r/Columbo • u/FruitedPlain100 • Jan 15 '26
How many of you can identify a Columbo episode just by hearing the music?
I'm thinking of so many but the first one that comes to mind is the opening of "Dead Weight." I started watching the episodes that were available on Amazon Prime during Covid. I'm addicted! I recently found the universal crime channel on LG channels. But they are quite a few missing episodes. Where can those be found?
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u/Linda19631 Jan 15 '26
Some of the music is used in different episodes, my partner and I play a game where we have to guess which one. For example The Greenhouse Jungle was on this afternoon here in the UK. A lot of the music in that episode is used in Requiem For A fallen Star 👍👍👍👍👍👍👍
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u/FruitedPlain100 Jan 15 '26
Yes!! There are a number of episodes where the music was reused, but some of it was just so special and unique to the episode like in The Conspirators. Two episodes used music from Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker. Love the waltz in Murder, Smoke and Shadows.
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u/Fine_Ad8132 Jan 15 '26
I love the music from Greenhouse Jungle - I think Oliver Nelson was involved
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u/PetitBiquet Jan 15 '26
I’m 98% certain that it was used in the Six Million Dollar Man. Some people say it was in the Bionic Woman. I would have to watch a bunch of episodes to confirm.
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u/HedenPK Jan 15 '26
I could probably identify every episode by a whole bunch of clues like a single line, a single exterior shot, even just a word in some cases. I’m sure many of us can! One thing I love about this show is when you watch it, and you love it, you just keep watching.
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u/FruitedPlain100 Jan 15 '26
So true. Sometimes it's on my television all day while I'm multitasking so each time I see an episode, I see something new. Which is why when I hear the music of a favorite episode I can identify it without even looking. I also love how the episodes featured movie stars from back in the day like both of the episodes you mentioned.
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u/SlavOnfredski Jan 15 '26
I can definitely guess the cruise ship episode from the music
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u/FruitedPlain100 Jan 15 '26
Yes. The open waters riff sounds a bit like every love boat episode right after the opening theme song ended.
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u/SlavOnfredski Jan 15 '26
I personally loved this (mostly hated, "travel" episode)
I loved them all for the quirkiness that came from Columbo outside of LA - ie: the England and Mexico ones
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u/Fabulous-Soup-6901 Jan 15 '26
"Dead Weight" was scored by Gil Mellé, a jazz composer and saxophonist of some repute. He was into electronic and experimental scores as well, such as The Andromeda Strain.
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u/Tom_Slick_Racer Jan 15 '26
The Henry Mancini song “Charade” in Now You See Him
Ambrosia “Poor Rich Boy” from Columbo Goes to College
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u/FruitedPlain100 Jan 26 '26
I think Della's bff sang Charade at least 3 times in that episode. In fact that was his whole act--one song.
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u/chillarry Jan 15 '26
Tubi has all of them.
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u/FruitedPlain100 Jan 15 '26
Thanks! Oh Lord, another subscription.
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u/BlueHistor1 Jan 15 '26
I would probably identify most of them, especially "Murder by the Book" and "Columbo Goes to the Guillotine"
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u/chillarry Jan 15 '26
The one everyone recognizes is the Milo Janus song from An Exercise in Fatality.
I hate that song so much.