Sing a Song of Murder

I have no clue what planktonrules is talking about in their review of this episode.

All of the cast is from the UK, so there are no "horrible fake accents" as they describe. Quite the opposite, Angela Lansbury seems quite at home working with her fellow countrymen.

It's somewhat of a thin plot (as far as Murder She Wrote goes), but there is some really great acting by some excellent masters of stage and screen performers in this episode.

The writing for the dialogue is excellent, and with a few minor slips, use proper british idioms and terminology.

The cast is a powerhouse lineup of veteran UK performers who are at the top of their game here; Patrick MacNee, Glynis Johns, Olivia Hussey... the cast saves a relatively weak storyline.

I catch this episode all the time on re-runs and it always makes me laugh. In spite of the fact that MSW was such a big success, the budget clearly didn't run to any real location filming so....the studio recreated London on the back-lot.

As usual, The Palace of Westminster and especially BIG BEN and ST PAUL'S CATHEDRAL are added (as glass shots or matte paintings) whenever possible to make sure the audience doesn't forget where we are supposed to be. Isn't it amazing how it's possible to see these world famous buildings no matter where in London one happens to be.....

Others have commented on the wretched accents. All I will add is that Ms Lansbury has clearly lived in America for far too long, as she just cannot bring her old British accent back, no matter how hard she tries.

Great fun though, all the same.

Jessica Fletcher is summoned to London under false pretenses. She's told her British cousin Emma McGill has been killed in a drowning accident and her body not recovered. But when she gets to London she meets her cousin Emma, also played by Angela Lansbury in the back seat of a limousine.

It's all a ruse cooked up by both her solicitor Kristoffer Tabori and and Scotland Yard inspector Barrie Ingham. There have been some real attempts on her life and this is their way to flush out a potential killer.

Then there's a real killing that of maid Glynis Johns and soon enough the Jessica Fletcher Angela Lansbury is ferreting out the real killer.

Some nice performances also from Patrick MacNee as cousin Emma's husband who was formerly a promising Shakespearean actor but let that all go to seed and became a music hall entertainer and permanent attraction at Emma's music hall theater which they own. Kristoffer Tabori does well as the solicitor. There was a comment made that the accent Tabori used was disingenuous. Granted Tabori isn't British born, but he's a classically trained player in the tradition of people like Vincent Price and Franchot Tone who fit right into films with a British setting.

This was a well done story with a bit of a surprise perpetrator. At least I was surprised, I definitely had my money on the wrong horse.

Jessica receives a call informing her that her English cousin Emma, a music hall entertainer has died. Jessica travels to London to sort out her affairs. Emma's nearest and dearest are shocked to see the resemblance of the two, but not as shocked as Jessica is that Emma is in fact alive.

Now, where do you begin with this one, it's almost impossible to review, if you're too critical and having a bad day you'd be forgiven for giving it a 4*, on a good day you'd sing along, get absorbed in the nonsense and give it a 9*. It is definitely a marmite episode, you will (in the mood) love or hate it. On the plus side, it's pure fun, and you can see that Lansbury enjoyed every second playing two parts, her stage song is the highlight. I like the story, and I applaud the efforts to create London.

If I were being critical, London it ain't, the stock footage looks bad, and the fact that on every corner you see London taxis, London buses, Big Ben etc. London overload or what. Olivia Hussey (I wouldn't ordinarily criticise as she's in my favourite film Death on the Nile) but she's very bad, are I say it Patrick Macnee perhaps attacked the role with too much enthusiasm.

Now the worst part, the accents. Normally on the show, every British guest star sounds like they've been living at Buckhingham Palace, here they sound like bouncers from Eastenders.

I loved this episode, people complaing about the accent. Do any of you know Angela Lansbury sang that song in, the picture of dorian Grey. And of course her accent is gone look how long she's been in America. People are never satisfied, just have to complain about something.