Episode
Hardcastle and McCormick: The Day the Music Died
Overview
While driving through Arizona on his way home from Las Vegas, Mark is surprised to hear the voice of Nick Damion, a rock deejay he idolized in his youth, on local radio station KKSB. Back in California, Hardcastle is working on a dedication for the Pioneers of Music Hall of Fame Museum. Hearing that the Museum needs a master of ceremonies, Mark suggests Nick Damion. Returning to Arizona, Hardcastle and McCormick try to learn something from Jeannine Alexander, KKSB's manager. After helping Damion, who has been using the alias of Joe Cross, out of a fake drug charge, Mark convinces the deejay to return with him to California. Trying to find out why someone tried to frame Damion (as well as why the deejay originally went into hiding), Hardcastle begins to investigate Kello Records, a company that had received a great deal of air time in the deejay's old radio show. At the same time, Damion, who had gone into hiding after discovering that music executive Joe Kello had killed a singer named Danny Phillips to cover up a payola scheme, realizes that he needs to go public with the story. Hardcastle's investigation proves partially unnecessary for the case is resolved when Damion publicly accuses Kello at the Museum dedication. Afterwards, Damion is shocked to discover that Hardcastle has uncovered proof that Jeannine is working with Kello. As the series' penultimate episode ends, Damion gets a new deejay job at a Los Angeles station.
Details
- Series
- Hardcastle and McCormick
- Season
- Season 3
- Episode
- Episode 21
- Air date
- 1986-03-31
- Runtime
- 60 min
Episode context
The Day the Music Died is Episode 21 in Season 3 of Hardcastle and McCormick. It aired on 1986-03-31. The runtime is 60 min.
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Episode 20: In the Eye of the Beholder
In a change of pace episode, Mark begins to believe that Leprechauns are burying gold on the estate. Ignoring Mark's outrageous claims, Hardcastle concentrates on preparing the estate for an upcoming magazine contest. After Benny, Mark's mechanic, is assaulted by a group of men for information about a group of little people, Hardcastle admits that there may be some truth to Mark's Leprechaun story. That night, Mark and Hardcastle set a trap for the "Leprechauns". The trap works and Hardcastle captures the men who have been hanging around his estate. As the judge discovers, however, the little people are not Leprechauns but rather circus performers. Confronting the performers about why they are hiding out, Cluracan, the groups leader, explains that they are fleeing from communist agents that want to return them to their home country as well as Marvin, a circus promoter that had promised their services to Circus Maximus. As for the mysterious gold, Cluracan reveals that it is his family's money. The next day, communist agent Ivan and his men come to the estate disguised as employees of Ladies Garden Monthly, the magazine sponsoring the contest Hardcastle has entered. At the same time, Marvin and his men sneak onto the estate. With the circus performer's help, Hardcastle and McCormick manage to stop the agents as well as Marvin and his men. Later, Mark's continued suspicion that Cluracan's group are secretly Leprechauns seems to be confirmed when a rainbow leads to a mysteriously repaired Coyote.
Episode 22: A Chip Off the Ol' Milt
As the final episode begins, Mark, who has secretly begun attending law school, is offered a paralegal job by Kenneth Malcolm, one of his professors. Meanwhile, Hardcastle, realizing that Mark's parole is up, decides to buy a car repair business, as a surprise gift for his friend. Upon hearing about Mark's job offer, Hardcastle, not wanting to stand in his friend's way, lies and tells his friend that he bought the company for himself. For his first assignment at law firm Malcolm, Hughes and Dewitt, Mark is asked to reclaim the possessions of Elsey, a resident of the Sunset Acres Retirement Home. Arriving at the home, Mark makes the acquaintance of Mimi LeGrand, a retired actress. Immediately liking Mimi, Mark is more than willing to comply when the former actress asks him to open a bank account for her. To Mark's surprise, he discovers that someone has already opened an account in Mimi's name. Concerned, Mark decides to go to Hardcastle for help. Before the two men are able to really learn anything in the case, they end up in jail as a result of a mistake made by Leroy, Hardcastle's assistant at the car company. While awaiting their release, Hardcastle decides to tell his friend the truth about why he bought the company. In response, Mark reveals that he has been going to law school in an attempt to follow in his friend's footsteps. Once released, Hardcastle and McCormick discover evidence that Malcolm and resident home manager Leonard Porter have been killing the residents and stealing their money. (They were able to move the money by secretly creating bank accounts in the seniors' names.) Armed with sufficient evidence, the crime fighting duo stop Malcolm and Porter. Despite the fall of his professor, Mark vows to continue attending law school. After selling the car business, Hardcastle makes a generous bet with Mark: If the ex-race car driver can beat him in a game of basketball, the judge will pay the law school bill. Due in the most part to Hardcastle's generosity, Mark wins the game.
More episodes from this season
Episode 19: Poker Night
When Mark gets a date with a woman named Debbie Pledger, Hardcastle has to find a new player for poker night. To the judge's regret, Judge Mattie Groves, Lieutenant Frank Harper, and bailiff Charlie Masaryk, the other poker players, arrange to have Assistant District Attorney Freddie "Bummer" Bumgarner, a man Hardcastle despises, join them for the game. Meanwhile, a nearby liquor store is robbed. Needing a place to hide, robbers Tommy Kitchens, Crazy Horse and Joey Britton flee to Hardcastle's estate. Entering the judge's house, the robbers quickly take the poker players hostage. The situation worsens when they discover Frank is a cop and shoot him. Arriving at the main house to get some wine, Mark learns about the hostage situation. With some help from Frank, who was left in one of the bedrooms, Mark prepares a trap for the robbers. Thanks to an uncharacteristic heroic act on Freddie's part, Mark is able to successfully implement his plan and capture Tommy and his men.
Episode 18: McCormick's Bar and Grill
After winning a Los Angeles area bar in a poker game, Sonny Daye, Mark's barely seen father, decides to run it with his son. With some financial help from the judge, Mark and his father prepare to reopen the bar as "McCormick's Bar and Grill". Meanwhile, Teddy Peters, the man who lost the bar to Sonny, is ordered to recover the bar by Doyle Madison, a reputed mobster. Despite an excessive cash offer from Teddy, Sonny, having given the bar to Mark, refuses to sell back the bar. Not willing to accept no for an answer, Teddy has his men rough up Sonny. After Teddy is killed in a drive-by shooting, Hardcastle realizes that there is more to the bar than meets the eye. Searching the bar, they discover that the mob has been burying bodies on the premises. Hoping to tie the bar back to Doyle, Hardcastle has Sonny arrange a meeting with the mobster. Taking the bait, Doyle makes a move to regain the bar. With the help of a bar full of police officers, Hardcastle and McCormick arrest Doyle and his men. Afterwards, the police impound the bar as evidence and Sonny, Hardcastle and McCormick are forced out of the restaurant business.
Episode 17: Round Up the Old Gang
Cleaning out his shed, Hardcastle comes across an old trophy belonging to Teddy Hendrix, his college roommate. Deciding to visit Teddy, who is now a basketball coach, Hardcastle walks into an attempted kidnapping. Since Teddy flees the scene before he has a chance to confront him, the judge visits his old friend's wife. Thanks to Fran Hendrix, Hardcastle discovers that Teddy has been having a disagreement with a man named Roy Barlow. Realizing that his best chance of solving his problems lays with the judge, Teddy decides to tell Hardcastle about how he has been fixing basketball games. Agreeing to help his friend come clean, Hardcastle arranges a meeting between Teddy and the district attorney's office. Before Teddy can testify, Fran, who has secretly joined forces with Barlow, lures her husband into a trap. Meanwhile, Fran also helps Barlow capture Hardcastle. Thanks to Mark and their old basketball team buddies, Hardcastle and Teddy are rescued. Additionally, Mark and the former team members capture Fran and Barlow.
Episode 16: Brother, Can You Spare a Crime?
After 10 years, the judge is paid a visit by his brother Jerry. Suspicious, Hardcastle begins to wonder when his brother, a habitual gambler, will ask him for money. Although he decides not to tell his brother, Jerry is in fact in debt to a hood named Manny. Hoping to find a way to get out of debt, Jerry decides to bet on the outcome of a high profile murder trial. Thanks to Judge Sheila Mooney, one of his brother's friends, Jerry gets all the particulars about the case in which model Tori Van Zandt is on trial for killing Harland Eagle, her fiancee. After a private investigator named Horace Munson provides Tori with a convenient alibi, Jerry is confronted by Manny about his debt. Drawn into the Van Zandt case by his brother's involvement, Hardcastle begins to look into the case. Searching Munson's office, Hardcastle discovers that the private investigator, who has since been murdered, lied in court. Hoping to incriminate Tori, Hardcastle publicizes the fact that he has evidence in the case. As expected, Tori tries to kill the judge and the police gather the proof they need to convict her. At the same time, the police also arrest Mooney.
Episode 15: When I Look Back On All the Things
Questioning his maturity, Mark decides to trade in the Coyote for a more conservative car. To his surprise, his credit application is rejected due to an $18,000 default. Investigating, Mark discovers that his name was used in a real estate deal put together by Melinda Marshall, the girlfriend that had helped put him in prison. (As revealed in a flashback sequence, Mark, having foolishly placed his car in Melinda's name for insurance purposes, was arrested for stealing his own car.) Hoping to clear his credit record, Mark pays a visit on Melinda. Confronted by Mark, Melinda reveals that she had faked the real estate contract in order to win a car. When someone tries to steal the car Melinda won, Hardcastle realizes that there is something more going on than a simple real estate deal. Hearing that Melinda works for Ted Rubin, a man in his files, Hardcastle realizes that the real estate company is running a land fraud scram. Realizing that there is probably something hidden in Melinda's car, Hardcastle and McCormick conduct a search. As a result, they discover valuable stamps in the car and learn how Rubin has been transferring his money. Although Rubin arrives at the estate ready for a fight, he is captured thanks to the timely intervention of the FBI agents that had been investigating him. [During this episode, both Mark and Hardcastle have extremely subjective recollections of Mark's original trial.
Episode 14: Hardcastle for Mayor
As the episode begins, wealthy businessman J.J. Norcross asks Hardcastle to run for mayor. Meanwhile, after city councilman Herb Austin goes head-to-head with Mann over a parks bill, a bomb explodes in the councilman's office and Austin is killed. Despite his campaign staffs assistance that he concentrate only on the election, the judge decides to look into Mann's murder. Deciding to help the judge, Mark sneaks into Mann's office and locates a map of possible park development sites. Checking out one of the marked locations, Hardcastle and McCormick discover an illegal toxic waste dump. Pursuing their investigation, Hardcastle and McCormick uncover proof that Mann had been bribed to change the site of the new park so as to cover up the illegal dumping. When Birdy Fletcher, the site's guard, asks to see him, Hardcastle realizes that he is probably being set up. As expected, Norcross, the mastermind behind the illegal operation tries to kill the judge. To Norcross' horror, a prepared Hardcastle and McCormick, turn the tables and close down the operation. In the process, Hardcastle discovers that Norcross only back his mayoral campaign so as to split the votes and give Mann the advantage. Later, although Hardcastle loses the election, he takes some comfort in the fact that Gilmore will most likely do a good job.
Episode 13: If You Could See What I See
Not wanting to continue cleaning up the estate, Mark hires Millie Denton, his former prison cellmate's widow, as a maid. Meanwhile, Hardcastle begins looking into the suspicious death of a lawyer named Charlie Clarkson. Taking over Charlie's practice, Hardcastle interviews Loni Summers, a model that had previously hired Charlie to handle her divorce. Discovering the divorce is now off, Hardcastle checks into the background of actor Dex Falcon, Loni's husband. Investigating, the judge discovers that Falcon had secretly been receiving millions of dollars from an attorney named Wendell Price. In the meantime, Millie, who claims to be a psychic, has a vision of Mark's murder. Ignoring Millie's warning, Mark proceeds with the case. To Mark's regret, he is captured by Price, shot and left for dead. Thanks to Millie, Hardcastle locates Mark in time to save his life. Next, based on the evidence Mark had gathered, Hardcastle and the police, having already taken Falcon into custody, movie in and arrest Price. As the episode ends, Millie, shaken up by her visions, decides to quit and move in with her sister.
Episode 12: Duet for Two Wind Instruments
When the courts discover that a convicted felon named Randy Hopke had been defended by an incompetent lawyer, the original ruling is overturned and all charges are dropped. Hopke's release quickly prompts an argument between the judge and Mark. Hardcastle, having presided over the case, insists that, as originally determined, Hopke is guilty of assaulting his girlfriend Val Mickaelian. On the other hand, Mark, having known Hopke from when he was in prison, insists that the judge made a mistake. The two men, each hoping to prove they are right, set out to prove their respective positions. In the process of their investigations, both Hardcastle and McCormick realize that they are both wrong: While they learn that Hopke did not actually assault Val, they also discover that the released prisoner had planned the assault and was willing to serve a limited prison sentence to cover-up the fact that he had committed a murder during a diamond store heist. Theorizing that Val is probably working with Hopke, Hardcastle and McCormick follow her. As expected, she leads them to Hopke as well as the stolen merchandise. After an unusual "bus" chase, Hopke is captured and the case is finally resolved.
Episode 11: Conventional Warfare
In an unusual coincidence, a judge's convention is scheduled at the same hotel as a major mob meeting. Unable to do anything about the mobsters (as they have not been caught breaking any laws), Hardcastle instead concentrates on his nomination for a lifetime achievement award. For some extra insurance, Hardcastle pulls strings and has himself put in what he considers to be a lucky room. Actually, Hardcastle ends up in a room originally assigned to a hitman. That night, believing the assassin is in the judge's room, someone leaves a suitcase containing a rifle and a picture of mobsters Don Ferris and Sid Storm. Before Hardcastle can show the police, he is ambushed and the suitcase is taken. Hardcastle, unable to provide the police with any evidence, decides to visit Ferris. Although the mobsters are initially unwilling to believe the judge, they change their mind after Sid is murdered. Establishing an uneasy alliance, Ferry and Hardcastle put together the clues and realize that the hitman is a man named Lee Orlando. Reviewing Orlando's' recent history, Hardcastle discovers that the hitman has a connection with "Bucky" O'Neil, his main rival for the judge's award. Analyzing Bucky's court records, Hardcastle uncovers evidence that his rival has been fixing trials for the mob. Meanwhile, Ferris learns that Hardcastle is the assassin's next target. Due in part to the unorthodox teaming of Mark and the mob, Orlando is stopped and Hardcastle captures Bucky. Afterwards, Hardcastle, who does not win the judge's award, finds himself the unlikely recipient of an award from Ferris and the mob.
Episode 10: Mirage a Trois
Innocently given a friendly kiss by a woman named Aleeya "Ali" Casir, Mark unwittingly falls into the middle of a major international incident: Assuming that Mark is the American his daughter has been living with, Sheik Abdullah Casir, Ali's father and the leader of an oil rich mid-eastern country, decides to take whatever steps are necessary to protect his son's honor. As a result, Casir orders his Americanized daughter to marry Mark. Meanwhile, Hassan and Rabin, Casir's sons, begin to set up a drug dealing operation. Hoping to maintain friendly relations with Casir, the State department approaches Mark and "requests" that he marry Ali. Although Hardcastle tries to explain to Casir that Biff Anderson, Ali's real boyfriend, would be more than willing to take Mark's place, Casir, having already made an official announcement, is unwilling to change his plans. Forced to follow through with the wedding, Hardcastle, having learned about Casir's drug dealing sons, decides to use the ceremony as an opportunity to expose Hassan and Rabin. Confronted with his sons' guilt, an angered Casir vows to spare himself grief by staying out of his children's lives. As such, the wedding is canceled. Later, Mark is amused to hear that Ali has left Biff to marry a 35 year old television executive.