List of ''Murder, She Wrote'' episodes
This is a list of Murder, She Wrote episodes in the order that they originally aired on CBS. Most of the episodes took place either in Jessica's fictional hometown of Cabot Cove, Maine, or in New York City, but her travels promoting books or visiting relatives and friends led to cases throughout the U.S. and around the world.[1]
Beginning in season six, Angela Lansbury cut back her appearances. Thirteen episodes were purported to be stories "written" by Jessica, or submitted to her by friends. She would introduce each episode, but generally disappear until the end, when she would wrap up the story. Other sleuths, professional and amateur, including reformed jewel thief turned insurance investigator Dennis Stanton (Keith Michell), British intelligence operative Michael Hagarty (Len Cariou), and down-at-heel private eye Harry McGraw (Jerry Orbach), took center stage. These episodes became known as "bookend episodes." However, viewers didn't like Jessica's frequent absences, and the "replacement detective" policy was eventually dropped.
After the final episode aired in 1996, Lansbury sporadically reprised the character of Jessica Fletcher in a handful of feature-length Murder, She Wrote specials starting in 1997. The last TV movie aired in May 2003. In February 2007, on the ABC daytime talk show The View,[2] Lansbury announced that she hoped to make another Murder, She Wrote TV movie in the near future but only if her son, director Anthony Shaw, could find a suitable story.[3]
Lansbury is the only actress to appear in every episode and TV movie, albeit not always playing Jessica Fletcher, but sometimes her cousin Emma McGill (on two occasions) and her aunt Sarah.
Series overview
Season | Episodes | Originally aired | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
First aired | Last aired | ||||
1 | 22 | September 30, 1984 | April 21, 1985 | ||
2 | 22 | September 29, 1985 | May 18, 1986 | ||
3 | 22 | September 28, 1986 | May 10, 1987 | ||
4 | 22 | September 20, 1987 | May 8, 1988 | ||
5 | 22 | October 23, 1988 | May 21, 1989 | ||
6 | 22 | September 24, 1989 | May 20, 1990 | ||
7 | 22 | September 16, 1990 | May 12, 1991 | ||
8 | 22 | September 15, 1991 | May 17, 1992 | ||
9 | 22 | September 20, 1992 | May 16, 1993 | ||
10 | 21 | September 12, 1993 | May 22, 1994 | ||
11 | 21 | September 25, 1994 | May 14, 1995 | ||
12 | 24 | September 21, 1995 | May 19, 1996 | ||
Movies | 4 | November 2, 1997 | May 9, 2003 |
Episodes
Season 1 (1984–85)
Nº | Ep | Title | Directed by: | Written by: | Original air date | Viewers |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 0 | "The Murder of Sherlock Holmes" | Corey Allen | Richard Levinson, William Link & Peter S. Fischer | September 30, 1984 | 27.6 |
Pilot episode. (Airs as two separate episodes during syndication) Jessica Fletcher, a retired schoolteacher from Cabot Cove, Maine, is shocked to find out that not only did her nephew send her manuscript to a publisher, but it's been accepted. Rushed to New York, Jessica is caught up in a whirlwind of publicity tours, book signings, and public appearances, but everything takes a turn when she attends a costume party in New Holvang and a private investigator dressed as Sherlock Holmes ends up facedown in the pool, shot. Jessica initially tries to stay out of things until her nephew Grady becomes the prime suspect, and Jessica decides to take matters into her own hands while fighting her attraction to Preston Giles, the first man to interest her since the death of her husband Frank. | ||||||
6 | 3 | "Deadly Lady" | Corey Allen | Peter S. Fischer | October 7, 1984 | 30.0 |
After a terrible storm in Cabot Cove, Stephen Earl's four daughters tell Sheriff Tupper that their father died while they were out on the boat. Jessica is only mildly intrigued; she finds Ralph, the older gentleman who has offered to work for food, much more intriguing, especially since it is obvious he comes from money. The women's stories about what happened on the boat change constantly, but once Ralph is found dead and later found to be Stephen Earl, Jessica has to help Amos wade through the inconsistencies in the four Earl daughters' stories to determine who killed their father and why. | ||||||
3 | 2 | "Birds of a Feather" | John Llewellyn Moxey | Robert E. Swanson | October 14, 1984 | 27.9 |
Jessica's niece Victoria is horrified when her fiancée is arrested following the murder of a San Francisco drag club owner. | ||||||
4 | 3 | "Hooray for Homicide" | Richard A. Colla | Robert van Scoyk | October 28, 1984 | 28.2 |
Jessica protests when her book is turned into a tacky B-grade horror movie, and later winds up on the suspect list when the producer is murdered. | ||||||
5 | 4 | "It's a Dog's Life" | Seymour Robbie | Mark Giles & Linda Shank | November 4, 1984 | 23.5 |
There's in-fighting and backstabbing galore when a millionaire snubs his family and leaves most of his estate to a dog. | ||||||
6 | 5 | "Lovers and Other Killers" | Allen Reisner | Peter S. Fischer | November 18, 1984 | 26.2 |
Whilst in Seattle for a series of lectures, Jessica is drawn into a dangerous case involving a young man accused of murdering his wealthy older lady friend. | ||||||
7 | 6 | "Hit, Run and Homicide" | Alan Cooke | Gerald K. Siegel | November 25, 1984 | 28.2 |
Jessica and the police are baffled by a "driverless" car which suddenly appears in Cabot Cove. | ||||||
8 | 7 | "We're off to Kill the Wizard" | Walter Grauman | Peter S. Fischer & Gerald K. Siegel | December 9, 1984 | 32.3 |
Jessica gets mixed up with a nasty scheme involving a theme park creator whilst visiting relatives. | ||||||
9 | 8 | "Death Takes a Curtain Call" | Allen Reisner | Paul W. Cooper | December 16, 1984 | 22.8 |
Two Soviet ballet dancers on tour in the States are wanted following the murder of a man backstage during their debut performance. | ||||||
10 | 9 | "Death Casts a Spell" | Allen Reisner | Steve Hensley & Miyoko Hensley | December 30, 1984 | 32.3 |
A popular nightclub hypnotist is discovered murdered during a private press-call. | ||||||
11 | 10 | "Capitol Offense" | John Llewellyn Moxey | Peter S. Fischer | January 6, 1985 | 32.5 |
When a congressman suddenly dies from a heart attack, Jessica is asked to temporarily replace him in Washington. | ||||||
12 | 11 | "Broadway Malady" | Hy Averback | Tom Sawyer | January 13, 1985 | N/A |
Former Hollywood star Rita Bristol and her daughter Patti are about to open in a big new Broadway musical, until Patti is gunned down in a bizarre robbery attempt. | ||||||
13 | 12 | "Murder to a Jazz Beat" | Walter Grauman | David Abramowitz & Paul Savage | February 3, 1985 | |
A trip to New Orleans gets off to an eventful start when the leader of a popular jazz band is poisoned during a performance. | ||||||
14 | 13 | "My Johnny Lies over the Ocean" | Seymour Robbie | Peter S. Fischer | February 10, 1985 | |
When Jessica's recently widowed niece takes a cruise to get away from it all, a would-be murderer follows her. | ||||||
15 | 14 | "Paint Me a Murder" | John Llewellyn Moxey | Peter S. Fischer | February 17, 1985 | |
The birthday celebration for a renowned Mediterranean artist is cut short when the guest of honor winds up dead. | ||||||
16 | 15 | "Tough Guys Don't Die" | Seymour Robbie | Peter S. Fischer | February 24, 1985 | |
A private detective, hired by Jessica to research an old case, is suddenly murdered. | ||||||
17 | 16 | "Sudden Death" | Edward M. Abroms | Robert E. Swanson | March 3, 1985 | |
Jessica uncovers the ugly side of sportsmanship when she inherits part-ownership of a football team. | ||||||
18 | 17 | "Footnote to Murder" | Peter Crane | Robert E. Swanson | March 10, 1985 | |
Jessica sets out to clear the name of a friend who is a prime suspect in a murder case. | ||||||
19 | 18 | "Murder Takes the Bus" | Walter Grauman | Michael Scheff & Maryanne Kasica | March 17, 1985 | |
On the bus to a convention in Boston, Jessica, Amos and a slew of passengers are forced to take refuge from a storm at a remote diner where one of the passengers is found stabbed in his seat. | ||||||
20 | 19 | "Armed Response" | Charles S. Dubin | Gerald K. Siegel | March 31, 1985 | |
While in the hospital with a fractured leg, Jessica investigates the murder of a doctor. | ||||||
21 | 20 | "Murder at the Oasis" | Arthur Allan Seidelman | Robert van Scoyk | April 7, 1985 | |
An unpopular show-business personality discovers that elaborate security systems are no guarantee of safety. | ||||||
22 | 21 | "Funeral at Fifty-Mile" | Seymour Robbie | Dick Nelson | April 21, 1985 | |
Jessica has to unravel the secrets and threats at the funeral of a friend in Wyoming. |
Season 2 (1985–86)
Nº | Ep | Title | Directed by: | Written by: | Original air date | Viewers |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
23 | 1 | "Widow, Weep for Me" | Michael A. Hoey | Peter S. Fischer | September 29, 1985 | 33.5 |
Jessica masquerades as a wealthy widow at a luxurious tropical hotel in order to trap a murderer. | ||||||
24 | 2 | "Joshua Peabody Died Here... Possibly" | Peter Crane | Tom Sawyer | October 6, 1985 | 33.8 |
A cheap tycoon with many enemies is found dead on the construction site of his high-rise hotel. | ||||||
25 | 3 | "Murder in the Afternoon" | Arthur Allan Seidelman | Paul W. Cooper, Paul Savage | October 13, 1985 | 35.8 |
Jessica's niece, an actress in a daytime drama, becomes a suspect when the head writer for the show is murdered. | ||||||
26 | 4 | "School for Scandal" | Arthur Allan Seidelman | Robert E. Swanson | October 20, 1985 | 34.3 |
A mother and daughter are involved in murder. Jessica must look between the lines to discover the truth and the murderer. | ||||||
27 | 5 | "Sing a Song of Murder" | John Llewellyn Moxey | Peter S. Fischer | October 27, 1985 | 31.3 |
Jessica is devastated to learn her cousin Emma's untimely passing, but when she arrives in London she learns that Emma isn't dead after all, but has been in hiding after threats on her life. | ||||||
28 | 6 | "Reflections of the Mind" | Seymour Robbie | Robert E. Swanson | November 3, 1985 | 35.6 |
When a phone call from Francesca's supposedly dead first husband precedes a fatal incident, Jessica must unravel the truth from hysteria to find a killer. | ||||||
29 | 7 | "A Lady in the Lake" | Walter Grauman | Robert van Scoyk | November 10, 1985 | 38.0 |
Jessica spends a little time at a lakeside inn where she witnesses what appears to be a struggle and a woman falling into the lake. | ||||||
30 | 8 | "Dead Heat" | Peter Crane | J. Miyoko Hensley, Steven Hensley | November 24, 1985 | 36.4 |
Jessica goes to the races to watch her niece ride the winning horse but then the horse's disagreeable owner is murdered after a dispute. | ||||||
31 | 9 | "Jessica Behind Bars" | John Llewellyn Moxey | Carleton Eastlake | December 1, 1985 | 37.7 |
Jessica visits a women's prison and is held captive when an uprising occurs because of abuse and murder at the facility. | ||||||
32 | 10 | "Sticks and Stones" | Seymour Robbie | Mark Giles, Jackson Gillis, Linda Shank | December 15, 1985 | 37.4 |
Cabot Cove is flooded with poison pen letters which proves hard for the town to handle as Amos prepares to hand the reins over to a new sheriff. | ||||||
33 | 11 | "Murder Digs Deep" | Philip Leacock | Mary Ann Kasica, Michael Scheff | December 29, 1985 | 32.8 |
An archaeological dig at the site of Coronado's City of Gold does not please everyone as a new corpse is dug up. | ||||||
34 | 12 | "Murder by Appointment Only" | Arthur Allan Seidelman | Jerry Ross | January 5, 1986 | 37.0 |
A former student of Jessica's becomes involved in a love triangle that ends in murder. | ||||||
35 | 13 | "Trial by Error" | Seymour Robbie | Paul Savage, Scott Shepherd | January 12, 1986 | 40.4 |
It's a bad day for the jurors when Jessica is the foreperson of the jury hearing the case of a man claiming self-defense in the death of an enraged husband. | ||||||
36 | 14 | "Keep the Home Fries Burning" | Peter Crane | Philip Gerson | January 19, 1986 | 39.5 |
Poisoned strawberry preserves served at the Joshua Peabody Inn result in murder. | ||||||
37 | 15 | "Powder Keg" | John Llewellyn Moxey | Peter S. Fischer | February 9, 1986 | 37.5 |
The justice system is tested when a group of angry rednecks form a lynch party and plan to hang a murder suspect. | ||||||
38 | 16 | "Murder in the Electric Cathedral" | John Llewellyn Moxey | Dick Nelson | February 16, 1986 | 37.4 |
Jessica must find the murderer of her close friend whose will is in contention between family and a popular evangelist. | ||||||
39 | 17 | "One Good Bid Deserves a Murder" | Seymour Robbie | J. Miyoko Hensley, Steven Hensley | February 23, 1986 | 37.7 |
Jessica finds herself in a tough spot when one of the auctioneers of a diary is murdered and she has to rely on Harry McGraw to help her out. | ||||||
40 | 18 | "If a Body Meet a Body" | Walter Grauman | Steve Stoliar | March 9, 1986 | 37.7 |
What begins as a routine murder investigation leads the police to discover that a coffin contains the wrong body. | ||||||
41 | 19 | "Christopher Bundy — Died on Sunday" | Peter Crane | Gerald K. Siegel | March 30, 1986 | 34.1 |
Jessica must find out the truth when the ruthless owner of a periodical is murdered. | ||||||
42 | 20 | "Menace, Anyone?" | Arthur Allan Seidelman | Robert B. Sherman | April 6, 1986 | 37.0 |
Jessica attends a tennis tournament as the guest of honor. She struggles to protect her former student Carol (Linda Hamilton) when her boyfriend (Bryan Cranston) is blown up in her car and she is the only suspect. | ||||||
43 | 21 | "The Perfect Foil" | Walter Grauman | Robert E. Swanson | April 13, 1986 | 37.3 |
In New Orleans at Mardi Gras, a distant cousin of Jessica's is falsely accused of murder. | ||||||
44 | 22 | "If the Frame Fits" | Paul Lynch | Philip Gerson | May 18, 1986 | 31.4 |
Jessica is spending her holidays with an old friend Lloyd Marcus. His daughter is found murdered in her apartment, and her husband Donald becomes the prime suspect. |
Season 3 (1986–87)
Nº | Ep | Title | Directed by: | Written by: | Original air date | Viewers |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
45 | 1 | "Death Stalks the Big Top: Part 1" | Seymour Robbie | Peter S. Fischer, Paul Savage | September 28, 1986 | 35.4 |
When Jessica's niece receives a silver leprechaun from someone who's been presumed dead for years, Jessica decides to hunt down the mysterious gift-giver from beyond the grave. | ||||||
46 | 2 | "Death Stalks the Big Top: Part 2" | Seymour Robbie | Peter S. Fischer, Paul Savage | October 5, 1986 | 39.8 |
One murder leads to another as Jessica finds herself chasing down false alibis and the employees of a rival circus. | ||||||
47 | 3 | "Unfinished Business" | Walter Grauman | Jackson Gillis | October 12, 1986 | 36.8 |
A retired policeman decides to re-examine an old case and returns to the lakeside cabins where the murder occurred, gathering all the old suspects together. | ||||||
48 | 4 | "One White Rose for Death" | Peter Crane | Peter S. Fischer | October 19, 1986 | 33.3 |
While attending a concert in Washington, D.C., Jessica gets involved with two East German defectors and a murder. | ||||||
49 | 5 | "Corned Beef and Carnage" | John Llewellyn Moxey | Robert E. Swanson | November 2, 1986 | 39.1 |
Jessica gets involved when her niece Victoria is believed to be connected to the murder of her lecherous boss. | ||||||
50 | 6 | "Dead Man's Gold" | Seymour Robbie | Robert van Scoyk | November 9, 1986 | 36.9 |
A group of young treasure hunters come to Cabot Cove looking for sunken treasure, and one of them ends up dead. | ||||||
51 | 7 | "Deadline for Murder" | Seymour Robbie | John Kennedy, Michael McGough, Tom Sawyer | November 16, 1986 | 37.3 |
A veteran reporter who suffered a heart attack says his best medicine would be the removal of his publisher. Jessica gets involved after the man ends up dead. | ||||||
52 | 8 | "Magnum on Ice" | Peter Crane | Robert E. Swanson | November 23, 1986 | 40.1 |
Jessica comes to Thomas Magnum's assistance when he's framed for two murders that occur during her vacation in Hawaii.[note 1] | ||||||
53 | 9 | "Obituary for a Dead Anchor" | Walter Grauman | Bob Shayne, Robert van Scoyk | December 7, 1986 | 35.7 |
When an obnoxious out-of-town TV personality is murdered, it's up to Jessica to figure out who the killer is. | ||||||
54 | 10 | "Stage Struck" | John Astin | Philip Gerson | December 14, 1986 | 33.1 |
The murder of the leading lady's understudy disrupts rehearsals of a play starring two previously married but now warring actors. | ||||||
55 | 11 | "Night of the Headless Horseman" | Walter Grauman | R. Barker Price | January 4, 1987 | 39.3 |
Jessica is in the wrong place at the right time to help her friend Dorian Beecher when he is accused of a murder he didn't commit. | ||||||
56 | 12 | "The Corpse Flew First Class" | Walter Grauman | Donald Ross | January 18, 1987 | 39.1 |
While on a flight to London, a wealthy woman's chauffeur dies suddenly, and when the priceless necklace he was carrying turns up missing, it becomes a case of murder. | ||||||
57 | 13 | "Crossed Up" | David Hemmings | Steven Long Mitchell, Craig W. Van Sickle | February 1, 1987 | 35.8 |
The phone wires get crossed during a storm and Jessica can't convince anyone that what she heard was really a murder plot. | ||||||
58 | 14 | "Murder in a Minor Key" | Nick Havinga | Peter S. Fischer, Arthur Marks, Gerald K. Siegel | February 8, 1987 | 38.0 |
Bookend episode: Jessica tells the story of her new novel about a composer accused of killing the professor who'd plagiarized his music. | ||||||
59 | 15 | "The Bottom Line Is Murder" | Anthony Pullen Shaw | Steven Long Mitchell, Craig W. Van Sickle | February 15, 1987 | 37.7 |
A lying TV consumer advocate is killed and suspicion lands on one of the clients whose products he maligned. | ||||||
60 | 16 | "Death Takes a Dive" | Seymour Robbie | Peter S. Fischer | February 22, 1987 | 35.8 |
Jessica visits her old friend Harry McGraw (Jerry Orbach) in New York who has become wrangled in the high-stakes game of boxing. | ||||||
61 | 17 | "Simon Says, Color Me Dead" | Kevin G. Cremin | Robert E. Swanson | March 1, 1987 | 42.6 |
Jessica investigates when an artist is murdered and his prized painting is missing. | ||||||
62 | 18 | "No Laughing Murder" | Walter Grauman | Tom Sawyer | March 15, 1987 | 35.6 |
Someone is found dead after the engagement party for the offspring of two estranged comics. | ||||||
63 | 19 | "No Accounting for Murder" | Peter Crane | Gerald K. Siegel | March 22, 1987 | 37.3 |
Grady Fletcher is in big trouble again when his boss is found dead and he is the main suspect. | ||||||
64 | 20 | "The Cemetery Vote" | Seymour Robbie | Robert van Scoyk | April 5, 1987 | 35.7 |
The reform mayor dies in a so-called "accident" and the mayor's father is murdered after he demands an investigation of it. | ||||||
65 | 21 | "The Days Dwindle Down" | Michael J. Lynch | Philip Gerson | April 19, 1987 | 31.3 |
Jessica investigates the possibility that a recent parolee went to jail for a crime he didn't commit. | ||||||
66 | 22 | "Murder, She Spoke" | Anthony Pullen Shaw | Si Rose | May 10, 1987 | 29.1 |
A temporary black-out at a recording studio leaves Jessica in the dark when the wealthy soon-to-be-owner is stabbed to death. |
Season 4 (1987–88)
Nº | Ep | Title | Directed by: | Written by: | Original air date | Viewers |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
67 | 1 | "A Fashionable Way to Die" | Nick Havinga | Donald Ross | September 20, 1987 | 25.8 |
Jessica jaunts to Paris at the beckon of an old friend whose fashion boutique is in financial trouble. When a local loan shark is murdered, Jessica must dig deep to find the truth. | ||||||
68 | 2 | "When Thieves Fall Out" | Seymour Robbie | Arthur Weingarten | September 27, 1987 | 29.1 |
When a prisoner is released from jail after serving 20 years, he returns to Cabot Cove to prove he was wrongly convicted. | ||||||
69 | 3 | "Witness for the Defense" | Seymour Robbie | Robert E. Swanson | October 4, 1987 | 32.6 |
Jessica goes to Quebec to testify at the trial of a friend who is accused of killing his wife and burning his house. | ||||||
70 | 4 | "Old Habits Die Hard" | John Llewellyn Moxey | Chris Manheim | October 11, 1987 | 33.4 |
Jessica visits a convent to see a former sorority sister and winds up searching for a nun's killer. | ||||||
71 | 5 | "The Way to Dusty Death" | Nick Havinga | Philip Gerson | October 25, 1987 | 24.8 |
A tyrant's demise puts Jessica on the trail of several of his betrayed executives. | ||||||
72 | 6 | "It Runs in the Family" | Walter Grauman | Peter S. Fischer | November 1, 1987 | 31.8 |
Jessica's British cousin, Emma MacGill (played by Angela Lansbury), is charged with an old flame's murder. | ||||||
73 | 7 | "If It's Thursday, It Must Be Beverly" | Peter Crane | Wendy Graf, Lisa Stotsky | November 8, 1987 | 32.3 |
A handyman who has been paying attention to more than the houses of various Cabot Cove ladies needs Jessica's help when he becomes the prime suspect in a murder. | ||||||
74 | 8 | "Steal Me a Story" | John Llewellyn Moxey | Peter S. Fischer | November 15, 1987 | 29.8 |
A bomb kills a TV producer who stole a plot from one of Jessica's books. | ||||||
75 | 9 | "Trouble in Eden" | Nick Havinga | John D. F. Black, Paul Savage | November 22, 1987 | 32.6 |
To look into a small-town murder, Jessica poses as the sister of the slain woman. | ||||||
76 | 10 | "Indian Giver" | Walter Grauman | Gerald K. Siegel | November 29, 1987 | 33.6 |
A Native Indian lays claim to Cabot Cove, throwing the town into chaos. When a local industrialist is found murdered, all signs point to the town's supposed new land owner. | ||||||
77 | 11 | "Doom with a View" | Walter Grauman | Kenneth Alan Berg | December 13, 1987 | 31.8 |
Jessica and her nephew get more than they expect while staying at a posh New York hotel managed by Grady's old fraternity buddy. | ||||||
78 | 12 | "Who Threw the Barbitals in Mrs. Fletcher's Chowder?" | John Llewellyn Moxey | Robert van Scoyk | January 3, 1988 | 36.9 |
When Amos' sister & her in-laws descend upon Cabot Cove, Jessica hosts a dinner party with homicidal results, leaving the finger pointing at the Sheriff's sister. | ||||||
79 | 13 | "Harbinger of Death" | Anthony Pullen Shaw | R. Barker Price | January 24, 1988 | 32.3 |
When a defense contractor is found murdered, Jessica must prove her nephew-in-law is innocent. | ||||||
80 | 14 | "Curse of the Daanav" | Walter Grauman | Chris Manheim | February 7, 1988 | 31.9 |
When Seth's estranged brother is murdered, Jessica must figure out if a cursed ruby from India is responsible. | ||||||
81 | 15 | "Mourning Among the Wisterias" | Walter Grauman | Larry Scott Anderson | February 14, 1988 | 28.4 |
Jessica is summoned to Savannah to help a friend with his play and receives an offer of marriage she didn't expect. Even more surprised are the man's plotting family. | ||||||
82 | 16 | "Murder Through the Looking Glass" | Seymour Robbie | Robert van Scoyk | February 21, 1988 | 26.2 |
While in Connecticut for a convention, Jessica hears the dying confession of a hit man and uncovers a mysterious safe house housing an important foreign dignitary. | ||||||
83 | 17 | "A Very Good Year for Murder" | Walter Grauman | Peter S. Fischer | February 28, 1988 | 28.8 |
The Gambini family winery is the take-over target of organized crime and it's up to Jessica to uncover who is behind the murder of a mafia hitman. | ||||||
84 | 18 | "Benedict Arnold Slipped Here" | Seymour Robbie | Wendy Graf, Lisa Stotsky, Robert van Scoyk | March 13, 1988 | 31.2 |
The death of an eccentric shut-in brings the burden of executing her will to Jessica. How does the legend that Benedict Arnold once slept in the woman's house and a possible "treasure" fit into the puzzle? | ||||||
85 | 19 | "Just Another Fish Story" | Walter Grauman | Philip Gerson | March 27, 1988 | 32.3 |
Jessica is delighted to return to New York City with the announcement of her nephew's impending engagement. But when a restaurant employee is killed, the engagement is threatened. | ||||||
86 | 20 | "Showdown in Saskatchewan" | Vincent McEveety | Dick Nelson | April 10, 1988 | 31.6 |
Jessica's niece is smitten with a rodeo rider and refuses to believe he could have committed a murder. | ||||||
87 | 21 | "Deadpan" | E. W. Swackhamer | Mary Ann Kasica, Michael Scheff, Arthur Weingarten | May 1, 1988 | 30.7 |
When one of Jessica's former students brings a play based on her novel to Broadway, she finds herself in the middle of a war between two rival critics. | ||||||
88 | 22 | "The Body Politic" | Anthony Pullen Shaw | Donald Ross | May 8, 1988 | 25.8 |
Jessica comes to the aid of an old friend running as a senatorial candidate. When the candidate's campaign manager is murdered, Jessica must help prove her innocence. |
Season 5 (1988–89)
Nº | Ep | Title | Directed by: | Written by: |
Original air date |
Viewers |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
89 | 1 | "J.B. as in Jailbird" | Anthony Shaw | Robert E. Swanson | October 23, 1988 | 28.6 |
A chance encounter with her old friend Michael Hagarty (Len Cariou in a recurring role) leaves Jessica standing over a dead Bulgarian diplomat and accused of murder. | ||||||
90 | 2 | "A Little Night Work" | Walter Grauman | Peter S. Fischer | October 30, 1988 | 28.4 |
After her agent announces his impending retirement and with her publishing contract up for renewal, Jessica heads to New York where she is simultaneously wooed by potential new publishers and a smooth-talking jewel thief, Dennis Stanton (Keith Michell in a recurring role). | ||||||
91 | 3 | "Mr. Penroy's Vacation" | Anthony Shaw | Robert E. Swanson | November 6, 1988 | 31.8 |
Jessica is perplexed by the murder of an elderly man, whose past turns out to be checkered, as suspicion points to the two spinster sisters from whom he was renting a room. | ||||||
92 | 4 | "Snow White, Blood Red" | Vincent McEveety | Peter S. Fischer | November 13, 1988 | 22.9 |
A massive storm results in Jessica snowed in at a ski lodge with an Olympic men's ski team and a murderer on the loose. | ||||||
93 | 5 | "Coal Miner's Slaughter" | Walter Grauman | Chris Manheim | November 20, 1988 | 28.6 |
When a former student living in a small mining town in West Virginia is arrested for the murder of a prominent local man, Jessica comes to bail her out. Warring factions, violence, corruption, and old murders disguised as accidents soon emerge. | ||||||
94 | 6 | "Wearing of the Green" | Seymour Robbie | Peter S. Fischer | November 27, 1988 | 27.6 |
In New York City researching her next book, Jessica is drawn into a mystery involving a priceless tiara, a reclusive former actress, and a news reporter accused of murder. | ||||||
95 | 7 | "The Last Flight of the Dixie Damsel" | Vincent McEveety | Peter S. Fischer | December 18, 1988 | 28.1 |
Jessica must clear her late husband's good name after a downed Air Force plane (buried in an ice field for many decades, and perfectly preserved) is found to contain the corpse of a murdered airman missing a parachute, and Frank Fletcher is the most likely suspect. | ||||||
96 | 8 | "Prediction: Murder" | Walter Grauman | Richard Stanley & Ralph Meyering, Jr. | January 1, 1989 | 32.7 |
Lee Goddard (one of the airmen who knew Frank Fletcher) coaxes Jessica into joining him at his ranch in Arizona after the harrowing events of the previous episode, but intrigue and murder follow them there when a mysterious psychic joins them. | ||||||
97 | 9 | "Something Borrowed, Someone Blue" | John Llewellyn Moxey | Philip Gerson | January 8, 1989 | 36.6 |
Grady's wedding day arrives. In addition to unsavoury characters and non-invitees descending on Grady's prospective father-in-law's estate, the unpleasant shrewish housekeeper is found murdered. | ||||||
98 | 10 | "Weave a Tangled Web" | Seymour Robbie | Robert E. Swanson | January 15, 1989 | 31.8 |
The murder of a womanizing gambler leads to double lives being exposed in seemingly quaint and old-fashioned Cabot Cove. | ||||||
99 | 11 | "The Search for Peter Kerry" | Walter Grauman | Peter S. Fischer | February 5, 1989 | 37.5 |
Jessica aids yet another dear old friend in his search for his missing grandson. | ||||||
100 | 12 | "Smooth Operators" | Anthony Pullen Shaw | Gerald K. Siegel | February 12, 1989 | 32.0 |
While in New York, a missing shoe on the discovered dead body of a homeless person leads Jessica to believe the supposed accidental death was not an accident. | ||||||
101 | 13 | "Fire Burn, Cauldron Bubble" | John Llewellyn Moxey | Tom Sawyer | February 19, 1989 | 32.4 |
Jessica is suspicious when the appearance of the ghost of a long-dead witch burned at the stake coincides with the release of a book on the very subject. | ||||||
102 | 14 | "From Russia with Blood" | Vincent McEveety | Donald Ross | February 26, 1989 | 32.6 |
Jessica is detained in Moscow when a spy attempts to smuggle film out of the Soviet Union in her handbag. | ||||||
103 | 15 | "Alma Murder" | Anthony Pullen Shaw | Chris Manheim | March 12, 1989 | 31.3 |
Jessica is summoned to her old alma mater when one of her college professors confesses to a murder Jessica doesn't believe he really committed. | ||||||
104 | 16 | "Truck Stop" | Vincent McEveety | Philip Gerson | April 2, 1989 | 31.2 |
Jessica is detoured on her way to Los Angeles at a seedy truck stop where a series of murders makes it apparent she wasn't brought there by accident. | ||||||
105 | 17 | "The Sins of Castle Cove" | John Llewellyn Moxey | Robert Van Scoyk | April 9, 1989 | 27.7 |
A vindictive, tell-all work of fiction mirroring Cabot Cove sends the townspeople into an uproar, and when a murder occurs following the plot of the book it's up to Jessica to separate fact from fiction. | ||||||
106 | 18 | "Trevor Hudson's Legacy" | Walter Grauman | Paul Savage | April 16, 1989 | 31.9 |
Jessica heads to Montana to aid a young friend editing the last manuscript of the late writer Trevor Hudson, but when murder results she must weed through the lies of Hudson's scheming family to uncover the truth. | ||||||
107 | 19 | "Double Exposure" | Anthony Shaw | Robert E. Swanson | April 30, 1989 | 28.6 |
In Boston, Jessica encounters a man whom she believes to be John Winslow, her neighbor from years back, but when the man denies it, Jessica recruits picaresque private eye (recurring character Harry McGraw (Jerry Orbach)) to investigate. McGraw finds that he's calling himself John Wilson, she goes to his apartment, but he still claims Jessica is mistaken. She flies to Chicago, the home of Winslow's wife and her brother, a doctor who asserts that John died of a heart attack and he himself had signed the death certificate, after which the remains were cremated. McGraw warns Jessica that things could get dangerous, and they do. | ||||||
108 | 20 | "Three Strikes, You're Out" | Seymour Robbie | Donald Ross | May 7, 1989 | 25.8 |
Jessica visits her nephew Johnny, recently recruited onto a Major League Baseball team, and then must solve the murder of a scheming news reporter. | ||||||
109 | 21 | "Mirror, Mirror on the Wall: Part 1" | Walter Grauman | Peter S. Fischer | May 14, 1989 | 20.9 |
A rival mystery writer arrives at Jessica's door with not-so-friendly intentions. | ||||||
110 | 22 | "Mirror, Mirror on the Wall: Part 2" | Walter Grauman | Peter S. Fischer | May 21, 1989 | 25.1 |
Jessica and rival mystery writer Eudora McVeigh are up to their necks in murder and conspiracy. |
Season 6 (1989–90)
Nº | Ep | Title | Directed by: | Written by: | Original air date | Viewers |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
111 | 1 | "Appointment in Athens" | Vincent McEveety | Tom Sawyer | September 24, 1989 | 29.9 |
Jessica is detoured from a scheduled book tour after encountering MI6 agent Michael Hagarty and he convinces her to pose as his wife in Greece. | ||||||
112 | 2 | "Seal of the Confessional" | Vincent McEveety | Lynne Kelsey | October 1, 1989 | 31.0 |
Cabot Cove's new priest finds himself in a sticky situation when a murderer confesses their crime and he recruits Jessica to help him uncover the truth without violating his oath of silence. | ||||||
113 | 3 | "The Grand Old Lady" | Vincent McEveety | Peter S. Fischer | October 8, 1989 | 25.3 |
Jessica narrates a story from just after World War II, in which a British mystery writer and a young American newspaper reporter solve a murder aboard the Queen Mary. | ||||||
114 | 4 | "The Error of Her Ways" | Anthony Shaw | Donald Ross | October 15, 1989 | 27.5 |
Jessica convinces Lt. Hanna (Elliott Gould) to arrest whom she thinks is the killer, but when the suspect starts to look innocent and a large amount of money goes missing, Lt. Hanna gets in trouble with his superiors, changes his mind, and will no longer talk to Jessica. | ||||||
115 | 5 | "Jack and Bill" | Chuck Bowman | Peter S. Fischer & Chuck Bowman | October 29, 1989 | 31.5 |
Jessica narrates the story of an ex-football player turned private eye who investigates the murder of his old teammate with the help of a savvy pooch. | ||||||
116 | 6 | "Dead Letter" | Anthony Shaw | Paul Schiffer | November 5, 1989 | 29.7 |
Jessica's acquisition of an old bureau at a rummage sale unleashes a chain of events that leads to the death of a local volunteer fireman in a furniture store. | ||||||
117 | 7 | "Night of the Tarantula" | Vincent McEveety | Chris Manheim | November 12, 1989 | 25.8 |
Voodoo black magic is the apparent cause of death of her host, leaving Jessica to figure out the truth while visiting an old friend in Jamaica. | ||||||
118 | 8 | "When the Fat Lady Sings" | Walter Grauman | Peter S. Fischer | November 19, 1989 | 29.5 |
Jessica is drawn into an appropriately melodramatic situation when a renowned opera singer is accused of murder in San Francisco. | ||||||
119 | 9 | "Test of Wills" | Anthony Shaw | Robert E. Swanson | November 26, 1989 | 27.9 |
On a dark and stormy night on a remote island, Jessica finds herself in the middle of a wealthy family squabbling over the inheritance of a millionaire. | ||||||
120 | 10 | "Class Act" | Allen Reisner | Peter S. Fischer | December 3, 1989 | 28.5 |
Jessica narrates the tale of a police detective (Barry Newman) who refuses to back off from a murder case and, consequently, is shuffled off to teach criminology at a local college. Under the guise of teaching the only two students who stayed in the class (Grant Heslov and Lise Hilboldt), and with the unwilling help of his secretary, he solves the case. | ||||||
121 | 11 | "Town Father" | John Llewellyn Moxey | Philip Gerson | December 17, 1989 | 27.4 |
Scandal abounds during election time in Cabot Cove when the Mayor is reputed to have a secret wife who comes to confront him with murderous results. | ||||||
122 | 12 | "Goodbye Charlie" | Anthony Shaw | Robert van Scoyk | January 7, 1990 | 31.5 |
Jessica narrates her newest novel about a bumbling private eye and his girlfriend inadvertently solving a murder by trying to cash in on a dead relative's will. | ||||||
123 | 13 | "If the Shoe Fits" | Anthony Shaw | Lynne Kelsey | January 21, 1990 | 30.1 |
A womanizing Cabot Cove landlord is found murdered and Jessica must prove the innocence of a young boy's mother who is accused of the crime. | ||||||
124 | 14 | "How to Make a Killing without Really Trying" | Walter Grauman | Robert E. Swanson | February 4, 1990 | 25.7 |
Jessica's trip to New York City to meet with her stockbroker becomes complicated when the broker is found murdered and his secretary charged with the crime. | ||||||
125 | 15 | "The Fixer-Upper" | John Llewellyn Moxey | Oliver Hailey | February 11, 1990 | 23.7 |
Intrigue abounds in sunny California when Jessica's niece Victoria is accused of the murder of a rich movie heiress in Beverly Hills. | ||||||
126 | 16 | "The Big Show of 1965" | Jerry Jameson | Robert van Scoyk | February 25, 1990 | 25.1 |
Murder occurs at the reunion of a variety show, site of a similar crime 25 years earlier. | ||||||
127 | 17 | "Murder: According to Maggie" | John Llewellyn Moxey | Peter S. Fischer | March 4, 1990 | 26.1 |
A show cancellation coincides with a network executive's murder. | ||||||
128 | 18 | "O'Malley's Luck" | Michael J. Lynch | Lynne Kelsey | March 25, 1990 | 23.5 |
Jessica's friend, police Lt. O'Malley, and his rookie niece solve the case of a businessman's wife's apparent suicide. | ||||||
129 | 19 | "Always a Thief" | Walter Grauman | Peter S. Fischer | April 8, 1990 | 20.1 |
Jessica's friend, former jewel thief Dennis Stanton, solves a high-society collector's coin theft and murder. | ||||||
130 | 20 | "Shear Madness" | Walter Grauman | Chris Manheim | April 29, 1990 | 22.8 |
When a murder is committed shortly after the release of a mentally handicapped man, Jessica helps the man's sister prove his innocence. | ||||||
131 | 21 | "The Szechuan Dragon" | Kevin G. Cremin | Tom Sawyer | May 6, 1990 | 21.4 |
While Jessica is out of town, her nephew Grady and his pregnant wife Donna house sit. When waken at night they find a peg-legged man murdered on the living room floor. | ||||||
132 | 22 | "The Sicilian Encounter" | Kevin G. Cremin | Robert E. Swanson | May 20, 1990 | 19.2 |
Cross, double-cross, and triple-cross as Michael Hagarty and representatives of other governments try to elicit information and money from a Mafia family. |
Season 7 (1990–91)
Nº | Ep | Title | Directed by: | Written by: | Original air date | Viewers |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
133 | 1 | "Trials and Tribulations" | Vincent McEveety | Peter S. Fischer | September 16, 1990 | 23.1 |
Jessica is accused of false testimony and bribery in the death of an escaping murderer. | ||||||
134 | 2 | "Deadly Misunderstanding" | Anthony Shaw | Robert E. Swanson | September 23, 1990 | 23.3 |
Jessica tries to exonerate a temporary employee accused of her husband's murder. | ||||||
135 | 3 | "See You in Court, Baby" | Vincent McEveety | Peter S. Fischer | September 30, 1990 | 22.9 |
Dennis Stanton tries to clear a man of charges he murdered an unscrupulous divorce attorney. | ||||||
136 | 4 | "Hannigan's Wake" | Vincent McEveety | Peter S. Fischer | October 28, 1990 | 25.8 |
Jessica reopens a 16-year-old murder case at the urging of a dying author who felt injustice was done. | ||||||
137 | 5 | "The Family Jewels" | Jerry Jameson | Tom Sawyer | November 4, 1990 | 25.2 |
Jessica's night at a political fund-raiser turns to murder. | ||||||
138 | 6 | "A Body to Die For" | Anthony Shaw | Donald Ross | November 11, 1990 | 26.0 |
The owner of a new, hot fitness club in Cabot Cove has secrets that lead to murder. | ||||||
139 | 7 | "The Return of Preston Giles" | Walter Grauman | Tom Sawyer | November 18, 1990 | 24.5 |
Out on parole, Jessica's former publisher, Preston Giles (Arthur Hill) tries to woo her away from her new publisher. | ||||||
140 | 8 | "The Great Twain Robbery" | Jerry Jameson | Steve Brown | November 25, 1990 | 24.7 |
An alleged Twain manuscript begets greed, deception, arson, and murder. | ||||||
141 | 9 | "Ballad for a Blue Lady" | Jerry Jameson | William Bigelow | December 2, 1990 | 25.1 |
Jessica gets enmeshed in feuds, infidelity, and murder in Nashville. | ||||||
142 | 10 | "Murder in F Sharp" | Kevin G. Cremin | William Bigelow | December 16, 1990 | 23.0 |
Dennis Stanton investigates when a prominent pianist's wife is murdered shortly after the pianist's hands are badly burnt. | ||||||
143 | 11 | "Family Doctor" | Walter Grauman | Robert van Scoyk | January 6, 1991 | 26.6 |
A quiet dinner out for Seth and Jessica ends abruptly when he is forced to care for an injured Mafia kingpin. Will Seth and Jessica survive? | ||||||
144 | 12 | "Suspicion of Murder" | Vincent McEveety | Peter S. Fischer | January 20, 1991 | 27.3 |
Dennis Stanton must prove his innocence when he is accused of murdering an old flames estranged husband. | ||||||
145 | 13 | "Moving Violation" | Anthony Shaw | Robert E. Swanson | February 3, 1991 | 23.5 |
Sheriff Metzger defies political pressure and arrests an ambassador's son for various charges. Later, the son is found dead, and Metzger finds himself charged with murder. | ||||||
146 | 14 | "Who Killed J.B. Fletcher?" | Walter Grauman | Lynne Kelsey | February 10, 1991 | 24.8 |
A fan, posing as Jessica, is arrested and later murdered. | ||||||
147 | 15 | "The Taxman Cometh" | Anthony Shaw | Donald Ross | February 17, 1991 | 25.4 |
An IRS-plagued woman may have killed her informer husband. | ||||||
148 | 16 | "From the Horse's Mouth" | Jerry Jameson | Gerry Day | February 24, 1991 | 23.2 |
A clash between Kentucky Thoroughbred breeders leads to murder. | ||||||
149 | 17 | "The Prodigal Father" | Anthony Shaw | Maryann Kasica & Michael Scheff | March 10, 1991 | 24.5 |
The presumed dead perpetrator of a 20-year-old bank robbery resurfaces, then is murdered. | ||||||
150 | 18 | "Where Have You Gone, Billy Boy?" | John Llewellyn Moxey | Peter S. Fischer | March 17, 1991 | 23.9 |
A shy ventriloquist is suspected of murdering a ruthless comedy club owner. | ||||||
151 | 19 | "Thursday's Child" | Anthony Shaw | Robert E. Swanson | April 7, 1991 | 21.9 |
Jessica is pulled into a murder investigation by a woman who claims Jessica's husband fathered her son. | ||||||
152 | 20 | "Murder, Plain and Simple" | Vincent McEveety | Chris Manheim | April 28, 1991 | 23.7 |
During Jessica's trip to Amish country, her escort is accused of murder. | ||||||
153 | 21 | "Tainted Lady" | Vincent McEveety | Robert van Scoyk | May 5, 1991 | 22.6 |
The poisoning deaths of three customers point to the local diner owner. | ||||||
154 | 22 | "The Skinny According to Nick Cullhane" | Walter Grauman | Tom Sawyer | May 12, 1991 | 19.0 |
A writer is murdered after sending Jessica a manuscript exposing a kidnapping scam. |
Season 8 (1991–92)
Nº | Ep | Title | Directed by: | Written by: | Original air date | Viewers |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
155 | 1 | "Bite the Big Apple" | David Moessinger | David Moessinger | September 15, 1991 | 22.8 |
Jessica takes a teaching position in New York, gets an apartment and finds its previous tenant murdered. | ||||||
156 | 2 | "Night Fears" | Anthony Shaw | J. Michael Straczynski | September 22, 1991 | 23.8 |
A professor and ex-cop challenges Jessica to a race to solve a series of campus muggings. | ||||||
157 | 3 | "Unauthorized Obituary" | Walter Grauman | Robert E. Swanson | September 29, 1991 | 23.9 |
A murdered writer leaves a devoted sister, a grieving husband, and a tangle of secrets for Jessica to sort. | ||||||
158 | 4 | "Thicker Than Water" | Anthony Shaw | Lawrence De Tillio | October 6, 1991 | 24.3 |
Sheriff Metzger assumes his younger brother, the black sheep of the family, is guilty of murder. | ||||||
159 | 5 | "Lines of Excellence" | Walter Grauman | J. Michael Straczynski | November 3, 1991 | 23.5 |
Jessica accidentally discovers a box of computer tapping which leads to murder when she trades in her typewriter for a computer. | ||||||
160 | 6 | "Judge Not" | Chuck Bowman | Gerald DiPego | November 10, 1991 | 22.8 |
Jessica probes a 20-year-old unsolved murder after attending the funeral of a New Orleans jazz great. | ||||||
161 | 7 | "Terminal Connection" | Walter Grauman | Robert E. Swanson | November 17, 1991 | 24.5 |
When a friend is charged with murdering her abusive husband, Jessica tries to help. | ||||||
162 | 8 | "A Killing in Vegas" | Anthony Shaw | Bruce Lansbury | November 24, 1991 | 24.4 |
Jessica tries to disprove charges against her agent's daughter's boyfriend, suspected of murdering a Las Vegas casino manager. | ||||||
163 | 9 | "The Committee" | Jerry Jameson | J. Michael Straczynski | December 1, 1991 | 24.4 |
Jessica is the first women to speak at a function at an all-male club, then a member is murdered. | ||||||
164 | 10 | "The List of Yuri Lermentov" | Anthony Shaw | Tom Sawyer | December 15, 1991 | 23.6 |
Michael Hagarty uses Jessica to smuggle information out of Russia. | ||||||
165 | 11 | "Danse Diabolique" | Alexander Singer | Jo William Philip | January 5, 1992 | 27.7 |
Jessica unravels the death of a ballerina after she dances a ballet that has killed everyone who has tried it. | ||||||
166 | 12 | "The Witch's Curse" | Jerry Jameson | Tracy Friedman | January 12, 1992 | 28.1 |
Cabot Cove suspects a woman playing a witch in a community play is the real thing. | ||||||
167 | 13 | "Incident in Lot 7" | Anthony Shaw | J. Michael Straczynski | January 19, 1992 | 27.1 |
The would-be producer of the movie adaptation of Jessica's latest book dies, on the set of the Bates house from the film Psycho. | ||||||
168 | 14 | "The Monte Carlo Murders" | Jerry Jameson | Bruce Lansbury | February 2, 1992 | 23.9 |
Jessica probes a Monte Carlo murder for which her hotelier friend is a suspect. | ||||||
169 | 15 | "Tinker, Tailor, Liar, Thief" | Peter Salim | Robert E. Swanson | March 1, 1992 | 23.3 |
Jessica gets involved in a British Intelligence operation's cover-up of a double agent's murder. | ||||||
170 | 16 | "Ever After" | Anthony Shaw | Robert van Scoyk | March 8, 1992 | 25.2 |
An actress neighbor involves Jessica in her husband's murder. | ||||||
171 | 17 | "To the Last Will I Grapple with Thee" | Walter Grauman | J. Michael Straczynski | March 15, 1992 | 24.7 |
Jessica tackles the mystery of a man who apparently migrated from Ireland to New York for the sole purpose of taking revenge on an old friend of his, but is killed himself. | ||||||
172 | 18 | "Programmed for Murder" | Jerry Jameson | Tom Sawyer | April 5, 1992 | 22.9 |
A computer programmer's death may mean a malpractice suit for Seth, but Jessica suspects murder. | ||||||
173 | 19 | "Day of the Dead" | Anthony Shaw | Mark A. Burley | April 26, 1992 | 23.5 |
The noise and costumes of the Mexican "Day of the Dead" fiesta make it hard for Jessica to identify a killer. | ||||||
174 | 20 | "Angel of Death" | Walter Grauman | Robert E. Swanson | May 3, 1992 | 23.1 |
A playwright haunted by his wife's suicide loses another family member to murder. | ||||||
175 | 21 | "Badge of Honor" | David Moessinger | David Moessinger | May 10, 1992 | 21.0 |
Jessica intervenes when Seth's long-lost Army buddy is accused of murder. | ||||||
176 | 22 | "Murder on Madison Avenue" | Jerry Jameson | Bruce Lansbury | May 17, 1992 | 20.5 |
Jessica plays a real-life version of her own murder mystery board game when the toy company she's working with becomes the scene of the crime. |
Season 9 (1992–93)
Nº | Ep | Title | Directed by: | Written by: | Original air date | Viewers |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
177 | 1 | "Murder in Milan" | Anthony Shaw | Laurence Heath | September 20, 1992 | 24.6 |
While attending the premiere of a film adapted from one of her books in Milan, Jessica searches for the killer when the producer is murdered. | ||||||
178 | 2 | "Family Secrets" | Walter Grauman | Robert Hamner | September 27, 1992 | 23.7 |
One of Jessica's former students is murdered when he returns to Cabot Cove to write a book exposing new information on a 30-year-old town scandal. | ||||||
179 | 3 | "The Mole" | Peter Salim | Tom Sawyer | October 4, 1992 | 25.7 |
The New York police refuse to believe Jessica when she is mistaken for a government informant and kidnapped by the town's most respected citizen. | ||||||
180 | 4 | "The Wind Around the Tower" | Walter Grauman | J. Michael Straczynski | November 1, 1992 | 25.3 |
While being visitors at an estate in Ireland, Jessica and her friend are convinced that their host's demise is not from natural causes. | ||||||
181 | 5 | "The Dead File" | Anthony Shaw | Tom Sawyer | November 15, 1992 | 23.7 |
Jessica appears in a comic strip accusing various people of wrongdoing and triggering a lawsuit -- but the author insists he had nothing to do with it and his inker is killed in his studio. | ||||||
182 | 6 | "Night of the Coyote" | Jerry Jameson | Mark A. Burley | November 22, 1992 | 27.7 |
Jessica helps the sheriff of an old Western town solve a murder that is connected to a legendary stagecoach robber's long-lost treasure. | ||||||
183 | 7 | "Sugar & Spice, Malice & Vice" | Vincent McEveety | Robert E. Swanson | November 29, 1992 | 27.6 |
Michael Hagarty needs Jessica's help when he tries to prevent his estranged daughter's engagement to a man who is later found dead. | ||||||
184 | 8 | "The Classic Murder" | Vincent McEveety | Robert Van Scoyk | December 6, 1992 | 23.8 |
The father of Jessica's editor disappears with one hundred and fifty million dollars. | ||||||
185 | 9 | "A Christmas Secret" | Anthony Shaw | Bruce Lansbury | December 13, 1992 | 27.9 |
The future son-in-law of a prominent Cabot Cove family is suspected in a shooting. | ||||||
186 | 10 | "The Sound of Murder" | Anthony Shaw | Bruce Lansbury | January 3, 1993 | 30.1 |
Jessica records one of her novels for the blind and while at the recording studio Jessica is invited to a taping of a rock video. When a murder happens during the taping Jessica tries to find the murderer. | ||||||
187 | 11 | "Final Curtain" | Walter Grauman | J. Michael Straczynski | January 10, 1993 | 30.7 |
The community center of Cabot Cove is getting ready to produce a play with retired actor David North. What follows is interrupted rehearsals and a murder in town. | ||||||
188 | 12 | "Double Jeopardy" | Anthony Shaw | Laurence Heath | January 17, 1993 | 28.0 |
A not-guilty verdict in the murder of a community activist leads to threats of violence. | ||||||
189 | 13 | "Dead Eye" | Jerry Jameson | Tom Sawyer | February 7, 1993 | 26.0 |
Murder, missing persons, and the Kennedy assassination are all part of the mysteries Jessica must face to solve. | ||||||
190 | 14 | "Killer Radio" | Peter Salim | Carlton Hollander | February 14, 1993 | 27.9 |
While on a book tour, Jessica agrees to guest on a local radio talk show that has feuding co-owners. When a murder takes place Jessica helps sort out the tangled webs of confusion to bring the killer to justice. | ||||||
191 | 15 | "The Petrified Florist" | Anthony Shaw | Donald Ross | February 21, 1993 | 29.1 |
Jessica must unravel the reason behind the murder of a popular florist. | ||||||
192 | 16 | "Threshold of Fear" | Vincent McEveety | James L. Novack | February 28, 1993 | 28.4 |
Jessica helps a neighbor, Alice Morgan, in her New York building who has a phobia about leaving her apartment since she saw her mother murdered five years ago. | ||||||
193 | 17 | "The Big Kill" | Jerry Jameson | Mark A. Burley | March 7, 1993 | 25.6 |
Two murders result when the CEO of a defense corporation tries to save his company by illegally selling leftover components. | ||||||
194 | 18 | "Dead to Rights" | Anthony Shaw | Tom Sawyer | March 21, 1993 | 27.1 |
Jessica agrees to help clear a former research assistant of killing her new employer, despite the fact that the woman is a pathological liar. | ||||||
195 | 19 | "Lone Witness" | Walter Grauman | Marianne Kasica & Michael Scheff | April 4, 1993 | 24.4 |
Jessica helps solve a murder when the only witness, a local delivery boy she has befriended (Neil Patrick Harris), becomes the prime suspect. | ||||||
196 | 20 | "Ship of Thieves" | Anthony Shaw | Bruce Lansbury | May 2, 1993 | 24.9 |
While on a cruise, Jessica helps Dennis Stanton, now a ship's security chief, investigate when a woman is found dead in the cargo area. | ||||||
197 | 21 | "The Survivor" | Anthony Shaw | Robert Van Scoyk | May 9, 1993 | 22.0 |
Jessica becomes involved in an internal police investigation when a colleague is left for dead in an accident in which a rookie policeman is killed. | ||||||
198 | 22 | "Love's Deadly Desire" | Robert M. Williams, Jr. | Chris Manheim | May 16, 1993 | 24.2 |
Jessica investigates the murder of a visiting romance novelist's assistant who was having an affair with the writer's publisher husband. |
Season 10 (1993–94)
Nº | Ep | Title | Directed by: | Written by: | Original air date | Viewers |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
199 | 1 | "A Death in Hong Kong" | Vincent McEveety | Laurence Heath | September 12, 1993 | 20.0 |
Jessica's trip to Hong Kong is interrupted by the murder of an American businessman negotiating a merger with a Chinese tycoon. | ||||||
200 | 2 | "For Whom the Ball Tolls" | Anthony Shaw | Donald Ross | September 26, 1993 | 24.2 |
When Jessica agrees to help preserve a historic brownstone, she winds up trying to clear her editor of the murder of an opposing developer. | ||||||
201 | 3 | "The Legacy of Borbey House" | Walter Grauman | Danna Doyle & Debbie Smith | October 3, 1993 | 22.2 |
While restoring her house in Cabot Cove, Jessica worries that her contractor is preoccupied by the remodeling of another house until the project is put on hold when the client is found murdered. | ||||||
202 | 4 | "The Phantom Killer" | Anthony Shaw | Tom Sawyer | October 24, 1993 | 21.3 |
Jessica comes to the aid of a promising young reporter when he is suspected of murdering a rival magazine's unscrupulous publisher. | ||||||
203 | 5 | "A Virtual Murder" | Lee Smith | Carlton Hollander | October 31, 1993 | 22.4 |
Jessica happens on a computerized clue to a murder while writing a mystery story for a friend's interactive video game company. | ||||||
204 | 6 | "Bloodlines" | Don Mischer | Story by : Michael Berlin & Eric Estrin Teleplay by : Robert Hamner | November 7, 1993 | 21.4 |
A racehorse trainer is murdered as he is on his way to expose a racing fraud. | ||||||
205 | 7 | "A Killing in Cork" | Anthony Shaw | Bruce Lansbury | November 21, 1993 | 27.0 |
While visiting Ireland, Jessica searches for clues when a widowed friend's son is suspected of killing an American relative. | ||||||
206 | 8 | "Love and Hate in Cabot Cove" | Anthony Shaw | Robert Van Scoyk | November 28, 1993 | 25.0 |
Jessica returns to Cabot Cove to discover why her accountant is not paying her bills. | ||||||
207 | 9 | "Murder at a Discount" | Walter Grauman | Rick Mittleman | December 5, 1993 | 25.7 |
One of Jessica's best-selling mysteries bears an uncanny resemblance to an actual case in which Dave Novaro (George Segal) was tried and acquitted. He sues her because the book makes him look guilty, but he then reads the book and figures out who the murderer really is and is then murdered himself before he can tell Jessica his solution. | ||||||
208 | 10 | "Murder in White" | Vincent McEveety | Lawrence Vail | December 19, 1993 | 22.0 |
When Jessica is called to London to rewrite the stage adaptation of her novel, she must prove her actress friend innocent of killing a producer. | ||||||
209 | 11 | "Northern Explosion" | Anthony Shaw | Mark A. Burley | January 2, 1994 | 25.0 |
While stranded in a small Canadian town, Jessica helps the Mounties solve two local murders. | ||||||
210 | 12 | "Proof in the Pudding" | Jerry Jameson | Lisa Seidman | January 9, 1994 | 26.5 |
Jessica attends the opening of a new restaurant. But when the chef is killed, Jessica is the only one who can find the real killer. | ||||||
211 | 13 | "Portrait of Death" | Vincent McEveety | Donald Ross | January 16, 1994 | 27.4 |
Jessica comes to the rescue when a friend's sculpture is used as a murder weapon. | ||||||
212 | 14 | "Deadly Assets" | Anthony Shaw | Tom Sawyer | January 23, 1994 | 29.7 |
Back in Cabot Cove to orchestrate a surprise birthday dinner for Seth, Jessica is drawn into what looks like a small-time theft by Charlie Garrett and an apparent Mob connection. | ||||||
213 | 15 | "Murder on the Thirtieth Floor" | Walter Grauman | Robert Van Scoyk | February 6, 1994 | 26.5 |
In New York, Jessica's publisher Edward Graham seems to be cracking up following the death of his wife. But was a fall from the top of the building suicide or murder? | ||||||
214 | 16 | "Time to Die" | Anthony Shaw | Laurence Heath | March 6, 1994 | 26.5 |
Jessica's teen writing class has two promising students, Alida and Chris. But when Chris' loan-shark stepfather turns up dead after pursuing Alida and fleeing a hit-and-run, Chris is the prime suspect. | ||||||
215 | 17 | "The Dying Game" | Jerry Jameson | Bruce Lansbury | March 13, 1994 | 25.7 |
Jessica has worked to have Larkin sold to a museum, but an embezzled pension plan leads to a rival bid and murder. | ||||||
216 | 18 | "The Trouble with Seth" | Anthony Shaw | Tom Sawyer | March 27, 1994 | 26.5 |
Jessica searches for Seth when he suddenly disappears and fresh bloodstains in his office indicate foul play. | ||||||
217 | 19 | "Roadkill" | Walter Grauman | Mark A. Burley | May 1, 1994 | 23.2 |
While visiting a friend in Texas, Jessica attempts to help the owner of a small trucking company clear his son of a murder charge. | ||||||
218 | 20 | "A Murderous Muse" | Anthony Shaw | Bruce Lansbury | May 15, 1994 | 19.8 |
Jessica searches for the truth when a legendary maestro is found murdered and an innocent man is charged with the crime. | ||||||
219 | 21 | "Wheel of Death" | Walter Grauman | Robert Van Scoyk | May 22, 1994 | 19.2 |
The arrival of a traveling carnival in Cabot Cove coincides with a rash of burglaries and the murder of the troupe's owner. |
Season 11 (1994–95)
Nº | Ep | Title | Directed by: | Written by: | Original air date | Viewers |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
220 | 1 | "A Nest of Vipers" | Anthony Shaw | Rick Mittleman | September 25, 1994 | 23.4 |
In Los Angeles, to research an animal park, Jessica finds the employees trying to protect themselves in the middle of a skimmed-funds scandal. Then an amoral publicist turns up dead. | ||||||
221 | 2 | "Amsterdam Kill" | Jerry Jameson | Jerry Ludwig | October 2, 1994 | 23.1 |
Jessica's investigation of a novelist's kidnapping leads her into the dark world of diamond smuggling and murder. | ||||||
222 | 3 | "To Kill a Legend" | Anthony Shaw | David Bennett Carren & J. Larry Carroll | October 9, 1994 | 20.7 |
Jessica discovers a letter from George Washington that leads to a hero's disgrace and a director's murder. | ||||||
223 | 4 | "Death in Hawaii" | Don Mischer | Lawrence Heath | October 16, 1994 | 23.9 |
Jessica's vacation to Honolulu becomes chaotic when the son of her host vanishes during a hotly contested U.S. Senate election. | ||||||
224 | 5 | "Dear Deadly" | Anthony Shaw | Donald Ross | October 23, 1994 | 23.9 |
When a columnist becomes the target of a crazed gunman, Jessica's advice to be careful is ignored. | ||||||
225 | 6 | "The Murder Channel" | Walter Grauman | Jerry Ludwig | November 6, 1994 | 21.2 |
In a friend's apartment, Jessica and her friends are amused and then puzzled by the strange drama unfolding on TV. | ||||||
226 | 7 | "Fatal Paradise" | Jerry Jameson | Tom Sawyer | November 13, 1994 | 25.0 |
Charlie Garrett is in luck when Jessica is in Martinique for her vacation at the same time he is accused of murder. | ||||||
227 | 8 | "Crimson Harvest" | Anthony Shaw | Bruce Lansbury | November 20, 1994 | 22.6 |
The mysterious deaths of a winery matriarch's son and a rival vintner lead Jessica into a world of greed and betrayal. | ||||||
228 | 9 | "Murder by Twos" | Anthony Shaw | Bruce Lansbury | November 27, 1994 | 23.9 |
Jessica searches for a link between the town bully's death and the death of the woman he was having an affair with. | ||||||
229 | 10 | "Murder of the Month Club" | Walter Grauman | Donald Ross | December 4, 1994 | 20.2 |
The taping of an infomercial by Jessica and two fellow novelists is plagued by problems including the mysterious death of an audience member. | ||||||
230 | 11 | "An Egg to Die For" | Robert M. Williams Jr. | Maryanne Kasica & Michael Scheff | December 11, 1994 | 20.9 |
Jessica helps a Russian police officer capture the elusive mastermind behind the theft of a Faberge egg. | ||||||
231 | 12 | "The Scent of Murder" | Anthony Shaw | Laurence Heath | January 8, 1995 | 24.5 |
The pervasive stench of death looms over Jessica and Seth's visit to his cousin's South Carolina plantation. | ||||||
232 | 13 | "Death 'n Denial" | Jerry Jameson | Mark A. Burley | January 22, 1995 | 24.4 |
Jessica takes a trip to Egypt to finalize a cultural exchange program and ends up searching for a killer and a stolen artifact. | ||||||
233 | 14 | "Murder in High-C" | Anthony Shaw | Jerry Ludwig | February 5, 1995 | 21.9 |
An opera singer tries to make her debut before a stalker can fulfill his promise to kill her. | ||||||
234 | 15 | "Twice Dead" | Walter Grauman | Paul Schiffer | February 12, 1995 | 23.8 |
When a brilliant scientist fakes his own death and is then actually murdered, Jessica sets the record straight when the wrong man is arrested. | ||||||
235 | 16 | "Film Flam" | Anthony Shaw | Donald Ross | February 19, 1995 | 22.6 |
Homicide haunts the release of a restored movie, and Jessica investigates the current crime and the 1960 murder that prevented the original release. | ||||||
236 | 17 | "Murder a la Mode" | Jerry Jameson | Laurence Heath | February 26, 1995 | 25.1 |
Jessica's excursion into the world of the fashion elite in Paris leads to murder, sweatshops and smugglers. | ||||||
237 | 18 | "The Dream Team" | Anthony Shaw | Tom Sawyer | March 19, 1995 | 20.0 |
The townspeople of Cabot Cove are concerned about a massive development on their shore and it is further complicated for Jessica since the firm employs her nephew Grady.[note 2] | ||||||
238 | 19 | "School for Murder" | Vincent McEveety | Robert Bean | April 30, 1995 | 21.9 |
It seems that more than schoolboy pranks are going on between a Cabot Cove prep school and its rival. | ||||||
239 | 20 | "Another Killing in Cork" | Anthony Shaw | Bruce Lansbury | May 7, 1995 | 17.5 |
While Jessica is enjoying her stay at a fishing lodge in Ireland, she finds out the owner is beset by a consortium that wants to buy his land for a strip mine. | ||||||
240 | 21 | "Game, Set, Murder" | Walter Grauman | Philip John Taylor | May 14, 1995 | 19.6 |
A domineering father forces a teenager to play beyond her desire and she suffers emotional problems. |
Season 12 (1995–96)
Nº | Ep | Title | Directed by: | Written by: | Original air date | Viewers |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
241 | 1 | "Nailed" | Anthony Shaw | Donald Ross | September 21, 1995 | 12.5 |
Jessica uses her head to weave through the makeup and hairspray concealing the murderer of a financier at a beauty salon. | ||||||
242 | 2 | "A Quaking in Aspen" | Vincent McEveety | Tom Sawyer | September 28, 1995 | 12.9 |
Jessica is fired up to find the murderer of her friend's husband, but private detective Charlie Garrett is unwittingly putting out the flames. | ||||||
243 | 3 | "The Secret of Gila Junction" | Anthony Shaw | Jerry Ludwig | October 5, 1995 | 13.3 |
When Jessica's friend Norma asks her to come to Gila Junction, Jessica is roped into helping Norma investigate a possible conspiracy while a rumored treasure may have led to a murder. | ||||||
244 | 4 | "Big Easy Murder" | Vincent McEveety | Cynthia Deming & William Royce | October 12, 1995 | 12.4 |
Jessica travels to New Orleans and is caught up in a web of voodoo related murders. | ||||||
245 | 5 | "Home Care" | Anthony Shaw | Robert Van Scoyk | October 19, 1995 | 13.2 |
Jessica immerses herself in the medical profession when a young nurse is accused of murdering two patients to whom she was providing home care. | ||||||
246 | 6 | "Nan's Ghost: Part 1" | Anthony Shaw | Bruce Lansbury | November 2, 1995 | 13.7 |
A haunted spirit and antique smugglers are just a few challenges Jessica faces on her Irish vacation. | ||||||
247 | 7 | "Nan's Ghost: Part 2" | Anthony Shaw | Bruce Lansbury | November 9, 1995 | 11.8 |
Jessica is trapped in the dungeon of an ancient Irish castle, but uses her ingenuity to get rescued and find the treasure and a murderer. | ||||||
248 | 8 | "Shooting in Rome" | Vincent McEveety | Jerry Ludwig | November 16, 1995 | 12.6 |
Jessica travels to Rome to help rewrite the script for the filming of one of her books, but the filming takes a tragic turn when a stuntman dies. | ||||||
249 | 9 | "Deadly Bidding" | Anthony Shaw | Tom Sawyer | November 23, 1995 | 10.6 |
Charlie Garrett's outrageous bid at an auction arouses Jessica's suspicions after the artist becomes the subject of a homicide photographer. | ||||||
250 | 10 | "Frozen Stiff" | Paul Lazarus | Mark A. Burley | November 30, 1995 | 13.3 |
Gary and Larry's Frozen Stuff accountant is found dead. Shortly thereafter, $750,000 earmarked for Jessica's Literacy Fund is found missing. It's up to Jessica to find the killer. | ||||||
251 | 11 | "Unwilling Witness" | Anthony Shaw | Robert Van Scoyk | December 14, 1995 | 12.5 |
After being subpoenaed to testify at the jury probe of a brokerage house, Jessica is charged with contempt for speaking to a witness who is killed. | ||||||
252 | 12 | "Kendo Killing" | Walter Grauman | Laurence Heath | January 4, 1996 | 15.2 |
Jessica's delivery to a motorcycle racer in Japan speeds up a series of events that result in the death of another racer. | ||||||
253 | 13 | "Death Goes Double Platinum" | Anthony Shaw | Philip John Taylor | January 7, 1996 | 19.7 |
Desi Ortega and his Latin group have a single climbing the charts until Max Daniels wants to own the group. When Daniels' assistant turns up dead, has someone in the group struck back? | ||||||
254 | 14 | "Murder in Tempo" | Kevin Corcoran | Laurence Heath | January 11, 1996 | 14.8 |
Seth's benefit concert to save the woods near Cabot Cove is endangered when the lead singer is permanently silenced. | ||||||
255 | 15 | "The Dark Side of the Door" | Anthony Shaw | James L. Novack | February 1, 1996 | 13.9 |
Jessica's friend Erin is haunted by being kidnapped as a child, and when Erin reads a novel with a story too close for coincidence, Jessica makes a shocking revelation. | ||||||
256 | 16 | "Murder Among Friends" | Vincent McEveety | Jerry Ludwig | February 8, 1996 | 12.9 |
The producer of a hit TV show featuring an ensemble cast is about to kill off one of the characters when she is found dead in her office. | ||||||
257 | 17 | "Something Foul in Flappieville" | Anthony Shaw | Robert Van Scoyk | February 15, 1996 | 13.1 |
After Jessica's story for children becomes a television puppet show, she must find the fiend who used one of the puppets as a murder weapon. | ||||||
258 | 18 | "Track of a Soldier" | Vincent McEveety | Bruce Lansbury | February 25, 1996 | 19.8 |
A vacation in the Grand Tetons turns into work when the man threatening Jessica's host with blackmail is murdered. | ||||||
259 | 19 | "Evidence of Malice" | Anthony Shaw | Tom Sawyer | March 28, 1996 | 13.5 |
Jessica has to solve two murders to clear the name of her old friend Deputy Andy Broom (Louis Herthum), who becomes a suspect when a murder weapon is found in his car. | ||||||
260 | 20 | "Southern Double-Cross" | Walter Grauman | Mark A. Burley | April 4, 1996 | 12.0 |
Jessica travels to Australia to prove that she is the rightful heir to 130,000 acres of grazing land, but her arrival results in two murders. | ||||||
261 | 21 | "Race to Death" | Vincent McEveety | Story by : Peter Barwood & Laurence Heath Teleplay by : Laurence Heath | April 28, 1996 | 16.7 |
Jessica investigates when a wealthy yachtsman is murdered two days before a big race, and the daughter of his rival is charged with the crime. | ||||||
262 | 22 | "What You Don't Know Can Kill You" | Kevin Corcoran | Robert Van Scoyk | May 5, 1996 | 16.0 |
When a young man dies in a motorcycle crash, and a local attorney is murdered, Jessica looks for links between the two seemingly unrelated deaths. | ||||||
263 | 23 | "Mrs. Parker's Revenge" | Anthony Shaw | Anne C. Collins | May 12, 1996 | 13.5 |
While Jessica is in Atlanta to address mystery writers, a lethal virus is stolen from the Biological Research Institute. | ||||||
264 | 24 | "Death by Demographics" | Anthony Shaw | Donald Ross | May 19, 1996 | 16.5 |
After a San Francisco radio station changes its music format from classical to rock, the promoter who engineered the switch dies and Jessica searches for the killer. |
TV movies
Nº | Title | Directed by: | Written by: | Original air date | Viewers |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
M1 | Murder, She Wrote: South by Southwest | Anthony Shaw | Derek Marlowe, Mark A. Burley | November 2, 1997 | 18.2 |
Crime-writing sleuth Jessica Fletcher is sidetracked on her way to El Paso, as she searches for a missing woman who witnessed the murder of a man trying to expose a flaw in a top-secret government satellite code. | |||||
M2 | Murder, She Wrote: A Story to Die For | Anthony Shaw | J. Michael Straczynski | May 18, 2000 | 12.8 |
Jessica puts her sleuthing skills to work at a writers' conference after a Russian author (former military intelligence officer) is found murdered. | |||||
M3 | Murder, She Wrote: The Last Free Man | Anthony Shaw | Matthew Sommer | May 2, 2001 | 11.3 |
A disturbing link is made between Jessica's family history and the death of a slave in the 1860s. | |||||
M4 | Murder, She Wrote: The Celtic Riddle | Anthony Shaw | Rosemary Anne Sisson, Bruce Lansbury | May 9, 2003 | 10.7 |
Jessica travels to Ireland, where she becomes involved in a clue-driven hunt for secret treasure. |
Home releases
Notes
- ↑ This is the second half of a 2-part crossover; the first half is the Magnum, P.I. episode "Novel Connection."
- ↑ Last appearance of Michael Horton as Grady Fletcher.
References
- ↑ "Nielsen Ratings: November 2, 1997" (PDF). February 18, 2016.
- ↑ "The View Recaps". ABC.com. Retrieved February 26, 2007.
- ↑ "Murder, She Wrote: Could Jessica Fletcher Return?". TVSeriesFinale.com. Retrieved February 28, 2007.
External links
- List of Murder, She Wrote episodes on IMDb
- List of Murder, She Wrote episodes at TV.com