But make no mistake, this always was, and continues to be here, Peter Falk’s show. He fits the role of Columbo like a proverbial glove, and some of the episodes featured in this fifth season are among the finest the show produced throughout its run. "Now You See Him", for instance, is a clever, intriguing piece of drama, involved a more mysterious than usual magician. And "Identity Crisis"--which also features Airplane’s Leslie Nielsen--is a lovely, twisty, spy-based episode.

It’s a pity that the extras on the Columbo DVDs are pretty much non-existent, because there’s a real and genuine joy in being reunited with the episodes themselves. Season five isn’t perfect, granted, but there’s nonetheless far more in the positive corner than the negative. Very warmly recommended. --Jon Foster

Synopsis
The LAPD's cleverest detective returns to solve more seemingly unsolvable murders. Peter Falk stars as Detective Columbo, whose disheveled appearance and lackadaisical investigations disguise his sharp and shrewd intelligence. Columbo became popular and famous for its clever dramatic structure and Peter Falk's winning portrayal of the detective. Each episode opens with a murder, followed by Columbo's investigation, and finally his revelation of how he put the events together. This collection of episodes covers the entire fifth series.