Columbo: Agenda for Murder

TV Movie
1990
TV-PG
1h 38m

IMDb RATING

7.6/10

2.1K

YOUR RATING

Peter Falk in Columbo: Agenda for Murder (1990)

Cop Drama Police Procedural Crime Drama Mystery

Columbo is assigned to the case of a murder that was made to look like a suicide. After noticing some loose ends, he asks a lawyer and a Congressman to clear up problems with the investigati... Read allColumbo is assigned to the case of a murder that was made to look like a suicide. After noticing some loose ends, he asks a lawyer and a Congressman to clear up problems with the investigation.Columbo is assigned to the case of a murder that was made to look like a suicide. After noticing some loose ends, he asks a lawyer and a Congressman to clear up problems with the investigation.

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

7.6/10

2.1K

YOUR RATING

See production info at IMDbPro

Trivia
Third of four appearances by Patrick McGoohan as a murderer in the Columbo series. The other episodes are: By Dawn's Early Light (1974) (as Col. Rumford), Identity Crisis (1975) (as Intelligence agent Nelson Brenner), and Columbo: Ashes to Ashes (1998) (as funeral company owner Eric Prince). Moreover, McGoohan directed this episode.

Goofs
Despite the fact that Finch and Mackey have been involved in criminal law for 20 years in Los Angeles, neither has heard of Lt. Columbo. It seems likely that the detective's reputation for busting murderers would have preceded him, and alarmed the suspects, particularly Finch, straight off.

Quotes
Lt. Columbo: "There was this Jewish lady walking down Beverly Drive, and coming the other way, this flasher guy in his overcoat. When he gets up to her, he whips open the coat. She looks at him and says, 'You call that a lining?'"

Connections
Featured in The 42nd Annual Primetime Emmy Awards (1990)

Soundtracks
Mystery Movie Theme
by Mike Post

User reviews33

Review

Featured review

8/10

"Agenda for Murder" (1990)

PLOT: A slick attorney (Patrick McGoohan) murders a blackmailer who threatens his political aspirations, making it look like a suicide. Columbo smells something fishy and targets the underhanded lawyer. Denis Arndt plays his buddy, a congressman with hopes of becoming Vice President.

COMMENTARY: McGoohan appeared as the antagonist in two prior episodes, "By Dawn's Early Light" (1974) and "Identity Crisis" (1975) and would return for the forthcoming "Ashes to Ashes" (1998). There's just something about his chemistry with Peter Falk that almost guarantees a quality installment, and so it is here. It's one of the better latter-day segments.

GRADE: B+/A-