The Corpse Flew First Class

JB Fletcher solves two crime at 30,000 feet! She's off to London on a well deserved vacation, and is flying first class, and her fellow passengers are a varied bunch, which includes Sonny Greer and her tomboy boyfriend who are carrying diamonds. When the tomboy boyfriend is poisoned and the valuable necklace is stolen, Jessica, along with a Scotland Yard detective, try to retrieve the gems and catch the killer.

Among the main characters in this sharp and excellent episode are a famous actress, a taciturn former police officer, and a furtive-looking tourist couple. It's a highly entertaining episode, has a novelty of being set on a plane and the mystery is kept in wraps till the end.

Watch the old Basil Rathbone Sherlock Holmes movie Terror by Night. It's the same story as this episode, except Jessica is flying while Sherlock was traveling by train. The same trick by the thief used to get the gem off the train/plane. The same odd pair of suspects who turn out to be a red herring. MSW did add one extra twist on the end as to the identity of the murderer and it's a good episode otherwise, but some deja vu for fans of the old Sherlock Holmes movies.

Jessica is surrounded by the wealthy and successful on a first class plane to London. Her travel companions include the glamorous actress Sonny Greer, along with her Chauffeur Leon, a Hollywood producer Gunnar Globle a Member of the British CID, Inspector Errol Pogson and a secretive couple. The flight is interrupted when a body is discovered, and a valuable necklace goes missing.

It comes as no surprise to see this episode sitting at the top of the IMDb pile of rated episodes. It is wonderfully clever, loaded with characters and genuinely suspenseful. Jessica has her work cut out as she has two crimes to solve.

It is a fabulous looking episode, expenses were clearly not stinted on this one. A first rate cast, Kate Mulgrew is excellent and certainly looks the part as Sonny Greer. Worth watching for the performance of Mary Jo Catlett (Mrs Metcalf) alone, who adds the lighter side to the episode, an actress I am hugely fond of.

I can see why this one is so highly regarded, personally I wouldn't say it's my favourite, but it's in the top ten. 9/10

The setting of a plane, train or ship is often great for a mystery story, because it provides a good number of suspects, and it makes it a puzzle problem: the viewer knows that someone among this group did the crime, so who is it?

And like a good mystery story, this script presents some neat twists and turns. The cast is sterling, as usual. Kate Mulgrew is especially fine. This should rank as one of the best of all the episodes.

Note the many characters in this episode named after Duke Ellington's sidemen: Carney, Blanton, Bigard, Strayhorn, Whetsol, Otto Hardwick, Sonny Greer....somebody was having a good time (or just bored outta his gourd!) Note the many characters in this episode named after Duke Ellington's sidemen: Carney, Blanton, Bigard, Strayhorn, Whetsol, Otto Hardwick, Sonny Greer....somebody was having a good time (or just bored outta his gourd!)Note the many characters in this episode named after Duke Ellington's sidemen: Carney, Blanton, Bigard, Strayhorn, Whetsol, Otto Hardwick, Sonny Greer....somebody was having a good time (or just bored outta his gourd!)