MURDER, SHE WROTE: MURDER IN TEMPO (TV)
Summary
One in this murder mystery series about an unassuming Maine mystery writer turned sleuth named Jessica B. Fletcher who uses her professional insight to help solve real-life homicide cases. In this episode, Jessica arrives in Cabot Cove to attend a benefit concert organized by Seth in order to save a local forest from being destroyed. Rock star Tommy Vaughn rehearses with his band and the members argue amongst themselves, and guitarist Blue Maddox's father Jim arrives and spars with Seth, revealing that he is the one who wants to raze the woods for his new factory. Tommy snaps at the electricians when they experience technical difficulties, and someone takes a shot at Tommy from afar, missing him but mildly injuring Seth. Later, Rachel from the music store calls Jessica to inquire about Seth and lets slip that she is rather taken by "bad boy" Tommy. Seth refuses to postpone the concert, and Sheriff Mort questions the band members about their enemies, learning that they previously had a stalker. The band continues arguing, with Tommy's wife Udella accusing him of being interested in Rachel, and Wylie attempts to keep the peace, warning Tommy against heading back to rehab.
Mort questions Tommy, noting that his stalker wore a distinct guitar-shaped pin. Later, Jim bribes Wylie into preventing the concert from going ahead, thus allowing him to claim the woods after all. Tommy visits the music store and flirts with Rachel, observed by Rachel's boss Hal and a disapproving Blue. At an evening event, Jessica gives a speech in favor of preserving the woods, and Udella spots Tommy still chatting with Rachel as the unknown shooter lurks outside. Rachel privately tells Tommy that she does not care about his infamous reputation, and he assures her that there is no love between himself and Udella anymore. At the same time, Wylie plots with Jim and demands cash to stop Tommy from going onstage, citing Tommy's damaged voice. Jessica assists Seth with his finances, as he has mortgaged his house to fund the concert, and Hal helps to repair her damaged hi-fi. After Tommy's voice falters during a rehearsal, Wylie encourages him to forgo the concert, but when Tommy secretly meets with Rachel, she urges him not to quit. He forcefully tells Wylie and Udella that he will perform no matter what, and Mort finds the guitar pin along with the shooter's shell casings. When Tommy continues rehearsing with the others, however, his guitar short-circuits and he is electrocuted and killed.
Dan the electrician discovers that Tommy's amp has "been fooled with," and they wonder if the shooter tried another method of murder. Dan then goes to Jim and demands money for stopping the benefit concert, implying that he killed Tommy and could do the same to someone else. A distraught Rachel tells Jessica that Tommy told her about Wylie's attempts to pay him off, and Mort and Jessica wonder about Wylie's potential guilt as well as Blue's. Jim demands his money back from Wylie, who says that the killer must now have it, adding that Jim now has what he wanted. Elsewhere, however, Jessica convinces the other band members to go ahead with the concert for Seth's sake. Blue is then arrested for tampering with Tommy's amp, however, and he claims the evidence was planted. Wylie is nabbed attempting to escape with Jim's money, not having given it to Tommy after all, and Jessica begins to put it together. She goes to the music store and confronts Hal, having recognized his wiring from the hi-fi in the amp, and accuses him of killing Tommy. He pulls a gun on her, but Mort arrives just in time, and Hal confesses, saying that he is in love with Rachel and killed Tommy out of jealousy, imitating his stalker to throw them off. Jim makes a deal with the cops, and Seth finds himself on the front page of the newspaper, his efforts having saved the woods after all. Commercials deleted.
Details
- NETWORK: CBS
- DATE: January 11, 1996 8:00 PM
- RUNNING TIME: 0:45:44
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: B:46298
- GENRE: Drama, mystery/suspense
- SUBJECT HEADING: Drama, mystery/suspense
- SERIES RUN: CBS - TV series, 1984-1996
- COMMERCIALS: N/A
CREDITS
- Angela Lansbury … Executive Producer
- David Shaw … Co-Executive Producer
- Al Kraus … Coordinating Producer
- Bruce Lansbury … Supervising Producer
- Mark A. Burley … Supervising Producer
- Tom Sawyer … Producer
- Todd London … Co-Producer
- Jerry Ludwig … Co-Producer
- Laurence Heath … Co-Producer, Writer
- Peter S. Fischer … Created by
- Richard Levinson … Created by
- William Link … Created by
- Kevin Corcoran … Director
- David Thoreau … Writer
- Jeff Sturges … Music by
- John Addison … Theme Music by
- Angela Lansbury … Cast, Jessica Fletcher
- Sam Anderson … Cast, Dan the Electrician
- Keith Coulouris … Cast, Tommy Vaughn
- John D'Aquino … Cast, Wylie Trey
- Megan Gallivan … Cast, Rachel Weldon
- Amy Hathaway … Cast, Udella Vaughn
- Whip Hubley … Cast, Cleve the Musician
- Ernie Lively … Cast, Hal Palmer
- John Livingston … Cast, Blue Maddox
- Ron Masak … Cast, Sheriff Mort Metzger
- Madlyn Rhue … Cast, Jean O'Neill
- Josh Taylor … Cast, Jim Maddox
- William Windom … Cast, Dr. Seth Hazlitt
- Louis Herthum … Cast, Deputy Andy Bloom
- Lawrence Noel Larsen … Cast, Banker