McBride: It's Murder, Madam
6.7/10 · 360 ratings20052hWeirdness 5/10
Where to watch
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The premise
A naive country girl believes she was hired to only have dinner with a man. When he propositions her, she goes back to confront her boss only to find her murdered and is accused of killing her.
How unusual is it?
Middle of the road, with a twist — mistaken identity keeps it from being totally by-the-book.
A rare specific
Tap to find the other Hallmark movies that share it.
Who’s in it
You’ve seen this pairing before: John Larroquette and Marta DuBois have made 10 Hallmark movies together.
Behind the camera
ShowHide
Directed by
Written by
Wait, what?
The quirks and curveballs that make this one a little weirder than your average Hallmark. No spoilers, promise.
- The plot centers heavily on a high-end prostitution ring and blackmail, which is unusually gritty for Hallmark.
- The killer buys a Jack Russell Terrier specifically to bite her in the same spot where the victim bit her to create an alibi for the wound.
- A 'Christmas CD' is used as a high-tech encryption device for a madam's ledger.
- The protagonist's dog, Jesse, is trained to stack sticks in neat piles.
Every trope, all in one place
Here’s everything this one has going on, from the setting to the way it wraps up. Tap any of the 20 to find more movies that do the same thing.
Time & season2
Characters7
Tone & quirks1
How it all plays out
Already seen it, or just can’t wait? Open this up for the whole story, ending included.
Full story (spoilers)
The film opens with defense attorney McBride winning a case by proving an eyewitness cannot distinguish between his client and his associate. Meanwhile, Marilyn Fletcher arrives in Los Angeles from Nebraska, seeking her friend Natalie. She is directed to Heather Bronson, who she believes runs a legitimate escort service for actors. Heather sets Marilyn up on a 'dinner date' with Harold Paxton, which turns into an attempted assault. Marilyn escapes and goes to the police, then returns to Heather's home to confront her, only to find Heather murdered. Marilyn is arrested at the scene. McBride's friend in the police department, Roberta, asks him to represent Marilyn, believing the girl is too innocent to be a killer. McBride and his associate Phil Newberry begin investigating Heather's life and discover she was running a high-end call girl ring and blackmailing her clients. They find encrypted emails on Heather's computer addressed to 'Nero237', 'Untouched1', and 'Heartthrob'. These leads take them to Mayor Joe Theodore (whose wife was a former employee of Heather's), champion boxer Luis Escobar, and TV star Chad Foster. While all had motives due to blackmail, McBride begins to suspect Victoria Sawyer, a wealthy philanthropist who claimed to be Heather's mentor. McBride discovers a secret compartment in Heather's armoire containing cash and a 'Christmas' CD that actually contains a digital ledger of Heather's business. In the courtroom, McBride systematically dismantles the prosecution's case. He calls Victoria Sawyer to the stand and reveals that she was actually Heather's silent partner and mentor in the prostitution business. When Heather began blackmailing Victoria, a struggle ensued. McBride points out a bandage on Victoria's hand, which she claimed was a bite from her new Jack Russell Terrier. McBride produces evidence that Victoria bought the dog the day after the murder specifically to cover up a human bite mark left by Heather during the fatal struggle. Victoria breaks down, Marilyn is acquitted, and McBride returns to his dog, Jesse, while Roberta reveals she is dating the prosecutor, Norman Collins.
Beat by beat
Opening
Marilyn Fletcher arrives in LA and is unwittingly recruited into Heather Bronson's escort service, leading to a traumatic 'date' and the discovery of Heather's body.
Inciting Incident
Marilyn is arrested for Heather's murder; Roberta convinces McBride to take the case despite Marilyn's lack of ties to the community.
Midpoint
McBride and Phil hack Heather's computer and discover she was blackmailing a Mayor, a boxer, and a TV star.
Investigation
McBride finds a hidden CD ledger in a secret armoire compartment that identifies Heather's 'silent partner'.
Climax
In court, McBride exposes Victoria Sawyer as the killer by proving she bought a dog to mask a human bite mark on her hand.
Resolution
Marilyn is found not guilty and returns to Nebraska, while McBride learns his romantic interest, Roberta, is dating his rival.
Did you know?
A few things that make this one stand out once you stack it up against every other Hallmark movie.
At 2 hours it's a genuine epic by Hallmark standards — only about 58 of their movies run two hours or longer.
20 tropes in one movie
We counted 20 distinct Hallmark tropes packed into this one — a genuine greatest-hits reel.
How it stacks up
Where this one’s rating lands against every other rated Hallmark movie.
Higher-rated than 70% of every rated Hallmark movie. The median is 6.4.
Where this one fits
The corners of the catalog McBride: It's Murder, Madam belongs to — handy if you’re after more of the same.
McBridePart of the 10-film McBride series.Lines worth quoting
The lines that stuck with us — the ones you’ll be repeating after the credits roll.
“Big and beautiful doesn't necessarily mean a whole lot in this town.”
— McBrideDiscussing Heather Bronson's house and lifestyle with Marilyn. “Why would you tell me your dog bit you, before you even bought it?”
— McBrideThe 'gotcha' moment in court when exposing Victoria Sawyer's lie. “I'm a businesswoman, who's a little bit short on liquid assets these days.”
— Heather BronsonExplaining her blackmail motives to the Mayor's wife.
Meet the characters
Who’s who before you press play. Nothing here gives the ending away.
McBride
LeadDefense Attorney / Former Cop
TenaciousUnconventionalObservantDog-loverRoberta Hansen
Love interestPolice Detective
Friend and romantic interest
ProfessionalIntuitiveIndependentVictoria Sawyer
AntagonistPhilanthropist / Silent Partner
Adversary in court
ManipulativeSophisticatedHypocriticalMarilyn Fletcher
SupportingAspiring Actress
Client
NaiveInnocentSmall-townLeft-handedPhil Newberry
SupportingLegal Associate / Tech Expert
Partner/Associate
EagerTech-savvyAllergic
Questions people ask about McBride: It's Murder, Madam
Where can I watch McBride: It's Murder, Madam?
McBride: It's Murder, Madam is available via YouTube TV, UP Faith & Family Apple TV Channel, and UP Faith & Family Amazon Channel . Streaming options change often, so check current availability before settling in.
How long is McBride: It's Murder, Madam?
McBride: It's Murder, Madam runs about 2 hours, and was released in 2005.
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