Well, I've made no secret here of loving MURDER SHE WROTE. The last few years were lame and repetitive (after over 200+ episodes, most shows are), but she did excellent work in those first few years.
I think she gave her most touching performance as Jessica in "The Last Flight of the Dixie Damsel." Her late husband's downed plane from the Korean War is discovered in Alaska with a dead body on board. Evidence seems to point to husband Frank as the killer, and Jessica must move heaven and earth to prove he wasn't the murderer with no help at all from either former or current Air Force brass. She gets to be tender, angry, and extremely emotional in defending her husband's honor. She should have won one of those 12 Emmys she was nominated for this series for this performance.