Season 1

1984 · 22 episodes

Episodes

1The Murder of Sherlock HolmesFormer English teacher Jessica Fletcher travels to New York to celebrate the success of her debut novel, but when an unwanted guest is murdered at a costume party, she wishes she'd stayed home.
2Deadly LadyAfter a terrible storm, Stephen Earl's four daughters tell Sheriff Tupper that their father died while they were out on the boat. Jessica is only midly intrigued; she finds Ralph, the older gentleman who has offered to work for food, much more intriguing, especially since it is obvious he comes from money. The womens' stories about what happened on the boat change constantly, but once Ralph is found dead and later found to be Stephen Earl, Jessica has to help Amos wage through the inconsistencies in the four Earl daughters storylines to determine who killed their father and why.
3Birds of a FeatherJessica heads to San Francisco for the wedding of her niece, Victoria Brandon, only to learn that Victoria is having second thoughts because she suspects that her fiancé, Howard, is having an affair. Although Jessica and Victoria are relieved to learn that Howard isn't cheating but rather dressing up as a woman to perform at a nightclub, the relief is short lived when Howard is arrested for murdering his boss, Al Drake, who had been refusing to pay him. The police are convinced that Drake was shot during Freddy York's act, which doesn't leave a lot of time, but Jessica is determined to prove Howard's innocence.
4Hooray for HomicideJessica's first book, The Corpse Danced at Midnight, is being made into a major Hollywood motion picture, backed by producer Jerry Lydecker. Jessica is furious to see how her book is being butchered by Lydecker and his crew. She heads out to Hollywood to confront Lydecker, but things take a turn when Lydecker is found dead on stage. Jessica ends up being the prime suspect in the murder, but luckily the officer in charge of the investigation believes she's too smart to be the killer and sets her up to find the real murderer.
5It's a Dog's LifeWhile visiting her cousin at Langley Manor, a country estate in the South, a man dies during a fox-hunt under strange circumstances, and Jessica tries to find out what really happened.
6Lovers and Other KillersWhile in Seattle lecturing at the university, Jessica is convinced that the young man she hired as her secretary is not a killer.
7Hit, Run and HomicideJessica helps a most unconventional neighbor who is accused of murdering his former partner with one of his inventions.
8We're Off to Kill the WizardJessica is asked to help solve the "impossible" murder of a wealthy, and much disliked, amusement park owner.
9Death Takes a Curtain CallWhile attending a special ballet performance, Jessica helps solve the backstage murder of a young dancer by a defecting ballerina.
10Death Casts a SpellJessica'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.
11Capitol OffenseJessica 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.
12Broadway MaladyBroadway legend Rita Bristol and her daughter star in a musical produced by her son, not knowing that murder is lurking in the wings.
13Murder to a Jazz BeatWhile in New Orleans, Jessica must solve the mysterious murder of a famous musician who died while performing onstage.
14My Johnny Lies Over the OceanJessica's niece is terrorized on a cruise intended to take her mind off her husband's recent death...or is he dead?
15Paint Me a MurderThe life of a famous artist is threatened on what would be otherwise an idyllic Mediterranean island.
16Tough Guys Don't DieJessica meets Harry McGraw and they figure out which one of three cases may contain the motive for the death of a private detective. One dates back 25 years.
17Sudden DeathJessica suddenly must learn all about football when she inherits an interest in a professional team.
18Footnote to MurderAn unpublished manuscript is stolen and its author murdered during an awards convention.
19Murder Takes the BusBus trips are not always as relaxing as they should be. In this case, one passenger had a one-way ticket.
20Armed ResponseOver Jessica's protests, she is taken to a hospital after a minor accident in the airport.
21Murder at the OasisAn unpopular show-business personality discovers that elaborate security systems are no guarantee of safety.
22Funeral at Fifty-MileA Wyoming rancher leaves all to an ill-fated stranger, to the disgust of his disinherited daughter.