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.
"Film Flam" is not just the best episode since "Murder By Twos" but it is also one of the best episodes of Season 11. Was starting to lose faith in the season and 'Murder She Wrote' in general, with "Murder in High C" and "Twice Dead" being such a let down, but "Film Flam" thankfully restored that faith. It's not quite a 'Murder She Wrote' high-point or one of the show's classics, not because there is anything specifically wrong with it but just like it's one of those episodes that lacks the extra something.
It is lovely seeing Kim Darby and John Astin making appearances since the first and second seasons respectively, and both are good, very good even. Their character screen time, especially Astin, is not particularly large though and one does wish they were in the episode more. The victim also could have been slightly more developed.
Angela Lansbury is terrific as always, and "Film Flam" is unusually uniformly well-cast for Season 11. Seeing Jim Caviezel so young in a very early role was interesting.
The mystery is clever and atmospheric, with a unusually, for Season 11, surprising identity for the person behind the goings on. This was also refreshing after the obvious denouements of the previous episodes. The energy is apparent throughout and is great and the past and present crimes were handled well.
Production values are slick and stylish with a very atmospheric foggy setting in places. The music has energy and 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 thoughtful and amiable, and it is one of not many latter season episodes to harken back to the spirit of the early seasons.
Overall, very good. 8/10 Bethany Cox