A Bird in the Hand... (22 Nov. 1992)

Harold likes to gamble, but as a rule he loses and he is heavily in debt. His uncle is the famous Big Fred who is the owner of a football team and he is a millionaire. But Harold can't get ... See full summary »

Director:

Vincent McEveety

Writers:

Richard Levinson (creator), William Link (creator),

Stars:

Peter Falk, Tyne Daly, Greg Evigan

Cast

Episode cast overview, first billed only:
Peter Falk	...	Columbo
Tyne Daly	...	Dolores
Greg Evigan	...	Harold McCain
Frank McRae	...	Lt. Robertson (as Frank Mc Rae)
Don S. Davis	...	Bertie
León Singer	...	Fernando (as Leon Singer)
Michael Gregory	...	Mr. Hacker
Steve Forrest	...	Big Fred
Stephen Liska	...	Casino Manager
G.F. Smith	...	Salesman
Carol Swarbrick	...	Casino Waitress
Ed McCready	...	Ed
John Petlock	...	Medical Examiner
Joel Beeson	...	Clyde
Kay Perry	...	Honey

Storyline

Harold likes to gamble, but as a rule he loses and he is heavily in debt. His uncle is the famous Big Fred who is the owner of a football team and he is a millionaire. But Harold can't get a dime from him. So Harold decides to kill his uncle by a pipe bomb under his car. He is not surprised when he is told Big Fred is dead. He is surprised however that the death is due to a road accident. He rushes to his uncle's house and he finds Lt. Columbo getting excited about the car with the bomb...

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Plot Keywords:

police | police detective | gambler | american football | murder | 

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Mystery | Thriller

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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

22 November 1992 (USA)

Filming Locations:

20181 Northridge Rd, Chatsworth, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Universal TV

Technical Specs

Runtime:

90 min 120 min

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The football footage which shows two mock American football teams are excerpts from an actual Canadian Football League game shot in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, between the Saskatchewan Roughriders and the Edmonton Eskimos.

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Connections

Followed by Columbo: Columbo Likes the Nightlife (2003)

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Soundtracks

"Rags To Riches"
(uncredited)
Written by Richard Adler & Jerry Ross
Performed by Tony Bennett

User Reviews

Just a typical Columbo!

Of course, I love Columbo. I must have seen this episode a few times whether on network or cable television. It is still worth watching. You have to love watching Peter Falk. Of course in the real world, murderers are not that smart as they appear on Columbo. But this is fiction and a detective show, the criminals are more than cardboard characters. This film is quite a mystery and I do miss Columbo episodes even the newer episodes today. Tyne Daly is one of America's best recognized actresses. I have seen Tyne on Broadway in Gypsy and she is still one of the hardest working actresses today whether film, television or stage. Tyne plays against type in this film and I won't spoil the plot for anybody. I love Greg Evigan and I'm from his hometown so I'm a little biased toward him. Of course, the episode could have been better but I still love Columbo and I always will have a soft spot in my heart for him. He reminds me of my own father in some ways.