User Reviews

This time around, Jessica Fletcher (Angela Lansbury) pays a visit to dear cousin Abby Benton Freestone (Lynn Redgrave), a Trainer at the Langley Estate, in Greenville, Virginia.

Abby tends to the stable of horses for the fox hunt, as well as the forlorn canine, Teddy, who relishes her affection.

Members of the family consist of the widowed Denton Langley (Dan O'Herlihy) and his irresponsible offspring: eccentric daughter, Morgana Cramer (Cathryn Damon); semi-ambitious son, Spencer Langley (Jared Martin); carefree daughter, Trish Langley (Lenore Kasdorf); and Morgana's rebellious daughter, Echo Cramer (Cherie Currie).

Associates of the Langley clan include fellow fox hunter Tom Cassidy (Forrest Tucker), shrewd attorney Marcus Boswell (Dean Jones), complaisant Veterinarian (James Hampton), feuding neighbor Isaiah Potts (Gregory Walcott), and Security Guard Barnes (Sandy Ward).

And when a videotaped will reveals that Teddy, the family pet, is named as heir to the estate, this creates strong reaction, intense objection and fierce suspicion.

As the plot unfolds, we begin to observe that murders follow Jessica wherever she may visit, but here in Greenville, a horse and Teddy the canine become primary suspects, as Jessica investigates with Sheriff (Roger Miller), Deputy Will Roxie (Byron Cherry) and Greenville Coroner (Robert Cornthwaite), before whom she presents an elaborate demonstration at the inquest, with various suspects in attendance.

Hence, whether or not "It's a Dog's Life" remains to be seen.

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.

Although none of the episodes up to this point of Season 1 are bad, all are pretty good or more (especially the pilot episode "The Murder of Sherlock Holmes"), "It's a Dog's Life" is the weakest up to this point while still being decent. Again, neither Season 1 or 'Murder She Wrote' has reached its peak or best, is likable, light-hearted fun and the mystery had some interesting elements.

"It's a Dog's Life" has the second most obvious murderer to me up to this particular point in the season. After taking note of something that gave them away and put them at the scene of the murder, the guilty sign flashed nearly as much and nearly as badly as when the murderer gave themselves away in "Deadly Lady". Also when taking note of the suspects, their movements and motives, they also had the most to gain and to lose.

Have realised upon re-watching the show recently that I have never been a fan of the corny humorous dialogue at the end or the freeze frame photographs, "It's a Dog's Life" does nothing to change my mind. There are also a few too excessively long shots at times which pads things out a little too much.

On the other hand, it is a good-looking episode. Very nicely shot with attractive locations and fashions. 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 writing is charmingly light-hearted, gently amiable and down to earth but provokes thought too. The mystery is straightforward, if somewhat formulaic, and compelling, with one of the strangest but cleverest murders of the whole show involving a gate and, despite the identity of the murderer being obvious, the final solution like the motives and how it was all done was clever. It was fun to see everything come together and how Jessica did her sleuthing to solve the case.

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), and Lynn Redgrave brings a lot of class and charm. To me, however, the dog Teddy steals the show, so adorable, beautifully trained and fun to watch.

Overall, good. 7/10 Bethany Cox

Jessica pays a visit to her niece Abby, who lives and works as a horse trainer on the wealthy estate of Denton Langley. To celebrate his eightieth birthday, friends and his loathsome family set off on a hunt, but as they progress, a serious accident occurs.

As a story it is totally preposterous, far fetched, but it somehow works, the whole Teddy is a murderer is laughable, but it adds to the lighter tone of the episode. Gorgeous production values in this episode it was beautifully made.

Abby is a great character, Lynn Redgrave is excellent. As for Morgana and Echo, they're both ridiculous, pretty much caricatures. Echo's hairstyles are pretty hilarious.

The dog is adorable, a better actor then some on the episode.

7/10

While visiting a friend in the South, Jessica discovers that backstabbing among family members is pretty common when her host is found dead and has left his estate to his beloved dog as a result. Furious about getting nothing, the man's family begin looking for a way to break the will in an attempt to get their hands on his money. When the dog's caretaker is found dead and the dog appears to be the likely culprit, Jessica begins to suspect that the jilted heirs are working together to get what they think is theirs.

An eccentric cast of suspects, a dog accused of murder, a ghost rising up from the floor and all the money going to a dog! With the above, the humour is rightly present but so is the mystery. Jessica figures it all out at the end. Above average episode.

"It's a Dog's Life" is an enjoyable but bad episode of "Murder, She Wrote". In fact, up until this episode, the shows were very good...but this one, logically, just isn't particularly effective. So why is it STILL enjoyable? Well, it's awfully funny.

The story is set at an estate where a rich old guy and all his rich friends are going on a fox hunt. However, during the hunt, the old man's horse goes nuts and ends up killing him.

Later, the family gathers for the reading of the will and it's soon obvious they are a terrible lot. Apparently, however, the old guy knew this and left a videotaped will...in which he gives them almost none of his $15,000,000 estate. Instead, his beloved dog Teddy is the recipient! However, WHO killed the old man? And, soon one of the family members dies...and you wonder who the murderer might be. Of course, Jessica Fletcher just happens to be there and she is able to sort through the tangled web of lies and clues.

The two murders are VERY complicated and the first one, in particular, is very imprecise and easily could have led to no death at all. As for the second killing, well it's ridiculously improbable. What also makes it a bad episode (relative to the prior ones) is the one daughter...the one interested in astrology and all things 'flaky'. She is VERY broadly written...too broadly written to be realistic. Instead of introducing her weirdness in a subtle manner, EVERYTHING she says is goofy...and seems like a caricature instead of a character.

As for the humor...well there is a lot to make you laugh (such as seeing the dog in jail!)...perhaps enough that you won't notice all the logical errors.

I suppose most audiences are going to go "Aaaaaaaah!" whenever the dog appears. But I am dog proof. I don't have the dog-soppiness gene. I just waited for the humans and horses to come back on.

The episode starts with a hunt about to go off and tear a defenceless fox to bits. They bring the audience up to speed by calling each other "brother dear" in sarcastic tones. When not going "Aaaah!" over a dog, are we supposed to go "Oooh!" over the habits of the aristocracy?

The only one of the no-good family who's at all convincing is Echo, a kind of proto-punk. Her mother, Morgana, is the worst New Age flake I have seen in any movie or TV show. She talks as if she was drugged, or very stupid.

Lynn Redgrave is present as a horse trainer, using a fake posh English voice. Or are her lines dubbed? Surely not.

If you're impressed by archaic hunting rituals and the unspeakable in pursuit of the uneatable, and go all gooey whenever a dog appears on the scene, this is one for you.

What DID happen to all the millions in the end?

I was completely disappointed that Angela Lansbury would promote foxhunting, a brutal and inhumane sport of the rich and heartless.