Murder, She Wrote
Murder, She Wrote | |
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Genre | Crime drama Detective fiction |
Created by | |
Starring | |
Theme music composer | John Addison |
Country of origin | United States |
Original language | English |
No.of seasons | 12 |
No.of episodes | 264 (+ 4 TV movies)(list of episodes) |
Production | |
Executive producers |
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Running time |
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Production companies |
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Original release | |
Network | CBS[3] |
Release | September 30, 1984 May 19, 1996 | –
Related | |
Murder, She Wroteis an Americancrime dramatelevision series, created byPeter S. Fischer,Richard LevinsonandWilliam Link,starringAngela Lansbury,and produced and distributed byUniversal Televisionfor theCBSnetwork. The series focuses on the life ofJessica Fletcher,a mystery writer and amateur detective,[4][5]who becomes involved in solving murders that take place in the fictional town of Cabot Cove, Maine, across the United States, and abroad. The program ran for 12 seasons from September 30, 1984, to May 19, 1996, for a total of 264 episodes and included amongst its recurring castTom Bosley,William WindomandRon Masak,as well as a vast array of guest cast members includingMickey Rooney,Michael Horton,Keith Michell,George Segal,Kevin McCarthy,Gene Barry,Martin Milner,Earl Holliman,Pat Morita,Tom Wopat,John Astin,Loretta Swit,John Saxon,Ruth Roman,Kathryn Grayson,Ken Howard,Bradford Dillman,Jean Peters,Neil Patrick Harris,Harvey Fierstein,andJulie Adams.
The series was a ratings hit during its broadcast, becoming a staple of CBS Sunday night TV schedule for around a decade, while achieving distinction as one of the most successful and longest-running television shows in history, averaging 25 million viewers per week in its prime.[6]In syndication, the series is still highly successful and popular throughout the world. For her role on the program, Lansbury was nominated for tenGolden Globes,winning four, along with nominations for 12Emmy Awards,earning her the record for the most Golden Globe nominations and wins for Best Actress in a television drama series and the most Emmy nominations for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series. The series itself also received three Emmy nominations for Outstanding Drama Series, and six Golden Globe nominations in the same category, with two major wins.
After the series finished in 1996, fourtelevision filmswere released from 1997 to 2003.[7][8]Two point-and-click video games were released for PC:one in 2009,[9]and a sequel in 2012.[10]A spin-offbook seriescontinues publication as of 2024.
History
[edit]Origin
[edit]This sectionneeds additional citations forverification.(November 2016) |
Series producersPeter S. Fischer,Richard LevinsonandWilliam Linkdeveloped the lead role for actressJean Stapleton,who was initially somewhat interested but eventually turned it down, threatening the project.[11]
Scrambling to find another major star, the producers thoughtAngela Lansburywould be perfect for the part of Jessica Fletcher but did not think that she would be interested in a television series. Earlier, she had acted in two film adaptations ofAgatha Christie's mystery novels: as Salome Otterbourne inDeath on the Nile(1978) and asMiss MarpleinThe Mirror Crack'd(1980). When the latter film did poorly—despite an all-star cast includingRock Hudson,Elizabeth Taylor,Kim Novak,andTony Curtis—the offer for Lansbury to reprise Miss Marple in three more films never materialized.[12]
When she made it known she would be available if the right project came along, the three creators sent her the script and almost immediately, Lansbury felt she could do something with the role of Jessica Fletcher. WithMurder, She Wrotedebuting on Sunday, September 30, 1984, the producers were able to parlay their "mystery writer/amateur detective" premise into a 12-year hit forCBS.It also made Lansbury, known previously for her motion picture and Broadway stage work, a household name for millions of television viewers. The title comes fromMurder, She Said,which was the title of a 1961 film adaptation of Agatha Christie's Miss Marple novel4.50 from Paddington.
Premise
[edit]The show revolves around the day-to-day life of Jessica Fletcher (née MacGill), a widowed and retired English teacher, who becomes a successful mystery writer. Despite fame and fortune, Jessica remains a resident of Cabot Cove, a small coastal community inMaine(the first season episode "Murder Takes the Bus" establishes that Cabot Cove is just north ofthe town of Newcastle), and maintains her links with all of her old friends, never letting her success go to her head.
The show usually starts with a preview of the episode's events, with Jessica stating: "Tonight onMurder, She Wrote... "Jessica invariably proves more perceptive than the official investigators of a case, who are almost always willing to arrest the most likely suspect. By carefully piecing the clues together and asking astute questions, she leads the authorities to arrest the real murderer. Murder occurred with such regularity in her vicinity that the term" Cabot Cove syndrome "was coined to describe the constant appearance of dead bodies in remote locations. Indeed, if Cabot Cove existed in real life, it would top theFBI's national crime statistics in numerous categories, with some analysis suggesting that the homicide rate in Cabot Cove exceeds even that of the real-lifemurder capital of the world.[13]
Jessica's relationship with law enforcement officials varies from place to place. Both sheriffs of Cabot Cove resign themselves to having her meddle in their cases. However, most detectives and police officers do not want her anywhere near their crime scenes, until her accurate deductions convince them to listen to her. Some are happy to have her assistance from the start, often because they are fans of her books. With time, she makes friends in many police departments across theU.S.,as well as with a British police officer attached toScotland Yard.At the start of season eight, more of the stories were set inNew York Citywith Jessica moving into an apartment there part-time in order to teach criminology at the city university.
Production
[edit]Murder, She Wrotewas mostly filmed on sound stages atUniversal StudiosinUniversal City, California(near Los Angeles).[14]The series also filmed exterior shots and some episodeson locationin the Northern California town ofMendocino,which stood in for the fictional Maine town of Cabot Cove.[14]Cabot Cove dockside scenes were filmed a few miles north atNoyo HarborinFort Bragg, California.[15]
Bruce Lansbury,Angela's brother, served as producer of 88 episodes of the show. He was also a writer for 15 episodes.[16]
Lansbury considers retirement in 1988
[edit]![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/92/Angela_Lansbury.jpg/170px-Angela_Lansbury.jpg)
In August 1988, Lansbury expressed weariness of her commitment to the series as she was not sure, at 63, that she could continue at the pace now required of her; she specifically cited the change from seven to eight days to shoot each episode. Thus,Murder, She Wrotewent into its fifth season that autumn with the distinct possibility that it would cease production at the end of it and the series finale would air in May 1989.
A solution was worked on, however, which enabled Lansbury to continue but also give her time to rest. This also enabled some secondary characters to get significant stories. For the next two seasons, Lansbury reduced her appearances in several episodes, only appearing at the beginning and the end, to introduce stories starring several friends of Jessica, such as private investigator Harry McGraw, reformed thief Dennis Stanton or MI5 agent Michael Hagarty. The "experiment" ended in 1991.[17]In 1992, Lansbury took on a more extensive role in production as she became the show's executive producer.
Move from Sundays in 1995
[edit]Murder, She Wrotewas renewed for a twelfth season after finishing the1994-95 seasonas the eighth-most watched program on television, tied withNBC's new sitcomFriendsfor the spot. Despite the continued popularity of the program, Lansbury was considering retirement again after the upcoming season as she would be nearing seventy years of age at its conclusion. The decision, ultimately, would not be left up to her as CBS would make a decision regarding the series that would prove problematic for the network on two separate nights of programming.
Murder, She Wrotewas, at the time, CBS' most popular scripted series; in fact, it had been one of only two series on the network to garner a rating in the top ten (60 Minuteswas the other). Meanwhile, over at NBC, their Thursday nightMust See TVlineup had been a ratings powerhouse for years and CBS decided to useMurder, She Wrotein an effort to cut into their viewership. So, after eleven years on Sunday night, the series moved to Thursday for the 1995-96 season. It would keep the same 8 PM time slot on its new night, leading off a lineup that included the new dramaNew York Newsand the long-running news magazine48 Hours.
The move was met with protests from fans, and the entire Thursday night lineup for CBS proved to be no match for NBC's lineup. Going up againstFriendsand a pair of freshman comedies in its time slot,Murder, She Wrotesaw its ratings drop significantly on Thursday; in fact, the series dropped below a 10.0 rating when the final season ratings were tabulated. (Its follow-up,New York News,continued the downward trend and did even lower ratings, with CBS cancelling the new drama before December 1995.)
Meanwhile, in the Sunday time slot thatMurder, She Wrotewas vacating, CBS elected to try a situation comedy block. Leading off the 8 PM hour, CBS went withCybill,which starredCybill Shepherdand had finished its abbreviated first season just outside the top 20 in the Nielsen ratings. The second half of the hour featured the new seriesAlmost Perfect,which starredNancy Travisas a television producer. Neither series performed well;Cybill,which had relocated from Monday night, saw its ratings drop to the point where it nearly fell out of the top 50.Almost Perfectfound itself relocated to Monday night in the hopes of improving its ratings; its replacement, a retooledBonnie,lasted five episodes on Sunday before it was cancelled.
Ultimately,Murder, She Wrotefinished in 58th place in the final ratings and CBS opted not to renew the series for a thirteenth season. The network did, however, eventually reverse itself on the scheduling. Two episodes were scheduled for Sunday nights as 1996 began, with the first airing on January 7 and the second on February 25. Both of these episodes pulled in significantly higher ratings than the show had been garnering on Thursday, approaching nearly twenty million viewers for each of the two airings. CBS elected to returnMurder, She Wroteto Sundays for the last four episodes of the series, which began on April 28. Three of the four episodes drew over sixteen million viewers and the finale, which aired on May 19, 1996, finished in the top 20 of that week's ratings.
After the series
[edit]The network also agreed to commission fourMurder, She Wrotemovies over the next few years. The first wasSouth by Southwest(1997), with three more following asA Story to Die For(2000),The Last Free Man(2001), andThe Celtic Riddle(2003).[18]
Lansbury stated in May 2011 that she would like to make a comeback appearance as Jessica Fletcher.[19]However, in a 2015 interview, she quashed the idea of reprising the much beloved character, stating, "I think it would be a downer. In some way, we'd have to show her as a much older woman, and I think it's better to maintain that picture we have in our mind's eye of her as a vigorous person. I'm still pretty vigorous, especially in the garden… but if I wanted to transform myself back into the woman I looked like then, it would be ridiculous. And I can't do that."[20]Dame Angela Lansbury died on October 11, 2022, at age 96.[21][22]
In 2023,over-the-topvideo streamingserviceThe Roku Channellaunched a 24-hourMurder, She Wrotechannel.[23]
Cast
[edit]Actor | Character | Seasons | Movies | |||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | |||
Angela Lansbury | Jessica Fletcher | Main | ||||||||||||
Tom Bosley | Sheriff Amos Tupper | Recurring | ||||||||||||
William Windom | Dr. Seth Hazlitt | Recurring | ||||||||||||
Ron Masak | Sheriff Mort Metzger | Recurring | ||||||||||||
Will Nye | Dep. Floyd | Recurring | ||||||||||||
Louis Herthum | Dep. Andy Broom | Recurring |
Regular cast
[edit]- Angela LansburyasJessica Fletcher(1984–1996; 264 episodes), a retired English teacher who, after being widowed in her early 50s, becomes a very successful mystery writer. The only cast member to appear in every episode as the series is centered around her.
Recurring cast
[edit]- Tom Bosleyas Sheriff Amos Tupper (1984–1988; 19 episodes), Cabot Cove's sheriff at the start of the series. Tupper later retires and goes to live with his sister.
- Michael Hortonas Grady Fletcher (12 episodes, 1984–1990, 1995), Jessica's unlucky favorite nephew, who (through no fault of his own) always seems to get in trouble with the law. After some romantic disasters, he eventually marries his girlfriend Donna.
- Jerry Orbachas Harry McGraw (7 episodes, 1985–1987, 1989, 1991), an old-schoolprivate investigatorwho becomes friends with Jessica. Orbach was popular enough to garner his own, short-lived spin-off series in 1987,The Law & Harry McGraw,and returned toMurder, She Wroteafter his show was cancelled. Harry ceased to be a character permanently after Orbach took on the role ofLennie BriscoeonLaw & Orderin 1992.
- Len Cariouas Michael Hagarty (7 episodes, 1985–86, 1988–1992), a British formerMI5agent, who often appeared when Jessica least expected him to drag her into a dangerous case. Cariou had previously starred with Lansbury on Broadway inSweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Streetas the titular character.
- William Windomas Dr. Seth Hazlitt (1985–1996; 52 episodes), the local doctor of Cabot Cove and one of Jessica's best friends and most intrepid supporters. Windom previously appeared as another character, a lawyer named Sam Breen, in the season 1 finale, "Funeral at Fifty-Mile". Windom also played a separate character inMagnum P.I.,which takes place in the same universe.
- Richard Paulas Sam Booth (7 episodes, 1986–89, 1991–1992), the genial, ineffectual mayor of Cabot Cove who is elected on his campaign promise to do nothing.
- Julie Adamsas Eve Simpson (10 episodes, 1987–1993), the Cabot Cove realtor with a great love for men, both single and married, and for gossiping.
- Keith Michellas Dennis Stanton (9 episodes, 1988–1991, 1993), a suave English former jewel thief turned insurance claims investigator, who always solves his cases using unusual methods, and often sends a copy of the story to Jessica afterwards. Many of the episodes starring Dennis do not involve Jessica, and usually begin with her introducing the story to the audience, breaking thefourth wall.Keith Michell is the only actor other than Angela Lansbury to receive star billing (before the episode titles), on episodes which focus on Dennis.
- Ron Masakas Sheriff Mort Metzger (1988–1996; 39 episodes), a formerNYPDofficer who takes Sheriff Tupper's place as sheriff in the mistaken belief that he would be living in a more peaceful place. Hisunseen wife,Adele, a former Marine capable of prodigious acts of strength, teaches self-defense classes. Masak previously appeared as other characters in earlier episodes: a police officer in the season 1 episode "Footnote to Murder", and a store owner in trouble with the IRS in the season 3 episode "No Accounting for Murder".
- Will Nye as Deputy Floyd (1988–1991, 15 episodes), Sheriff Metzger's original deputy.
- Louis Herthumas Deputy Andy Broom (1991–1996, 25 episodes), Sheriff Metzger's second deputy.
- Herb Edelmanas Artie Gelber (7 episodes, 1992–1995), aNYPDLieutenant and Jessica's friend. Edelman had previously appeared as various characters in the series pilot, the season 2 episode "Murder by Appointment Only", and the season 3 episode "Murder in a Minor Key".
Occasional cast
[edit]- Hallie Toddas Rhoda Markowitz (6 episodes, 1990–1991), Dennis Stanton's assistant. Todd had previously appeared as another character in the season 6 episode "Class Act".
- Ken Swoffordas Lt. Perry Catalano (6 episodes, 1990–1991). Swofford also appeared in four previous episodes and one later episode as various characters.
- James Sloyanas Robert Butler (5 episodes, 1990–1991). Sloyan had previously appeared as different characters in the season 3 episode "Corned Beef and Carnage" and the season 4 episode "The Body Politic".
- Wayne Rogersas Charlie Garrett (5 episodes, 1993–1995), a disreputable private investigator who usually gets into trouble and needs Jessica's help. Charlie's character was the replacement for Harry McGraw after Jerry Orbach's departure.
- Leonard Lightfootas Detective Henderson (5 episodes, 1993–1994).
- Debbie Zippas Donna Mayberry Fletcher (5 episodes, 1988–1990), Grady's girlfriend and later wife. Zipp had previously played another character in the season 3 episode "The Days Dwindle Down". Zipp and Horton are married in real life, and have been since prior to the show.
- Claude Akinsas Ethan Cragg (4 episodes, 1984), Jessica's fisherman friend. Ethan is replaced by Seth as Jessica's friend from Season 2 onwards.
- Madlyn Rhueas Jean O'Neil (4 episodes, 1993–1996), Cabot Cove's disabled librarian. Rhue had previously appeared as another character in the season 6 episode "Seal of the Confessional".
- John Astinas Harry Pierce (3 episodes, 1984–1985), a local real estate agent. In his final appearance, Pierce briefly becomes Sheriff when Amos Tupper retires but turns out to be unsuitable for the job when he commits murder. Astin had previously appeared in the season 1 episode "Hooray for Homicide", and later appeared in the season 11 episode "Film Flam", portraying different characters.
- Genie Francisas Victoria Brandon Griffin (3 episodes, 1984, 1986, 1990), Jessica's niece. Other than Grady Fletcher, she is the only one of Jessica's many nieces and nephews to appear more than once. Victoria's husband, hapless actor Howard Griffin (Jeff Conaway), also featured in two of the episodes.
- Ruth Romanas Loretta Speigel (3 episodes, 1987–1989), Cabot Cove's lovelorn hairdresser and an inveterate gossip.
- Kathryn Graysonas Ideal Molloy (3 episodes, 1987–1989), one of the regulars at Loretta's beauty parlour.
- Gloria DeHavenas Phyllis Grant (3 episodes, 1987–1989), one of the regulars at Loretta's beauty parlour.
- Bruce Grayas Ted Hartley (3 episodes, 1991–1994). Gray had previously appeared as different characters in two other episodes.
- Gregory Sierraas Lt. Gabriel Caceras (3 episodes, 1993–1995). Sierra had previously appeared as various characters in three other episodes.
- Paddi Edwardsas Lois Hoey (2 episodes, 1984), a resident of Cabot Cove and member of its PTA, and a friend of Jessica's. Appears in the Pilot and another episode of Season 1.[24][25][26]
- Many actors and actresses also appeared in many episodes playing various characters, sometimes a different character in each one. These includeRosanna Huffman,who portrayed a member of the PTA in the Pilot episode and various others across all the seasons, appearing in 7 episodes overall;Tricia O'Neilwho appeared in the Pilot and 5 episodes overall; andBarbara Babcock,who portrayed different characters in 5 episodes. There are several other examples including veteran character actorSteve Forrestfamous forS.W.A.T.and a memorable appearance onDallas.[26][27][28][29]
Episodes
[edit]Season | Episodes | Originally aired | Rank | Rating | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
First aired | Last aired | |||||
1 | 22 | September 30, 1984 | April 21, 1985 | 8 | 20.1 | |
2 | 22 | September 29, 1985 | May 18, 1986 | 3 | 25.3 | |
3 | 22 | September 28, 1986 | May 10, 1987 | 4 | 25.4 | |
4 | 22 | September 20, 1987 | May 8, 1988 | 9 | 20.2 | |
5 | 22 | October 23, 1988 | May 21, 1989 | 8 | 19.9 | |
6 | 22 | September 24, 1989 | May 20, 1990 | 13 | 17.7[a] | |
7 | 22 | September 16, 1990 | May 12, 1991 | 12 | 16.4 | |
8 | 22 | September 15, 1991 | May 17, 1992 | 8 | 16.9 | |
9 | 22 | September 20, 1992 | May 16, 1993 | 5 | 17.7 | |
10 | 21 | September 12, 1993 | May 22, 1994 | 11 | 16.0 | |
11 | 21 | September 25, 1994 | May 14, 1995 | 8 | 15.6[b] | |
12 | 24 | September 21, 1995 | May 19, 1996 | 58 | 9.50 | |
Movies | 4 | November 2, 1997 | May 9, 2003 | — | — |
- ^Tied withChicken Soup.
- ^Tied withFriends.
Crossover withMagnum, P.I.
[edit]The third-season episode ofMurder, She Wroteentitled "Magnum on Ice" concludes a crossover that began on the seventh-seasonMagnum, P.I.episode "Novel Connection". In the episode's plot, Jessica comes to Hawaii to investigate an attempt to murder Robin Masters' guests, and then tries to clear Magnum when he's accused of killing the hitman. TheMagnum, P.I.episode originally aired on November 19, 1986, with the concludingMurder, She Wroteepisode following four days later on November 23.[30]
TheMagnum, P.I.episode of the crossover is included on theMurder, She WroteSeason 3 DVD set, as well as the Complete Series Set. TheMagnum, P.I.Season 7 DVD set, as well as its Complete Series set, includes theMurder, She Wroteepisode.[31]
Awards and nominations
[edit]Over its twelve-year runMurder, She Wrotereceived numerous award nominations. Lansbury herself holds the record for the most Emmy nominations for outstanding lead actress in a drama series with twelve, one for each season. She never won, which is also a record.Mary Dodson,theart directorfor 102 of the series' 264 episodes, received threeEmmynominations for her work onMurder, She Wrote.[32]In total, the show was nominated for 41 Emmys.[33]
Group | Award | Years | Result |
---|---|---|---|
Emmy Awards | Outstanding Drama Series | 1985–87 | Nominated |
Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series(Angela Lansbury) | 1985–96 | Nominated | |
Outstanding Music Composition for a Series(John Addison) | 1985[34] | Won | |
Outstanding Music Composition for a Series(Bruce Babcock) | 1993, 1995 | Nominated | |
Outstanding Costume Design for a Series(Alfred E. Lehman) | 1986[34] | Won | |
Golden Globe Awards | Best TV Series—Drama | 1984, 1985 | Won |
1986–89 | Nominated | ||
Best Performance by an Actress in a TV Series—Drama(Angela Lansbury) | 1984, 1986, 1989 & 1991 | Won | |
1985, 1987, 1988, 1990, 1992 & 1994 | Nominated | ||
Edgar Awards | Best Episode of a TV Series( "Deadly Lady" ) | 1985 | Won |
Best Episode of a TV Series( "The Dead File" ) | 1993 | Nominated | |
Screen Actors Guild Awards | Best Performance by an Actress in a TV Series—Drama(Angela Lansbury) | 1994 | Nominated |
US television ratings
[edit]Murder, She Wrotemaintained extremely high ratings, finishing in the top 15 of shows for eleven of its 12 seasons (eight of which it was in the top 10), even well into its late seasons. By its 11th season,Murder, She Wrotewas still averaging 25 million viewers per week. At its very peak, the show even hit above 40 million US viewers. However, at the beginning of its 12th season in 1995, CBS moved the show from its extremely popular Sunday night time slot to Thursday night forcing it to compete with NBC's Must See TV line up, and as a result the ratings plummeted, during Season 11 and 12 CBS lost affiliates during thetelevision realignment,meaning major markets could not find the network. The show rated as the following:
Season | Episodes | Time slot (ET) | Season premiere | Season finale | Rank | Rating | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 1984–85 | 22 | Sunday at 8:00 pm(Episodes 1, 3–22) Sunday at 9:00 pm(Episode 2) |
September 30, 1984 | April 21, 1985 | #8[35] | 20.1 |
2 | 1985–86 | 22 | Sunday at 8:00 pm | September 29, 1985 | May 18, 1986 | #3[36] | 25.3 |
3 | 1986–87 | 22 | September 28, 1986 | May 10, 1987 | #4[37] | 25.4 | |
4 | 1987–88 | 22 | September 20, 1987 | May 8, 1988 | #9[38] | 20.2 | |
5 | 1988–89 | 22 | October 23, 1988 | May 21, 1989 | #8[39] | 19.9 | |
6 | 1989–90 | 22 | September 24, 1989 | May 20, 1990 | #13[40] | 17.7 | |
7 | 1990–91 | 22 | September 16, 1990 | May 12, 1991 | #12[41] | 16.4 | |
8 | 1991–92 | 22 | September 15, 1991 | May 17, 1992 | #8[42] | 16.9 | |
9 | 1992–93 | 22 | September 20, 1992 | May 16, 1993 | #5[43] | 17.7 | |
10 | 1993–94 | 21 | September 12, 1993 | May 22, 1994 | #11[44] | 16.0 | |
11 | 1994–95 | 21 | September 25, 1994 | May 14, 1995 | #8[45] | 15.6 | |
12 | 1995–96 | 24 | Thursday at 8:00 pm(Episodes 1–12, 14–17, 19–20) Sunday at 8:00 pm(Episodes 13, 18, 21–24) |
September 21, 1995 | May 19, 1996 | #58[46] | 9.50 |
Cancelled reboot
[edit]Deadline Hollywoodreported in October 2013 that NBC was planning a reboot of the series, starring Oscar-winning actressOctavia Spenceras a "hospital administrator and amateur sleuth who self-publishes her first mystery novel."[47]The next month, Lansbury said that while she was a fan of Spencer, she was not a fan of using the title; she said "I think it's a mistake to call itMurder, She WrotebecauseMurder, She Wrotewill always be about Cabot Cove and this wonderful little group of people who told those lovely stories and enjoyed a piece of that place, and also enjoyed Jessica Fletcher, who is a rare and very individual kind of person. "It was decided by producers that Spencer's character would not be named Jessica Fletcher, for only Lansbury could play Fletcher.[48]On January 21, 2014,Deadline Hollywoodannounced that the reboot would not be going forward.[49]
Film adaptation
[edit]On September 9, 2023, it was revealed that a film adaptation of the series is in the early stages of development atUniversal Pictures.Dumb Moneyscreenwriters Lauren Schuker Blum and Rebecca Angelo will write the script whileAmy Pascalacts as producer.[50]
Merchandise
[edit]In 1985, Warren Company released aMurder, She Wroteboard game. In the game, one player takes the hidden role of a killer and the other players try to determine which player is the killer through deduction. The killer wins for killing five of the characters on the game-board and escaping, while the detective players win by correctly deducing the identity of the killer.
In December 2009, casual game developer and publisherLegacy Interactive,under license with Universal Pictures Digital Platforms Group (UPDPG), announced the release a PC and Macintosh video game,Murder, She Wrote,based on the television series. In the game, players helpJessica Fletcherto solve five unusual murders.[51][52]A sequel,Murder She Wrote 2,was launched by Legacy Interactive in November 2012.[53]
In 2020,Funkoreleased a Jessica Fletcher POP! vinyl collectible figure.
Multimedia
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- ^Brunsdale, Mitzi M.,Icons of Mystery and Crime Detection: From Sleuths to Superheroes.Santa Barbara: ABC-CLIO, LLC (2010), p. 307
- ^""Murder She Wrote" location named as Murder Capital of World ".Archivedfrom the original on February 7, 2018.RetrievedApril 4,2018.
- ^abParish, James Robert (1989).The Unofficial Murder, She Wrote Casebook.New York: Kensington Books. p. 8.ISBN9781575662107.Archivedfrom the original on October 11, 2022.Retrieved28 February2021.
- ^"Murder She Wrote was filmed in Mendocino County, Mendocino & Fort Bragg".www.mendocino.com.Retrieved26 April2024.
- ^Barnes, Mike (14 February 2017)."Bruce Lansbury, TV Producer and Brother of Angela Lansbury, Dies at 87".The Hollywood Reporter.Retrieved22 January2018.
- ^"A break, she needed, from Murder She Wrote".The Hamilton Spectator.May 24, 2013.Archivedfrom the original on September 13, 2016.RetrievedSeptember 14,2016.
- ^"Movies Keep 'Murder, She Wrote' Alive".Chicago Tribune.August 5, 1997.Archivedfrom the original on June 14, 2012.RetrievedOctober 20,2010.
- ^"'Murder, She Wrote' Angela Lansbury Return ".Entertainment Weekly.May 13, 2011.Archivedfrom the original on February 8, 2012.RetrievedFebruary 22,2012.
- ^Bobbin, Jay (July 17, 2015)."Angela Lansbury thinks reviving Jessica Fletcher 'would be a downer'".Zap2it.com.Archivedfrom the original on May 11, 2016.RetrievedAugust 10,2016.
- ^"Angela Lansbury, 'Murder, She Wrote' and 'Beauty and the Beast' star, dies at 96".NBC News.Archivedfrom the original on 11 October 2022.Retrieved11 October2022.
- ^"Angela Lansbury, Star of Film and Stage and TV's Favorite Sleuth, Dies at 96".The New York Times.11 October 2022.Archivedfrom the original on 11 October 2022.Retrieved11 October2022.
- ^"Roku Has Added a Ton of Free Channels from NBCUniversal and Aore Are on Their Way".TechRadar.August 18, 2023.RetrievedJune 14,2024.
- ^"Paley Center - Murder She Wrote, The Murder of Sherlock Holmes, Pilot Episode Cast and Other Info".www.paleycenter.org.Retrieved2023-01-09.
- ^"The Denizens of Cabot Cove".Murder, She Wrote, She Wrote.2022-10-07.Retrieved2023-01-09.
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External links
[edit]![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/fa/Wikiquote-logo.svg/34px-Wikiquote-logo.svg.png)
- Murder, She Wrote
- 1984 American television series debuts
- 1996 American television series endings
- 1980s American crime drama television series
- 1980s American mystery television series
- 1990s American crime drama television series
- 1990s American mystery television series
- American detective television series
- Anthony Award-winning works
- Best Drama Series Golden Globe winners
- Cozy mystery television series
- Edgar Award-winning works
- American English-language television shows
- Television series by Universal Television
- Television series created by Peter S. Fischer
- Television series created by Richard Levinson
- Television series created by William Link
- Television shows about writers
- Television shows filmed in California
- Television shows set in Maine
- CBS television dramas