The two-hour debut episode of Murder, She Wrote finds former substitute teacher Jessica Fletcher (Angela Lansbury) reluctantly thrust into the limelight when her first mystery novel, "The Corpse Danced at Midnight," becomes a best-seller. Invited to a costume ball held by her publisher, Jessica comes face to face with a genuine murder when guest Dexter Baxendale (Dennis Patrick), wearing a Sherlock Holmes costume, turns up dead. Suspicion immediately falls upon Jessica's nephew Grady (Michael Horton), forcing our heroine to turn sleuth herself. Throughout the story, the widowed Jessica must also wrestle with her growing attraction to handsome Preston Giles (Arthur Hill). Watch for future Murder, She Wrote semi-regular Herb Edelman in a role other than Lt. Artie Gelber, and also for a young Andy Garcia in a bit part as a tough guy. Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Genre: Mystery
- Category Detective Show [TV], Prime-Time Drama [TV]
- Theme: Amateur Sleuths
- Studio: Universal Studios
- Run Time: 18 hr 34 min
- Language: English
- Subtitle Language: English, French, Spanish
- Release Date: March 29, 2005
- Supporting Actor: Michael Horton, Ken Olfson, Jimmy Joyce, Hap Lawrence, David Byrd, Daniel Zippi, Andy Garcia, Anne Ramsey, Billie Hayes, Danny Wells, Dennis Patrick, Eddie Barth, Ellen Crawford, Howard Mann, Paddi Edwards, Russell Curry, Sallee Young, Stanley Brock, Raymond St. Jacques, Paula Victor, Larry McCormick, Kat Sawyer-Young, Jessica Browne, Jay Fenichel, Donald Elson, Brian Keith, Bert Convy, Herb Edelman, Anne Francis, Arthur Hill, Beau Starr, Cathey Paine, Dan Chambers, Freddye Chapman, John Hancock, Johnny Venocur, Joseph Perry, Ned Beatty, Richard Erdman, Rosanna Huffman
- Director: Corey Allen
