The first season of Murder, She Wrote began airing on September 30, 1984 and completed on April 21, 1985 with twenty-two episodes.
Summary[]
Jessica's first year as a published novelist is certainly a hectic one as she finds herself thrust into numerous murder investigations.
Jessica begins by investigating the death of a PI dressed as Sherlock Holmes at a private party hosted by her new publisher and, in turn, the subsequent murder of seafood mogul Caleb McCallum. Jessica must then face off against a KGB Agent who is investigating the death of one of his officers that was killed during the escape of two defectors.
Following the death of Maine's sole Congressman whose seat Jessica must fill while investigating the death, she also has a notable first meeting with Private Investigator Harry McGraw and solves a murder with Sheriff Amos Tupper while stranded with a number of strangers, any of whom could be the murderer.
Starring[]
Regular Cast[]
Recurring Cast[]
- Michael Horton as Grady Fletcher
- Arthur Hill as Preston Giles
- Claude Akins as Ethan Cragg
- Jeff Conaway as Howard Griffin
- Genie Francis as Victoria Brandon
- Jerry Orbach as Harry McGraw
Special Guest Stars[]
- Ned Beatty as Roy Gunderson
- Brian Keith as Captain Caleb McCallum
Episodes[]
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Prod. code | Original airdate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | "The Murder of Sherlock Holmes" | 59274 | September 30, 1984 |
| After the publication of her first murder-mystery novel, Jessica is invited to a costume ball at her publisher's mansion. When a guest dressed as Sherlock Holmes is murdered, all eyes turn to her to out-sleuth the assassin of the deceased "detective." | ||||
| 2 | 2 | "Deadly Lady" | 59206 | October 7, 1984 |
| It's choppy seas for a multi-millionaire who is swept off his yacht and killed during a hurricane. When Jessica tries to investigate, she becomes embroiled in a family storm of deceit and greed. | ||||
| 3 | 3 | "Birds of a Feather" | 59203 | October 14, 1984 |
| Pre-wedding jitters take on a new meaning for the fiance of Jessica's niece when he's accused of a cabaret owner's murder. | ||||
| 4 | 4 | "Hooray for Homicide" | 59201 | October 28, 1984 |
| It's lights, camera and murder when Jessica flies to Los Angeles to protest the movie adaptation of one of her novels. But when the producer ends up murdered, she unwittingly gets cast in the role of prime suspect. | ||||
| 5 | 5 | "It's a Dog's Life" | 59208 | November 4, 1984 |
| Man's best friend gets a bad rap when a fox hunter dies in a riding accident and the authorities try to blame the heir to his estate - his beloved pooch. | ||||
| 6 | 6 | "Lovers and Other Killers" | 59207 | November 18, 1984 |
| Jessica searches for clues hidden in rainy Seattle when her personal secretary is accused of murdering his wealthy girlfriend. | ||||
| 7 | 7 | "Hit, Run and Homicide" | 59216 | November 25, 1984 |
| When a car with a mind of its own runs over a wealthy businessman, Jessica's very eccentric neighbour is accused of covering the tracks. | ||||
| 8 | 8 | "We're Off to Kill the Wizard" | 59204 | December 9, 1984 |
| In a case of imitating life, a disagreeable amusement park owner is found murdered after hiring Jessica to design the House of Horror. | ||||
| 9 | 9 | "Death Takes a Curtain Call" | 59219 | December 16, 1984 |
| It's the final curtain for a man found murdered backstage during the performance of a popular Soviet ballet troupe. The last appearance of Ethan Cragg who disappears from the show with no explanation and is never heard of again. | ||||
| 10 | 10 | "Death Casts a Spell" | 59211 | December 30, 1984 |
| Jessica's deductive abilities are in demand when a flamboyant hypnotist turns up dead, behind locked doors, in front of an audience of journalists whom he had put into a trance. | ||||
| 11 | 11 | "Capitol Offense" | 59220 | January 6, 1985 |
| Jessica is assigned to fill the empty seat of a deceased congressman for a brief period of time and finds a great deal of political game-playing in Washington. | ||||
| 12 | 12 | "Broadway Malady" | 59209 | January 13, 1985 |
| Broadway legend Rita Bristol and her daughter star in a musical produced by her son, not knowing that murder is lurking in the wings. | ||||
| 13 | 13 | "Murder to a Jazz Beat" | 59212 | February 3, 1985 |
| While in New Orleans, Jessica must solve the mysterious murder of a famous musician who died while performing onstage. | ||||
| 14 | 14 | "My Johnny Lies Over the Ocean" | 59210 | February 10, 1985 |
| Jessica's niece is terrorized with reminders of her dead husband on a cruise intended to take her mind off her husband's recent suicide. | ||||
| 15 | 15 | "Paint Me a Murder" | 59215 | February 17, 1985 |
| The life of a famous artist is threatened on what would be otherwise an idyllic Mediterranean island. | ||||
| 16 | 16 | "Tough Guys Don't Die" | 59223 | February 24, 1985 |
| Jessica meets tough-as-nails Harry McGraw when they must pinpoint the motive for the murder of a private detective. | ||||
| 17 | 17 | "Sudden Death" | 59217 | March 3, 1985 |
| Jessica suddenly must learn all about football when she inherits an interest in a professional team. | ||||
| 18 | 18 | "Footnote to Murder" | 59221 | March 10, 1985 |
| An unpublished manuscript is stolen and its author murdered during an awards convention. | ||||
| 19 | 19 | "Murder Takes the Bus" | 59231 | March 17, 1985 |
| After boarding a bus to travel to a convention in Boston, Jessica and Amos are forced to take refuge from a fierce storm at a remote diner where one of the passengers is discovered murdered. | ||||
| 20 | 20 | "Armed Response" | 59228 | March 31, 1985 |
| Over Jessica's protests, she is taken to a hospital after a minor accident in the airport. | ||||
| 21 | 21 | "Murder at the Oasis" | 59222 | April 7, 1985 |
| An unpopular show-business personality discovers that elaborate security systems are no guarantee of safety. | ||||
| 22 | 22 | "Funeral at Fifty-Mile" | 59226 | April 21, 1985 |
| Jessica has to unravel the secrets and threats at the funeral of a friend in Wyoming. | ||||
Background Information[]
- This is one of only two seasons to feature "Special Guest Stars", this honor was reserved for Ned Beatty, Arthur Hill and Brian Keith.
- This season introduces a number of important characters who would go on to appear in several other Murder, She Wrote episodes. These include Grady Fletcher, Preston Giles, Amos Tupper and Harry McGraw.
- William Windom appears in one episode of this season, though not in the role of Seth Hazlitt, for which he would become so well known. William Windom guest starred as Sam Breen in the episode "Funeral at Fifty-Mile." Windom apparently impressed the producers so much that, when they envisioned the recurring role of Seth Hazlitt as Cabot Cove's resident doctor, he was first in line.
DVD Release[]
See also[]
- Murder, She Wrote: Season One Murderers
- Murder, She Wrote: Season One Murder Victims
- Murder, She Wrote: Season One Crew