| Show HMIH I I Lansbury’s back on the case in a new ‘Murder She Wrote’ By JOHN CROOK TVData Features Syndicate Everyone's favorite amateur sleuth is back on the trail of a killer in “Murder She Wrote: A Story to Die For" a CBS movie premiering at 7 pm Thursday on KUTV Channel 2 Angela Lansbury reprises her role as Jessica Fletcher from the CBS series although this time she has an in Richard Crenna It's also a family affair with her son Anthony Shaw directing “This movie has been one of the swiftest jobs ever done for television I think" a somewhat breathless Lansbury says during a recent break in filming “We made it in a terrific hurry because CBS is so anxious to have it for the 8th of May Usually it takes much much longer than this to put a show like this together but I don't think it will suffer for being rushed" The movie finds Jessica scheduled to lecture at a writers conference where she runs into Warren Pierce (Crenna) an old friend and fellow author still grieving after the death of his journalist son Their reunion is disrupted however by the startling murder of Yuri Malenkovlch (Duncan Regehr) a Russiun dissident scheduled to talk about his recent book exposing the inner workings of the KGB Warren turns to Jessica for help after his young protegee (Kathryn Morris) is arrested and charged with the murder Jessica agrees to assist in the investigation but cautions Warren that she will ferret out the truth whatever it may be “I think the story line in this one is a bit g and more of sub- more TV hits of the late 1980s and early 1990s Lansbury's Jessica Fletcher was one of the tube's few leading characters of “a certain age" on regular display and the character's warm appeal crossed generations Reruns of the series are seen twice a day on A&E Network and fans still approach the actress as if she were Jessica herself long-runni- A-li- st Lansbury says “Unquestionably people come up to me feeling as if they know me that I'm a friend" she says and laughs ‘They've had me in their living rooms for years They know her parameters so to speak and they trust her They assume that Angela Lansbury is that person while in fact Angela Lansbury has hod to tailor herself to a certain degree (to live up to that image) "I don’t mean to suggest that I'm a hypocrite I'm not because I love all the good qualities of Jessica and I hope to God I have a few of them myself But I don't presume to be Jessica Fletcher in any way shape or form other than visually obvi- - co-st- ar 1 thought-provokin- Author lecturer and amateur sleuth Jessica Fletcher (Angela Lansbury) Is reunited with an old friend ana colleague (Richard Crenna) at awrlters conference disrupted by a homicide In "Murder She Wrote: A Stoty to Die For ” a CBS movie” ' premiering at 7 pm Thursday on KUTV Channel 2 ously” While more than two years have passed since Lansbury’s last “Murder” outing stance here than a simple murder story she says it's very easy to slip back into which enhances it in my mind” Lansbury this character latest Jessica’s adventure “I of think says u i “She is it presents Jessica in a far more human very deeply rooted in my psy iche so I don t have any trouble" she and real way which we didn’t often have explains “Occasionally if there is a new a chance to do in an hour Here we have person writing Jessica I will have to an opportunity to show her absolutely at shape and change certain attitudes or synher most interesting and compelling I' tax of lines to get back to what 1 know think" Jessica would be and sound like In this That's a tantalizing prospect for the milcase happily the writer had worked on lions of fans who turned “Murder She the show and knew Jessica and me very Wrote" into one of the most phenomenal well” ‘ Lead actress Emmy race a close call on Friday watch who wins By CANDACE HAVENS TVData Faalurta Syndicate She may not be nominated but Susan Lucci (Erica “All My Children") will make her presence known as host of “The 27th Annual Daytime Emmy Awards" at 8 pm Friday on KTVX Channel 4 The most interesting Emmy race this year is in the outstanding lead actress category With Lucci out of the running the door is left wide open for veteran nominee Kim Zimmer (Reva “Guiding Light”) The other nominees in the category are Finola Hughes (Alex “AMC") Susan Flannery (Stephanie "The Bold and the Beautiful") Hillary B Smith (Nora “One Life to Live”) Jeanne Cooper (Katherine “The Young and the Restless”) and Jess Walton (Jill “Y&R”) MAY 13 - 20 2000 Any one of these actresses could take home the trophy No actors on “As the World Turns" were nominated “Port Charles" "Sunset Beach” and “Passions" were also shut out In contrast “Y&R” has multiple actors nominated in every category The following is a list of nominees in a few of the top categories: Outstanding lead actor: David Canary (AdamStuart “AMC) Anthony Geary (Luke “General Hospital”) Robert S Woods (Bo “OLTL") Peter Bergman (Jack “Y&R") and Eric Braeden (Victor “Y&R”) Outstanding supporting actor: Steve Burton (Jason "GH”) Timothy Gibbs (Kevin “OLTL”) Christian LeBlanc (Michael ”Y&R”) Shemar Moore (Malcolm “Y&R”) and Kristoff St John Standard-Examin- er (Neil “Y&R") Outstanding supporting actress: Patrika Darbo (Nancy "Days of Our Lives”) Sarah Brown (Carly “GH") Nancy Grahn (Alexis “GH") Sharon Case (Sharon "Y&R”) and Tonya Lee Williams (Olivia “Y&R”) Outstanding young actor Jensen Ack-le- s (Eric “Days”) Jonathan Jackson ' (Lucky “GH") Bryant Jones (Nate “Y&R") David Lago (Raul "Y&R") Joshua Morrow (Nick “Y&R”) and David Tom (Billy "Y&R”) Outstanding young actress: Adrienne Frantz (Amber “B&B") Erin Torpey (Jessica "OLTL”) Ashley Jones (Megan “Y&R”) Heather Tom (Victoria “Y&R") and Camryn Grimes (Cassie “Y&R”) Outstanding daytime drama: “AMC” "GH” "OLTL” and “Y&R” 47 |
