# Old Detective Shows



## 911 (Oct 9, 2017)

Every morning that we are home my wife watches the old reruns faithfully of "Columbo." I guess I've been getting under her skin lately while she watches these shows. Just a while ago while she was watching a show, I just had to ask her that one question that is probably asked all too often. "How can you sit there and watch this hokey show? It's so made up that even a third grader knows all you have to do to get this stubby little man off of your tail is to ask for a lawyer and then you know what that means? The show is over." 

The worse part is, the show that follows is "Matlock" and it doesn't get any better. 

As a professional law enforcement officer, it just sickens me at times to watch some of these show. They are either unbelievable or drama turned into a comedy. I know a lot of people watch these shows and really enjoy them. My problem is that I think sometimes that my wife and sister believes that crimes can be solved using Columbo's methods. 

I only wish they could.


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## Marie5656 (Oct 9, 2017)

I used to like Matlock.  Not so much anymore.  I liked that one with Dick VanDyke.  Diagnosis Murder.  I make MY husband nuts because I like watching ION Television.  Not sure if ION is the same all over, but here they rotate between Blue Bloods, Criminal Minds, and the Law & Order franchise---the original, SVU and Criminal Behavior.


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## RadishRose (Oct 9, 2017)

Columbo was the only one I'd watch once in awhile; for the comedic value.


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## Big Horn (Oct 9, 2017)

_Mr. and Mrs. North_ is one of the best.  I think that you can find some episodes on youtube.  The books are even better.

The other stuff mentioned is way after my time.


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## Falcon (Oct 9, 2017)

Remember  Charlie Chan?  I liked those movies.


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## Smiling Jane (Oct 9, 2017)

911 said:


> Every morning that we are home my wife watches the old reruns faithfully of "Columbo." I guess I've been getting under her skin lately while she watches these shows. Just a while ago while she was watching a show, I just had to ask her that one question that is probably asked all too often. "How can you sit there and watch this hokey show? It's so made up that even a third grader knows all you have to do to get this stubby little man off of your tail is to ask for a lawyer and then you know what that means? The show is over."
> 
> The worse part is, the show that follows is "Matlock" and it doesn't get any better.
> 
> ...



Your wife obviously enjoys watching the show. Why not leave her in peace to enjoy what she chooses to watch? Surely you can find something better to do for that hour or two.


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## applecruncher (Oct 9, 2017)

Hey 911!  You know I got much luv for ya, BUT.........Columbo was and still is one of my favorite TV shows.  :yes:  (I didn't care for Matlock)

I know it's not real, I know real cases aren't solved that way, I know people could get rid of that annoying Lt. Columbo.  But he was cute , mannerly, appeared to be in awe of the perpetrator, didn't curse or use physical violence.  Viewers know who committed the murder, the fun is watching him prove it! (Sure, things are more sophisticated now :shrug: ) The criminal was always wealthy, often arrogant, successful in their field, thought they covered their tracks.  The guest stars were famous......Dick Van Dyke, Vera Miles. Janet Leigh, Robert Culp many times, Johnny Cash (that was a good one), Trish Van Devere (George C. Scott's widow), Martin Landau, George Hamilton, RobertVaughn, John Cassavetes..... the list goes on and on. Celebrities used to beg to be on the show. I watched Columbo when it aired and I still watch it on Netflix. :laugh:

So don't be so hard on us Columbo fans.   We love him and always will. 

ps:  trivia - his first name was Frank, and in 1972 his salary was $11,000.


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## Smiling Jane (Oct 9, 2017)

My mother loved Columbo. From what she said at the time, she never thought his methods would have worked to solve real crimes, but she enjoyed Peter Falk and the guest stars (many of whom were his friends), and she found the show entertaining. She also enjoyed Kojak and a few others. Those shows were very popular at the time they aired, so she was not alone.


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## moviequeen1 (Oct 9, 2017)

I never got into 'Columbo' or 'Kojack" .The one TV detective show that I really liked was'Mannix" starring Mike Connors  It ran on CBS from '67-'75. At the time,critics thought it was a very violent show,but I didn't care,I thought it was well written. Sue


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## Aunt Bea (Oct 9, 2017)




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## Aunt Bea (Oct 9, 2017)




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## chic (Oct 9, 2017)

I did enjoy Colombo and still do. Barney Miller was a comedy detective show but it was so funny. I also like Mannix and Nero Wolf. It's for entertainment value. We all know real law enforcement is nothing like this.


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## Aunt Bea (Oct 9, 2017)

chic's post made me think of Ellery Queen, Murder She Wrote and Father Dowling.


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## Marie5656 (Oct 9, 2017)

Who remembers this one?   Last year I binge watched it on Hulu.  Full episodes also available on You Tube.

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## Aunt Bea (Oct 9, 2017)

and Magnum, p.i.!


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## 911 (Oct 9, 2017)

The guy actually pisses me off. Here is what I have seen over the years. He steals evidence w/o a warrant, he harasses the suspects, no suspect ever asks for a lawyer, he even steals personal property, he supposedly doesn't carry a gun, he never takes anyone in (to his office) for an interview, he smokes anywhere he pleases (and deposits the ashes the same way), he baits his suspects, which is illegal so says the SCOTUS. Remember the episode about the Italian guy (Rod Steiger) that was going to kill George Wendt? He had him so set up that I almost threw my coffee mug at the screen. He has never read anyone their rights before questioning a suspect. He goes into buildings and even a boat once to look for evidence w/o a warrant. The episode with Johnny Cash in it. Cash has Columbo all sewed up. He has nothing on Cash. Then as Johnny is going through the x-ray machine at the airport, he tosses his keys into a tray to send it through the screener and all of a sudden it came to him. He saw the rental car tag on the key chain and he knew Cash was coming back. (What a genius.) Or, the winemaker that threw all of the bottles of wine away because the temperature in LA got too warm and ruined the wine, so he had to dump it over the cliff into the ocean. Columbo knew he killed his brother. I'm telling you, the guy is a real Dick Tracy. 

I can put up with Barnaby Jones, Mannix, Cannon and others. Those are just silly, but Columbo, he could fill up San Quentin all by himself. 

All the while I am complaining about the guy making mistakes and telling her that he should be in jail, she just sits in her chair, sipping on her tea and smiling at me, which pisses me off even more. I told her one day not too long ago that she really knows how to push my buttons.


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## Aunt Bea (Oct 9, 2017)




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## IKE (Oct 9, 2017)

Not a weekly TV series but he always got the bad guy.........Inspector Clouseau.


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## NancyNGA (Oct 9, 2017)

How about Law and Order.  Was it more realistic?   Lenny's one-liners got old to me, but I liked the Order part.


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## Aunt Bea (Oct 9, 2017)




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## 911 (Oct 9, 2017)

I like watching Joe Kenda on Discovery ID. Joe is a very philosophical, intelligent and ethical policeman.


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## RadishRose (Oct 9, 2017)

I could never like the detective shows, Law & Order, etc. There had to be comedy for me and while Columbo was funny (you couldn't take him seriously), Monk was the best for hilarity (Tony Shaloub). Of course, Inspector Clouseau.

_*True crime *_documentaries to me, are much more interesting.


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## applecruncher (Oct 9, 2017)




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## applecruncher (Oct 10, 2017)

911 - 

Understandably, you see "Columbo" from the perspective of a law enforcement professional.  A medical doctor might have similar feelings about "Ben Casey" or "Grey's Anatomy".

As far as the people asking for a lawyer, Columbo initially approached them on their turf in a friendly, folksy manner....appearing all rumpled and confused, making comments about his wife or brother-in-law.  He wasn't doing an official interrogation in the police station.  If the suspect demanded to have their lawyer present there would be no story.

One of my favorites was "Etude in Black"......symphony conductor killed mistress, but made mistake of rattling off mistress's home phone number within earshot of wife.  Also his flower/boutinerre fell off at the crime scene and he retrieved it later, but he didn't have it on when conducting the orchestra, as shown when concert was televised.  (John Cassavetes and Peter Falk were _very _close personal friends.)

http://radioactive-studios.com/biohazard-films/?p=1023


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## 911 (Oct 10, 2017)

I saw that episode. I knew right away that he screwed up when he picked up the flower and put it on his coat collar. 

Regardless of how he looks when he approaches a person, if he is considering them a person of interest or a suspect, he must read them their Miranda rights. 

When I used to go to schools to talk with kids about the different perils that they may face out in the real world, I used to tell the kids in elementary school to never be afraid to speak to a policeman. When I spoke to the kids in high school, I told them never to talk to a cop without at least one of their parents present. And that's another thing. Here in Pennsylvania, police cannot question a juvenile without at least one parent present. My question is: How come 99.9% of them ask for their Mother?


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## Smiling Jane (Oct 10, 2017)

RadishRose said:


> I could never like the detective shows, Law & Order, etc. There had to be comedy for me and while Columbo was funny (you couldn't take him seriously), Monk was the best for hilarity (Tony Shaloub). Of course, Inspector Clouseau.
> 
> _*True crime *_documentaries to me, are much more interesting.



I love a good British mystery. Give me Endeavour or Vera and you can have all of the U.S. network detectives.


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## SifuPhil (Oct 10, 2017)

911 - 

I feel the same about martial arts movies. 

Having been involved in MA for over 45 years I have a pretty good grasp of what is and is not good technique, and what will help and what will get you killed.

That's why whenever I watch movies with Steven Seagal, Chuck Norris, _et al _I bounce around in my recliner, yelling at the TV.

"YOU JERK, YOU COULDN'T SEE THAT JUMP SPINNING KICK COMING?!?"

"NO, NO, GO FOR THE CAROTID!!!" 

... and my favorite reply ...

"OH, YEAH, RIGHT!!!" 



Still, I watch them for their entertainment value, even if the "entertainment" is simply me blowing off steam.


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## tnthomas (Oct 10, 2017)

911 said:


> I like watching Joe Kenda on Discovery ID. Joe is a very philosophical, intelligent and ethical policeman.



I like Joe Kenda,  I never get tired of watching.

Watching the Detectives is a show i like, but it seems like there's not alot of episodes, and they are not aired very often.

I just started watching I am Homicide.  Like Kenda's show, I am Homicide is narrated by the retired officer, with actors reenacting the stories.


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