When the Bough Breaks (1986 film)
When the Bough Breaks is a 1986 television film directed by Waris Hussein and starring Ted Danson. The screenplay by Phil Penningroth was adapted from Jonathan Kellerman's 1985 novel of the same name. Danson, who also co-produced, plays the crime-solving forensic psychologist Alex Delaware, a character who appears in a series of novels by Kellerman. Plot 
In the opening scenes, which provide background, Alex Delaware, a prominent Los Angeles child psychologist, had testified for the prosecution in the arraignment of an accused child molester, whose victims he had been treating. To the distress of families of the victims, the defendant was released on bail. Soon after, arriving at his office, Alex had found the defendant dead, apparently by suicide. Shaken, and burned out in his profession, the doctor had moved to the mountains outside of L.A., taking an early retirement. Months later, as our story begins, a police detective friend, Milo Sturgis, comes to Alex for help in a criminal investigation. A man and a woman have been murdered in an apartment complex. A little girl named Melody Quinn, who lives in an apartment nearby with her mother, may have witnessed the killings, but is so disturbed by the event that she can't remember much. Milo asks Alex to question her, hoping he can get information without further traumatizing the child. He agrees. The story proceeds with Alex Delaware becoming increasingly drawn into investigating, and gradually uncovering, unsuspected major criminal activity, involving many perpetrators and victims. Cast 
 Ted Danson as Alex Delaware
 Richard Masur as Milo Sturgis
 Rachel Ticotin as Raquel Santos
 James Noble as Dr. Warren Towle
 Kim Miyori as Kim Hickle
 Merritt Butrick as Tim Kruger
 David Huddleston as Vicar McCaffey
 Charles Lane as Van der Graaf
 Scott Paulin as Rick
 Deborah Harmon as Lisa

Reception
A 1986 New York Times review said that, after a "properly taut start", "the solution to the mystery becomes apparent early on and that leaves the movie...tumbling rapidly into ever more unbelievable situations". Jeff Jarvis of People magazine called When the Bough Breaks "a nice, tight, tense little murder mystery" with "some neatly shocking scenes". References

External links

1986 films
1986 thriller films
Films based on American novels
American thriller television films
American drama television films
NBC network original films
Films directed by Waris Hussein
Films scored by Paul Chihara
1986 drama films
1980s American films
American mystery television films