En grande pompe

There is no doubt that Columbo's star Peter Falk loves this character. He always takes him out of the closet in a manner of speaking. Peter Falk would be knighted if he was a British actor but since he is an American actor and icon, we'll take him the way he is. I remember watching this episode with Golden Girls' star Rue McClanahan as the gossip columnist Verity Chandler. Of course, Patrick McGoohan has often been associated with Columbo whether he is directing, writing or starring. There is something addictive about Columbo. He doesn't dumb down the role or the characters. He learns just as well as we do. He is quite the detective. He always gets his man or woman and I just adore Columbo. He is always worth watching. He mixes humor and seriousness with the most serious crime of murder. His job might be murder but it sure is fun watching him get the man or woman to be caught. Even then, you kind of feel sorry for the criminal for his actions. It' the Columbo touch that you pity the criminal and love the detective.

A tremendous cast, by latter-day Columbo standards, including Rue McClanahan, Sally Kellerman, Edie McClurg, Richard Libertini, Aubrey Morris, and Ron Masak have a field day chewing up the scenery in clever scene after clever scene. Legendary tap dancer Arthur Duncan even shows up to add the proper element of theatre d'absurd to the proceedings. The dialogue is well-above average in the cleverness department as well. The twists and turns are ingenious. McGoohan has a field day as director and actor. The last line puts the proper icing on the cake. This is one of the very best of the latter-day Columbo movies.

"Ashes to Ashes" from 1998 is a great Columbo episode, with Falk coming up against repeat offender from past years, Patrick McGoohan, as a murderous funeral director.

McGoohan plays Eric Prince, an ex-actor turned funeral director who sold gossip to a Louella Parsons-type TV columnist Verity Chandler (Rue McClanahan) while they were having an affair.

The affair over, Verity has done some investigation and learned that when a great screen star, Dorothea Page died, a million-dollar necklace that accompanied her to the funeral home disappeared and is what enabled Prince to buy more and more funeral homes. While attending the funeral of an old cowboy star, Verity makes the mistake of announcing to Prince that she'll be exposing him on national television in a few days.

McGoohan is terrific, perfectly controlled in his internalized anger.

It's time for Lieutenant Columbo to investigate, and we all know the rest. McGoohan and Falk play off one another perfectly.

Very entertaining episode, certainly as good as any from Columbo's golden years. Falk was 71 here - most lieutenants would have retired by then, but not this guy. Good thing.

Although "Ashes to Ashes" is not one of the best "Columbo" episodes, it is all the same a solid episode, especially when you consider that during this period the show was often hit or miss. It does have some flaws here and there. Like many of the latter day episodes, it does seem to be a bit long and slow at times. Columbo himself also seems to be a bit slower in his actions and words as well. Also, I was able to guess more or less what would prove to be the downfall of Patrick McGoohan's character in the first ten or so minutes of the episode! But McGoohan does prove to be a pretty good opponent - he comes across as smarter and craftier than the usual suspects that Columbo dealt with over the years. And while this episode is longer and slower than other episodes, I can say that it's never boring. Fans of the show should be fairly satisfied with the end results.

I am a huge Columbo fan and Ashes to Ashes is without a doubt one of my favourite episodes for many reasons. The plot is quite complex, but is explained well, has many interesting scenes, and the motive is a good one. The script is top notch, particularly in any exchange between Columbo and Eric and Verity's bitchy dialogue is a joy. As always the photography and scenery are striking, and the music is rich and haunting. Then there are the performances, Peter Falk is exceptional once again as Columbo, no surprise really he is always brilliant as the character, while Patrick McGoohan is brilliant as Eric. In fact, McGoohan is one of my favourite Columbo guest stars, and he works really well with Falk. Rue McClanahan has to work with a very strong minded and seemingly hateful character, and McClanahan conveys her with the charm she always had, not to mention her presence which is quite entrancing. The episode is also very well directed, and I was gripped right up to the final solution. Overall, first class, quintessential Columbo I'd say. 10/10 Bethany Cox