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mahatmakanejeeves

(57,503 posts)
Mon Jan 2, 2023, 08:44 AM Jan 2023

"Columbo Goes to College": criminology students think they've committed the perfect crime.

Episode review: Columbo Goes to College

{snip}

Episode synopsis: Columbo Goes to College

Spoilt rich kids Justin Rowe and Cooper ‘Coop’ Redman have managed to get themselves into a fix. Their criminology lecturer, Professor DE Rusk, has discovered they stole a copy of their impending test paper – and he’s either going to flunk them from his class or see them expelled from the college altogether!

Either way spells doom for the students. Justin’s future at Harvard Law School will go kaput, while the virile Coop has just been informed that his parents will cut him off if he commits one more faux pas having made three girls pregnant in the past 18 months. Neither lad is keen on their style being cramped this way, so they conclude that Rusk needs to be made history, stat.

{snip picture}

They’re already aware of Rusk’s affair with the college basketball coach’s wife, June Clarke, and also that Rusk is working on a tell-all expose of crime and corruption at the highest levels of society – a project that has led to death threats being made against his life. The man has many enemies who would be glad to see the back of him, which means plenty of suspects!

Quite what their fiendish plan to rid the world of the Rusk menace is isn’t fully revealed until much later. However, we do see the pair break into the dingy apartment of dim-witted campus security guard, Joe Doyle, and make off with his handgun. It’s an intriguing opening.

Rusk’s next criminology class duly arrives featuring a special guest speaker: Lieutenant Columbo of the LAPD. The professor doesn’t get to enjoy much of Columbo’s lecture, though, as he excuses himself to head out to a dinner appointment with Justin’s father. The appointment, however, is a phony cooked up by Justin and Coop as part of their murderous scheme. And when Rusk makes his way to the faculty car park, they kick into action.

{snip}
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"Columbo Goes to College": criminology students think they've committed the perfect crime. (Original Post) mahatmakanejeeves Jan 2023 OP
Nice, thanks. About the opening song: sl8 Jan 2023 #1
Great speech by Patrick Mahoney. Great choice of music on all the episodes of Columbo. judesedit Jan 2023 #4
Fixed. nt sl8 Jan 2023 #6
Lol. I wondered about the relevance, but really liked what he had to say judesedit Jan 2023 #7
I think I've seen every Columbo episode at least 20 times lol judesedit Jan 2023 #2
Me too! SallyHemmings Jan 2023 #3
Nice villainous role by Stephen Caffrey, an actor I always liked who usually played Aristus Jan 2023 #5

sl8

(13,798 posts)
1. Nice, thanks. About the opening song:
Mon Jan 2, 2023, 09:15 AM
Jan 2023

(episode is is avaiable on Tubi [free streaming channel])

From IMDB:

Poor Rich Boy

(uncredited) (opening title)
Written by Burt Bacharach, David Pack, Joe Puerta
Performed by Ambrosia
Produced by Val Garay, assisted by Niko Bolas at Record One
Drums: Burleigh Drummond
Bass: Joe Puerta
Keyboards: Christopher North and David Lewis
Background vocals and guitar: David Pack
Background vocals and percussion: Royce Jones
(from Arthur (1981) The Album" )





Poor Rich Boy (Remastered Version)

Ambrosia - Topic

2014 Nov 6

Provided to YouTube by Rhino/Warner Records

Poor Rich Boy (Remastered Version) · Ambrosia

Arthur - The Album (Original Soundtrack)

℗ 1981 Warner Records Inc.

Writer: Burt Bacharach
Writer: D. Pack
Writer: J. Puerta

Auto-generated by YouTube.



judesedit

(4,439 posts)
4. Great speech by Patrick Mahoney. Great choice of music on all the episodes of Columbo.
Mon Jan 2, 2023, 09:38 AM
Jan 2023

I think so anyway. 👍

judesedit

(4,439 posts)
7. Lol. I wondered about the relevance, but really liked what he had to say
Mon Jan 2, 2023, 12:51 PM
Jan 2023

I never heard him speak before that I can remember. So thanks for faux pas

judesedit

(4,439 posts)
2. I think I've seen every Columbo episode at least 20 times lol
Mon Jan 2, 2023, 09:15 AM
Jan 2023

Love the way Columbo tricks the killers into thinking he's dumb. There is a family of actors that are used in multiple episodes. There are campy moments, but brilliant acting in others. Love the creativity.

In this one, the lines at the end stating they did it because they knew how to do it and they'd prevail because Justin's father, an arrogant lawyer, didn't like to see him fail, disgusted and confused Columbo. How two intelligent kids with all the privileges in life could so coldly decide to kill someone in their way and ultimately throw their lives away. What a waste.

Aristus

(66,388 posts)
5. Nice villainous role by Stephen Caffrey, an actor I always liked who usually played
Mon Jan 2, 2023, 10:31 AM
Jan 2023

sympathetic roles.

The scene in which the students are in the background mocking Columbo's gait and gestures always infuriates me. Making fun of Columbo! The nicest, sweetest, most polite detective in the world!

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