The seventh episode of Columbo was titled Blueprint for Murder and was the final episode of the show’s first season. Columbo is tasked with finding a body before it is permanently hidden and the chance lost. In this podcast Gerry and Iain look at the battle of wits between Columbo and the killer, before reflecting on Season One as a whole.
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This episode had a tighter cast than the other shows in the season, with Peter Falk and Patrick O’Neal (as killer Elliot Markham) dominating screen time. Supporting turns from Janis Paige and Pamela Austin as the current and former Mrs Williamsons offered contrast and intrigue, while Forrest Tucker shone as their husband, the billionaire Texan victim Bo Williamson.
The show marked Falk’s directorial debut, with Steven Bochco again credited with the teleplay. Although he would have an uncredited hand in direction of one further episode, Falk would never venture behind the camera again as the director of note.
We asked listeners to let us know their favourite moments from season 1 of Columbo and whether they think each killer was likely to be convicted of the crimes they committed. If you have thoughts on these or any other parts of this season then please feel free to comment here, or find us on Twitter at @columbopodcast.
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Blueprint for Murder was released in 1972. It is 75 minutes long and originally aired on the NBC network. It can be viewed on Netflix in the United States and is available on DVD in other countries, including a comprehensive box set of all eleven seasons released by Universal.
