Episode 54: "Backdoor" Haskell and "Take-Two" Kay

TONIGHT ON MURDER SHE WROTE, Petra and Viktor just barely make their DEADLINE FOR MURDER... mostly because we're awfully busy talking about aubergine suits, bad A.D., and potentially gay newspapermen. Jessica Fletcher (Angela Lansbury) returns to Boston to meet with a nearly dead writer (Harry Guardino) who suffered a heart attack while defending the lady from libel. The newspaper is run by a heartless shmuck (Peter Mark Richman) and a staff that doesn't seem to like him very much. When he ends up dead, the suspects include the businessman he edged out (Tim O'Connor) and his family (Ken Olin, Katherine Cannon), plus his subordinates (Glynn Turman, Sydney Walsh, Eugene Roch), who would all prefer him... indisposed. Except maybe his bodyguard (William Smith). So much is occurring, from Jessica taking on the His Gal Friday part to determine how the victim bit it, if his past or present relates to his death, and how it all led to the man passing out at a fancy party. Gretchen Corbett is our lieutenant of the week to butt heads with Jessica, and may be suspicious of our heroine always being around when a man falls dead, but likely needs her to determine who poisoned our terrible Scooby Doo Villain.