Showdown in Saskatchewan (10 Apr. 1988)

Jessica's niece is smitten with a rodeo rider and refuses to believe he could have committed a murder.

Director:

Vincent McEveety

Writers:

Peter S. Fischer (creator), Richard Levinson (creator),

Stars:

Angela Lansbury, Rosanna DeSoto, Joe Dorsey

Cast

Episode cast overview, first billed only:
Angela Lansbury	...	Jessica Fletcher
Rosanna DeSoto	...	Consuela Schaeffer (as Rosana De Soto)
Joe Dorsey	...	Doc Schaeffer
Patrick Houser	...	Marty Reed
Terry Kiser	...	Wally Bryce
Lance LeGault	...	RCMP Inspector Roger McCabe
Paul Le Mat	...	Luke Purdue / Carl Mattson (as Paul LeMat)
Kristy McNichol	...	Jill Morton
Larry Wilcox	...	Boone Talbot
Cassie Yates	...	Carla Talbot
Devon Williams	...	Mona
Thomas H. Middleton	...	Warden Burns
Ed McCready	...	Bartender
Ron Troncatty	...	P.A. Announcer
Michael Frederic	...	Medic

Storyline

Jessica visits her niece Jill Morton, as her mother Louise suspects her romantic link with Marty Reed (on a Canadian tour with Carla Talbot as chaperon). They witness a crazy bet to stay longest in a mean bull's pen in Queensbridge, Saskatchewan. Doc Schaeffer, the dodgy circuit heeler, treats Boone Talbot's best boy Luke Purdue for a leg-wound and grounds Marty with a concussion the kid denies. Next night Doc is killed by arson but Luke is pulled out of Doc's trailer just in time. RCMP (Mounties) inspector Roger McCabe, a JB Fletcher mystery fan, officially investigates and confers with Jessica. Doc's widow says he made lots of enemies and before her marriage practiced ten years in jail; she won't miss him. Marty is visited by his wife and son, Buster. After Boone gets wounded, heroically saving Marty from a giant bull's horns, the young father pulls out with a mild arm injury, to Luke's fury thus ruining their chance at an annual title. A call from prison warden Burns inspires ...

---

Plot Keywords:

bull | rcmp | arson | rodeo | asphyxiation | 

---

Genres:

Comedy | Crime | Drama | Mystery | Thriller

---

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

10 April 1988 (USA)

Filming Locations:

Stage 29, Universal Studios - 100 Universal City Plaza, Universal City, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Universal TV

Technical Specs

Runtime:

60 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The title refers to the Canadian province of Saskatchewan the is located north of Montana and North Dakota who's name comes from the Saskatchewan River or "swift flowing river" in the Indian Cree language. The capital is Regina, it's area is over 500,000 square kilometers with more than a million residents.

User Reviews

X Marks the Exposed Ex-con's X-Ray

During a book tour, Jessica Fletcher (Angela Lansbury) makes one of her three trips into Canada as she now takes an excursion into Saskatchewan to check upon her cousin's daughter Jill Morton (Kristy McNichol), who has taken up with rodeo rider Marty Reed (Patrick Houser).

Although eager to visit with Jessica, Jill informs her that she is busy with the rodeo and ready to pursue a future with Marty even though she know that her mother wouldn't approve, and Marty, for some unexplained reason, treats the concept of a potential future with Jill reluctantly.

Marty and rider Boone Talbott (Larry Wilcox) and Wally Bryce the Rodeo Clown (Terry Kiser) are some of the performers bossed around by Luke Perdue (Paul LeMat), who demands that riders perform dangerous stunts. Boone's wife, Carla Talbott (Cassie Yates), also joins in the protests of Luke to protect their safety.

Boone, Marty and Luke receive separate injuries from attempting to handle a bucking bronco; yet, while the others refuse treatment, Luke is sent to resident medic, Doc Schaefer's (Joe A. Dorsey) trailer with his leg fitted for a cast.

During the night, as flames erupt from inside a trailer, the rodeo crowd gathers to carrying victims away from the smoke and flames. Consuela Schaefer (Rosana DeSoto) explains to Jessica that she and her husband reside in separate quarters.

The next day, upon helping RCMP Inspector Roger McCabe (Lance LeGault) with the investigation, Jessica suspects that the perpetrator tossed a burning cigarette embedded into a book of matches into the open window to ignite the couch, before s/he closed the window and fled.

While Jessica continues to listen to Jill's problems about Marty's not committing, the rodeo secretary (Eileen T'Kaye) receives a call for someone not available to answer, and she asks the gathering what to say.

Jessica tells her that she'd better take the call, from Warden Burris (Thomas Middleton) at an Oregon penitentiary. Warden Burris relates the purpose of the message, for the Warden to look up an X-ray for a prisoner he had treated in Oregon, a Carl Mattson. But is there a Carl Mattson around the rodeo? When Jessica asks an inspector whether the oxygen tank found near the trailer door was nearly empty or full, and he answers, "empty," she realizes that she has been looking at this investigation all wrong.

Meanwhile, Jill catches Marty's embracing Mona (Devon Williams) with a young child, who calls Marty "Daddy." Jill decides that Marty has been stringing her along and insists that Jessica take her away on the next airplane.

But Marty has to ride after Boone takes his fall, and when he stands up to Luke to express his terms, Jill decides that Marty isn't all that cowardly after all and decides to stay to watch his show and for Jessica to figure the murder puzzle.

An unsuspecting Mona befriends Jill, as one of Marty's good friends, who doesn't let on about her relationship with Marty, to allow Mona to explain that she watches the ranch back in Montana and takes care of their son, while Marty earns a living on the rodeo circuit. (Rounding out the cast are Ed McCready as the Bartender, Ron Troncatty as the P.A. Announcer, Michael Frederic as the Medic in his only acting appearance, Lisa Long as the Flirtatious Girl, Richard Molnar as the Intern, and Gerry Okuneff as the Man.)

Jessica then pieces together the puzzle to figure the intended victim, and uncovers the disguise of the murderer, by retracing the steps, while Jill decides what to do about Marty, the rodeo and the "Showdown in Saskatchewan."