Playback
- Episode aired Mar 2, 1975
- TV-PG
- 1h 13m
IMDb RATING
7.6/10
2.5K
YOUR RATING
A gadget-happy inventor murders his mother-in-law; Lt. Columbo is on the case.A gadget-happy inventor murders his mother-in-law; Lt. Columbo is on the case.A gadget-happy inventor murders his mother-in-law; Lt. Columbo is on the case.
Photos
Herbert Jefferson Jr.
- S. Baxter
- (as Herb Jefferson Jr.)
Frank Baxter
- Officer Bronson
- (uncredited)
Henry
- Columbo's Dog
- (uncredited)
Mike Lally
- Man in Snack Bar
- (uncredited)
Arthur Tovey
- Man in Art Gallery
- (uncredited)
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaPeter Falk traveled all the way to Switzerland to persuade Oskar Werner in person to take part in this segment.
- GoofsColumbo has the security video (a wide shot of the room) enhanced and is able to read the wording on a card on the mantelpiece, thereby nullifying the suspect's alibi. This would have been impossible. It is stretching technology and image-enhancement way too far to be able to extract a clear image of the card from something that occupies only a few lines of the video image and to manufacture information that was simply not there in the original image.
- ConnectionsReferenced in Remington Steele: Stronger Than Steele (1985)
Featured review
One of my favourite Columbo episodes
Columbo has always been a favourite, it is a lot of fun and very clever. Playback is one of my favourites of the series, alongside Any Old Port in A Storm, A Stitch in Crime, Ashes to Ashes, Etude in Black, By Dawn's Early Light, Blueprint for Murder and How to Dial a Murder. The story is somewhat simple, but because of how intriguing it actually is, how satisfying the ending is and how well the playback worked it was effective in its simplicity. The script is full of suspense and humour, the production values are striking, the music is haunting and adds so much to both the setting and the atmosphere and the direction is adept. The acting is wonderful, Peter Falk continues to be a joy as Columbo apart from his rather fake sneezing and Oskar Werner is very smooth, sleazy and edgy, in short one of the more interesting Columbo murderers. I also think Playback has one of the better supporting casts of the series, Gene Rowlands is excellent and Martha Scott is wonderfully nasty. Overall, classic Columbo and one of my favourites, always was and will continue to be so. 10/10 Bethany Cox
helpful•243
- TheLittleSongbird
- Mar 1, 2012
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