goldie's a character. Goldie is

a character. She keeps calling Colombo her lover.

I think that's just a term of affection. Yeah,

I understand. I get it. But I was like, OK, haven't

met a lot of people like you, Mrs. Goldie. It

was the 70s. It was a different time, my friend.

I know. I wasn't there. I didn't live through

it, but I've heard stories. It was a wee baby.

Yes, yes. A wee baby watching my Ghostbusters.

But another thing is it turns out he has a doctor's

appointment. Yep. They find out. And so Columbo

goes to the doctor. We just played, I can't remember

the actor's name, but it's another Bob Newhart

connection because he played one of the recurring

patients on the Bob Newhart show. And he was

a good pick. John Fiedler. Fiedler probably.

And what's interesting about that is he's a heart

doctor, and he says, oh no, this was a very important

visit. He should have gotten his power cells.

I love how he says power cells instead of batteries.

Power cells, his pacemaker needed a replacement.

And it was a big deal. And he also kind of, now

what's interesting is he kind of criticizes Colombo

for smoking. And Colombo stopped smoking in that

episode. Until the very end, and even then, he

pulls out the cigar and doesn't light it. This

is the final episode of the season. There is

this interesting note that the season ends on

with him. Spoiler alert, he goes back to smoking

his cigars. Yeah, so John let's see how they

say to pronounce his name. They don't do a pronunciation

here. I'm John old John don't feel Fiedler Fiedler

whatever his name is Play the doctor in here.

Yeah, he was juror number two in 12 angry men

in 1957 Okay He was and this kind of I don't

remember this. I guess I should remember this

but I don't in Oh, wow. Okay. Well, I guess he's

the voice for a while and Yeah, he played Piglet

in many like the 2000s I think yep, pretty much.

Yeah pretty much up until he died The last one

he did was Pooh's heffalump movie in 2005 because

he died Yeah, yeah have the heffalump Halloween

movie was a posthumous release I didn't know

who did the voice of Piglet. I mean, I knew that

he was the guy from the he's kind of probable.

I mean, with this generation, probably not like

the younger kids don't know it, but he was a

recurring character on the Newhart show. He was

a very, I assume, popular character. He was the

nervous one. There was one guy who was the mean

one who probably went up in Colombo because they're

all on Colombo, apparently. Yeah, he was one

of those guys who was in a lot of stuff. I mean,

you know, like this whole episode Like I said,

Forrest Tucker was in a lot of stuff. They were

they were Guys who of that era were in a lot

of things. Yep. Absolutely Yeah, Forrest Tucker

like when I saw when I when I was watching this

and I saw him I'm like Okay, I know you're not

Larry Hagman, but I really know I'm Okay, I'm

laughing because yeah, he's kind of a J .R. Ewing

type. He's very, yeah, he's very. Which is funny

because it's what, like five, six years before

Dallas? Yeah. Actually, this is 71, because I

keep going to 73. This is like almost a decade

before Dallas. Dallas was 78, 79? Yeah, 78. Yeah.

But between these two guys, and it's not because

I had seen this episode twice, but between Forrest

Tucker and Patrick O 'Neill, I'm like, okay,

it can't just be this episode. I have to have

seen these guys not necessarily together, but

in something else. I remember these actors. I

was about to make a joke about how Patrick, this

was one where the victim to me was a more memorable...

Just me personally like I know who he was as

opposed to like the killer. I was like, who is

this guy? I've never I don't recognize him for

an event. Yeah, I Recognized this shows that

that he was he was in an episode of the Twilight

Zone He was in an episode of the Alfred Hitchcock

hour outer limits McLeod two episodes He was

in the Doris Day show for three episodes part

of me Jones three episodes but like I don't remember

like I didn't watch but he was in oh If we ever

do a murder she wrote podcast folks because apparently

that's what we do around here now He was in one

episode in 85 and this was your idea spunky.

I'm not not my it's not a complaint I mean, I

was I was all for it, but I mean, mm -hmm. I'll

be like, well, this is I guess this is what we're

this is my life now Talk about old TV shows.

Okay I had somebody a good friend of mine messaged

me the other night on Facebook saying how dare

you do a Colombo podcast without me and I'm like

And you have said nothing to me about your love

of Colombo so like I told the dude all about

the details and how we were doing it and whatever

else so It is what it is. Yeah, I love these

two guys facing off against each other between

Markham and Williamson. And even the wives Goldie

and Jennifer or whatever her name is. Yeah, it's

funny. I remember Goldie, but I don't remember

the other wife's name. Yeah, it's Jennifer Williamson

something or other and like even the two of them

with their interactions and they specific they

even go out to say it like but like you said

essentially he went out and got a trophy wife

kind of thing, but they each had their own relationships

and etc etc etc and I Was half expecting because

this usually happens in any television show I

was half expecting the to the ex -wife and the

and the current wife to go, you know cat fight

each other Because that's what society was not

a show. I understand. I'm happy that Colombo's

not that kind of show I like I think that that

that sort of thing Would have been more late

70s 80s kind of thing You know like the cat just

a cat fight in general like the 70s were still

like this 70s were a weird time Because we were

coming out of 60s, but particularly on TV There

was still that sort of The word the conservatism

Okay, I mean even Colombo like when like remember

the episode with the art critic Look in the weird

the the weird painter guy was a weird painter

guy, you know He wasn't like normal guy being

a hippie painter. He was it was presented as

being kind of weird and amusing Yeah You know,

I mean You gotta like I'm sure at this point

like I think by this point married couples beds

had one bed on TV shows. But, you know, it was

still like just the idea of having a cat fight

on TV was probably considered tacky. I don't

think I would have done that until the late 70s

earlier. But someone will go, oh, well, this

episode of Car 54 or whatever. They had a cat

fight in that one. But yeah, it's just it's come

almost not that kind of show. But the relationship

was interesting. yes she was more of a mentor

to the new wife yeah more kind of uh more of

a maternal kind of thing like an older sister

yeah rather than rival an enemy but again that

that's what makes this show so interesting is

because they write characters like that who normally

in today's society After 44 years or however

many whatever you want to say for me. It's like

oh We've learned it's usually this that writers

go to or usually that that writers go to or usually

a certain type of Whatever between two women

as far as you know, okay But this episode was

also written by Steven Bochco Exactly is a very

I mean, he's a legend for a reason as he is and

nowadays shows are written by Just People yeah,

well not but like like kids out of school. Yeah,

don't have life experience Yeah, who you know

a lot of it is They don't want to tell a story.

They want to like is I Don't know the level of

writing quality in most modern Media is pretty

poor. I mean you can still find excellent writers,

but as a general rule, it's very and to be fair

we're picking out a gem of the era. Oh, yeah.

I mean, again, I was born in 1971. I don't know

what other TV shows were like from 1971. They

have been bad and clumsily written and shoddy

and cheap. You know, again, this was written

by Stephen Pachko, who is a maestro of the genre.

So, yeah, the characters are a little more complex

and a little more sophisticated, a little more

interesting than they normally would be. This

is why, in 2024, we are talking about fucking

Colombo. Exactly, because there's nothing in

2024 that I would rather talk about. Honestly,

yeah. Particularly in 2024. Go back about 10

years and there's stuff that maybe I would have

been more excited to talk about, but nowadays

there ain't nothing. I mean, Bochko, since we're

talking about him... Started his filmography

starts in and again, this is probably No, it's

it's movies and TV. Okay pre his production company.

So pre Steven butch go productions For a started

in 69 with the bold ones the new doctors a rich

Brockleman private. I Paris I'm sorry. I just

Brockleman does yeah. Yes it is Paris from 79

to 80, so that was a short -lived show. Hill

Street Blues, drama. That was a great show. Yep,

absolutely. Bay City Blues, creator of LA Law,

Hello, Hooper Man, and then under his production

company Doogie Howser, Cop Rock, Capital Critters,

NYPD Blue, I mean, NYPD Blue, come on. NYPD Blue,

oh yeah. Yep. Mm -hmm. So, you know, absolutely

I absolutely love and Who's the other guy the

the other Stephen? It's some Stephen Jay Stephen

Jack canal. Yes. I was thinking every time every

time I sometimes when I see Bocs goes name I'm

like 18. No, that was canal That was now did

like a lot of the action 80s shows. Yep. Yep.

Yep And, yeah, this one may be very kind of straightforward.

There isn't too, like, the final... You say that,

but, like, the whole thing is that he's manipulating

Columbo into digging up the piling of the building.

And, frankly, very obviously so. He's practically

double -dog daring him. And I love the sequence

where Columbo goes to, like, the... The permits

office permits office and it's just a big long

line and it's like, okay now now you got to go

to this big long line is cheese It's very colombo

very colombo and that guy the guy behind the

counter. It's lunch hour I thought colombo was

just gonna turn around and just stand there with

his back to him and wait but he actually walked

it's a funny thing watching peter play the character

because The tics, as I've mentioned already so

far, the tics that the character has, like sometimes

he'll walk so slow that you think he's just going

to stand there and other times he'll do things

you don't expect. And that's cool. What else

about this one? Well, I mean, the the twist is

that he the the architect basically has the body

stashed somewhere and nobody's found it so far.

And he basically gets Columbo to dig up the pile

of the pilot pilings Are like the the support

things from the foundations of giant buildings.

Yep I actually kind of thought it was funny that

like there's an early scene where they're there

I don't know what they're because it's because

they've already started like digging and putting

stuff in for the building, but it's like a Ribbon

cutting ceremony or something. You know what

I mean? But it's like this this this big ceremony

for like the hoity -toity Yeah, it's a press

thing. It's a publicity thing. Is it a press

thing? Yeah, because the press is there. Colombo

is there, but Colombo doesn't have an invitation.

No, Colombo does. They're all like... You see

the building behind him. You see a model of the

building behind him. I'm like, is this a square?

Is this a big gray rectangle with windows? This

guy is not IM Pei. This guy is not... You know,

well, that's what it was to start the the point

of that was for them to unveil to the I guess

other people that were there investors invite

ease whatever plus the press because he called

the press It's basically to announce Williamson

City, even though they barely built a single

building at this point. I'm just that building

itself is very Pedestrian looking well, yeah

again because they were going to have Colombo

come in And no, no, no, but he didn't have that

whole was like, right. Manipulating Colombo in

a ding. He hadn't met Colombo yet. This was just

a little press. This is a little he invited the

press later when he's digging up the piling.

Oh, I'm talking about is that earliest that early

press conference when Colombo first appears on

the show, like he's wandering down that big pit.

Yes, yes. Having a press conference for the heartbreaking

of this building. What I'm saying is that the

building itself I don't it just was very dull.

Yeah, he's like this brilliant architect and

like the building was just You know, I can't

remember the guy's name like like I I don't really

know architecture which is sad because we've

got Springfield we've got like this building

by this guy who's like one of the most famous

architects in the world I can't remember the

Dana Thomas house. I can't remember the guy's

name. He said the Dave Thomas house Dana Thomas

Well, I could look it up. That's what I'm doing.

Well, I guess my point is there's a big deal

made out of this guy and he does not seem all

that visionary or artistically gifted. Yeah,

no, he's not. Like, he can put the model together

and it looks cool. He gets the models of a boring

thing. I know. And, like, it was funny because,

like, his model of... In his office, he's got

like a little scale model of Williamson City.

Frank Lloyd Wright. Frank Lloyd Wright. He's

got a scale model of Williamson City. But when

they do close ups, like all the buildings are

like little like rectangular chunks of styrofoam.

And I was like, okay. Because he probably has

no vision. Well, I'm just like, as someone who's

dipping his toes into Warhammer, like war gamers

do a better job building model. Mm -hmm battlefields

and cities and it was just like it was just like

unpainted chunks of star I know it's a TV show

and I've been to conventions. I've been to gaming

shows where like, you know You look at this table

and it's like a little tiny Western City and

it's all beautifully painted and I'm like damn

son You just you just your your city looks like

the floor of my basement after I get like a shipment

of something It's just chunks of styrofoam. I

could do that. If I ever say I could do that,

it's an indication that this is a very low effort

and very minimally artistic if I think I could

do it. I could do Williamson City. Yeah, I think

the thing is that with Markham, his reputation

precedes him kind of thing where the reputation

of the person and then you look at the person

and you realize Yeah, I think the argument is

he's a better salesman than an architect. Yes.

Yeah, exactly. That's what it is. He can sell

you on the idea of it. He's a good marketing

guy. He's a good salesman. He can sell you on

the idea whether it gets built to the way the

idea looks that he's selling you is another thing.

Yeah. So anyway, the point being that the Colombo

ends up going to a great expense and killing

at least two days worth of standing in line to

get the piling dug up and there's nothing underneath

there. And so Markham uses this as an opportunity

to get the body out of storage, which must smell

wonderful, and take it down and he's going to

bury it. He's going to do what Colombo, what

it seemed like he did initially, which is bury

it under the piling. And of course, Colombo had

like manipulated this whole thing to make him

pull the body out of storage And the storage

he stored it in Williamson's stables. Yes Probably

made it smell even better. Well, I mean there's

nothing like horse poop and rotting flesh. Mmm

Yeah, I haven't had lunch yet I was gonna say

I hope nobody's eating lunch when they're listening

to this podcast. Yeah Horseshit and decaying

human flesh. Don't you just love it, folks? Oh

boy. Because there's a nice part where Markham

is like, I should have left the body where it

was. And I'm like, yeah, you should have because

nobody found it. And Clumbo is like, bodies have

a way of always turning up. And Clumbo basically

says, look, I knew you were manipulating me,

but I had to play along to get you to get that

body out of hiding. And I this one was good.

This is a good one. Yeah This is a nice way to

end a very sure and again, these are well again

remember the show itself had like three different

show it was the the The concept was it was a

different mystery movie of the week. Yep So there

was Columbo and I don't remember who the other

ones were the original one But they were like

it's it's it's like a third of a season. Yep

So so those nine episodes were a third of the

season Yeah, and again, well, my point in saying

that is that the nowadays we now have third of

a season with streaming stuff because specifically

with Netflix, because Netflix is like, here's

eight episodes here. Wait two years. Here's eight

episodes here. Wait two years. Well, I mean,

if you're if you're stranger things like otherwise,

here's here's here's eight episodes here. Oops,

you got canceled. Oh, was the season finale a

cliffhanger? Oopsie doodle I Think even Wednesday

got canceled didn't it? Yes. Yeah Yeah, I think

it did but but that's the thing like we're you

know, we were talking about this old television

show at a time where television was Very interesting

and very to the like we hit like like you keep

saying about the 70s To me it is because we're

talking about Colombo right, but you know what

I'm saying is like What are the other shows that

were airing in 1971? Or maybe we're you know,

it's like talking about Star Wars. What were

the other films that came out in 1977? You know,

it's like you're talking about the you know talking

about infinity war What are the other films that

came out in 19 or 20 2019? You know, you know

like we're picking a gem and yeah well, but what

I'm saying is Can you really make an extrapolation

of all the other shows? That's my point, is that

Columbo is in by itself. You can lump it in with

Perry Mason. You can lump it in with other detective

type shows. That was like a decade before. I

understand that, but I'm saying you can lump

it in with those kind of things, or you can have

it stand out and say, hey, this is something

cool, interesting, and fun. This is something

that's going to then start us down a path of

how television evolved from the 70s into the

80s because you look at, and you're gonna kill

me for this, but it's okay. I'm not gonna kill

you, but I'm like, Colombo is so unique. Absolutely.

It's hard to say that it, like, like, like, Hill

Street Blues is a traditional cop show. Right.

It's done very well. And then and then I kind

of came over the name of the show but like Homicide

there has no no not homicide. Homicide was another

traditional cop show that was done extremely.

Well, I was gonna say The the New York one that

we were just talking about the Bochco did Yeah,

I mean that was a traditional cop show with butts

with one specific ass no they had everybody everybody's

butt got shown eventually even dennis yes but

got shown eventually yes but his ass was the

first ass i think i'd have to go back no no um

what's his name the guy who quit um oh caruso

butt was first because caruso was considered

a good looking guy at the time and then they

had uh the francis butt was like the third one

because he was hooked up with the da lady who

was attractive and we saw her butt and like it

was a very butt oriented show Yes, it was. It

was a butt full of television or a television

full of butts. I don't even know if we got Jimmy...

I think we probably got Jimmy Smith's butt. Probably.

Before his heart gave out and it took him like

19 episodes to die. Oh, for a second there I

thought you were gonna say before we had to,

you know, go all the way back to episode one

and watch Jimmy Smith's as Bail Organa. What

I was going to say was though... Yes, I completely

agree with you. Colombo is very unique. It is

very, it stands out on its own amongst everything

else. And we have to do research to find out

what that everything else was. Now, what I will

say is, even though Colombo didn't have this,

I would argue that, and this is where you're

going to kill me because of the show and because

of my fandom for it, Michael Knight is the Colombo

of the 80s. David Hasselhoff and Knight Rider

Yes, there was more technology, but he's essentially

doing the same. He's not doing it in the same

way He's not doing it with the same style that

Colombo did it and it's completely different

because it's an action show more than just a

I'm not gonna kill you but you're you're doing

a good job on your own Yeah, I know, right? Yeah,

it's nothing like Columbo. The character's nothing

like Columbo. It's an action show, not a comedy.

But you can see the... No, you can't. You're

yourself, in like, laying out your case, are

constantly going, so he's completely different,

and it's a completely different kind of show,

and it's all about technology and action, rather

than solving mysteries. But the one clearly led

to the... No, well, it didn't lead to it. I think

it's not a video, because, man, my face is like...

Yeah, yeah, yeah. The point is, is that... I

don't think there was a plan for television.

I don't think in the seventies, there was a plan

for anything. And by the time you got to the

eighties, you had four, five, six different action

shows, all differing, all different types of

stuff. And then we went forward again, going

back to what you said with beat Colombo being

a, a diamond in the rough. Well, yeah. When you

say that wasn't a plan, there's the. There's

always a plan. Whatever is popular, do that,

but slightly different so that people watch it

instead of them. Somebody tell Kathleen Kennedy

that. Well, they didn't have an overall plan

for the new trilogy. They didn't have a story

framework, but they had a plan for Force Awakens,

which was copy Star Wars with more lens flare.

And then the problem was after the second episode,

they didn't really have a... It was like, we'll

let you do what you want, okay? But don't care

about the consequences, woohoo! Which, as I said

in that episode, was exhilarating watching in

the theater, but it was because I assumed they

knew what they were doing. It's like watching

someone juggle chainsaws or juggling fire or

swimming around with giant sharks and you're

like, wow, this is exciting. And then all of

a sudden it's like they get killed and you're

like, oh, oh, they didn't know what they were

doing. Oops. You know, it was like this was they

were breaking all the toys and changing the rules

and everything was different. And there was a

dumb little side thing on Kento, whatever Kento

bite. But like, I was like, where are they going

to go from here? And they were like, oh my God,

where are we going to go from here? Down the

toilet. And it was like, Liz, let's just throw

that all out. Ignore that. Rose Tico, you're

just going to stay here with Leia, who is CGI

because she's dead. And don't worry about it.

Ignore everything. Yes. We've got our X -Wings

back. Thank God. Oh, God. We win a whole movie

without X -Wings. Oh, no. Colombo. I like Colombo.

But I'm not going to kill you. But yeah, I don't

think Knight Rider. Is the natural evolution

of Colombo? I didn't say it was I was trying

to say I did not say that it was a natural evolution

I said it was a complete it was Similar in the

fact that they both have they're both. I don't

have cars that is detectives I mean he don't

know anything about TV with like but don't tell

me you know what no Tell me don't know anything

about TV without telling me you don't know anything

about TV Yeah. A detective show. My goodness,

that's a Strike While the Art is hot on that

one. Uh -huh. Did you know that this is the only

episode that Falk ever directed of anything?

No, I did not know that. Yeah. Of anything? It

says here, this is the only episode of any TV

series that Peter Falk directed. I was surprised

when his name came up at the end. I didn't know

he directed this one. I didn't know it either

until I looked it up on the Wikipedia. That's

a hell of a thing. I know you want to do a season

recap episode, but that season started with Steven

Spielberg and ended with Falk. That's a hell

of a run. Yeah, absolutely. Anything else on

Blueprint for Murder, sir? I don't think so.

Okay. Alrighty then. Well, let's go ahead and...

Oh, the one thing I will mention. At least we

actually get to see Markham in the back of a

cop car. So going back to the whole thing of

what happens to them after the fact of them just

standing there before they get handcuffed kind

of thing. So at least we are seeing that now

with this specific episode. Yeah. Yes, we are

definitely itching to watch the next episode

now because... Dog. Dog! What? Dog. Dog. Dog.

Dog. Dog. Dog. It's the first one with dog. So

excited. Yes, dog. Yes, we will recommend this

to people. Grade, zero to five. What are you

going to give it? You know, it was never one

of my favorites, but I enjoyed watching it this

time. There was some stuff that I either didn't

remember or I am going to give it a 4 .5. I think

it was, you know, I like the twist of the pilings

and manipulating combo into digging them up.

The comedy bits in the office, the the bureaucracy

bureaucracy office meet english could speak like

i like i i thought it was it was a really good

episode of combo 4 .5 yeah absolutely i completely

agree 4 .5 is all around yeah this is and it's

funny because out of the nine that we've had

here this is one of the ones that i would go

back and watch like if i wanted to throw on because

again there are so many like various little,

like I mentioned earlier, little ticks, little

things with Columbo himself in this episode.

I don't even know how I'm going to even select

all the best quotes kind of thing for this episode

once I edit it, because literally I'm like, that's

a quote, that's a quote, do this, do that, do

this, do that, whatever. But yeah, 4 .5 all around.

We're going to go to a quick podcast ad break

and come back after this to close the show. I'll

buy you a drink. I'll buy us both a drink. No,

that's okay. Thank you, Goldie. You go ahead.

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audacious on the simplistic reviews podcast we

talk movies we talk tv we talk hello julie what

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Download the show on iTunes or at simplisticreviews

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will cover that. No, they won't. No, they probably

won't. All right, folks, we are back here in

SideStreet 2009. This is episode 119. Anything

else you would like to say, sir, before I run

through the closing? Ironically, I do not have

one more thing. So he still hasn't he still has

not quite done that yet. Yeah, he hasn't done

the... the full just one more thing or one more

excuse me sir just one more thing just one more

thing yeah it he hasn't fully done that yet but

i'm sure he will oh yeah like it's it is it is

interesting because this is because you know

you talk about other tv shows that have a long

run and there always is this thing about like

the first season being kind of a mulligan like

with the simpsons people don't really consider

you know simpsons start on this generation Famously

first seasons are always a little off because

they're still getting their feet. Yeah, so it

is interesting that all these things that We

I use that royally I kind of mean me associate

with Lombo are there but they're not which has

been one of the fun things about Specifically

watching it in terms of this is the first season

Yeah, because I wouldn't really notice that they

were missing if I was watching it like when I

watch on A &E. Yeah You wouldn't notice that

he never quite goes, excuse me sir, one more

thing, just one more thing. How much do I pay

for them shoes? Where do you get them shoes?

The car, it's French. He still has not pointed

out that his car is French yet, and I know he

does that a lot. It's interesting that the show

is Colombo, but there's all these little things

that I associate with it, which still have not

quite come up yet. He's talked about his wife,

he's talked about his brother -in -law and a

couple and a niece. Who is either Marilyn or

someone else? Cindy. Marilyn or Cindy? We don't

know yet. But yeah, it is it is interesting that

like the show is there, but it's and apparently

it won the Emmy. That's amazing. It's just not

quite at least what I think. It's not quite the

perfect. I don't know how to say it like the

Platonic Columbo. Platonic ideal of Columbo yet.

I keep making jokes about the dog, but the dog

is kind of part of it. We'll see. Yeah, absolutely.

We will definitely see. I think that's it. I

don't have anything else. I will say that you

are 100 % correct as I looked into it, and fortunately

I'm gonna have to send them people a letter.

and a message about this, but for season two,

when we do start that, whenever that is, I don't

know when that is right off the top of my head,

because... Well, I'm not saying... Okay, okay.

But basically, so far as what I've noticed, that

to be flip -flopped, it toot in black in the

greenhouse jungle. because I was when I switched

to it I'm like wait a minute why is greenhouse

jumble first that's not what it's supposed to

be but yeah so there's that and then that's it

for that one all right so that's going to do

it for us I don't know if we're going to do a

season recap I don't know if we necessarily need

to do one as far as a specific separate episode.

So I have no idea what's coming up next on the

podcast. I mean, like we can just take two seconds.

Like, what was your favorite episode of the season?

Yeah, yeah. Right now. Yeah, right. Boom on the

spot. You know, put me on the spot, folks. I

will go for I will go. It is a very basic Becky

choice, but I do like Murder by the Book. I know

that's a. I can't honestly necessarily separate

it from the fact that Spielberg directed it,

because I'm a fanboy. But I do like that there's

the double murder, and the whole thing about

how Colombo's line about the first one was really

good, that's how I know you didn't do it, but

the second one was sloppy. Yeah, I think that's

my favorite of the season. For me, it's probably

suitable for framing. It was a good one. Yeah,

it was a really good one. That's a fun one. Yep.

Absolutely. All right. Thank you for joining

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2009 for the show I am at TF2 and Mike Dave doesn't

do social media No become a fan on Facebook go

to facebook .com slash geek cast radio network,

you know So check out studio 2009 podcast over

there as well Join us next time when we'll be

doing something again Planning mode. I don't

know. I've moved things around. It might be a

movie. It might be this it might be that I don't

know yet because for me it's like I want to episode

one has to start on a one so it has to be 21

if we if we're starting season two after this

we're we're starting at episode 121 for episode

201 it's a it's a weird neurotic number thing

I mean it bothers me to the core that I not only

understand Dan that? But kind of relate to it?

Like, I want to be a jerk about it, but I was

like, oh, I've got weird things like that, too.

So for now, I am TF2 and Mike with David Draper.

You'll hear us back in the studio soon. Oh, yeah.

And unleash the geek in you. Say goodbye to the

lieutenant. Sayonara. Sayonara. See.