This episode marks one of the last appearances of, and final television performance by Ina Balin, who has acted in film and on television since 1958. Bibi Besch has also unfortunately since passed.
Sonoma County, California, north of San Francisco, lies within the state's Wine Country region of grape arbors, and contains more than 250 wineries, one of these operated by the Gambini family for generations.
Widower Salvatore Gambini (Eli Wallach) oversees winery production while planning for the future without his family's concern for the business. But now a crime syndicate organization attempts to purchase the winery, which Salvatore intends to keep within the family.
Dedicated daughter Stella Gambini (Ina Balin) efficiently manages domestic responsibilities and is usually seen creating homemade meals from scratch.
Son Marco Gambini (John Saxon) assists his father with the business, while he nor his wife, Fiona Gambini (Bibi Besch), nor Salvatore nor Stella has much influence over Marco and Fiona's three irresponsible young adult children.
Paul Gambini (Thomas Byrd) aspires to play football and often travels with his team although currently on injured reserve to recuperate at the Gambini estate. He secretly meets with Stephen Ridgely (Robert O'Reilly) to plot a course of action when it is determined that a crime syndicate may target him for not yielding to demands to fix a game.
Tony Gambini (Billy Zane) acts very irresponsibly with his family's finances by gambling away not only his funds, but running the winery into debt because of his uncontrollable addition. Now that he owes large gabling debts, the mob also threatens him unless he is able to borrow large amounts from his grandfather to pay back in Lake Tahoe. Before he leaves that morning, Tony falls from a broken basement step, but survives his resulting injury.
Michele Gambini (Kristian Alfonso) has a career position in a San Francisco advertising agency, at which she befriends Ben Skyler (Grant Goodeve), who also has ties to organized crime, which he keeps from Michele in order to accompany her as a guest to the Gambini estate, to the dismay of her family, which questions her willingness to accept a string of unsuitable suitors.
To mark the occasion of the 75th anniversary of the birth of Salvatore Gambini, the family hosts a lavish reception, the invitation list of which includes old friend Jessica Fletcher (Angela Lansbury) and Police Chief Thaddius Kyle (Arlen Dean Snyder), who, amid the festivities, discuss Tony's "accident" from the broken basement step.
But the next morning, when a body is discovered in the basement, Jessica and Police Chief Thaddius Kyle investigate the murder, under the notion that at least three members of the Gambini family are sitting ducks as potential mob targets during this, "A Very Good Year for Murder."
The cast is rounded out by Paul Lyell as Guest #1, Jeff Albert as Guest #2, Rob Zapple as Deputy, and John Mooney as Doctor.
Extra points for the performances by Eli Wallach, Ina Balin, Bibi Besch and John Saxon.
Sonoma County, California, north of San Francisco, lies within the state's Wine Country region of grape arbors, and contains more than 250 wineries, one of these operated by the Gambini family for generations.
Widower Salvatore Gambini (Eli Wallach) oversees winery production while planning for the future without his family's concern for the business. But now a crime syndicate organization attempts to purchase the winery, which Salvatore intends to keep within the family.
Dedicated daughter Stella Gambini (Ina Balin) efficiently manages domestic responsibilities and is usually seen creating homemade meals from scratch.
Son Marco Gambini (John Saxon) assists his father with the business, while he nor his wife, Fiona Gambini (Bibi Besch), nor Salvatore nor Stella has much influence over Marco and Fiona's three irresponsible young adult children.
Paul Gambini (Thomas Byrd) aspires to play football and often travels with his team although currently on injured reserve to recuperate at the Gambini estate. He secretly meets with Stephen Ridgely (Robert O'Reilly) to plot a course of action when it is determined that a crime syndicate may target him for not yielding to demands to fix a game.
Tony Gambini (Billy Zane) acts very irresponsibly with his family's finances by gambling away not only his funds, but running the winery into debt because of his uncontrollable addition. Now that he owes large gabling debts, the mob also threatens him unless he is able to borrow large amounts from his grandfather to pay back in Lake Tahoe. Before he leaves that morning, Tony falls from a broken basement step, but survives his resulting injury.
Michele Gambini (Kristian Alfonso) has a career position in a San Francisco advertising agency, at which she befriends Ben Skyler (Grant Goodeve), who also has ties to organized crime, which he keeps from Michele in order to accompany her as a guest to the Gambini estate, to the dismay of her family, which questions her willingness to accept a string of unsuitable suitors.
To mark the occasion of the 75th anniversary of the birth of Salvatore Gambini, the family hosts a lavish reception, the invitation list of which includes old friend Jessica Fletcher (Angela Lansbury) and Police Chief Thaddius Kyle (Arlen Dean Snyder), who, amid the festivities, discuss Tony's "accident" from the broken basement step.
But the next morning, when a body is discovered in the basement, Jessica and Police Chief Thaddius Kyle investigate the murder, under the notion that at least three members of the Gambini family are sitting ducks as potential mob targets during this, "A Very Good Year for Murder."
The cast is rounded out by Paul Lyell as Guest #1, Jeff Albert as Guest #2, Rob Zapple as Deputy, and John Mooney as Doctor.
Extra points for the performances by Eli Wallach, Ina Balin, Bibi Besch and John Saxon.