Back in the '80s, Murder She Wrote was a must-see TV in our house every Sunday night. One episode that still tickles my funny bone is "Corned Beef and Carnage" from season 3. It took our beloved Jessica Fletcher out of quaint Cabot Cove and plunked her right in the middle of New York's cutthroat advertising world.
The story revolved around the murder of an ad executive named Larry Kinkaid, who was found dead in his swanky penthouse office. Jessica's niece Victoria (she had so many nieces, didn't she?) got mixed up in the whole mess when she discovered the body. Of course, a hot-headed detective immediately pegged her as the prime suspect.
Can you believe Jessica had to navigate the world of corned beef advertising to solve this murder?
The episode was chock-full of colorful characters - there was Grover Barth, the owner of Corned Beef Castles, and Christine Clifford, a rival ad exec who wasn't above a bit of corporate espionage. Jessica had to wade through a sea of shoulder pads and power suits to get to the truth.
What made this episode so entertaining was how it mixed the usual Murder, She Wrote formula with the fast-paced, backstabbing advertising world. One minute Jessica was examining a suspicious sandwich delivery, the next she was crashing a corned beef restaurant opening to interrogate a suspect.
The case had more red herrings than a delicatessen. Was it the rival ad agency trying to steal the corned beef account? Was it Kinkaid's brother who inherited the business? Or maybe it was the disgruntled employee Aubrey, who'd been kicked off the corned beef campaign?
If you've never seen Jessica Fletcher take on Madison Avenue, you're in for a real treat with this episode!
If you loved this glimpse into one of Murder, She Wrote's quirkiest episodes, then share it with a friend because everyone needs a little corned beef and carnage in their life!
