One murder leads to another as Jessica finds herself chasing down false alibis and the employees of a rival circus.

Season 3, Episode 2: Death Stalks the Big Top: Part 2 (October 5, 1986)

Jessica’s long-missing brother-in-law, Neil Fletcher, who has been working under an alias with the Carmody Circus, has confessed to the murder of circus manager Hank Sutter. Jessica is convinced that Neil is innocent and that he is covering up for somebody else.

Who’s in it, outside of Angela Lansbury?

The same cast as the first part!

Martin Balsam plays Edgar Carmody, circus owner.

Jackie Cooper as Carl Schulman or Neil Fletcher.

Alex Cord plays Preston Bartholomew. Maybe you know him from Airwolf.

Carol, JB’s niece, is a pre-Friends Courtney Cox.

Charlie McCallum is played by Joey Cramer, star of Flight of the Navigator. Not Joey Kramer from Aerosmith.

Mayor Powers? It’s Ronny Cox! The Old Man from OCP!

Constance Fletcher, JB’s sister-in-law, is played by Larraine Day.

BJ and the Bear star Greg Evigan is Brad Kaneally.

Florence Henserson shows up as Maria Morgana.

Sheriff Lynn Childs, the law around these parts, is played by Gregg Henry (Body Double).

Hank and Maylene Sutter? That’s Charles Napier and Lee Purcell! YEAH!

Mark Shera from Barnaby Jones is in this role as Raymond Carmody.

Pamela Susan Shoop from Halloween 2! She is Katie McCallum in this episode. Let’s all praise her.

Daniella Morgana Carmody? That’s Barbara Stock from I, Desire.

In more minor roles, Harry Kingman plays Joe Dorsey, Audrey and Howard Bannister are played by Dennis Howard and Susan Brown, Ken Sansom is Bert, Robin Bach is Mark John Alvin is Mr. Tucker, James R. Parkes is cop, Virginia Peters is a ticket seller, Rob Monroe is Alex, Michael Dunnagan is Clyde, T. Lee Griffin is a townsman, Bill Baker is a circus worker, Robert Cole is a townsman, Conrad Hurtt is a polie officer, Sam Nickens is a circus worker, Greg Norberg is another officer, Harry Stephens is Neal and Harry Woolf plays Maria’s driver.

What happens?

We learn a lot about the characters in this. Daniela and Raymond would rather stay at the circus than be rich. Carl (or Neil Fletcher) would rather be a clown than live under the thumb of his wife. Edgar Carmody still runs a circus because he only has one year to live. The Mayor wants to be the Mayor more than solve the case.

Young Charlie’s bat was used, so Neil thinks he has to take the rap, not realizing that the bat was stolen by Hank. Neil sees a lot of himself in the kid and wants to protect his mom and himself. In fact, he’s willing to go to jail or the chair for them.

Oh man, this is all over the place, and all Jessica wants to do is go to a wedding. But she wants to save Neil, inform her niece that he’s still alive and do it all without someone trying to kill her with a tiger or fire.

Who did it?

The reason Hank was killed was that he saw Preston committing an act of sabotage. Preston ends up being the killer.

Who made it?

Just like the first episode, it was directed by Seymour Robbie and written by Paul Savage, based on a story by series creator Peter S. Fischer.

Does Jessica dress up and act stupid?

No, Jessica did all her stupid dress-up in the first episode. If this were in a later season, she totally would have been dressed as a clown. And despite her remarking that Neil looks like her dead husband, they don’t hook up.

Was it any good?

Yes!

Any trivia?

There were four two-parters: “The Murder of Sherlock Holmes,””Mirror, Mirror on the Wall,” and “Nan’s Ghost.”

Give me a reasonable quote:

Jessica Fletcher: I’m sorry, but you have about as much right to conduct a police investigation as… Jack the Ripper.

What’s next?

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. They include Hayley Mills, Erin Moran and Lloyd Bochner!

Directed by Dick McDonough (who also produced similar specials for Ronald Reagan, John Wayne, Elizabeth Taylor, Lucille Ball, Joan Collins, Clint Eastwood, Frank Sinatra, Carol Burnett and Ingrid Bergman) and written by Paul Keyes, this originally aired on December 13, 1981 on CBS.

Burt has been voted Variety Club’s Man of the Year, and that means that all of Hollywood — old and new, as well as several country stars — have gathered to pay tribute. In 1981, Burt was on top of the world, between Cannonball Run and Sharky’s Machine. We won’t mention Paternity.

Dolly Parton shows up to sing a song she wrote for Burt, just after they appeared in The Best Little Whorehouse In Texas together. Old Hollywood appears, as Jimmy Stewart and Jack Lemmon give touching speeches. Jackie Gleason appears as Sheriff Buford T. Justice. Jerry Reed sings “Eastbound and Down” while saying hello to people in the audience; no lip synch, he’s actually singing and pausing to have conversations. Also: Everyone else is in black tie formal. Jerry is all denim.

At the end, Burt looks into the audience and sees Dinah Shore, his one-time love, and asks her to sing for him. With Jack Lemmon on piano, she performs “The Glory of Love,” and it’s a moment of raw authenticity in a moment where celebrity culture was all fawning. This is real.

You get Madeline Kahn, Kris Kristofferson, Dom DeLuise, Jim Neighbors, Loni Anderson, Hal Needham, Charles Nelson Reilly, Monty Hall and so many others. A magical evening that would have been the dream of 9-year-old me, the highlight is when Burt mentions rumors of an affair between himself and Charles Bronson, then the camera cuts to Bronson, looking unamused and not wanting to be there, stuck in a suit while Jill Ireland shines, looking gorgeous. Magical! Topped only by Brian Keith drunkenly getting up for a toast and Henry Silva looking like a movie bad guy, speaking from the heart.

The only downer is that almost everyone on this is dead. I used to watch old movies and think that. Now I’m watching TV specials from when I was a kid and man, now this all star party would be in whatever happens after this thing called life.

You can watch this on YouTube.

As a kid, Orson Welles was, to me, someone who showed up on talk shows. I had no idea why he was famous, that he was a genius, that Hollywood had taken him down, and he kept on making movies. 

This show would have made me think he was a magician. 

Originally airing on Showtime in 1978, this was conceived by Abb Dickson. A former President of IBM, he also had tons of Houdini’s original props. The son of a funeral home owner father and a personal secretary to Presidents Roosevelt and Truman mother, Dickson loved the trick The Disembodied Princess, which he first saw Orson Welles perform with his then-wife, Rita Hayworth, on a USO show. When Welles was making a TV special—unfinished—The Magic Show, he reached out to Dickson to get his Disembodied Princess prop. This led to a friendship that would last the rest of Welles’ life. There was one rule: “… the parameters of Welles’ friendship with Dickson included the unspoken rule that they were never to discuss his film career or, indeed, movies in general. It seems obvious that one of the reasons Welles surrounded himself with so many magicians late in his life is because their company provided a respite from the struggles he encountered in trying to put together film projects.”

I wish The Magic Show would be finished, as it has Welles performing a bullet trick that killed its original magician, and Welles does it alongside Angie Dickinson. You can learn more in this article. You can watch some of it here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7TdKiH4_xhs&msockid=08a1089ad1a511f08d57a41bbcc532ca

As for Dickson, he also shows up in two Andy Sidaris movies, Malibu Express and Picasso Trigger. When it came to this show — you know, the one I started writing about several hundred words back there — the producers wanted a star to introduce it. Dickson said, “Well, how about Orson Welles?” He said, “You couldn’t get Orson Welles to do this!” I said, “Give me your phone.” I picked up the phone, I called Orson, I said, “Look, I’ve written this Magic Castle special…” Joe Butt is standing there with his mouth open. I said, “I need for you to do the introduction and the in-and-out. It will probably be one day of shooting, at the most two, and I’ve only got, I think, $25,000. Will you shoot this?” And he said, “Sure! But I get the extra film.” I said, “Okay, great.” I hung up the phone and said, “Okay, we got him.” Joe Butt was truly amazed.”

In the Senses of Cinema article I’ve referenced, the main reason Orson did this was to get tails of film to make his own movies. 

Disckson said, “One of Orson’s jobs – as he said – was making nickel and dime money doing all these commercials and little things so he could get the tail footage from the films. In other words, if you’re going to shoot a commercial and you order 500 feet of stock, he could do it in 100 feet. Then he would have 400 feet to deal with on his own.”

This special, directed by Tom Trbovich (who also directed the “We Are the World” video and Playboy’s Roller Disco & Pajama Party), features the following magicians:

Kuda Bux: Also known as Professor K.B. Duke, he was known for fire walking and the trick he does here: seeing with his eyes covered with paste and wrapped with cloth. Sadly, he eventually lost his eyesight to glaucoma.

Albert Goshman: A bagel baker from Brooklyn, he eventually became one of the world’s foremost makers of foam balls for magic. His coins-in-the-purse routine in this is incredible.

Peter Pit: This Dutch magician was a consultant to Siegfried and Roy and the booker of talent at the Magic Castle.

Ger Copper: The founder of the Dutch School of Magic.

Jay Marshall: The Dean of American Magicians and the first person to open for Frank Sinatra in Vegas.

As for The Magic Castle itself, it’s a performance venue, restaurant and clubhouse for the Academy of Magical Arts for magicians and magic enthusiasts.  Today, we may think of magic as silly, but as a kid, I dreamed of going there. Specials like this and TV movies like A Night at the Magic Castle are why. 70s TV culture was a different, less cynical thing for me, a place where I’d love to get to meet Dai Vernon and explore the secret areas of the Magic Castle.

You can watch this on YouTube.

When JB’s niece receives a silver Leprechaun from someone who has been presumed dead for years, Jessica decides to hunt down the mysterious gift giver from beyond the grave.

Season 3, Episode 1: Death Stalks the Big Top: Part 1 (September 26, 1986)

Jessica arrives three days before the wedding of her niece Carol Bannister, who is so sure that the silver leprechaun she receives among the wedding gifts is from her grandfather, Jessica’s late husband Frank’s brother Neil Fletcher, who is presumed dead. Got all that?

Who’s in it, outside of Angela Lansbury?

Oh wow — Martin Balsam plays Edgar Carmody!

Jackie Cooper as Carl Schulman!

Alex Cord plays Preston Bartholomew. Maybe you know him from Airwolf.

Carol, JB’s niece, is a pre-Friends Courtney Cox.

Charlie McCallum is played by Joey Cramer, star of Flight of the Navigator.

Mayor Powers? It’s Ronny Cox!

Constance Fletcher, JB’s sister-in-law, is played by Larraine Day.

BJ and the Bear star Greg Evigan is Brad Kaneally.

Star power? That’s what you get when you make it to three seasons and have a first episode two-part story. And that’s when Florence Henserson shows up as Maria Morgana.

Sheriff Lynn Childs, the law around these parts, is played by Gregg Henry (Body Double).

Hank and Maylene Sutter? That’s Charles Napier and Lee Purcell!

Mark Shera from Barnaby Jones is in this role as Raymond Carmody.

Pamela Susan Shoop from Halloween 2! She is Katie McCallum in this episode.

Daniella Morgana Carmody? That’s Barbara Stock from I, Desire.

In more minor roles, Harry Kingman plays Joe Dorsey, Audrey and Howard Bannister are played by Dennis Howard and Susan Brown, Ken Sansom is Bert, Robin Bach is Mark John Alvin is Mr. Tucker, James R. Parkes is cop, Virginia Peters is a ticket seller, Rob Monroe is Alex, Michael Dunnagan is Clyde, T. Lee Griffin is a townsman, Bill Baker is a circus worker, Robert Cole is a townsman, Conrad Hurtt is a polie officer, Sam Nickens is a circus worker, Greg Norberg is another officer, Harry Stephens is Neal and Harry Woolf plays Maria’s driver.

What happens?

It’s been five years since Jessica’s husband died, and five years before that, Frank’s brother Neil was killed in a car accident. Before that, at some point, Frank’s other brother also died in a car crash, which put Grady into his home to be raised. One imagines that he killed himself to stay away from Grady.

At the rich Bannister estate in Washington, D.C., JB is attending the wedding of her niece Carol Bannister. She’s also dealing with Neil’s widow, Constance, who makes everything about her. That’s why Carol asked JB to visit, because as we all know, the Fletcher family, other than Jessica, are all complete assholes.

Then a package arrives from Catlinburg, Arkansas. It’s a leprechaun, a message from Neil to Carol on the day of her wedding. Jessica does what any of us would. She takes a bus to the circus to see if Neil is there. I mean, of course, he is, and he’s Jackie Cooper, bringing more Old Hollywood to the show.

There, she meets high-wire act Katie, equestrian Maylene and her husband, Hank Sutter, who is a total carny scumbag. Everyone else is just a carny. He wants to get with Katie, while his son Charlie intends to set him up with hot guy, Brad. And then there’s this fashion heiress Danielle, who runs the circus with her husband, Raymond, and she’s been sleeping with Hank as well.

If you’ve been watching this show, you know that Hank has to die.

In between all that, we learn that yes, Neil did fake his death, and he’s now Blinky the Clown. Jessica decides to sneak in to find Neil. And then, as you can guess, Hank is stomped to death by an elephant (or beaten with a baseball bat). So many people hated Hank, and now, one of them has killed him. But why does Neil take the fall? Who is he protecting?

Who did it?

We won’t find out this week.

Who made it?

This was directed by Seymour Robbie. It was written by Paul Savage, based on a story by series creator Peter S. Fischer.

Does Jessica dress up and act stupid?

Yes. Oh yes, JB dresses as Emmaline Polsby of Polsby’s General Store and Dry Goods in Pullman City, with a watermelon straw hat and giant sunglasses. Plus, she has a southern accent!

Was it any good?

Yes. I’m excited for part two.

Any trivia?

The same circus tents were used for Big Top Pee-Wee.

Give me a reasonable quote:

Maria Morgana: Love and loyalty. How admirable. A sentiment that certainly has its place… embroidered on a throw pillow.

What’s next?

Part two! One murder leads to another as Jessica finds herself chasing down false alibis and the employees of a rival circus.

Jessica is spending her holidays with an old friend, Lloyd Marcus. His daughter is found murdered in her house, and her husband, Donald, becomes the prime suspect.

Season 2, Episode 22: If the Frame Fits (April 13, 1986)

Jessica stops by the house of a friend, Lloyd Marcus, to review a manuscript for him. However, the murder of Lloyd’s daughter Julia takes place immediately, as JB is the angel of death, or at least knows him.

Who’s in it, outside of Angela Lansbury?

Ellen Davis is played by Deborah Adair, who was in The Rift.

Donald Granger is Christopher Allport, who was in Invaders from Mars and Jack Frost. 

Binky Holborn? That’s John de Lancie, the Q!

Police Chief Cooper is Cliff Gorman, Lt. Andrews in Angel. 

Frank Tilley is Gordon Jump! WKRP is all over Murder, She Wrote. And Mildred Tilley? That’s Audrey Meadows!

Lloyd Marcus, who started this trouble, is Norman Lloyd, who was in Jaws of Satan and Amityville: The Evil Escapes and directed several episodes of Alfred Hitchcock Presents.

Sabrina Marcus is played by Andra Millian.

In more minor roles, Forbes is Aubrey Morris (who was in The Wicker Man), Anne Schedeen (Kate Tanner from ALF) is Julia Granger, Michael Morgan plays a young man, Russell is a waiter, and Lorenzo Gaspar is a doctor.

What happens?

Lloyd Marcus quit advertising to be a mystery writer. I get it, Lloyd. He needs Jessica’s help, and just when she’s ready to tell him to go back to working in the ad biz, one of his expensive paintings gets stolen. While Jessica is in town, she’s taken to the country club, which is filled with snobs.

Lloyd has a rough life. His daughters, Julia and Sabrina, continue to fight over Julia’s husband, Donald, while Julia drinks through brunch. Then there’s the wild Binky Holborn, who everyone thinks is with Ellen Davis, who is really with Donald. All these rich people! JB can’t wait to get back to Cabbot Cove.

Jessica does like Binky, though, and the two make fun of Lloyd’s script together. Oh Lloyd. The fun stops when he gets home and finds his daughter Julia dead, holding a button with the letter D. Lloyd is sure it’s Donald who did it.

Who did it?

Lloyd changed the crime scene to implicate Donald, but he didn’t do it.

Binky is the art thief, but he didn’t do it.

So yes, it was Donald, even though Lloyd set him up. He really did it. And Sabrina thought that she could finally be with him, not knowing that he had killed her sister.

Who made it?

Director Paul Lynch also made Humongous and Prom Night. Writer Philip Gerson wrote 37 episodes of the show.

Does Jessica get some?

Nope. I think she was happy to get a new queer friend in Binky, who is delightful.

Does Jessica dress up and act stupid?

No. Come on!

Was it any good?

Yes, this is a fun episode!

Any trivia?

This is the second time Audrey Meadows has been on the show.

Give me a reasonable quote:

Jessica Fletcher: And do you remember The Horror of Harrow House, with the lurid bloodstains on the doormat?

Lloyd Marcus: Don’t knock it. It sold half a million copies in paperback. Schlock, pure and simple, but very effective.

What’s next?

Season 3 starts with a two-part episode. When Jessica’s niece receives a silver leprechaun from someone who has been presumed dead for years, our heroine looks for the mysterious gift giver, who should be dead.

In New Orleans at Mardi Gras, a distant cousin of Jessica is falsely accused of murder.

Season 2, Episode 21: The Perfect Foil (April 13, 1986)

Jessica goes to New Orleans to see her distant cousin Cal during Mardi Gras. Upon arriving at his rooming house, she finds a party in full swing, a guest murdered and Cal being the prime suspect.

Who’s in it, outside of Angela Lansbury?

Rosaline Gardner is played by Barbara Babcock, who was Dorothy on Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman and June Petrie in Salem’s Lot.

Cousin Cal is played by Peter Bonerz, who has the best name and was also Dr. Jerry Robinson on The Bob Newhart Show. He also directed tons of TV, Police Academy 6: City Under Siege, and the pilot for The Elvira Show.

Lt. Edmund Cavette? That’s Cesare Donova from Tentacles, The Astral Factor and the Mayor in Animal House.

The character Johnny Blaze is not Ghost Rider. He is played by George DiCenzo, the voice of Hordak!

Gilbert Gaston is played by Robert Forster. I hope I don’t have to tell you who he is.

Same as Lisa Langlois. I mean, beyond being married to Robert Urich, she was a Canuxploitation scream queen.

Mitch Payne is played by David Hedison, who you may know as the original Felix Leiter! Oh wow! He was The Fly!

Aunt Mildred, the one who wants Jessica to check in on Cal, is Penny Singleton, the voice of Jane Jetson and Blondie in the movies.

Congressman Brad Gardner? That’s Granville Van Dusen.

In smaller roles, Morgan Jones is Sergeant Baxter, Joe Ross is a desk clerk, and Hank Rolike (Apollo Creed’s cornerman) is a taxi driver. Sherry McFarland is a receptionist, Raf Mauro is Napoleon, Wendy Oates is Madame Dracula, Guerin Barry is Sir Walter, and Raleigh Brose is a headsman.

What happens?

In a New Orleans saloon, Congressman Brad Gardner, attorney Mitch Payne, Gilbert Gaston and Calhoun Fletcher are playing poker when Cal is cheated by dealer Johnny Blaze and kicked out of the bar.

What does Cal do for a living? He collects butterflies. And he hasn’t stayed in touch with the family, so JB’s aunt asks her to check on him in New Orleans on the way to Houston. Those cities are 318 miles apart.

All of the poker players are either cheating on each other’s wives or owe each other money. Jessica ends up at a costume party — yes, finally, she dresses up — where all of them are partying. She struggles to find Cal just as Blaze is killed, and Cal’s name is written in blood at the crime scene.

Yes, death is a big part of the Fletcher family, and Jessica feels like she has to defend Cal. Does anyone not realize that death follows her? How about Cal barely recognizes her, and she can barely figure out how they’re related. But they have to be, because outside of JB, the Fletcher family is a bunch of louts who get arrested all the time. He’s very Grady. Here’s an example: why would you let someone run a gambling bar inside your house?

Mostly, this episode is Jessica eating fancy dinners with Lt. Edmund Cavette, solving the crime and realizing that Cal is such a moron that he’s ready to run a house of ill repute next.

Who did it?

Gilbert.

Who made it?

This episode was directed by Walter Grauman and written by Robert E. Swanson.

Does Jessica get some?

I mean, she went to some pretty nice dinners with that cop. But…

Does Jessica dress up and act stupid?

Finally, she does dress up, but never acts like a moron.

Was it any good?

It’s a decent episode that proves that the Fletchers are the story engine that keeps the Grim Reaper and Jessica in business.

Any trivia?

Oh man, Johnny Blaze killed Lt. Cavette’s son. Talk about a conflict of interest.

IMDB tried to puzzle Cal and JB’s relation: “Jessica and Cal are described as second cousins, once removed, by marriage. This means that her husband Frank and one of Cal’s parents were second cousins, which further means that one of Frank’s grandparents and one of Cal’s parents’ grandparents were siblings.”

Give me a reasonable quote:

Lt. Edmund Cavette: Cal, what kind of business is that lady in?

Calhoun Fletcher: I don’t know. It’s for out-of-town businessmen. Some sort of escort service, I think. Bye.

Lt. Edmund Cavette: I’ll have a little talk with him.

What’s next?

Jessica spends the holidays with an old friend, Lloyd Marcus, whose daughter was killed with her husband, the prime suspect.

Jessica attends a tennis tournament as the guest of honor. She struggles to protect her former student, Carol, when her boyfriend is blown up in her car, and she is the only suspect.

Season 2, Episode 20: Menace, Anyone? – Died on Sunday (April 6, 1986)

Jessica can’t even go to a tennis game without someone dying.

Who’s in it, outside of Angela Lansbury?

Mitch Mercer is played by Dennis Cole.

Brian East? It’s a young Bryan Cranston!

Barbara McDermott is played by Karlene Crockett, and Muriel Gillis is from Dallas.

Carol McDermott is Linda Hamilton! This cast is star-studded.

Don’t believe me? There’s Van Johnson, once second only to Sinatra as a male star.

Cissy Barnes? Kelli Maroney! I mean, who else could be in this? 

Doug McKeon (On Golden Pond) is Donny Harrigan.

Det. Sgt. Len Berger is played by Barry Primus. The other law officer, Det. Lt. Tad Travis is David Spielberg.

Betsey Russell is in everything from the Saw movies to Private School. Oh! And Avenging Angel and Tomboy. She’s Doris Robinson.

Kerry Sherman from Eyes of Fire is Rosie.

In minor roles, Harold Ayer plays Sexton, Laurence Haddon is a judge, Gus Corrado is a paramedic, and Rod Porter, Helen Baron, Richard Jacobson, Larry Carr, and Ivonne Perez Montijo all have background parts.

What happens?

No Terminators for Linda Hamilton. She is a former student of Jessica, which is like telling death you’re ready. She’s married to Bryan Cranston, a tennis player, which seems like a conflict of interest for someone running a tennis tournament, much less one she’s named after JB, and as you’d expect, Cranston’s character soon dies in a car bomb explosion.

Yes, if a tennis event is named for Jessica, not just one person will die. A detective will, too. And his body is left in Carol’s (Hamilton) house, making her scream as if she were the target of a giallo killer. She even gets overdosed on pills by the killer and her dad to keep her quiet, but she escapes death thanks to a friend of the devil, JB.

There’s also a fantastic moment where Jessica goes to the mental hospital to see how Carol is doing, meets a doctor, talks to her, and realizes she’s talking to a crazy person. What no one wants to discuss is that Carol still thinks her sister, Barbara, is alive and talks about her as if she were. That’s fine, and we’re going to get over that.

Who did it?

Doris. She’s insane!

Who made it?

This episode was directed by Arthur Allan Seidelman, who also made Hercules In New York. It was written by story editor Robert B. Sherman.

Does Jessica get some?

No. Come on, our girl is going to be a virgin again!

Was it any good?

It’s good. Not the best or worst episode.

Any trivia?

Betsy Russell was married to real-life tennis pro Vincent Van Patten.

Give me a reasonable quote:

Carol McDermott: I’d like to see her.

Jessica Fletcher: Oh, I think you two are going to see a great deal of each other for a long, long time to come.

What’s next?

In New Orleans at Mardi Gras, a distant cousin of Jessica is falsely accused of murder. And Robert Forster is in it!

Jessica must find out the truth when the ruthless owner of a periodical is murdered.

Season 2, Episode 19: Christopher Bundy – Died on Sunday (March 30, 1986)

Jessica writes a short story for a magazine, which is soon bought out and turned into a dirty magazine. JB in a porn rag? Maybe!

Who’s in it, outside of Angela Lansbury?

Christopher Bundy, the owner of the magazine, is played by Bert Convy, who, in addition to being a game show host, was also in The Cannonball Run, Jennifer, and “They’re Tearing Down Tim Riley’s Bar,” one of my favorite episodes of Night Gallery.

Det. Lt. Greco in this episode is Robert Costanzo, who has more than 300 roles on IMDb.

Antonio D’Argento is played by Bobby Di Cicco, who was in everything from I Wanna Hold Your Hand to Maniac Cop 3.

Everett Charles Jensen is played by Robert Hooks, Mr. T from Trouble Man.

Grady is back. Have I ever told you how much I hate Jessica’s nephew Grady? Well, I do. And he’s, as always, played by Michael Horton.

Rachel D’Argento is played by Carol Lawrence.

Millicent Moore is played by Katherine Moffat.

Vanessa D’Argento is played by Michelle Nicastro.

Hey! That’s Alex Rocco playing Bert Yardley! And Robert Stack as Chester Harrison!

Pete Morgan is played by Eric Server.

In the background roles, Charles Sweigart plays a police officer, and Josh Gordon plays an announcer.

What happens?

Why would JB’s story be in a porn magazine? You know that it’s Grady’s fault. He takes her to Bundy’s mansion — you know, like the one with the grotto — and she soon realizes that his entire family is insane. Well, Jessica, you cause murder everywhere you go, and you haven’t let death claim Brady, who deserves it more than anyone, so let’s not throw stones.

Then Chester Harrison arrives, angry that Bundy stole his magazine. If you’ve watched enough of this show, you can see that they are stacking the deck with potential killers. The next morning, while JB is on her run, Bundy is shot. Luckily, at the time, JB was watching security monitors with a card, so it’s not her. And everyone has an alibi.

Who did it?

Niece Vanessa, so she wasn’t really playing tennis.

Who made it?

This episode was directed by Peter Crane and written by Gerald K. Siegel.

Does Jessica get some?

No. Robert Stack would be a great partner for her, but we really need to get JB back into her groove.

Was it any good?

It’s fine — you can see the murder coming as the show starts to get its formula.

Any trivia?

The title of this episode comes from the nursery rhyme “Solomon Grundy.”

Give me a reasonable quote:

Grady Fletcher: Aw, who cares? She wasn’t my type anyway.

Jessica Fletcher: Grady, your love life is a real mess.

What’s next?

Jessica attends a tennis tournament, and one of her former students is there. Her husband is killed by a car bomb, which is pretty much what happens when you have any connection to Jessica Fletcher.