Magnum, P.I.: Novel Connection (1986) Reviews

Angela Lansbury guest stars as crime novelist and amateur sleuth Jessica Fletcher in this crossover episode with Lansbury's own series Murder, She Wrote. When one of Robin Master's guests (Dorothy Loudon) is marked for murder, Magnum finds himself working with--and against--the redoubtable Ms. Fletcher to root out the killer. A man who likes to deal in facts and logical deductions, Magnum is continually flustered by Jessica's intuitive approach to crime-solving, much to the (presumed!) delight of the viewer. Ending on a cliffhanger, this episode was originally Part One of a two-part story which concluded with the Murder She Wrote episode "Magnum on Ice"; however, a new ending which neatly wraps up the storyline was filmed for the Magnum, P.I. syndication package. (Curiously, the story remains open-ended in the DVD version of "Novel Connection".) ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi