Murder, She Wrote - Magnum on Ice

[Doc Ibold]

[MrMoustache]

ha!

although after watching the tragically short Buck rogers series, I got 4 episodes into Knight Rider and could stomach anymore melodrama. But it rekindled my love affair with MPI though!

I never understood MSW.. an entire series full of agatha christie style parlor murder whodunnits.. it was fun for a while, but it's so one dimensional. Rosemary & Thyme is an excellent substitute. it's an english series available on netflix. it's worth a view as the characters are strong enough to carry the series and there's usually enough touching or interesting moments balance out the "somebody died again" monotony.

I always used to ask my mom too about MSW: why did people keep inviting her to all those parties?

[Jay-Firestorm]

I found this hard to sit though. I shouldn’t be such a completist!

[rating=5.5]

Thomas Magnum has been arrested for supposedly killing a hitman in cold blood. Jessica looks into the case and tries to identify who really shot the hitman, and find who the true target is. A confusing and bland conclusion to this crossover story…

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I am hardly a fan of ‘Murder, She Wrote’, and sat through this episode after watching the first part, ‘Magnum, p.i.’s ‘Novel Connection’, feeling obliged to watch this conclusion just to be completist! I’m a glutton for punishment.

As I said in my review for ‘Novel Connection’, I find Jessica Fletcher irritating. Also making me dislike the show further is the fact that, here in the UK, my local ITV region ran the episodes over and OVER again when most of the surrounding regions had stuff I love, such as ‘The A-Team’ and ‘Knight Rider’.

Anyway… I found it hard to keep up with all of the twists of this story – although, I confess, maybe I just didn’t really care enough.
In fairness, the mystery element works better than in ‘Novel Connection’, but the whole overall story just comes across as uninteresting, and if they insisted on doing such a crossover, I just can’t help but feel that the whole thing could have been done so much better.

Although not one of my favourites, I supposed MSW can occasionally dish up a reasonable mystery (I seem to recall that a 1992 episode, ‘Murder on Madison Avenue’, featuring John ‘Higgins’ Hillerman as board games manufacturer, wasn’t too bad), but this is hardly an example of both MPI and MSW at their finest hour. They shouldn’t have bothered.
To quote myself on my review for ‘Novel Connection’, “it feels like two different shows awkwardly welded together, and does not work at all”.

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Other notes, bloopers and misc.:

* I didn’t care enough to stop much more with this episode!

Oh, and mrmuscle, how can you not stomach 'Knight Rider' - it's one of my favourites (hey, I have a lot of favourites!!)

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JAY FIRESTORM

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My A-Team site - http://thea-team.org aiming to be the most detailed A-Team site on the Net - if I ever get around to updating it!!

[MACattack]

This was the only Murder She Wrote episode I enjoyed. But as a MPI episode, it's lacking something......

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I just don't give a damn!

[MACattack]

very silly episode.

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I just don't give a damn!

[Little Garwood]

One thing about the music in this episode: the Murder She Wrotecomposer used a stereotypical Hawaiian slide guitar sound in the "establishing shots", something we never heard in a Magnum episode. It lets the viewer know that it's a Murder She Wrote episode they're watching, and that Selelck and Hillerman were merely "guest stars.

Somehow, I get the feeling that each program's respective audiences were separate entities. I know that "1980s Me" wouldn't be caught dead watching Jessica Fletcher on a weekly basis!

I also would've liked more Thomas in this half of the two-parter and have the two work together, but seeing as Jessica doesn't appear until 25 minutes into the MPI half, I can see why they put Magnum *ahem* on Ice...

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"Popularity is the pocket change of history."

~Tom Selleck

[Waterbug Blue]

Well I don't know about old ladies - but in both episodes Landsbury seems more to be ACTING Fletcher, gesturing et al., whereas TS manages to naturally impersonate Magnum ... does that make him the better actor?

[AmandaByNight]

I've been on a crazy Murder, She Wrote obsession lately. I'm on season 7. I passed up this crossover episode because I hardly remember it and I want to watch both episodes together when I have more time to bask!

I have a feeling I'm going to love it. Lansbury and Selleck! Should have been a cop buddy action movie!

[Waterbug Blue]

I hope you won't be disappointed ... well there are quite a few good entwining jokes though - watch out for the hunch

[AmandaByNight]

OK, so I just watched Novel Connection and quite enjoyed it. Yes, I know I'm in the minority, but I just adore J.B. Fletcher. Also, it was so cool to see her and Jonathan Hilllerman in those characters together (he also appeared on at least one episode of MSW as a different character). Both are such enjoyable and formidable actors. It was a treat.

I have a question. I watched Novel Connection on Netflix, which has the wrapped up ending to make it a one-off instead of a crossover. Does the DVD have the same ending, or do they have the original? I am wondering because I'd like to see how it's left hanging and because I was going to suggest these episodes on my blog's Must See Streaming TV theme...

Thanks for any help!

Amanda