Why You Should Be Watching (or Rewatching) Murder, She Wrote

What Is Murder, She Wrote?

Murder, She Wrote is an epic American television show starring British actress Angela Lansbury as Jessica Fletcher. Jessica is a retired English teacher, accomplished mystery author, and amateur sleuth in Cabot Cove, Maine. The show, one of the longest-running and most successful in history, originally aired on CBS prime time from 1984-1996. Its enduring popularity is a testament to its quality and appeal.

Murder, She Wrote Is Cozy!

Murder, She Wrote was inspired (in part) by Agatha Christie’s Miss Marple stories and has many cozy elements.

Jessica Fletcher is an amateur sleuth who uses her intellect, charisma, and keen observation skills to solve a new mystery each week. Her profession as a mystery novelist often plays a role in the story and commonly drives the plot or contributes to her ability to find clues and identify the killer.

The show’s setting is almost as enjoyable as the sleuth. Although Jessica takes many trips out of town (and even some out of the country), most episodes are set in Cabot Cove, Maine. Cabot Cove is a small, idyllic town with a population of 3,560 people. Despite its high murder rate, the coastal setting, quaint shops, and picturesque scenery make the town cozy, charming, and inviting.

Murder, She Wrote also features recurring characters that form a community around the amateur detective. There is local law enforcement, an unfortunate nephew (Grady) who regularly gets into trouble, a mayor, a town doctor, and a gossipy realtor. There are also a few characters with jazzier backgrounds, like a retired MI5 agent and a reformed jewel thief. And then there are the guest stars…more on that later!

What makes the television show extra cozy is the wholesomeness. Yes, there are murders and dead bodies (274 to be exact). And sometimes there are heated arguments and fisticuffs. But there is no gore, gratuitous violence, f-bombs, or explicit love scenes.

Kisses are kept to a minimum, nudity is non-existent, and innuendo is more common than straight naughty talk, even when mysteries involve love affairs or matters of the heart. Jessica is a widow. She occasionally has some male attention aimed her way but never has a serious love interest or a bedroom scene.

Reasons to Watch Murder, She Wrote

This article would be the size of a book if we explored all the reasons why Murder, She Wrote is so good, so let’s just cover a few of them here.

Angela Lansbury

Dame Angela Lansbury is a wonderful actress. She has received nominations for all the EGOT awards (Emmy, Grammy, Academy Award (Oscar), and Tony Awards). Her dedication to the character, show, and audience was unwavering, and it is because of her that Murder, She Wrote has stood the test of time. She is an international treasure.

The Sleuth

There are many things that make Jessica Fletcher the kind of sleuth you want to root for. She is smarter and more observant than the average person, kind, brave, and principled.

Cabot Cove

Jessica Fletcher does a fair amount of jet-setting in Murder, She Wrote, but most of the episodes are set in the fictional fishing village of Cabot Cove. Yes, it has a ridiculously high murder rate, but it also has the kind of community and small-town charm that makes you want to crawl into your television.

Theme Song

There’s nothing quite like the opening montage of Murder, She Wrote. We get to see Jessica biking, jogging, fishing, painting her own house from a ladder (go girl!), waving to her pals, solving mysteries, and, of course, pounding out a book on her trusty typewriter. All of this is set to a jaunty and memorable piano tune that lets you know you are about to watch something very fun and cozy.

Mysteries

So many mysteries. According to the Guinness World Records, Jessica Fletcher investigated crimes in 265 episodes and four feature-length movies, making her the most prolific sleuth ever. The mysteries are fun. Many are set up in a way that allows you to try solving them at home with Jessica if you watch for clues.

Bite-sized Mystery

Each television episode is less than an hour long, so it is easy to fit one in the morning, noon, or night.

Guest Stars

Murder, She Wrote had many amazing guest stars over the course of twelve seasons. It is fun seeing them pop up in various episodes. Some examples of well-known guest stars include John Astin, George Clooney, Courtney Cox, Tom Selleck, and Bryan Cranston. (There are so many more, but there is no sense naming them all because there are more than 100, and you will have more fun watching them pop up on the show than reading a list here!)

This Show Was (and Is) Beloved

Murder, She Wrote was one of the most successful shows on TV, and Jessica Fletcher had the longest uninterrupted run of any TV sleuth in history. People love this show. CBS (the show’s network) estimates that 23 million people were tuning in to watch each episode during its peak.

Re-watchability

The show is highly re-watchable and easy to find. Repeats still air on cable television and are available through many streaming networks. There are 12 seasons of television and multiple movies. You can binge your heart out.