AsMurder,SheWrotesauntersthroughitssixth(ofaneventual12)season,starAngelaLansburymaintainshereternallybuoyantandinquisitiveairasJessicaFletcher,professionalwriterandamateursleuth.ThoughJessicacontinuedtoinvestigatemurdersinherhometownofCabotCoveandelsewhere(intheworldsofhighfinance,opera,andvoodoo,amongothersettings),thisseasonbeganthepracticeofguestdetectiveepisodes,introducedbyJessicaaseitherastoryshewroteorataletoldbyafriend,butstarringavarietyofquirkyinvestigators:Anex-footballplayer(KenHoward,TheWhiteShadow)pairedwithacleverpoodle;atelevisioncrime-showproducerwhosolvedcrimeinreallife(DianaCanova,Soap);astoutIrishdetective(longtimecharacteractorPatHingle);anabrasivehomicidecop(BarryNewman,VanishingPoint);aswellasrecurringMurder,SheWrotecharacterslikeformerjewelthiefDennisStanton(KeithMichell)andBritishsecretagentMichaelHaggerty(LenCariou).TheproducerswereobviouslyhopingtouseMurder,SheWrote"spopularitytospin-offnewseries,butnothingfromthisseasontookoffandviewerresistancesoonbroughtthepracticetoanend.Executivesmusthavebeensurprisedtodiscoverthat,thoughmurdermysteriesareplot-driven,thisshow"ssuccessdependsheavilyontheundeniablecharmofstarLansbury.Still,theseone-offepisodesareofaconsistentqualitywithLansbury"s,andviewersopentovarietywillenjoythemjustasmuch.Therestoftheseasonfeaturestheusualastonishingarrayofguests,includingmoviestarsold(DonaldO"Connor,Singin"intheRain)andrecent(ElliottGould,TheLongGoodbye),televisionstalwarts(ShirleyJones,ThePartridgeFamily;JerryStiller,TheKingofQueens;DorisRoberts,EveryoneLovesRaymond;KevinTighe,BattlestarGalactica;andGavinMcLeod,TheLoveBoat),andD-listcelebritiestodiefor(DackRambo,MorganBrittany,SusanAnton,andmore).
