"Strange Bedfellows" is a 1995 Columbo that guest-stars Rod Steiger, George Wendt, and Jeff Yagher.
Wendt and Yagher play brothers Graham and Teddy McVeigh who co-own a thoroughbred stable. Unfortunately, Teddy is a compulsive gambler and now owes something like $200,000 to the mob. Graham has held back his prize racehorse on several races to increase the odds, and agrees to let him finally win to pay off Teddy's debts. Well, that's what he says he's going to do. Knowing Teddy will just end up with another debt, Graham has other plans. Those plans include two murders.
What he doesn't count on is Columbo, who gets onto him almost immediately because of a couple of mistakes. But Columbo isn't Graham's major problem. His major problem is a capo (Rod Steiger) who knows he's responsible for the murder of one of his minions and wants him dead.
Rod Steiger is hilarious as the don, with the worst Italian accent in history, doubling every consonant. Also suddenly Columbo doesn't know any Italian - he did twenty years earlier in Murder Under Glass, and if there's one thing I loathe in any show, it's inconsistent character history.
The running thread throughout is Columbo's stomach problems, which add immensely to the show.
I happen to have interviewed both Steiger and Falk and adored both of them, so this was a special episode for me. Hard to be objective, but I disagree with the poor reviews. This is an excellent episode.
Wendt and Yagher play brothers Graham and Teddy McVeigh who co-own a thoroughbred stable. Unfortunately, Teddy is a compulsive gambler and now owes something like $200,000 to the mob. Graham has held back his prize racehorse on several races to increase the odds, and agrees to let him finally win to pay off Teddy's debts. Well, that's what he says he's going to do. Knowing Teddy will just end up with another debt, Graham has other plans. Those plans include two murders.
What he doesn't count on is Columbo, who gets onto him almost immediately because of a couple of mistakes. But Columbo isn't Graham's major problem. His major problem is a capo (Rod Steiger) who knows he's responsible for the murder of one of his minions and wants him dead.
Rod Steiger is hilarious as the don, with the worst Italian accent in history, doubling every consonant. Also suddenly Columbo doesn't know any Italian - he did twenty years earlier in Murder Under Glass, and if there's one thing I loathe in any show, it's inconsistent character history.
The running thread throughout is Columbo's stomach problems, which add immensely to the show.
I happen to have interviewed both Steiger and Falk and adored both of them, so this was a special episode for me. Hard to be objective, but I disagree with the poor reviews. This is an excellent episode.