Mord ist ihr Hobby Death Takes a Curtain Call (1984–1996) watch online HD

And now we're up to the first "Murder, She Wrote" episode centering around the theme of espionage and international intrigue, this produced during the age of Russia's Soviet rule, when would-be defectors sought asylum outside the Iron Curtain Bloc nations.

When Leo Peterson (Hurd Hatfield) invites old friend Jessica Fletcher (Angela Lansbury) to a Boston performance of a Russian ballet, she travels into Massachusetts, without knowing the resulting number of visitors who would accompany her or follow her back into Maine.

Nagy (Adam Gregor) greets Leo and Jessica at the theatre, handing them programs, Jessica's from the top, and Leo's from the bottom, his containing a secret message, which causes him to excuse himself from the seating area long enough to meet Skip Fleming (James Carroll Jordan) backstage, and to unlock a window leading onto the fire escape, before returning to accompany Jessica for the performance, or at least part of it....

Alexander Masurov (George De La Pena) serves as male ballet dancer, with six ballerina's at his side, including the brunette Natalia Masurov (Vicki Kriegler) and the blonde Irina Katsa (Kerry Armstrong), in symmetrical formation.

Velma Rodecker (Jessica Nelson), an anti-Communist protester, sneaks through the open window and onto center stage, to interrupt the program with her boisterous political message, when a near riot erupts, and Leo ushers Jessica from the theatre and into an awaiting limousine in the parking area, this chauffeured by Alexander Masurov, with Natalia Masurov at his side, they disguised as servants, thus whisking Jessica and Leo from Boston, to allude Soviet authorities.

Major Anatole Karzof (William Conrad), a KGB agent, arrives at the theatre to investigate the defection, along with Sergeant Kevin Hogan (Read Morgan), and soon FBI Agent O'Farrell (Dane Clark) and FBI Agent Dewey Johnson (Patrick Thomas), by which time a body is discovered in the dressing room.

So, now how to protect the defectors when murder compounds their difficulties? The ever-resourceful Jessica must first figure how to shelter Leo, Alexander and Natalia from spies and authorities alike, and then to try to solve the murder from her long-distance vantage point of Cabot Cove.

Jessica finds it best to confide in Captain Ethan Cragg (Claude Akins), to help to blend Alexander and his thick Russian accent into their New England community, and so Ethan finds Alexander an assistantship position with fellow fisherman Palmer Eddington (Paul Rudd), and even the sharp and observant Sheriff Amos Tupper (Tom Bosley) is initially unable to determine that Alexander is anything but a new Cabot Cove resident.

But soon Cabot Cove and, particularly, Jessica's residence, becomes humming with visitors, in search of Alexander and Natalia. When Serge Berensky (Anthony De Longis) enters under the guise of a telephone repairman, Jessica politely directs him toward the telephone which she secretly deems most optimal to plant the bugging device, which he ultimately uses to transmit signals to a sailboat in the harbor, complete with radio equipment to communicate with the KGB agents.

When Major Anatole Karzof arrives to give the Fletcher residence the once-over, Jessica complies, as Leo and the others remain in sanctuary.

And after watching a Boston television news report, with Steve Arvin as TV Reporter, featuring the ballet scene, Jessica suddenly realizes whodunit, as "Death Takes a Curtain Call." This episode marks the most recent acting roles to date each by Vicki Kriegler and Steve Arvin, the first of two "MSW" performances for Dane Clark, the first of three guest starring roles for Hurd Hatfield, the first of four appearances for James Carroll Jordan, and fourth and final "MSW" appearance of Claude Akins in his roles as Cabot Cove fisherman, Captain Ethan Cragg.

Claude Akins, acting since 1953, Dane Clark, acting since 1940, William Conrad, acting since 1958, and Hurd Hatfield, acting since, 1944, have since passed.

That most interesting of people, a KGB agent who is a murder mystery fan is at the heart of this Murder She Wrote story. Jessica Fletcher goes to Boston for a bit of culture to see a Soviet ballet company with former dancer Hurd Hatfield. But she's dragooned into Hatfield's plot to help two defecting dancers. Nice, but a KGB guy is stabbed to death and the FBI in the person of Dane Clark is now involved.

Angela Lansbury's big fan is William Conrad who's a genial but cynical sort. I don't he really cares personally about the two defectors unless they did murder his man.

The highlight of the show are Angela Lansbury's scenes with William Conrad as she plays a double game of helping the defectors and solving the murder.

As you would expect it all works out.

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.

As far as Season 1 episodes go (a decent season overall but understandably with a still settling vibe), talking about previous episodes up to this point for a moment, "Death Takes a Curtain Call" is not as good as "The Murder of Sherlock Holmes", "Lovers and Other Killers" and "Hit, Run and Homicide" but is very good still. In fact none of the previous episodes are bad, a long way from that, even the weakest episodes "Deadly Lady" and "It's a Dog's Life".

"Death Takes a Curtain Call" has a couple of flaws. The ballet is visually somewhat on the dull side and the choreography doesn't excite or exactly captivate, speaking as a fan of ballet since the age of 6 (so nearly 20 years). Was most let down by the ending, compared to the ingenious one of the previous episode "We're Off to Kill the Wizard" and the darkly ambiguous one of "Lovers and Other Killers" it was rather ordinary with a weak motive and committed by a character with little presence and with a screen time of about 10 minutes.

However, the episode is very slickly filmed and the Cabot Cove setting is always a pleasure to see, as is its homely, close sense of community. The music has presence but also not making the mistake of over-scoring, while it is hard to forget or resist the theme tune.

The writing, apart from one line, is charmingly light-hearted, gently amiable and down to earth but provokes thought too. The best lines coming from Ethan and Karzof. The story is compelling, the defection story-line not being too dragged out and never straining credibility. One does feel for poor Ethan. The episode is at its best in the scenes between Jessica and the cynical yet genial Karzof, who are amiable with a little tension.

Jessica is more than your standard female detective and Amos once again is not too much of the bumbling sheriff cliché.

Angela Lansbury is terrific in one of her best remembered roles (one of the roles that is most closely associated with me at any rate). Claude Akins, in regrettably his final appearance on the show, and particularly William Conrad are particularly good in support, with Tom Bosley not far behind.

Overall, very good. 8/10 Bethany Cox

Jessica travels to Boston, accompanied by friend Leo to see the Moscow Ballet. All is not well, as Jessica's companion behaves strangely, she soon discovers that two of the cast, Alexander and Natalia, are part of a defection plan. As the pair leave the building, KGB Agent Major Anatole Karzof is on hand to get them back, but he also has to look into the killing of one of his agents, Serge Berensky.

One of the least subtle moments in the show's history is the scene where Leo is handed a programme in the most wonderfully suspicious manner.

I'm not a massive fan of this episode, it's like a poor relation to the almost identical One white Rose for Death, which is far better. The plot I suppose would have been more relevant in the eighties, with the oppression of the Iron Curtain. Some of the Russian accents are terrible. Amos is once again overly stupid, but amusing.

The highlight of the episode is undoubtedly George De La Pena, who plays Karzof with real authority and charisma, his scenes with Lansbury are truly brilliant.

It's watchable, 6/10