SUMMARY: APPROX. RUNNING TIME: 47:00 Min.
First broadcast by CBS-TV, on November 15, 1987, director John Llewellyn Moxey helms this episode that series co-creator/executive producer Peter S. Fischer devised.
In Hollywood, a rookie scriptwriter’s (Miyori) conscience prompts seeking out Jessica Fletcher (Lansbury), who is nearby at a book signing. Tipped off that the smarmy producers of super-formulaic TV murder-mystery series, “Danger Doctor,” intend to rip off her new book’s plot, Jessica tries offering some alternatives.
Not only does she help her new friend concoct a better-scripted scenario, Jessica confronts the network and the show’s less-than-thrilled co-producer. Yet, somebody soon kills the program’s cantankerous boss, Sid Sharkey (Swofford), with a gift-wrapped bomb.
Could this vengeful culprit be a self-involved TV network executive? The stressed-out co-producer (Dillman)? A harassed director (Baggetta)? Sharkey’s long-simmering secretary (Flanagan)? Maybe it’s the show’s malcontent star, Gary Patterson (McClure)? Or Patterson’s embittered co-star (Kasdorf)? After being considered a suspect herself, Jessica investigates by temporarily becoming the show’s new script supervisor.
Jessica Fletcher: Angela Lansbury
Avery Stone: Bradford Dillman
Lt. Bradshaw: Yaphet Kotto
Gayle Yamada: Kim Miyori
Bert Puzo: Vincent Baggetta
Gary Patterson: Doug McClure
Brenda Blake: Lenore Kasdorf
Freida Schmidt: Fionnula Flanagan
Kate Hollander: Gail Strickland
Sid Sharkey: Ken Swofford
Diane Crane: Gail Youngs
Hollander’s P.R. Aide: Barry Pearl
Notes: Moxey and Fischer later recycled this premise for Season Six’s inferior “Murder — According to Maggie,” where its parody this time targets Fred Dryer’s Hunter. Also, Baggetta & Swofford had previously co-starred in a short-lived TV detective series: The Eddie Capra Mysteries (1978-79).
REVIEW:
Murder, She Wrote deserves a few cheers for this undemanding and delightful self-parody. Taking tongue-in-cheek potshots at television industry clichés, this episode’s backstage in-jokes jibe the premise of Jack Klugman’s Quincy, M.E., and practically foretell the existence of Diagnosis: Murder six years later.
On the flip side, the episode’s most unsatisfying element is that no fair clues are divulged re: which suspects might even know how to concoct a homemade bomb. In spite of the script’s sense of humor, it’s still a glaring flaw. Then again, why wouldn’t Jessica’s attorney simply file a plagiarism lawsuit, if reality actually mattered in Peter S. Fischer’s script?
An assortment of reliable guest stars, like old pros Doug McClure, Bradford Dillman, Yaphet Kotto, and Ken Swofford, aren’t competing for Emmys with their work here, but they’re at least entertaining. Case in point: having Swofford’s ‘Sid Sharkey’ gleefully open his explosive surprise is an inspired bit of macabre humor. Angela Lansbury also receives some welcome support from Kim Miyori and Finnola Flanagan playing Jessica’s good-natured aides.
Suffice to say, Lansbury’s last in-joke spells out what this Murder, She Wrote seeks to do: poke good-natured fun at its own premise without actually insulting the show’s fanbase.
“Steal Me A Story” isn’t meant to be one of the series’ best-ever episodes, but it’s an amusing option for channel surfing.
BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING: 5½ Stars
