Season One 2 Pilots (See Newsletter for explanation) September 15th 1971 to February 9th 1972

"Prescription Murder" (1967)
Season: 1, Episode - Pilot
Director:Richard Irving
Written by: Richard Levinson, William Link (based on their play)
Produced by:Richard Irving
Originally aired:February 20, 1968
Run Time:99 (mins)
Cast:
Peter Falk		as LT. Columbo
 
Guest Starring 

Gene Barry 		as Dr Ray Flemming 
Katherine Justice 	as Joan Hudson 
William Windom 		as Burt Gordon 
Nina Foch 		as Carol Flemming 
Virginia Gregg 
Andrea King
Katherine Justice 
Susanne Benton 
Ena Hartman
Sherry Boucher 
Anthony James
Victim Murderer
Plot:

High priced psychiatrist Dr. Ray Fleming has guests completely baffled. The game Botticelli (a variation on "Who-am-I ") and, as usual, he revels in the chance to show off his intelligence. Everyone concedes defeat. The historical personality Ray is pretending to be is exceedingly obscure. He is Joseph Brewer, Freud’s collaborator on Studies in Hysteria. The party is in honor of Ray and Carol Fleming’s wedding anniversary. The phone rings. It’s Ray’s mistress, aspiring actress Joan Hudson. She has to see him. Ray tells his enraged wife that he must see a patient. Carol suspects the truth. Six months ago, she warned him to end his extramarital affairs or face divorce and drastically reduced finances. Since that ultimatum was issued, Ray has been plotting his wealthy wife’s murder.

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Columbo - "Ransom for a Dead Man" (1971)

"Ransom for a Dead Man" (1971)
Season: 1, Episode - Pilot
Director:Richard Irving
Written by:Dean Hargrove (from a story by Levinson and Link)
Produced by:Dean Hargrove
Originally aired:March 1, 1971
Run Time: (mins)
Cast:
Peter Falk		as LT. Columbo
  
Lee Grant		as Leslie Williams ( Murderer )
Harlan Warde		as Paul Williams ( Victim )
Harold Gould		as Mr. Carlson
Patricia Mattick	as Margaret Williams
Paul Carr		as Hammond 
Jed Allen		as Phil
Charles Macaulay	as Richard
Henry Brandt		as Attorney
Jeane Byron		as Pat
Richard Roat		as Perkins
Norma Connolly		as Celia
Bill Walker		as Crowell
Timothy Carey		as Bert
Judson Morgan		as Judge
Richard O'Brien		as Priest
Celeste Yarnell		as Gloria
Lisa Moore		as Nancy
Lois Battle		as Waitress
Reginald Fenderson	as Mechanic
Victim Murderer
Plot:

Lawyer Leslie Williams shoots her husband Paul and dumps the body in the ocean. The next day, she creates the scenario that he has been kidnapped. A trained crew from the FBI and a shopworn L.A. Lieutenant named Columbo follow her in a helicopter as she flies her private plane to the "drop site" and tosses out an empty bag, keeping the ransom money for herself. All goes well until her stepdaughter Margaret comes home from Zurich and immediately suspects Leslie of foul play. Margaret finds an ally in Columbo, who has already noticed little details such as the oddity of criminals in a hurry taking the cash and leaving the bag, the small caliber bullet used to murder Paul Williams (so that blood wouldn't splatter in the house), the car keys instinctively removed from the ignition, the fact that the seat was moved up (to accommodate the shorter Leslie) and Leslie's odd behavior--failing to inquire about her husband's well being when he called (actually a tape Leslie made from various legal conversations of Paul's) and then suddenly fainting at the news of the discovery of his body. Margaret picks up on the missing keys idea and tries to frame Leslie by having a set copied and claiming the keys are her father's, but Columbo catches her in the act. Leslie has had more than enough of Margaret when the young woman offers to go away if Leslie will pay her off. Leslie does so and escorts Margaret to the airport, where she is met by Columbo. It was a trick, predicated upon the Lt.'s observation that Leslie has no conscience and would therefore believe that Margaret would actually accept money to conceal the murder of her own father. Leslie has to admit that Columbo is very good at what he does.

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