Storyline

Murder Call was an Australian television series, created by Hal McElroy for the Southern Star Entertainment and seen on the Nine Network between 1997 and 2000. The idea to the series was born by the books of Tessa Vance by Jennifer Rowe: Suspect/Deadline and Something Wicked. Both books were integrated as episodes in the TV series. The series dealt with the cases confronted by an unconventional team of homicide detectives, Tessa Vance and Steve Hayden.

First Aired

1997-08-11
Last Aired

2000-10-09
Creator
Genre

Drama
Seasons

3
Episodes

56
Status

Ended
Language

English
Network

Nine Network

Keywords:

australia murder investigation homicide detective

Stream and watch Murder Call

Season 1

Season 2

Season 3

1. Ashes to Ashes

A man out for an early morning surf gets more than he bargained for when surf blows a corpse out of th...More

A man out for an early morning surf gets more than he bargained for when surf blows a corpse out of the water and into his face. It appears to be a routine investigation, natural causes being indicated... but complications arise when Tessa and Steve find they cannot identify the victim, and no-one steps forward to claim him. Surely someone should be missing a well-groomed man in his fifties?Less

60mins 1997-08-11

2. The Burial

Late night. A voice recites limericks on a moonlit beach. Suddenly, all goes quiet. A grey dawn, and a...More

Late night. A voice recites limericks on a moonlit beach. Suddenly, all goes quiet. A grey dawn, and a dog and its owner, the stern Major Richter, make a gruesome discovery - a human head attached to the very dead body of Adrian McCafferty who is buried up to his neck under the sand. Adrian drowned when the tide came in and covered him. Tessa and Steve learn that there was a beach party last night. Adrian was buried as part of a joke. Is his death simply a stupid party prank gone wrong, or is there something more sinister to discover?Less

60mins 1997-08-18

3. Cat and Mouse

Wheelchair bound Spinner congratulates himself on finishing a piece of artwork by pouring a cold beer ...More

Wheelchair bound Spinner congratulates himself on finishing a piece of artwork by pouring a cold beer and logging on to his favourite internet games forum. His pleasure is short lived, however, as a shadow falls across him and a lead pipe takes him out of the game... permanently. Tessa and Steve arrive on the scene to find the killer has taken the time to send the message ""Spinner Resigns"" over the internet to the victim's games partner. The murder takes on new importance when Dee reveals she knows the victim. While Dee tries to come to terms with her friend's murder, Steve and Tessa struggle to put together the pieces of the puzzle.Less

60mins 1997-08-25

4. Dead Clean

While investigating a series of bizarre murders, Steve and Tessa are drawn to the local community cent...More

While investigating a series of bizarre murders, Steve and Tessa are drawn to the local community centre, a drop in for former mental patients. With a handful of suspects, but no real clues, Steve and Tessa must race against the clock to find the killer before he strikes again.Less

60mins 1997-09-01

5. Who Killed Cock Robin?

To the outside world former football star Robin Cochrane was a picture of charm, but when he is found ...More

To the outside world former football star Robin Cochrane was a picture of charm, but when he is found poisoned by a chemical solvent, Tessa and Steve are forced to put together a picture of the not so pleasant private life of Robin Cochrane.Less

60mins 1997-09-08

6. Hot Shot

When Maddie Herman, a paparazzi photographer who made her living out of the gossip and innuendo of the...More

When Maddie Herman, a paparazzi photographer who made her living out of the gossip and innuendo of the lives of others is found murdered, Steve and Tessa have no shortage of suspects. But when the case takes a sudden twist, Steve and Tessa realise that someone is leading them on a merry chase, until the trail leads the team back to a very surprising suspect.Less

60mins 1997-09-15

7. Black Friday

Steve and Tessa are called in to solve the murder of Trevor Parkin, his body was found one Friday afte...More

Steve and Tessa are called in to solve the murder of Trevor Parkin, his body was found one Friday afternoon in a zoo - he was wearing a gorilla costum. The more they discover about the deceased, the deeper the mystery, and although all the witnesses are helpful, there is no suspect, and no clear motive..or is there?Less

60mins 1997-09-22

8. Last Stop

Abel Jago sits dead in an armchair before his valuable toy railway, on which the train of cars make th...More

Abel Jago sits dead in an armchair before his valuable toy railway, on which the train of cars make their rounds. The railway engineer left a short farewell letter to his wife Ellie before committing suicide. Tessa however soon has doubts about Jagos suicide and when the autopsy results come in, it is revealed he was poisoned with cyanide.Less

60mins 1997-09-29

9. Something Wicked

Tessa and Steve are confronted with a conspiracy of silence while investigating the death of a man wit...More

Tessa and Steve are confronted with a conspiracy of silence while investigating the death of a man with a history of abuse.Less

60mins 1997-10-06

10. Drop Dead Gorgeous

Steve and Tessa are baffled when former football star Wayne Pascall is found stabbed to death in a lif...More

Steve and Tessa are baffled when former football star Wayne Pascall is found stabbed to death in a lift, with a missing woman's handbag next to his body.Less

60mins 1997-10-13

11. Dead and Gone

When Krystyan Balzan is found dead at the bottom of the stairs in his house, Steve and Tessa believe h...More

When Krystyan Balzan is found dead at the bottom of the stairs in his house, Steve and Tessa believe he came home unexpectedly and disturbed a robbery in progress.Less

60mins 1997-10-20

12. Wages of Sin

Steve and Tessa investigate the death of a woman found in an area notorious for prostitutes. When they...More

Steve and Tessa investigate the death of a woman found in an area notorious for prostitutes. When they learn the woman was a pregnant nun and not a prostitute, their investigation takes a new turn.Less

60mins 1997-10-27

13. An Eye for an Eye

When a mummified body is found in an empty house, it is identified as that of Karen Diskin, the daught...More

When a mummified body is found in an empty house, it is identified as that of Karen Diskin, the daughter of police inspector Snowy Muldoon, who went missing two years earlier.Less

60mins 1997-11-03

14. Blood Heat

The brutal murder of a video store owner initially appears to be linked to a protest demonstration unt...More

The brutal murder of a video store owner initially appears to be linked to a protest demonstration until other suspects emerge.Less

60mins 1997-11-10

15. Fall From Grace

Tessa suspects an apparent suicide is really an elaborate scam designed to cover a woman's disappearan...More

Tessa suspects an apparent suicide is really an elaborate scam designed to cover a woman's disappearance.Less

60mins 1997-11-17

16. Heartstopper

When the general manager of a department store is found dead during the store's opening, the owner and...More

When the general manager of a department store is found dead during the store's opening, the owner and employees become the main suspects in the investigation. Steve is haunted by a face from his past, and Tessa pursues the case alone.Less