Murder, She Wrote (TV Series) Murder on Madison Avenue (1992) User Reviews

"Isn't This a Lovely Night to Be Caught in a Train?"

[WeatherViolet · 7/10 · 19 March 2010]

Edgar Greenstreet (John Hillerman) operates Marathon Toys, a New York City corporation which produces a wide assortment of elaborate toys and games.

Executive Vice-President Meredith Delaney (Barbara Babcock) usurps power as she controls its stock and employees alike, calling Edgar an eccentric, who ought to be banished from the corporation.

Meredith manipulates her young husband, Project Supervisor Devery McFarlane (Harley Venton), her devoted Secretary, Sylvia Moffett (Hallie Foote), Marathon Toys Designer, Frank Christy (Ben Slack), and Reporter Stromberg (Robert Ackerman), banning him from the premises.

Meredith conducts an affair with one Advertising Agency operator, Boris Steloff (Joel Fabiani), and plays him up to compete for a contract against Preston Advertising Agency operator Miles Packard (John Petlock), who employs Amanda North (Caroline Williams) and Brian Singer (David Lansbury).

When Jessica Fletcher (Angela Lansbury) arrives at Marathon Toys to consult the production of "Murder Will Out," a board game designed from one of her Mystery books, someone secretly slips into her purse a code to unlock a secret chamber, B100, a toy production factory inside the corporate basement, to which only eight others may access, inside which Edgar Greenstreet emerges from a secret panel to greet Jessica.

Devery McFarlane is assigned to oversee Jessica's project, while Brian Singer serves as Jessica's escort to dinner and to Marathon Toys' Silver Jubilee Celebration, at which five receive performance awards.

Brian admits to Jessica that his association with Amanda reaches beyond business even though she uses him to advance her career, a factor Meredith takes into consideration when she advises Boris to hire Amanda from Miles in order to receive the advertising account, but not to romance Amanda or else.

Brian then disappears from Jessica's sight at the Silver Jubilee, but when she searches the building, she encounters Edgar Greenstreet in B100, where, together, they discover a body encircling the basement in a train car, after being bludgeoned by a crow-bar.

Lieutenant Hornbeck (Leo Rossi) arrives to investigate the murder, which he deems a burglary gone wrong, as top-secret Project 2100 evidently has been stolen.

Upon testing the crow-bar for fingerprints, the police laboratory discovers only Brian's, and when Lieutenant Hornbeck arrests Brian Singer, it is up to Jessica to prove Brian's innocence, and to champion young love, as no one else would be worthy of Amanda's hand for some reason amid this "Murder On Madison Avenue."

The cast is rounded out by Shannon Fill as Annie the Lady Reporter, and Zale Kessler as Super.

This episode represents the first acting credit by Shannon Fill, and also the first of two "MSW" appearances each for Hallie Foote, Caroline Williams, Joel Fabiani and Harley Venton, the second of two each for John Hillerman and Ben Slack, the second of three for David Lansbury, the third of three for Zale Kessler, the third of five for John Petlock, and the fourth of five "MSW's" for Barbara Babcock.

Ben Slack, acting in film and on television since 1973, has unfortunately since passed.

A fine end to series 8.

[Sleepin_Dragon · 8/10 · 10 November 2023]

Jessica is drawn into the murder or Meredith Delaney, a hard nosed executive or a toy company, The Police make an arrest, Jessica is convinced they've got the wrong man.

Series eight has been excellent overall, good, engaging mysteries, with better production values, fitting at it ends with another quality episode.

It is one of those where it's very easy to spot who the killer is, and to work out who the killer is, there's one pretty obvious clue they their linger on.

It's well acted, Lansbury is excellent as always, Barbara Babcock is rather good as Meredith, we've seen her on the show before I'm sure, a solid performance.

There are some really smart, chic fashions to enjoy, I always thought this was a smart era, very elegant.

The Lieutenant clearly went for a Grecian 2000 advert after his appearance here, he's like a Lego man.

8/10.

Toy company murder

[TheLittleSongbird · 9/10 · 30 October 2017]

Have always been quite fond of 'Murder She Wrote'. It is a fun and relaxing watch that makes you think as you try to unwind in the evening. If one wants more complex, twisty mysteries with lots of tension and suspense 'Murder She Wrote' may not be for you, but if you want something light-hearted and entertaining but still provide good mysteries 'Murder She Wrote' fits the bill just fine.

"Murder on Madison Avenue" is one of the best episodes of a generally solid season (where the only disappointments were "A Killing in Vegas" and "Day of the Dead"), along with "The List of Yuri Lermentov", "Danse Diabolique", "The Witch's Curse", "The Monte Carlo Murders" and "Programed for Murder". The mystery is one of the season's, and show's, most entertaining and intriguing and while the ending is not one of the season's shocking or cleverest it's still a surprise and wraps things up neatly.

Angela Lansbury gives her usual terrific performance, and she is supported by one of the latter seasons' best supporting casts where you see professionals doing it properly. John Hillerman is easy to root, Barbara Babcock relishes playing a ruthless character, Hallie Foote is enjoyably somewhat deadpan and Joe Fabiani is an effective sleazebag. The only weak link in the casting and the episode is to me David Lansbury, he just seemed bland to me.

The toy company setting has a real sense of wonder and atmosphere, while effectively showing the more intense emotions behind the scenes.

Production values are slick and stylish as ever. The music has energy and has presence but also not making the mistake of over-scoring, while it is hard to forget or resist the theme tune.

Writing on the most part is tight, thought-provoking and typically amiable and the characters and chemistry are good fun.

In summary, great episode and one of the season's best. 9/10 Bethany Cox

Jessica in the City

[safenoe · 7/10 · 2 November 2016]

Jessica is in her element in The Big Apple where she is asked to develop a board game for a big toy company. Shenanigans ensue, with two Madison Avenue advertising companies at each other's throats for the lucrative account of the company.

The CEO of the big toy company is murdered, found in the secure toy invention room managed by the eccentric inventor (John "Magnum P.I." Hillerman). Jessica manages to solve the mystery and it's all smiles from her at the end.

It never rains in Murder, She Wrote wherever Jessica goes, and the sun is always out. Also, in New York Jessica doesn't have to worry about being hassled by the cops. No wonder she's cheery and confident whenever she's in New York.

Murder in toy world

[coltras35 · 6/10 · 21 May 2022]

Fun and games are in short supply as a toy company executive makes her mark on the firm. But she got plenty of enemies, which in NSW means she will be killed off, and Jessica will solve the case. It's a standard episode made interesting by the back drop of the toy industry. It's pleasant light fun, though the denouement could've been better as the culprit almost confessed without Jessica revealing to that person their crime.

Jess' milkshake brings all the toys to the yard

[feindlicheubernahme · 7/10 · 21 October 2023]

A very good episode to end season 8 of Murder, She Wrote. We get to witness ruthless ambition, scheming, lying and double-crossing. And it's all set in and around that most innocent-sounding of worlds: the toy industry. Yes, that's right, the toy industry. Dear, God, won't somebody please think of the children?!

The absolute standout in this episode is Barbara Babcock's Meredith Delaney. Gordon Gekko once said, "Lunch is for wimps." Meredith Delaney would agree. But then again, she'd just eat Gordon Gekko for breakfast instead. She's a Killer Queen. The thing is you don't just hate her; you love to hate her.

The ever-genteel (how often has that ever been said of a Texan?) Terence Hillerman, playing eccentric toymaker Edgar Greenstreet, gets an honourable mention. His quiet charisma always lends class to whatever project he's involved in.

I'll admit I was slightly baffled by the demasking of the killer. The police already have an item which Jessica knows to be a significant piece of physical evidence, which is more than she normally has when she confronts suspects to get them to confess. Rather than confront this particular killer with the evidence, though, she instead pretends to accuse someone else, expecting the killer to be secretly listening in and to come forward. Why such a convoluted route, Jessica?

Of course, it works out. Which means that instead of seeing yet another murderer confess when faced with little to no actual evidence against them, this time we watch them almost literally jump out of hiding to admit their guilt - even though their name hasn't even been mentioned! Of all the obligingly eager-to-confess killers in MSW, this one surely takes the crown.

Still, it makes a slight change to the usual formula. And the identity of the murderer was never obvious (until they suddenly somersaulted into the scene, yelling, "I did it! It was me! I done killed 'em real good!" (paraphrasing)) which for any mystery thriller viewer is the most important thing.

A Toy Starry rating of 7.

All in the family

[planktonrules · 7/10 · 25 April 2023]

Having a family member of Jessica Fletcher being accused of a murder they didn't commit is about as common as any plot on "Murder, She Wrote". However, here we have something interesting...a man is accused of murder and he's the real life nephew of Angela Lansbury!

A toy company is trying to woo Jessica in order to develop a murder-themed game based on her work. However, when the hard as nails woman in charge is killed, the police think the wrong person is responsible...and Jessica, of course, determines who really committed this crime. This isn't very tough, as the killer sems pretty proud of their work and readily admits her guilt!

As I mentioned above, the killer wasn't hard to find since they were pretty upfront about their actions. Still, it's an enjoyable episode and seeing the lab where they created the toys is a real treat...almost like glimpsing into Willy Wonka's factory!