joehardy-41172

This episode is notable for quite a few reasons, the main one being (as another reviewer pointed out) there is no murder. I'm not sure if there are any other episodes like this in the series, which I think makes it unique. How do these characters work in a world that isn't always trying to figure out a crime scene? It seems to have been done mainly to show off the new-ish character Leanne, and how she interacts with her father professionally. Along with of course, the silly Billy and son Cliff and how they get along with Matlock.

All of that makes this a unique entry in the series, and something that breaks up the pace a bit watching it often.

Something else worth noting for mystery buffs is the presence of actor James Stephens, who played Father Prestwick in the Father Dowling Mysteries series. His character was always selfishly hilarious, and he plays a bit of a similar character here, albeit not as aloof. It's always fun to see actors cross between these shows :)

This episode is almost a complete reunion for Garry Marshall's television productions. Actors from Happy Days, Laverne & Shirley, and Mork & Mindy all appear. The tone of the episode matches the tones found in those shows. It's campy and silly, and thus if that's your thing, quite fun! I love all of the early episodes of Diagnosis: Murder, but I find the tone shifts greatly by the third season into something much darker. Dick Van Dyke wasn't a fan of this shift and worked for a change in the show. There are a few bright spots in it this dark period however, including this episode! It's one we find ourselves often coming back to when we feel like watching something light.

Some other great, light, episodes of Diagnosis: Murder include:

• Comedy is Murder
• Sleeping Murder
• A Mime is a Terrible Thing to Waste
• Discards
• A Resting Place

The television films that came out before the tv show began are also quite good :)