I always wonder when people are going to start blaming Jessica Fletcher for all these murders. By the third regular episode of the series, it happens. When she protests when her book is turned into a slasher movie, Jessica winds up as the prime suspect when the producer is killed.

Season 1, Episode 3: Hooray for Homicide (October 28, 1984)

Tonight on Murder, She Wrote…

One of Jessica’s books is becoming a movie, and she’s not happy about it.

Who’s in it, outside of Angela Lansbury and were they in any exploitation movies?

Claude Atkins returns as local lawman Captain Ethan Cragg.

Crystal is played by Melissa Sue Anderson, who, by 1984, knew all about slashers after appearing in Happy Birthday to Me. She’s probably best known for playing Mary Ingalls on Little House on the Prairie.

Ross is John Astin, once Gomez Adams and also someone who moved into directing, creating episodes of Night Gallery, CHiPS and, yes, Murder, She Wrote.

Marta is Samantha Eggar, who I have discussed so many times that I worry that she may take out a restraining order on me. In case you want to get obsessed, she’s in The Brood and Demonoid.

Allan is James MacArthur, Danny Williams from Hawaii-Five-O.

Elinor is Virginia Mayo, who was a major star in the 1950s, but people like would know her from Won Ton Ton: The Dog Who Saved Hollywood, Haunted, Castle of Evil and Evil Spirits.

Norman Lester, Esq. is played by Ron Pallilo, who was Arnold Horshack and also appears in Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives, Skatetown U.S.A. and Snake Eater.

This episode’s cop, Lt. Mike Hernandez, is José Pérez from Short Eyes.

The murdered filmmaker is Jerry Lydecker, who is John Saxon. If you’re reading this site, you know who he is. And if you don’t, man, you have so many great films to watch.

Scott plays Morgan Stevens, the first of three roles on this show. Most people remember him as David Reardon on Fame.

Marty is Lyle Waggoner, Steve Trevor on TV’s Wonder Woman, a Carol Burnett cast member, and someone who was in movies like Surf II, Wizards of the Demon Sword, Dream a Little Evil and Love Me Deadly. He would be in two more Murder, She Wrote shows.

Sunny is Marianne McAndrew from The Bat People!

Wayne Power,  Erik Holland (Maniac Cop), Hank Rolike, Paul Ryan, Barbara Lynn Block, Michael Milhoan, R.J. Adams, Jack Scalici, Lisa Hope Ross and Selby Dessner play smaller roles.

What happens?

Jessica’s book The Corpse Danced at Midnight has been optioned to be made into a movie. She flies out to Hollywood and is informed by her lawyer, Marty Strindberg, that they’re stuck and the film is getting made no matter what. After getting turned away at the studio gate, Jessica makes fast friends with costume designer Marta Quintessa (Samantha Eggar looks as if she brought all her clothes, as usual) and gets on set.

Jerry, the producer, and Eve, the actress, are dating, which never goes well. Yes, 48-year-old John Saxon and 22-year-old Melissa Sue Anderson are hooking up. This is very realistic when it comes to Hollywood. Jessica arrives just in time for the nude scene—the only one in a slasher. Maybe it’s not all realistic.

Jessica and producer Jerry battled it out over his movies, and wow, somehow, he had the budget to create this amazing poster for them.

But let’s give it up to Jessica. When she reads the contract over, she realizes she’s wrong and apologizes. However, it’s too late, as Jerry’s body is dead on the film’s cemetery set. Luckily, despite finding the body, the police don’t investigate Jessica. Maybe it’s because Lieutenant Hernandez is a big fan. He is such a fan that he trusts Jessica to visit Eve and tell her that her boyfriend is deceased.

So yes, while Jessica is a suspect, she gets to run around a lot. This allows us to see the movie being made, and man, I know 1984 had neon, but this movie has so much neon.

I spoke too soon, however, as Lieutenant Hernandez arrests J.B. But when they get to jail, he asks her to investigate everything for the police. There have to be better ways to get someone to help you. Despite being blocked from the set now, Jessica dresses as a tourist and learns that everyone wanted to kill Jerry for one reason or another: Marta is an ex, Eve was cheating on him, Allan had his screenplay rewritten, and if Ross gets to be the producer, his career will get the comeback it needs.

Who did it?

Eve was worried that Jerry would ruin her boyfriend Scott’s career.

Who made it?

Richard A. Colla also made Battlestar Galactica, Fuzz and The Questor Tapes.

Executive story editor Robert Van Scoyk wrote the script.

Some facts…

This episode reveals that the B in J.B. stands for Beatrice.

A poster for an adult movie, Vampire Cheerleaders, also appears in the Simon & Simon episode “The Wrong Stuff.” This is proof that both shows are in the same universe (well, the crossover confirms this).

Does Jessica get some?

This movie starts with Captain Ethan Clegg working on Jessica’s plumbing. No man works on a woman’s sink without trying to work on her more essential plumbing.

Does Jessica dress up and act stupid?

Yes. For the first time, we get Jessica going undercover and acting like a moron. It gets way worse.

Was it any good?

I loved this episode. It features Saxon and Eggar, two of my favorites, and it gets Jessica away from Cabot Cove and trapped in the middle of a mystery, one she’s suspected of. It sets up so many themes the show would return to and become a warm blanket for me.

Give me a reasonable quote:

Marta Quintessa: Sorry to bring this up, but shouldn’t someone tell our star that her star-maker has gone to his Maker?

TV Newsman #1: I’m referring to the scene where the psychotic killer uses a flamethrower on a group of breakdancers.

Marty Strindberg: What do I know about the picture? Well, it’s guaranteed box office magic, that’s all. It’s a combination of Halloween, Porky’s and Flashdance.

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What’s next?

One of my favorite episodes is when Wealthy Denton Langley falls off a horse, dies and leaves most of his estate to his dog, Teddy.