![]() If I could steer horror fans to one episode, this fifth-season barn burner (literally, a young, smarmy Bill Maher sets fire to an old barn as a public relations stunt) would be my first choice. It was an altruistic move that spoke to her great character. By insisting on casting certain older performers, Lansbury provided them the means to retain their guild union membership, and keep their benefits. Lansbury was keenly aware that some of her guest stars hadn’t worked on a production in a long time, and as such faced the possibility of losing their SAG membership along with the health and insurance benefits that came with the union. ![]() In some cases, the supporting performances also served a larger purpose. Also Read: Why ‘The Square’ Is The Best Horror Film About Art One of the highlights of watching the show is that jolt of recognition, as well as being brought back to the television of my childhood where performers from other favorite movies and shows would pop up unexpectedly. Almost every episode I found myself pointing to the screen like that Leonardo DiCaprio meme and exclaiming “That’s the self-help psychiatrist from Joe Dante’s The Howling” or words to that effect. While there are few, if any, horror-themed episodes, the revolving cast of guest stars is a Who’s Who for genre fans of the 60s, 70s, and 80s. What many people might not be aware of is what a treasure trove of goodies the show is for long-time horror fans. It’s a simple show that goes down easy at the end of a long day’s work. Oh, and in almost every episode Jessica would have a stately male gentleman trying to woo her affections as well. Fletcher would find the one bit of evidence everyone else had overlooked, and the criminal would make their confession moments before the credits rolled. Jessica would be left to investigate while the local police stumbled all over themselves. Before the first commercial break, a fresh corpse would turn up. Fletcher would either interact with the familiar residents of Cabot’s Cove or travel to an exotic location to promote her latest page-turner (Jessica Fletcher churns out novels at a breakneck speed that would cause Stephen King to tell her to slow down a bit). ![]() Also Read: ‘Wind Chill’ is a Forgotten, and Terrifying, Christmas GemĮvery week Ms. Murder, She Wrotebecame our go-to nighttime watch because of its simple and inviting formula. ![]() While I can watch horror until my eyelids are drooping and I shuffle off to put my head on the pillow, my wife needs to wind down with less grisly subject matter before closing her eyes. This past spring my wife and I made this our show to watch before bed. ![]()
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