Production Information[]
Production Number: | |
Aired: May 8th, 1988 | |
Written By: Donald Ross | |
Directed By: Anthony (Pullen) Shaw | |
INSERT EPISODE SCREENSHOT HERE | |
Created By: Peter S. Fischer, Richard Levinson & William Link | |
Executive Producers: Peter S. Fischer | |
Producer: Robert Van Skoyk |
Summary[]
Jessica is visiting her old friend Kathleen Lane, who is running for a senate seat. A rumor circulates that she is romantically involved with her speech writer, Bud Johnson and after he disappears, Jessica is chosen as new speechwriter. When Bud appears to have committed suicide, a skeptical Jessica suspects it's murder and delves into the dirty business of politics to find out who seeks to damage Kathleen's campaign.
Trivia[]
The late Eddie Albert is probably best known as Oliver Wendell Douglas from the series Green Acres (1964).
Daphne Maxwell-Reid, who plays Nan, will later be known as the second actress to play Vivian Banks on the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air (1990).
Shirley Jones is best known for her time on The Partridge Family.
Victim: Bud Johnson
Killer: Jackson Lane
Cause of death: Thrown off balcony after being hit by hammer (rigged to look like suicide).
Motive: Wanted his wife Kathleen's senate campaign to end, as it was bringing too much media attention to his questionable finances and hoped Bud's "suicide" would do so.
Yes, Bud knew that Jackson wasn't in the Bahamas, & it was brought up that he knew, but not once was there a story to explain as to how he knew, now was there?
To me, in this episode plays up the old adage: Putting the cart before the horse. Jackson creates the illusion that his wife had done it, by sending her on a wild goose chase, leaving her without an alibi, showing that she is the main suspect in Bud's murder, given that she was on the goose chase at the time he had done it, how does it frame her when he was the one that sent her on the goose chase, showing that she wasn't there, now was she?
With where Bud & Kathleen were when he had lost a ping-pong game with Kathleen, & he had began to cry, Jackson was told what the score was in the hotel room with his wife, if he was where Bud & Kathleen were to take photos of their embrace, he wouldn't have needed to know the score, he would have known about it, now wouldn't he?
Starring[]
Regular Cast[]
Angela Lansbury as Jessica Fletcher
Recurring Cast[]
Guest Stars[]
Eddie Albert as Jackson Lane
Peter Fox as Bud Johnson
Robert Fuller as Arthur Drelinger
George Grizzard as Edmund Hall
Shirley Jones as Kathleen Lane
Harrison Page as Lt. Dennis Gowens
Daphne Maxwell Reid as Nan Wynn
James Sloyan as C.W. Butterfield