Jessica and a slew of passengers are forced to take refuge from a storm at a remote diner when one of the passengers is found stabbed in his seat on a bus to Boston.Jessica and a slew of passengers are forced to take refuge from a storm at a remote diner when one of the passengers is found stabbed in his seat on a bus to Boston.Jessica and a slew of passengers are forced to take refuge from a storm at a remote diner when one of the passengers is found stabbed in his seat on a bus to Boston.
Photos
- Gilbert Stoner
- (as John Chandler)
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaThe music heard as the bus drives through a thunderstorm at the beginning is patterned after Bernard Herrmann's main title cue for the movie Psycho (1960), though it doesn't quote Herrmann's music directly. In the Hitchcock film, Herrmann's theme recurs as Marion Crane ( Janet Leigh ) drives through heavy rain and ultimately finds the Bates Motel - a possible inspiration for the musical reference.
- GoofsDon Stroud's character describes being on the CB radio when he was hit from behind during the period that the lights were out, but since the power was out at the time and the shot was fired just before the lights came back on, the power had to have been out while he was supposedly on the CB radio and the radio needed power to operate.
- Quotes
[first lines]
Jessica Fletcher: Oh, did you reach them?
Sheriff Amos Tupper: Yeah, said we'd be there about 8:00. Probably miss the hors d'oeuvres.
Jessica Fletcher: Well, no serious loss, I'm sure.
Sheriff Amos Tupper: Ms. Fletcher, the Main Sheriffs' Association lays out the finest spread east of the Alleghenies.
- ConnectionsFeatured in Haunter (2013)
- SoundtracksMurder She Wrote Theme
Written by John Addison
Alongside "Lovers and Other Killers" and "Paint Me a Murder" (would count the pilot "The Murder of Sherlock Holmes" here too), "Murder Takes the Bus" is in the top 5 best episodes of a generally solid Season 1 (even the weakest episodes are not bad at all). Would go as far to say that it is one of the high points of the whole show.
Can't find anything to fault "Murder Takes the Bus", suspending disbelief of the distance of the bus ride is such a nit-pick and is instantly forgettable when one is enjoying the episode so much.
It's a good-looking episode as always. Nicely shot and attractive fashions that makes one nostalgic for the 80s period (even to those who weren't even alive yet). The music has presence but also not making the mistake of over-scoring, while it is hard to forget or resist the theme tune.
The script is often charming and amiable, while the story is hugely compelling and suspenseful with lots of twists and an ingenious ending.
Angela Lansbury is terrific in one of her best remembered roles one of the roles that is most closely associated with me at any rate). Tom Bosley is good and Linda Blair, Rue McClanahan and Michael Constantine are particularly strong in support.
Overall, wonderful and one of the best. 10/10 Bethany Cox
- TheLittleSongbird
- Jul 16, 2017