When an obnoxious out-of-town TV personality is murdered, it’s up to Jessica to figure out the killer.

Season 3, Episode 8: Obituary for a Dead Anchor (December 7, 1986)

Jessica agrees to a television interview for an old friend but is surprised when a different reporter arrives after a boat explosion kills her old buddy. Or does it?

Who’s in it, outside of Angela Lansbury?

Sheriff Amos Tupper is Tom Bosley, but you knew that.

Abby Dalton. Mother Speed in Roller Blade Warriors: Taken By Force is Judith. Her husband, Kevin, is played by Chad Everett from The Intruder Within.

Robert Hogan is Dr. Wylie Graham.

Robert Lipton plays Richard Abbott.

Paula Roman is actress Kathleen Lloyd (The Car).

Mayor Sam Booth is Richard Paul.

Robert Pine, Sgt. Joseph Getraer from CHiPs is Doug Helman.

Rex Robbins is George Fish.

Mark Stevens is Nick Brody.

Smaller roles include James Lemp as Gerald Foster (AKA Erik Stern; he was in The Love Butcher), Frank Annese as Ronald Ross, Patti Karr as Clara Polsby and Paul Ryan as a commentator.

What happens?

Jessica expects to do an interview with TV reporter Paula Roman, but ends up with a much rougher interviewer, Kevin Keats. Soon after the segment, his boat blows up, and reporters come to Cabbot Cove, all looking for a killer.

As you’d expect from an episode of this show, everyone hated Keats. For example, he cheated on his wife, and she wished that he lived long enough for her to divorce him. And Jessica is dealing with a lot of gruff from the mayor, who is concerned that she’s making the town look bad by doing the interview, which he wanted her to do in the first place.

Sheriff Tupper almost solves the case, and when he asks Jessica if he’s right, she agrees. He’s kind of shocked.

Who did it?

Nick Brody, a laid-off newsman, is angry about the way TV is changing for the worse.

Who made it?

This was directed by Walter Grauman and written by Robert Van Scoyk, the show’s story editor, from a story by Bob Shayne.

Does Jessica dress up and act stupid? Does she get some?

I mean, she did make Tupper feel pretty good when he was right about the case. Maybe.

Was it any good?

A decent episode. After the Magnum episode, we needed a little calm down.

Any trivia?

Richard Paul’s first appearance as Cabot Cove’s do-nothing mayor, Sam Booth.

In this episode, we learn that the B in J.B. Fletcher is for Beatrice. Her full name is Jessica Beatrice MacGill Fletcher

When Jessica first meets Nick Brody, a painting of a ship like the movie Mutiny is behind him. That movie starred Angela Lansbury and Mark Stevens, who are playing the characters on this show.

Give me a reasonable quote:

Jessica Fletcher: But what did killing Mr. Helman solve for you? He was only following the network’s orders.

Nick Brody: Without Helman, I had a better-than-even chance of staying with the show. I had more experience than any of them. To hell with the audience research. So I wasn’t young, vicious or even pretty, but I was the one who could talk sense to them. I’m a newsman. I’m not a performer. I tried to tell Doug that. But whatever he started out believing, in the end, he bought the idea that the wrapping paper, the wrapping paper, was more important than the package. If you don’t mind, I’d like to finish this rewrite while we’re waiting for the sheriff. Just dial nine for an outside line.

What’s next?

The murder of the leading lady’s understudy disrupts a play starring two previously married actors. John Astin directs this one.