i hadn’t watched Columbo in decades and saw that it is on peacock. This first episode is really a fun watch. Two of the future most important forces in film and television combine to deliver a great episode (dir. Steven Spielberg, !! writer Steven Bochco !!). the MVP is the villain played by Jack Cassidy (father of teen heartthrob Shaun Cassidy). the plot is routine and superfluous, it’s the dialog and Cassidy’s performance that generate the most delight.
at the very least, the scene where Columbo makes an omelette HAS TO BE SEEN to be believed.
I have a crush on Columbo now and I just turned 68. I didn’t watch it as a kid. We started watching as a family when our 23 year old son suggested it. We love Columbo! Some are better than others, but always enjoyable.
This afternoon I watched an episode of ‘Wild Rivers With Tillie’ on PBS. This episode was exploring the Snake and Columbia rivers; their health, the dams, the hatcheries and salmon genetics. Freakin’ fascinating!
Finished up the new season of Great American Baking show on Roku with judges Paul Hollywood and Prue Leith. It was enjoyable, all the contestants were accomplished and very nice people and it’s shot in the tent in England. Side comics were all right-I like Ellie Kemper but they were a bit silly also.
TCM last night ran a series of football movies to celebrate the start of the new season and I caught Paper Lion from 1968. It’s a moderately amusing time capsule of a movie. Alan Alda looks reasonably athletic in the Plimpton role, and Alex Karras shows off his nascent acting chops. As others have noted on the internet, the “huge” players don’t seem so huge anymore. Roger Brown weighed in at 305 and the coaches demanded he get down to 285! Side notes: Coach Joe Schmidt, who showed remarkably good natured patience with Plimpton in the movie, is still alive at 91, ancient for a HOF defensive player. Tho book on which the movie is based relates to the 1963 season, when Schmidt was still playing and Karras had been suspended for betting on games, but Plimpton heard all about Karras from his teammates.
Another side note: Plimpton’s editor is played by David Doyle of Charlie’s Angels fame. Immediately before watching Paper Lion I watched a Season 2 Naked City in which David Doyle played the basketball coach of a young man whose father moonlighted as a hitman. Ahh, the good old days.
Finally catching up on the new season of Reservation Dogs. Also watched the very funny comedy special with Tom Papas, and a kinda boring standup with Todd Barry.
