Murder, She Wrote (TV Series) Corned Beef and Carnage (1986) User Reviews

Run it up the flagpole and see who salutes

[bkoganbing · 6/10 · 1 October 2017]

Yet another one of Jessica Fletcher's innumerable nieces or nephews gets into a jackpot in this Murder She Wrote story. The niece is Genie Francis who is married her to Jeff Conaway who is an aspiring actor much like the character he played on Taxi.

Someone ought to make a count of the Angela Lansbury relations that she runs into in the run of the show. Other than Michael Horton who was on the Fletcher side, none ever made any reappearances that I can remember. Both Fletchers and McGills.

In any event Francis works in an advertising agency for a rather ruthless boss in Richard Kline. If needed Kline wants Francis to put out for Ken Swofford who is the agency's number one account.

Kline isn't loved, not even by his brother Bill Macy who handles the finances and is appalled by Kline's free spending ways. As is usual no shortage of suspects, but the cops land on Francis.

This particular murder was well planned and it was a simple mistake involving a corned beef sandwich delivered to Kline that unravels things for the perpetrator. As usual it's Angela Lansbury who picks up on it.

Nicely done how the murderer walks into a trap. You have to see it.

FANTASTIC EPISODE -- DICEY AND GRAPHIC

[rms125a · 8/10 · 12 June 2019]

Jessica's niece (played by Genie Francis) gets a job working (in advertising, this time) for a fascinating bad guy (played brilliantly by, wait for it, Richard Kline, who played "Larry" on Three's Company) who is more than willing to pimp her out (the niece, not Jessica) to a very sleazy married client (Ken Swofford). The client's own wife (played by the hilarious and sadly missed Marcia Wallace) is no Caesar's wife although her vice is cupidity not carnality. This is as adult and graphic an episode you'll come by in this series. Bill Macy inexplicably plays Kline's rather repulsive older brother (!) despite being old enough to be Kline's father (and he looks it).

Kline brilliantly embodies a never-say-die, self-made, tough, ambitious, ultraconfident ad man who battles all obstacles accordingly. When he's dispatched by an embittered former confidant I genuinely regretted the passing of this sadly all too realistic (verisimilitude to real quotidian life not being one of the series's strong points) character.

The killer is not one of those sympathetic killers that pop up from time to time. But, equally, is far from the vilest. Jessica trips the killer up in a clever Columbo-style trap, which is more interesting than most of the series' denouements. All in all, a very good episode.

How many nieces can one woman have? Guinness book of records.....

[Sleepin_Dragon · 6/10 · 20 October 2017]

Another of Jessica's attractive nieces gets accused of murder. Victoria stands accused of murdering her manipulative and lecherous boss Larry Kinkade, suspects include Kinkaid's strangely unaffected brother Myron, and disgruntled marketing man Aubrey.

Excuse the pun, but this has to be one of the corniest episodes ever made, the music, the lines, the title etc.

It's definitely not a classic, but it's got some strengths, the title is rather amusing, I quite like the story, Genie Francis is very good as Victoria, Susan Anton is fierce as man water Christine.

On the downside, some of the acting is shocking, the security guard, the brother, that awful corned beef couple, the Howard character is really bad, and as for the advertisement scene, the least said the better.

Who wants free corned beef, for that line alone.... 6/10

Murder at Corned Beef Castle

[TheLittleSongbird · 7/10 · 3 August 2017]

Have always been quite fond of 'Murder She Wrote'. It is a fun and relaxing watch that makes you think as you try to unwind in the evening. If one wants more complex, twisty mysteries with lots of tension and suspense 'Murder She Wrote' may not be for you, but if you want something light-hearted and entertaining but still provide good mysteries 'Murder She Wrote' fits the bill just fine.

"Corned Beef and Carnage" is a fun enough episode and does give an interesting (if not exactly innovative or telling us different to what we know) look at advertising and conflicts behind the scenes. But is a long way from being one of the best episodes of Season 3 let alone a 'Murder She Wrote' high-point. It is wrapped up a tad too tidily and it is agreed too that the title is terribly pure corn (not sure what the writers were thinking coming up with that).

Its weakest asset is that the acting, outside of Genie Francis and the ever dependable prolific voice actors Marcia Wallace and David Ogden Stiers (though this episode was before either of them took on the roles they're most famous for, 'The Simpsons' for Wallace and numerous Disney characters for Stiers), is not great from a mostly B-list cast. In the case of Jeff Conaway, it is catastrophically bad actually, some of the most amateurish acting from any of the earlier seasons and there is a reason why a character that is very nearly as bland and annoying as Michael Horton's Grady Fletcher struggles to get into acting. He and Francis have little chemistry either.

Production values are high in quality as to be expected, with slick photography and a great use of setting. The music has energy and has presence but also not making the mistake of over-scoring, while it is hard to forget or resist the theme tune.

Writing is tight, thought-provoking and typically amiable and the characters and chemistry are good fun. The story engages and has entertainment value.

Can't say enough good about Angela Lansbury, she is always dependable and there is a reason as to why Jessica Fletcher is one of her best-remembered roles. She was deserving of a better supporting cast however.

To conclude, a decent episode let down by a cast that just don't cut it. 7/10 Bethany Cox

Enjoyable, with a fine cast

[shakspryn · 8/10 · 29 January 2021]

The guest casting of MSW was always a tremendous strength of the show. Film and television stars, many from decades past, appeared in many episodes; and actors who were not big stars, but were still highly talented veterans, also appeared. In this episode, guest stars had appeared in six different, long-running series! I think that may stand as a record for one MSW episode! Plus there were actors who are always a pleasure to watch, such as Peter Haskell and Ken Swofford. Some reviewers have been tough on Jeff Conaway's performance, but I thought he was good. My only criticism would be, to me he looked a touch too old for Genie Francis, who was only 24 at the time. In some ways, I think MSW could be a challenge for an actor. The show had a very particular tone, which involved often infusing the roles with a humorous undercurrent in keeping with the show's spirit, but maintaining dramatic tension and enough credibility. Not so simple for the actors! But the great old pros such as Haskell and Swofford, and others here, make it look so easy. It's not.

An ok episode

[coltras35 · 6/10 · 1 July 2023]

Visiting her niece Victoria Brandon Griffin, Jessica finds her crumbled by her job in advertising to give husband Howard financial comfort to pursue his acting career, while he feels guilty for being a kept man. However Vicky gets arrested after finding her mean boss, Larry Kinkaid, skull smashed with an award her fingerprints are on, just after she resigned refusing to court a married client. Jessica forces NYPD lieutenant Spoletti to look further, notably the security guard's list of building visitors, including an obvious alias she traces to Christine Clifford, the man-eater from an agency which competed with Kinkaid for the Corned Beef Castle account, and the delivery of a sandwich.

It's amazing how many relatives Jessica has, and every time she meets them they get accused of murder. Here, the victim is bludgeoned by an award statue. It's an ok mystery, efficiently told with a satisfying conclusion.

Yet another niece episode.

[planktonrules · 8/10 · 3 November 2022]

"Corned Beef and Carnage" is a show with a very familiar trope.... Jessica being on hand when one of her MANY nieces is in trouble. What makes this a bit difference if that the niece and her husband were seen in an earlier episode, "Birds of a Feather". And, she returns for one more episode on her own.

Victoria (Genie Francis) is now working for an advertising agency while her husband, Howard (Jeff Conaway, is still a struggling would-be actor. Victoria's boss is a horrid jerk who is pressuring her to spend time with an important client. By this, the boss is strongly suggesting she put out for the guy in order to secure an account with them! Not surprisingly, she's offended and quits. Coincidentally, he soon is murdered and due to the way she quit and a few coincidences, she's the first one the police suspect. Can Aunt Jessica save the day? What do you think?

This plot is interesting, the characters fascinating and the episode, though silly since it involves another niece, is still well worth seeing.

Loses Points for a Horrible Title ... and Some Very Bad Acting

[WeatherViolet · 4/10 · 18 March 2010]

Robert E. Swanson shares the record with Robert Van Scoyk in the category of penning scripts for the most "MSW" episodes, each with 25, next to Tom Sawyer, with 24 writing credits for this series, these three penning a total of nearly 3/10th of the series' episodes.

In addition to his writing duties, Robert E. Swanson also serves in the capacity of Supervising Producer and Executive Story Editor for several seasons, as he also writes many more interesting episodes besides "Corned Beef & Carnage."

This time around, Jessica's niece Victoria Brandon Griffin (Genie Francis) and nephew-in-law Howard Griffin (Jeff Conaway) relocate from San Francisco to New York City, where Victoria accepts a position at Kinkaid Advertising Agency, while Howard continues to struggle for acting roles.

Larry Kinkaid (Richard Kline) operates Kinkaid Advertising Agency along with elder brother, Myron Kinkaid (Bill Macy), and employee Aubrey Thornton (David Ogden Stiers), who along with Victoria, works on Myron's pet project, "Corned Beef Castle" account, which promises to keep Kinkaid Advertising Agency from the verge of bankruptcy.

Grover Barth (Ken Swofford) and wife, Polly Barth (Marcia Wallace), who share secrets of their own, operate "Corned Beef Castle," a delicatessen, which they plan to launch into a franchise chain of restaurants, should the advertising campaign generate sales.

Christine Clifford (Susan Anton), meanwhile, attempts to gain the "Corned Beef Castle" account for the Biddle Advertising Agency, operated by Leland Biddle (Peter Haskell), as she schemes to lift Victoria's ideas, and they, together, scheme to offer Harold an advertising spokesperson position on the condition that he recruit Victoria to the Biddle Agency.

Grover Barth has his reasons for sticking with the Kincaid Agency, namely to associate closely with the lovely Victoria, who confronts her employers during an argument with Larry, Myron and Aubrey, each who seeks his own agenda during the advertising battles.

After Victoria resigns her position, she has second thoughts while Howard is left alone to entertain their visiting Aunt Jessica Fletcher (Angela Lansbury), who encourages Victoria to continue along with her busy schedule.

And so Victoria enters one of the offices one evening after hours, to greet Security Guard Jim Ingram (Warren Berlinger), before screaming, after stumbling across a body bludgeoned with an advertising award trophy.

Lieutenant Spoletti (James Sloyan) investigates the murder and, naturally, arrests Victoria, whom Aunt Jessica, quite naturally, defends, as she launches an investigation of her own to prove Victoria's innocence from "Corned Beef & Carnage."

The cast is rounded out by Marleta Giles as Receptionist, David Starwalt as Officer, Phil Rubenstein as Deli Clerk, Russ Fega as Pizza Delivery Man.

This episode represents the first of two "MSW" guest roles each for Susan Anton, Peter Haskell, Bill Macy and David Starwalt, the first of three for David Ogden Stiers, the second of three for Warren Berlinger, and also the second of three for Genie Francis in her role as niece Victoria Brandon Griffin, the second of four for Jeff Conaway, including two as Howard Griffin, the first of seven for James Sloyan, including his five as Robert Butler in Dennis Stanton episodes, and the second of eleven for Ken Swofford, including his six as Lieutenant Catalano in Dennis Stanton episodes.

Phil Rubenstein, acting on television and in film since 1976, has unfortunately since passed.

Cringe Worthy

[tmichalos · 1/10 · 28 April 2021]

I LOVE MSW but honestly this episode (short of a few in the last season) is my least favorite. The acting is fine, (except for Jeff Conway who was just not that great an actor) but the level of sexual harassment going on in this episode is CRINGE WORTHY. Watching it with my teenage daughter left me a lot of explaining to do about the 1980's.