Columbo – Licence to Spiel

Two Fingers of Brown Listerine

In this episode, Thad and Carl talk about “Requiem for a Falling Star” starring Anne Baxter, Mel Ferrer, and Kevin McCarthy (no, not that one). We have our usual questions about things like gasoline fumes, whether anyone in this episode knows how to park, and what exactly is in those decanters on Anne Baxter’s bar.

We also go down a long (even by our standards) rathole about television shows and movies of questionable moral character and turn to the experts at “Focus on the Family” to help us out. If you just want us to get on with it, feel free to skip from one “…and Kevin McCarthy” chapter to the next.

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Thad – @tyranicus.net
Carl – @listeningtofilm.net

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One British-ism After Another

Apologies for the delay, but we somehow lost our luggage in Heathrow Airport. In this episode, Columbo inexplicably finds himself in London, England and has to navigate every British cliché the writers can throw at him and find out whether or not it’s true that “the butler did it.”

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Thad – @tyranicus.net
Carl – @listeningtofilm.net

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I’m Opposed to Canonical Columbo Lore

“What’d you pay for those shoes?” We are back along with Robert Culp’s mustache as we discuss “The Most Crucial Game” and a whole lot of things that barely exist anymore.

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Thad – @tyranicus.net
Carl – @listeningtofilm.net

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The Bad Hair Episode

We navigate “The Greenhouse Jungle” which is replete with fraud, fake kidnapping, murder, and really bad wigs.

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Licence to Spiel – @podspiel.bsky.social
Thad – @tyranicus.net
Carl – @listeningtofilm.net

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Smash Cut to Hitler

We begin season 2 of Columbo with “Étude in Black,” a special, extended (or is that padded?) episode featuring Peter Falk’s friend John Cassavetes as the Murderer-of-the Week.

Does this episode merit an extra 30 minutes of runtime? Did Cassavetes do any research at all on how to conduct an orchestra? Was every actor from the 70s in at least one episode of “The Virginian?” And what’s up with the sudden appearance of Adolf Hitler? Listen and find out!

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Licence to Spiel – @podspiel.bsky.social
Thad – @tyranicus.net
Carl – @listeningtofilm.net

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The Most Texan of Texans

We close out the first season of Columbo with “Blueprint for Murder,” which is also the first and only episode of the show directed by Peter Falk. Join us as we discuss after-market Cadillac modding, really cheap bourbon, and what might just be the most expensive murder investigation in the history of the Los Angeles Police Department.

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Licence to Spiel – @podspiel.bsky.social
Thad – @tyranicus.net
Carl – @listeningtofilm.net

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Roddy and his McDowalls

Carl and Thad are joined by special guest Ryan Riddle to discuss “Short Fuse,” starring Roddy McDowall as the murderer of the week. We had a fun and extensive conversation with Ryan that even touched on the episode at times.

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Ryan Riddle – @ryanthomasriddle.com

Licence to Spiel – @podspiel.bsky.social
Thad – @tyranicus.net
Carl – @listeningtofilm.net

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“I was not prepared for all the ass shots”

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Columballs

In this episode, Thad and Carl discuss “Lady in Waiting,” the fifth of the first season of Columbo. While we would never condone murder, we both agree that Bryce Chadwick is the most murderable victim we have seen to date. We also get incredibly distracted by the usual things, including the inexplicable “Webster” and “Star Trek: The Next Generation” crossover episode.

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Licence to Spiel – @podspiel.bsky.social
Thad – @tyranicus.bsky.social
Carl – @listeningtofilm.net

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Webster (Gary Coleman) meets Lt. Worf (Michael Dorn) — “Webtrek”

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The Victim Appears to have Been Sous-Vide-d

Thad and Carl discuss “Suitable for Framing,” the fourth episode of the first season of Columbo. Famous art critic (if that’s a thing) Dale Kingston murders his uncle to inherit his considerable art collection. But we are more focused on his fashion sense, the propensity of people in the 70s to have bars in their homes, and yet another television set.

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Licence to Spiel – @podspiel.bsky.social
Thad – @tyranicus.bsky.social
Carl – @listeningtofilm.bsky.social

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“You…you touched those paintings just now!”

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The Nick at Nite Murder

In this episode, we discuss episode three of Columbo’s first season, “Dead Weight,” which had some behind-the-scenes drama that might be more interesting than the episode itself. We also get a bit hung up on issues related to Convoluted Body-Removal in murder mysteries.