SUMMARY: APPROX. RUNNING TIME: 47:00 Min.
First broadcast by CBS-TV, on March 27, 1988, Walter Grauman directed this episode off Philip Gerson’s script.
Urged by her recently engaged nephew, Grady (Horton), new investor Jessica Fletcher (Lansbury) visits the trendy Alice’s Farm restaurant in downtown New York City where Grady now works. Yet, the corpse of the restaurant’s brusque host (Gautier) is discovered the next morning in the freezer. Jessica & Grady (as the restaurant’s lead accountant) soon realize there was financial skullduggery lurking in the kitchen.
Among the homicide suspects are the restaurant’s namesake (Landsburg); an unscrupulous rival entrepreneur (Bono); a snarky food critic (Vacarro); and even Grady’s meek fiancée/assistant accountant, Donna (Zipp). Meanwhile, Jessica lovingly tries to play mediator to save Grady’s jeopardized engagement to her potential niece-in-law.
Jessica Fletcher: Angela Lansbury
Grady Fletcher: Michael Horton
Donna Mayberry: Debbie Zipp
NYPD Lt. Ralph Rupp: Norman Fell
Chaz Crewe: Dick Gautier
Valentino Reggiore: Sonny Bono
Harry Finlay: Jack Carter
Mimi Harcourt: Brenda Vaccaro
Alice Brooke: Valerie Landsburg
Doug Brooke: James Carroll Jordan
Nerissa: Dallas Cole
Cook: Zane Kessler
Waiter: Duane Edwards
Cabbie: Richard Molinare
Medical Examiner: Elkanah Burns
NYC Yuppie: Jack Tate
Football Player: Clint Carmichael
Miscellaneous Cops: Uncredited
Miscellaneous Restaurant Customers: Uncredited
Note: Horton & Zipp are a real-life married couple.
REVIEW:
Though populated by reliable guest stars, this episode’s blah scripting is really as generic as its title implies. Suffice to say, Lansbury’s Jessica Fletcher is stuck in a mediocre murder-mystery only worsened by its lame ‘big reveal’ flashback. The nicely played scenes Lansbury shares with Horton and/or Zipp, unfortunately, won’t bolster viewer interest much.
“Just Another Fish Story” serves up some watchable pap, but it’s instantly forgettable.
BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING: 3½ Stars
