Murder, She Wrote Programmed for Murder (1984–1996) Online

This episode marks one of the last appearances, and final television role, of Tony Fields, whose brief acting career in film and television had tragically ended with his untimely passing.

Eve Simpson (Julie Adams) makes a brief appearance at Cabot Cove Clinic, to consult with Doctor Jonas Beckwith (Hunt Block) about her chronic allergies, which he attributes to a reaction to printers' ink. Afterwards, Doctor Seth Hazlitt (William Windom) encounters the two in the hallway, Seth asking if Eve's undiagnosable allergies persist.

Doctor Jonas Beckwith seems to have a way of treating patients with successful results, under modernized scientific and computerized research techniques whereas Seth relies upon methods of the past, tried and true. For this primary reason, Seth objects to Jonas' planning to establish a practice in Cabot Cove, his anger further fueled by Jonas' treating Sheriff Mort Metzger (Ron Masak) for a throat infection.

Jessica Fletcher (Angela Lansbury) assures Seth and Jonas that there is plenty of room in Cabot Cove for two physicians to practice, and such a notion would benefit Seth, by affording him less pressure to treat everyone in the community as its sole medic. After all, Jessica, herself, has now entered the computer age, and after adopting word processing applications in favor of her typewriter over at her apartment in New York City, she now forgoes the old for the new back in Cabot Cove.

Even though word processing has been helping to curtail the amount of time (from her typewriter years) which Jessica spends producing a manuscript, she does require technical advice and assistance during those times in which she is unable to retrieve her documents.

So, Jessica enlists the assistance of the one individual in Cabot Cove with computer savvy, Harriet Simmons Wooster (Judith Chapman), who informs Jessica that she plans to sell her computer programming enterprise, Alphadot, to an outfit in Boston, Computiac Inc., when she and her brother meet with a representative the next day.

Harriet's husband, Allan Wooster (Will Lyman), operates Wooster Landscape Nursery from their residence, and each expresses the desire to free Harriet of her enterprise over concerns for her health and their marriage.

The outfit in Boston is operated by John Halsey (Boyd Gaines), who receives increasing pressure from Rudy Ortega (Tony Fields), who represents investors, to make a shrewd deal with Harriet and her brother, upon their meeting at Hill House Inn.

Harriet's brother, Doug Simmons (Alex Hyde-White), then arrives along with his companion, Gretchen Price (Judith Hoag), to whose very presence Harriet objects.

That very day, when a patient is rushed to the clinic, Doctor Jonas Beckwith performs emergency surgery, but loses the patient to a faulty blood transfusion, to which Seth would not have recommended. Because Seth had misdiagnosed the condition in the first place, tempers flare concerning his archaic medical methods.

Jessica faults neither doctor, nor the clinician, Laura Garrison (Stacy Ray), who had labeled the blood and has now lost her position because of the mix-up. Rather than to subscribe to conflicting theories as to which medic stands at fault, Jessica decides that the victim has been "Programmed for Murder." Clinic Nurse (Amy Moessinger) and Deputy Andy Broom (Louis Herthum) round out the cast of this mystery centering around conflicting reports from the medical center.

Extra points for the not-unusually fine performances by Judith Chapman, in her third of three "MSW" appearances, Hunt Block, also in his third of three "MSW" appearances, and Alex Hyde-White, in his second of two "MSW" appearances.

This MSW story finds Angela Lansbury back in Cabot Cove and concerned about friend Judith Chapman's health. She's got good reason to be concerned when she winds up dead. Dr. Hunt Block of the Cabot Cove clinic and William Windom are at odds professionally as to the cause. And unless these two start cooperating we'll not get a solution.

Just the fact that her oldest and dearest friend Dr. Hazlitt is involved will guarantee JB Fletcher's participation in the case. Of course it is solved.

But I really liked this episode because those who did it planned it over a long period of time and it is one of the cleverest murder schemes I've ever seen or read.

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.

"Programmed for Murder" is the best Season 8 episode since "The Monte Carlo Murders" and while not quite one of the very best 'Murder She Wrote' episodes it's in the top half of Season 8. My only complaint is the dialogue for Hunt Block, Block does do very well considering but some of what he is given is over-simplistic and beneath him. The rest of the writing elsewhere is thought-provoking and has the right balance of light-heart and taking it seriously and going overboard on either.

The mystery is an intriguing one that is very easy to engage with. The twists keep coming and the ending is (as with a lot of Season 8 episodes) is very clever, surprising and plausible. The murder is one of the cleverest of the show too.

Angela Lansbury is terrific as always as are William Windom (a charming curmudgeon but this is another episode, after "Curse of the Danaav", where he gets to show more depth to usual, one feels and roots for Seth here) and Ron Masak. Block, Judith Chapman, Alex Hyde-White and Will Nyman are solid in their supporting roles. Julie Adams' appearance is brief but her Eve is as humorous and classy as always.

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.

Overall, great episode. 9/10 Bethany Cox