Judith Hoag Movies

A motion picture crew descends upon Cabot Cove to film a historical documentary. In the course of production, the crew unearths an old document signed by George Washington, which claims that the town's most venerated Revolutionary War hero, Joshua Peabody, was actually a traitorous scoundrel. Evidently someone isn't pleased about having his or her illusions shattered: shortly after the document appears, the film's director is murdered. Now it is up to Jessica (Angela Lansbury) to burrow through the multitude of likely suspects. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In this behind-the-scenes thriller, a movie actress finds herself accused of hacking up her producer. She tries to flee with two lovers preparing to marry. The three get into all sorts of trouble that ends with the death of the fiancee. Once again, the actress finds herself accused of the crime, but did she do it? ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

We're back in Cabot Cove for this episode, in which Jessica's friend Dr. Seth Hazlitt (William Windom) is facing a malpractice suit. It seems that the family of the late owner of Cabot Cove's computer company died of bleeding ulcers while under Seth's care. However, there is something about this death that doesn't quite add up, and Jessica (Angela Lansbury) is determined to find out what that is--while clearing Seth's name, of course. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Reluctant time traveler Sam Beckett (Scott Bakula) continues "leaping" in and out of other people's bodies, for purposes apparently known only to his holographic advisor-observer, Al (Dean Stockwell), in season four of Quantum Leap. The season opener, "The Leap Back: June 15, 1945," offers the bizarro situation of Sam being stuck in the present while Al is forced to become the time traveler! Further perils and challenges await Sam as he assumes the form of a KKK member in "Justice: May 11, 1965," a young female rape victim in "Raped: June 20, 1980," and a member of a girl singing trio in "A Song for the Soul: April 7, 1963." He also finds himself the recipient of someone else's guardian angel (whom Al can see) in "It's a Wonderful Leap: May 10, 1958." Sam's most daunting "assignment" occurs when he is relocated into the body of a chimpanzee -- with a chimpanzee's intellect -- in "The Wrong Stuff: January 24, 1961." The final episode of the season, "A Leap for Liza: June 25, 1957," has Sam leaping into the body of the young Al. In so doing, he inadvertently breaks the rules of his mission by changing the course of past history, thereby endangering not only himself but also countless others yet unborn. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

The two-part, four-hour TV movie Switched at Birth is based on an actual event which began unfolding in Wauchula, Florida in 1978. Brian Kerwin and Judith Hoag play the new parents of a baby girl; a few days later, another couple, played by John M. Jackson and Bonnie Bedelia, have a baby at the same hospital. Kerwin and Hoag's baby is healthy; Jackson and Bedelia's baby has a heart defect. Switched at Birth traces the lives of the two girls over a period of eight years--up to the point of a tragedy which opens the possibility that the girls may not have been given over to the correct parents at the hospital. The four parents involved find themselves in court, battling over custody of the surviving child. This intensely personal problem is bloated into a cause celebre by the press and by parents' rights pressure groups. Edward Asner and Caroline McWilliams appear as the opposing attorneys. Those who'd been following the two-part Switched at Birth during its first telecast in April of 1991 may have found themselves in family conflicts of their own, inasmuch as Part Two was shown opposite the network TV premiere of Die Hard. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Movie is the live-action, feature film adaptation of the cult comic book and the popular animated television show. After prolonged exposure to radiation, four teenage turtles--Michelangelo, Raphael, Leonardo, and Donatello--have mutated into ninjas and have begun living in the sewers of a large city. Under the guidance of a ninja master Splinter the Rat and television reporter April, the Turtles embark on a mission to run crime out of the city and battle the warlord Shredder. The Turtles have been designed by Jim Henson Productions and effortlessly fit into the live-action surroundings. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Movie Guide

Robin Williams stars in this oddball comedy about a fast-talking car salesman who is down on his luck and in over his head until an extreme situation forces him to use his sales skills to save lives. Joey O'Brien (Williams) is the stereotypical car salesman: enterprising, aggressive, and desperate to make enough money to spend on his high-maintenance girlfriends. But suddenly the pressure is really on: he owes money to the mob, his ex-wife is nagging him about not spending enough time with their teenage daughter, and if he doesn't sell at least a dozen cars by the time the big sale is over on Saturday, he's going to lose his job. As Joey attempts to placate several potential buyers, his day is interrupted by Larry (Tim Robbins), the insanely jealous husband of dimwitted showroom receptionist Donna (Annabella Sciorra), who's been having an affair with someone who works at the dealership. With the police surrounding the place, his job (and life) on the line, Joey realizes that it's up to him to use his wits to persuade Larry -- who's not even sure what he wants out of the situation -- not to kill anyone. ~ Don Kaye, All Movie Guide