When Jessica agrees to write campaign speeches for her friend Kathleen Lane, she becomes involved in an accusation of adultery which ends in death.
Season 4, Episode 22: The Body Politic (May 8, 1988)
When an old friend running for the Senate gets tangled up in rumors, scandal, and a sudden murder, Jessica has to trade cozy Cabot Cove for the cutthroat campaign trail.
Who’s in it, outside of Angela Lansbury?
Eddie Albert plays Jackson Lane, best known for his classic television starring role as Oliver Wendell Douglas in Green Acres, as well as his Oscar-nominated performances in Roman Holiday and The Heartbreak Kid. His cult and horror credits include the satanic thriller The Devil’s Rain! and the sci-fi cult hit Dreamscape.
Peter Fox appears as Bud Johnson, earning wide recognition for his recurring roles on Knots Landing, Simon & Simon, and The Waltons. His cult horror credits include ADR voice work on John Carpenter’s The Thing and a minor appearance in Halloween II.
Robert Fuller plays Arthur Drelinger after establishing a major TV presence as Dr. Kelly Brackett on Emergency! and starring in classic Western series such as Laramie and Wagon Train. Early in his career, he appeared in 1950s cult drive-in features like The Brain from Planet Arous and Teenage Thunder.
George Grizzard plays Edmund Hall, famed for originating the role of Nick in Broadway’s original production of Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, playing John Adams in The Adams Chronicles and starring in Advise & Consent. His cult and genre legacy includes the dark satire Wrong Is Right and classic episodes of The Twilight Zone such as “In His Image” and “The Chaser.”
Shirley Jones portrays Kathleen Lane, acclaimed for her Oscar-winning role in Elmer Gantry, her starring parts in classic movie musicals like Oklahoma!, and her role as matriarch Shirley Partridge in The Partridge Family. Her cult appearances include the comedy favorite Grandma’s Boy and the thriller Bloodlines.
Harrison Page appears as Lt. Gowans, best known for his beloved comedy performance as Captain Trunk in Sled Hammer! alongside roles in JAG and ER. In cult cinema, he starred in Russ Meyer’s camp classic Beyond the Valley of the Dolls and the comedy-horror film Vamp.
Daphne Reid (credited as Daphne Maxwell Reid) plays Nan Wynn, best remembered for taking over the role of Vivian Banks (Aunt Viv) on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air and starring in Frank’s Place. She also featured in the acclaimed period drama Once Upon a Time… When We Were Colored.
James Sloyan plays C.W. Butterfield and is best known for Mottola in The Sting, and for playing Dr. Mora Pol and Admiral Jarok in multiple Star Trek: The Next Generation and Deep Space Nine episodes, as well as a recurring role on Party of Five. In horror cinema, he had a prominent role in the slasher favorite X-Ray (also known as Hospital Massacre).
Marie Chambers appears as Cass Malone, having built a strong career in daytime television on Days of Our Lives, General Hospital, and The Young and the Restless. She also starred in the 1979 cult sci-fi thriller The Clonus Horror.
Robin Bach portrays Hotel Clerk Preston, best known for his roles in comedy classics like The Jerk and Norman… Is That You?. His cult horror credits include Joe Dante’s werewolf classic The Howling and Brian De Palma’s musical horror Phantom of the Paradise.
Scott Segall plays Staffer, who gained television fame through appearances on primetime soaps like Falcon Crest, Knots Landing and Dynasty. He also made a notable appearance in the beloved 1984 post-apocalyptic cult horror comedy Night of the Comet.
David Okarski plays Policeman #2, a reliable character actor seen across top 1980s procedurals like Cagney & Lacey and Hill Street Blues. His horror claim to fame is an appearance in A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master.
Anthony S. Johnson plays Reporter ‘A’, known for guest roles on popular television shows such as The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Quantum Leap and Murphy Brown. His genre work includes appearances on the horror anthology series Tales from the Crypt.
Ann Walker portrays a female reporter, best known for playing LaVonda in Del Shores’ cult phenomenon Sordid Lives (both the 2000 film and series), as well as roles in JAG and The Golden Girls.
Robert Lewis Cameron (credited as Robert Louis Cameron) plays Fingerprint Man, a veteran Hollywood stunt performer and background actor seen in hits like L.A. Law and Columbo. His cult credentials include stunt work on the fan-favorite horror-comedy The Monster Squad.
Neal Kaz appears as Policeman #1, after working as a prolific TV guest actor on shows like Matlock, Hunter and Night Court. In genre cinema, he appeared in the sci-fi horror sequel Critters 2: The Main Course.
Edward Coch Jr. appears uncredited as Man in Photo, and has appeared on television series such as General Hospital, The A-Team, and Airwolf. His cult horror exposure includes background work on the classic vampire film Fright Night.
Walter Smith worked as an uncredited aide and a long-tenured Hollywood extra, appearing in television classics like Cheers and Murder, She Wrote. His cult background work includes the classic dystopian sci-fi film, Soylent Green.
William Winckler appears uncredited as Campaign Aide, who gained a dedicated cult following as an anime dubber and producer for shows like Tekkaman and Gaiking. He later became a cult genre filmmaker, directing and writing Frankenstein vs. The Creature from Blood Cove and Double-D Avenger.
What happens?
Jessica comes to an unnamed eastern city to lend support to her longtime friend, senatorial candidate Kathleen Lane. Rumors quickly circulate that Kathleen is having an affair with her campaign manager, Bud Johnson. When Bud disappears, Jessica gets roped in as the new speechwriter. Shortly after, Bud turns up dead—initially appearing to be a suicide, but a skeptical Jessica suspects murder. She navigates backstabbing political operatives and media sharks to uncover the truth and clear her friend’s name, ultimately revealing a shocking domestic motive behind the political assassination.
Who did it?
Jackson Lane, Kathleen’s wealthy businessman husband. He panicked when the intense media spotlight on his wife’s surging campaign threatened to expose his own shady, corrupt business dealings.
Who made it?
Anthony Pullen Shaw directed it and Donald Ross wrote it.
Does Jessica dress up and act stupid? Does she get some?
Jessica doesn’t act stupid at all—she plays the part of a sharp-eyed, savvy campaign speechwriter who sees right through the political posturing. And no, she doesn’t get some; she’s strictly focused on saving her friend’s reputation and bringing a killer to justice.
Was it any good?
It’s a solid, cynical little dive into political mudslinging that keeps you guessing while smartly highlighting the hypocrisies of the media hype machine. Shirley Jones and Eddie Albert bring a great dynamic and watching Jessica navigate press conferences and backroom deals is always a treat.
Any trivia?
This episode reunites Shirley Jones and Eddie Albert, who both starred together in the movie, Oklahoma!
Give me a reasonable quote:
Jessica Fletcher: Well, I thought you were coming up in the polls.
Kathleen Lane: Oh, I am, but this is only the primary. The fact is, if it isn’t a presidential election, the public interest is on par with Saturday night wrestling.
What’s next?
Season 5 starts as a chance encounter with her old friend Michael Hagarty leaves Jessica standing over a dead Bulgarian diplomat and accused of murder.
