"Murder, She Wrote" Christopher Bundy - Died on Sunday (1986)

Director:

Peter Crane

Writers:

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

TV Series:

"Murder, She Wrote" (1984)

Original Air Date:

30 March 1986 (Season 2, Episode 19)

Genre:

Comedy | Crime | Drama | Mystery | Thriller

Plot:

Jessica is unhappy her nephew accountant Grady Fletcher's new employer is the publisher Christopher Bundy...

Plot Keywords:

Pool | Character Name In Title | Murder | Mystery Writer | Writing

Cast

Angela Lansbury	...	Jessica Fletcher
Bert Convy	...	Christopher Bundy
Robert Costanzo	...	Det. Lt. Greco
Bobby Di Cicco	...	Antonio D'Argento
Robert Hooks	...	Everett Charles Jensen
Michael Horton	...	Grady Fletcher
Alex Rocco	...	Bert Yardley
Robert Stack	...	Chester Harrison
Eric Server	...	Pete Morgan
Charles Sweigart	...	Uniformed Officer
Josh Gordon	...	Announcer
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Carol Lawrence	...	Rachel D'Argento
Katherine Moffat	...	Millicent Moore
Michelle Nicastro	...	Vanessa D'argento

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Goofs:

Crew or equipment visible: At the end scenes, Millicent is driving a red car and approaches Jessica, Chester and Grady. Crew members and lightning equipment are seen reflected in the car.

Will They Arrest Grady Fletcher On Monday?

This episode marks one of the final appearances by Bert Convy, star of stage, screen (since 1958) and television, and frequent game show host. Classic film and television star Robert Stack has also since passed.

Friday evening at his NYC office, ruthless investor Christopher Bundy (Bert Convy) gives publisher Chester Harrison (Robert Stack) an ultimatum via the telephone. Chester has 48 hours to repay the loan which Bundy has secured from his financial lender, or else Bundy would foreclose upon Chester's company.

Bert Yardley (Alex Rocco), Bundy's roguish Executive Assistant is on hand to share a knowing grin, as all fully realize that most financial institutions are closed between Friday afternoon and Monday morning anyway. Yardley does remind Bundy that "That Fletcher Woman" also left six telephone messages and awaits a response.

Bundy has purchased "Literary Line Magazine," which had contracted Jessica Fletcher (Angela Lansbury) to publish a mystery story. Jessica had agreed because her nephew Grady Fletcher (Michael Horton) currently works for the publication as a bookkeeper. But Christopher Bundy has since turned the periodical into a "girly" magazine, with his trademark array of scantily-clad female models, "to boost sales," much to Jessica's objections.

Saturday morning finds Grady's chauffeuring his Aunt Jessica to visit with relatives in Poughkeepsie, New York, approximately 45 miles north of NYC. The Bundy estate lies along a route between the cities, and so Jessica and Grady pay the publisher a visit and meet the Bundy household.

Rachel D'Argento (Carol Lawrence), the sister of Christopher Bundy, has been married twice. Her brother drove off the first husband and played a role in driving her second husband to suicide. Her two young adult children also abide on the family estate, Antonio D'Argento (Bobby Di Cicco) and Vanessa D'Argento (Michelle Nicastro).

Everett Charles Jensen (Robert Hooks) serves as the Bundy family servant; Pete Morgan (Eric Server) handles the estate's security system, complete with a panel of monitors to view the images taken from in-house surveillance cameras; Millicent Moore (Katherine Moffat) models for Bundy's magazines and lounges around the patio with Antonio, who expresses jealousy over Millicent and Grady's attention toward each other.

With Bert Yardley also near at hand, Christopher meets with Jessica in his library room, as Chester Harrison storms onto the premises. The smooth-talking Christopher promises them each overnight hospitality so that they may meet with his lawyers, who are anticipated to arrive the next morning.

Sunday morning at the Bundy estate, Christopher, Bert, Rachel, Antonio, Vanessa, Everett, and Grady are on the premises, when Chester speeds from its driveway, as Pete shows Jessica the downstairs surveillance system, when two gunshots are heard, fired from two floors above. When Jessica and Pete scurry up one staircase, they discover someone's tumbling down the next, and landing directly before them.

Panic and accusations sweep the household, as Dectective Lieutenant Greco (Robert Costanzo) and Uniformed Officer (Charles Sweigart) are summoned to investigate whether or not "Christopher Bundy Died On Sunday."