The Cozy Mystery List Blog

Cozy Mystery (and Other Favorite) Books, Movies, and TV

Murder, She Wrote TV Mystery Show

I have had several readers contact me over the past twelve years – asking why I don’t have a Murder, She Wrote entry on the Mystery TV and Movies Page. I just assumed everyone was already aware of this 1984-1996 TV mystery show – either from when it originally aired or now, in its umpteenth re-run life.

If you have read my description of what a Cozy Mystery is then you are aware of the trepidation I assume neighbors of Jessica Fletcher (the main sleuth) must feel whenever she is in town. Every week, Jessica (beautifully played by Angela Lansbury) is on the quest to find a murderer! In fact there were so many murder in her hometown (Cabot Cove, Maine) that she finally had to establish a living base in New York City, perhaps at the insistence of her Cabot Cove neighbors >>> those still alive that is! (Actually, she has a second home there so that she can be closer to her publisher, as well as teach criminology classes.)

Jessica is a retired high school English teacher who writes best selling mystery novels. Her novels are so popular in fact, that whenever she visits either New York City or an exotic locations (of which there are many, especially in later seasons) the police assigned to the case (which Jessica will invariably solve) welcome her to join them in solving the case, since they are big fans of her mystery novels.

At the beginning of the TV series, I believe most of the shows were based in Cabot Cove, a quaint fishing village where (just about) everyone is on a first-name basis. Jessica has a close circle of friends – which includes easily-agitated Dr. Seth Hazlitt (William Windom), Sheriff Amos Tupper (Tom Bosley), realtor Eve Simpson (Julie Adams), and Sheriff Mort Metzger (Ron Masak). Of course, Jessica knows everyone very well. Her knowledge can be attributed with either having had them in one of her English classes or them being parents of her students. Also, her good friends (Seth and Eve) love to share gossip!

I doubt there are any mystery shows that are more Cozy than Murder, She Wrote. Even though the shows are based on murder, they are never graphic, nor do the shows ever focus on the “let’s-gross-out-the-audience” realistic forensic scenes. (I believe they were considered “family fare” when they originally aired.)

Best selling Cozy Mystery author Donald Bain writes the Murder She Wrote book series which is based on this show. I picture Angela Lansbury every time I read one of Bain’s Cozies. I can’t imagine any other actress trying to take this role on. I strongly recommend you try watching Murder, She Wrote – if you’re one of the few people who hasn’t already enjoyed this TV series.

Comments

  1. An FYI note: Hallmark Movies and Mysteries Channel will be having a Murder, She Wrote marathon this Saturday, June 10, starting at 9:00 AM (Eastern). I’ve always been a fan of this series with the wonderful Angela Lansbury as Jessica Fletcher. I really need to check out the book series based on the show!

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  2. I love this show! My only problem is finding episodes I haven’t seen already. Since most of the shows were made in the 1980’s – 1990’s, it is fun to see some actors pop up from time to time who went on to become big stars. This is one of the tv shows where just hearing the opening theme songs makes me feel happy & “cozy”.

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    • Carolyn, yes, it’s always interesting seeing who will turn up, either actors who haven’t made it big yet or big names of yester-year who were appearing on the show after a long and successful career.

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  3. I discovered “Murder, She Wrote” on re-runs and promptly started going through them season by season. I’m a bit sorry to say I’m already on Season 10! Jessica is such a lovable lady that I hate to think of her adventures coming to an end. I recently started on the books as well and hope to grow to love them as well.

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    • Linda, it does sometimes feel like a shame when you’re reaching the end of a long run of a show you love! Still, it’s good that in this case at least there’s a decent length series of books to follow it up with.

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  4. I personally love reading all the Murder She Wrote books written by Donald Bain and Jessica of course….there are over 20 of these books published in various forms….enjoy

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  5. MrsJ and I used to love this series when it first aired, but like others, it seemed to overstay its welcome. We did feel that initially it was a little ‘Columboesque’ in that you could usually guess the murderer from the starting credits – “this weeks guest star is….” – but we enjoyed it anyway. I understand that US viewers now think Angela Lansbury IS an American, rather than the English rose she is.

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  6. I love that show and still watch it now I agree no one else can be Jessica Angela did a fabulous job with the character

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  7. Oh how I enjoy this series. I have all the ‘Murder She Wrote’ DVDs and go to sleep most nights watching them. No commercials on DVDs!

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  8. Without a doubt one of the most wonderful TV series ever made. And Angela Lansbury is perfect for the role. Like you, I picture her as well in all the books. I’m so glad it’s on TV early on the week-ends when I get up so I can re-live my favorite episodes. Incident on Lot 7 (the Psycho/Norman Bates house) is one of my all time favorites.
    A few weeks ago a stray Maine coon cat came into our lives (I feed and dole out love to feral cats in the neighborhood) and she instantly became Jessica!
    Thank you so much for doing a ‘special blog’ on Jessica !

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  9. Thanks ever so much for this wonderful post about the Murder, She Wrote mysteries! MSW has long been a favorite in my household, which includes three generations. And as you stated, I picture Angela Lansbury every time I read one of these mysteries! I look forward to new entries to the MSW series and credit author Donald Bain with maintaining the integrity of the show in each book. Thanks again!

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  10. I really had not watched Murder, She Wrote when it was originally on
    TV, but now that we can watch old reruns, etc. I am enjoying it. I love cozy mysteries, and I especially like seeing the guest stars that we used to watch in other show. I think this series is a classic. I cannot see it ever going off the air completely.

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  11. FYI:. Jessica’s teaching writing courses, in specific, mysteries. She’s also related to a great many people in Cabot Cove, either through her family or her deceased husband’s. It was the normalcy of her life that made/make the mysteries so cozy.

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  12. I absolutely LOVE Angela Lansbury. She is a true delight. I’m a big fan of hers. She actually played Miss Marple in the Mirror Crack’d. Probably the only thing she’s done that I haven’t seen her in. I never got to see Murder She Wrote when it originally aired. I watch it all the time now. I heard that Murder She Wrote was to be redone. I’m not sure ANYONE else can be Jessica Fletcher. I don’t think I want to see them try.

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  13. I have the the DVDs of all the seasons. I go through the entire show season by season once every three years. That way I forget who committed the Murder and it’s like watching them for the first time. Today’s TV crime shows are no match for Jessica Fletcher. Forget CSI and all their gore. Murder She Wrote is far more entertaining and Angela Lansbury is a national treasure!

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  14. I love both the Murder, She Wrote book series and TV show. (Lydia, thanks for the info on the Murder, She Wrote marathon this weekend!) I’d like to mention three of the books which I think are perfect for summer reading. I read all three a couple of summers ago, and I thoroughly enjoyed them. I may even read them again: Dying to Retire (takes place in Florida and the Keys), Murder on Parade (takes place in Cabot Cove over the July 4th weekend), and Trouble at High Tide (Jessica takes some R&R in Bermuda). Enjoy!

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  15. If 3 characters hate you, you had better lie down, you are about to be dead. It broke my heart to see that Wojo and Les Nessman were murderers.

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  17. I’m reading the MSW books now and watching the reruns on tv everyday. I know that Donald Bain writes the books with “Jessica Fletcher”. I would like to know if there is a real woman who writes with him? In a way, I hope so. For some reason–not a logical one, mind you–I don’t normally read books written by men. At least, I don’t think I do. I don’t have anything against men . It’s just that I like books by Agatha Christie, MC Beaton, Krista Davis, Laura Childs, Sarah Graves and I dearly love the work of the late Joan Hess (especially the Maggody series), etc. Now, for all I know, those could be men. It just so happens that my favorite writers are women who write cozies. I guess it’s because there’s usually not as much gore, vulgar language, and graphic sex. Of course, the language gets a little vulgar in the Maggody series but, gracious, those books are funny.

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      • Sad that they are now both deceased. I sincerely hope that another author will become “Jessica Fletcher” and write more books for us devoted fans!!

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