Production Information[]
| Production Number: | |
| Aired: | October 13th, 1985 |
| Teleplay By: | Paul Savage |
| Story By: | Paul W. Cooper |
| Directed By: | Arthur Allan Seidelman |
| INSERT EPISODE SCREENSHOT HERE | |
| Created By: | Peter S. Fischer, Richard Levinson & William Link |
| Executive Producers: | Peter S. Fischer |
| Producer | Robert F. O'Neill |
Summary[]
Jessica goes to visit her niece, Nita Cochran, who is an actress in a daytime soap opera, featuring the mysterious masked murderer "The Avenger." Jessica uncovers drama on the set, as actors are being cut from the show, and arguments and legal problems ensue, and everyone on the cast wishes that "top dog of the studio" Joyce Holleran was dead. Soon their wishes come true when Joyce Holleran is shot to death in her office by someone dressed as the Avenger. To further complicate things, Jessica's niece is accused of the crime and Jessica is determined to find out who the real killer is: on and off the show.
Trivia[]
Lloyd Nolan died before this aired.
Introduction of Jessica's niece Nita Cochran. It is unclear whether she is Jessica's niece by blood or by marriage, but her parents (unnamed) are both deceased and she was raised by her grandmother, Agnes.
Victim: Joyce Holleran
Killer: Larry Holleran
Cause of death: Gunshot.
Motive: Worried Joyce would learn of his affair with Bibi Hartman, which would likely result in him being fired/divorced and losing a large amount of money.
Goofs[]
When Joyce is in her office typing, she is using an electric typewriter. However, the sound effects are for a manual typewriter (including a carriage return).
If Joyce's husband actually did kill his wife, then explain this: why didn't he hear the gunshot that gave her a flesh wound for when she called someone to put it out there that Nita had shot her & also, if Joyce's husband had shot her that killed her, I find it odd that they had played up Lloyd Nolan wearing the killer garb to give her a flesh wound, why the need to play that up & yet play her widower doing it, wouldn't that be a little futile?
Starring[]
Regular Cast[]
Angela Lansbury as Jessica Fletcher
Guest Stars[]
William Atherton as Larry Holleran
Paul Burke as Herbert Upton
Nicholas Hammond as Todd Worthy
Terry Kiser as Gordon LaMonica
Alice Krige as Nita Cochran
Robert Lipton as Martin Grattop
Lloyd Nolan as Julian Tenley
Tricia O'Neil as Bibi Hartman
Mackenzie Philips as Carol Needom
Lurene Tuttle as Agnes Cochran
Robert Walden as Lt. Antonelli
Jessica Walter as Joyce Holleran