Editing Murder, She Wrote

{{Short description|American murder mystery television series}}
{{For|the song|Murder She Wrote (song){{!}}"Murder She Wrote" (song)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2025}}
{{Infobox television
| image                = Murder, She Wrote (1984 television series logo).svg
| genre                = [[Police procedural|Crime drama]]<br />[[Detective fiction]]
| creator              = {{Plainlist|
* [[Peter S. Fischer]]
* [[Richard Levinson]]<ref>{{cite news|title=It's No Crime When Yesterday's Stars Get Into 'Murder'|work=Los Angeles Times|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1989-08-17-ca-949-story.html|access-date=October 20, 2010|first=Isobel|last=Silden|date=August 17, 1989|archive-date=March 5, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160305131817/http://articles.latimes.com/1989-08-17/entertainment/ca-949_1_star-treatment|url-status=live}}</ref>
* [[William Link]]
}}
| starring             = {{Plainlist|
* [[Angela Lansbury]]
}}
| theme_music_composer = [[John Addison]]
| country              = United States
| language             = English
| num_seasons          = 12
| num_episodes         = 264 (+ 4 TV movies)
| list_episodes        = List of Murder, She Wrote episodes
| executive_producer   = {{Plainlist|
* [[Angela Lansbury]] (1992–96)<ref>{{cite news|title=Television: After 10 years and more than 200 corpses, no one has been able to knock off 'Murder, She Wrote,' powered by you-know-who.|work=Los Angeles Times|date=May 21, 1994|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1994-05-21-ca-60415-story.html|access-date=October 20, 2010|first=Steve|last=Weinstein|archive-date=March 6, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160306205800/http://articles.latimes.com/1994-05-21/entertainment/ca-60415_1_angela-lansbury|url-status=live}}</ref>
* Peter S. Fischer (1984–1991)
* [[Richard Levinson]]
* [[William Link]]
* David Moessinger (1991–92)
}}
| runtime              = 48 minutes
| company              = {{Plainlist|
* [[Universal Television]]
* [[Corymore Productions]]<br>(seasons 9–12)
}}
| network              = [[CBS]]<ref>{{cite news|title=TV: The grind of a weekly hour series is too much, but a half-hour show is something else|work=Los Angeles Times|date=October 20, 1990|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1990-10-20-ca-2480-story.html|access-date=October 20, 2010|first=Diane|last=Haithman|archive-date=March 5, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160305081156/http://articles.latimes.com/1990-10-20/entertainment/ca-2480_1_half-hour|url-status=live}}</ref>
| first_aired          = {{Start date|1984|9|30}}
| last_aired           = {{End date|1996|5|19}}
| related              = {{Plainlist|
* ''[[Magnum, P.I.]]''
* ''[[The Law & Harry McGraw]]''
}}
}}

'''''Murder, She Wrote''''' is an American [[crime drama]] television series, created by [[Peter S. Fischer]], [[Richard Levinson]] and [[William Link]], starring [[Angela Lansbury]], and produced and distributed by [[Universal Television]] for the [[CBS]] network. The series focuses on the life of [[Jessica Fletcher]], a mystery writer and amateur detective,<ref>{{cite news|title=Angela Lansbury's unlikely sleuth has staying power|work=The New York Times|date=October 27, 1985|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1985/10/27/arts/angela-lansbury-s-unlikely-sleuth-has-staying-power.html|access-date=August 20, 2010|first=Aljean|last=Harmetz|archive-date=October 1, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131001181752/http://www.nytimes.com/1985/10/27/arts/angela-lansbury-s-unlikely-sleuth-has-staying-power.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=TELEVISION; Angela Lansbury Has a Hit. She Wants Respect|work=The New York Times|date=December 1, 1991|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1991/12/01/arts/television-angela-lansbury-has-a-hit-she-wants-respect.html|access-date=August 20, 2010|first=Bernard|last=Weinraub|archive-date=October 1, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131001192137/http://www.nytimes.com/1991/12/01/arts/television-angela-lansbury-has-a-hit-she-wants-respect.html|url-status=live}}</ref> 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 cast [[Tom Bosley]], [[William Windom (actor)|William Windom]] and [[Ron Masak]], as well as a vast array of guest cast members including [[Mickey Rooney]], [[Michael Horton (actor)|Michael Horton]], [[Keith Michell]], [[Barbara Babcock]], [[George Segal]], [[Kevin McCarthy (actor)|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]], [[Daphne Maxwell Reid]], [[Jean Peters]], [[Neil Patrick Harris]], [[Harvey Fierstein]], [[Bill Maher]], [[Roxie Roker]], [[Cynthia Nixon]], [[Jenny Lewis]], [[Jo Ann Worley]], [[Kate Mulgrew]], [[Bryan Cranston]], [[Vicki Lawrence]], and [[Julie 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.<ref>{{cite news|title = TV Ratings Archive – 1988/1989|work = USA Today Weekly|url = http://tvaholics.blogspot.co.at/2008/12/ratings-archive-september-25-1989.html|access-date = February 16, 2016|date = September 25, 1988|archive-date = February 24, 2016|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160224090850/http://tvaholics.blogspot.co.at/2008/12/ratings-archive-september-25-1989.html|url-status = live}}</ref> In syndication, the series is still highly successful and popular throughout the world. For her role on the program, Lansbury was nominated for ten [[Golden Globe Award|Golden Globes]], winning four, along with nominations for 12 [[Emmy Award]]s, 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, four [[television film]]s were released from 1997 to 2003.<ref>{{cite web|last=Blistein|first=Jon|title=Angela Lansbury, Tony Winner and 'Murder, She Wrote' Star, Dead at 96|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/tv-movies/tv-movie-news/angela-lansbury-murder-she-wrote-dead-obituary-1234609263/|publisher=[[Rolling Stone]]|date=October 11, 2022|access-date=March 3, 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Palan|first=Michael|title=The Best Episodes Of Murder, She Wrote|url=https://www.looper.com/339729/the-best-episodes-of-murder-she-wrote/|website=[[Looper (website)|Looper]]|date=February 23, 2021|access-date=March 3, 2023}}</ref> Two point-and-click video games were released for PC: [[Murder, She Wrote (video game)|one in 2009]],<ref>[http://news.bigdownload.com/2009/06/08/e3-2009-murder-she-wrote-game-coming-to-the-pc "E3 2009: ''Murder, She Wrote'' game coming to the PC"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200719151946/http://news.bigdownload.com/2009/06/08/e3-2009-murder-she-wrote-game-coming-to-the-pc |date=July 19, 2020 }}, news.bigdownload.com, June 8, 2009; retrieved January 14, 2010.</ref> and a sequel in 2012.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.murdershewrotegame.com/|title=First screenshots of ''Murder, She Wrote''|date=November 17, 2011|publisher=Murdershewrotegame.com|access-date=May 14, 2012|archive-date=November 21, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091121034236/http://www.murdershewrotegame.com/|url-status=live}}</ref> A spin-off [[List of Murder, She Wrote novels|book series]] continues publication as of 2025.

==History==
===Origin===
{{more citations needed section|date=November 2016}}
Series producers [[Peter S. Fischer]], [[Richard Levinson]] and [[William Link]] developed the lead role for actress [[Jean Stapleton]], who was initially somewhat interested but eventually turned it down, threatening the project.<ref>{{cite news|last= Fisher|first= Peter|date= April 19, 1988|title= The selling of Murder She Wrote|url= https://www.csmonitor.com/1988/0419/umurd-f.html#amp_tf=From%20%251%24s&aoh=16517857299075&csi=1&ampshare=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.csmonitor.com%2F1988%2F0419%2Fumurd-f.html|work= The Christian Science Monitor|location= USA|access-date= May 6, 2022|archive-date= May 8, 2022|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20220508092654/https://www.csmonitor.com/1988/0419/umurd-f.html#amp_tf=From%20%251%24s&aoh=16517857299075&csi=1&ampshare=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.csmonitor.com%2F1988%2F0419%2Fumurd-f.html|url-status= live}}</ref>

Scrambling to find another major star, the producers thought [[Angela Lansbury]] would 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 of [[Agatha Christie]]'s mystery novels: as Salome Otterbourne in ''[[Death on the Nile (1978 film)|Death on the Nile]]'' (1978) and as [[Miss Marple]] in ''[[The Mirror Crack'd]]'' (1980). When the latter film did poorly—despite an all-star cast including [[Rock Hudson]], [[Elizabeth Taylor]], [[Kim Novak]], and [[Tony Curtis]]—the offer for Lansbury to reprise Miss Marple in three more films never materialized.<ref>Brunsdale, Mitzi M., ''Icons of Mystery and Crime Detection: From Sleuths to Superheroes''. Santa Barbara: ABC-CLIO, LLC (2010), p. 307<!-- ISSN/ISBN needed --></ref>

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. With ''Murder, She Wrote'' debuting on Sunday, September 30, 1984, the producers were able to parlay their "mystery writer/amateur detective" premise into a 12-year hit for [[CBS]]. 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 from ''[[Murder, She Said]]'', which was the title of a 1961 film adaptation of Agatha Christie's Miss Marple novel ''[[4.50 from Paddington]]''.

=== Premise ===
The show revolves around the day-to-day life of Jessica Fletcher (née MacGill, which was Lansbury's mother's maiden name), 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 in [[Maine]] (the first season episode "Murder Takes the Bus" establishes that Cabot Cove is just north of [[Newcastle, Maine|the 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 on ''Murder, 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 the [[Federal Bureau of Investigation|FBI]]'s national crime statistics in numerous categories, with some analysis suggesting that the homicide rate in Cabot Cove exceeds even that of the real-life [[List of cities by homicide rate|murder capital of the world]].<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/tvandradio/9490511/Murder-She-Wrote-location-named-as-murder-capital-of-world.html |title="Murder She Wrote" location named as Murder Capital of World |access-date=April 4, 2018 |archive-date=February 7, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180207011356/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/tvandradio/9490511/Murder-She-Wrote-location-named-as-murder-capital-of-world.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

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 the [[United States|U.S.]], as well as with a British police officer attached to [[Scotland Yard]]. At the start of season eight, more of the stories were set in [[New York City]] with Jessica moving into an apartment there part-time in order to teach criminology at the city university.

==Production==
''Murder, She Wrote'' was mostly filmed on sound stages at [[Universal Studios Lot|Universal Studios]] in [[Universal City, California]] (near Los Angeles).<ref name="Parish_Page_8">{{cite book |last1=Parish |first1=James Robert |title=The Unofficial Murder, She Wrote Casebook |date=1989 |publisher=Kensington Books |location=New York |isbn=9781575662107 |page=8 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=7K0HAQAAMAAJ&q=%20universal |access-date=28 February 2021 |archive-date=October 11, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221011195752/https://www.google.com/books/edition/The_Unofficial_Murder_She_Wrote_Casebook/7K0HAQAAMAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&bsq=%20universal |url-status=live }}</ref> The series also filmed exterior shots and some episodes [[Location shooting|on location]] in the Northern California town of [[Mendocino, California|Mendocino]], which stood in for the fictional Maine town of Cabot Cove.<ref name="Parish_Page_8" />  Cabot Cove dockside scenes were filmed a few miles north at [[Noyo Harbor]] in [[Fort Bragg, California]].<ref name="Mend:1">{{cite web |title=Murder She Wrote was filmed in Mendocino County, Mendocino & Fort Bragg |url=https://www.mendocino.com/?id=455 |website=www.mendocino.com |access-date=26 April 2024}}</ref>

[[Bruce Lansbury]], Angela's brother, served as producer of 88 episodes of the show. He was also a writer for 15 episodes.<ref>{{cite news| url=http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/bruce-lansbury-dead-tv-producer-angela-lansburys-brother-was-87-976535| title=Bruce Lansbury, TV Producer and Brother of Angela Lansbury, Dies at 87| last1=Barnes| first1=Mike| newspaper=[[The Hollywood Reporter]]| date=14 February 2017| accessdate=22 January 2018}}</ref>

===Lansbury considers retirement in 1988===
[[File:Angela Lansbury.jpg|thumb|upright|Angela Lansbury in September 1989]]
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 Wrote'' went 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.<ref>{{cite news|title=A break, she needed, from Murder She Wrote|url=http://www.thespec.com/whatson-story/3236485-a-break-she-needed-from-murder-she-wrote/|newspaper=The Hamilton Spectator|access-date=September 14, 2016|date=May 24, 2013|archive-date=September 13, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160913075806/http://www.thespec.com/whatson-story/3236485-a-break-she-needed-from-murder-she-wrote/|url-status=live}}</ref> In 1992, Lansbury took on a more extensive role in production as she became the show's executive producer.

===Move from Sundays in 1995===
''Murder, She Wrote'' was renewed for a twelfth season after finishing the [[1994-95 United States network television schedule|1994-95 season]] as the eighth-most watched program on television, tied with [[NBC]]'s new sitcom ''[[Friends (TV series)|Friends]]'' for 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 Wrote'' was, at the time, the most popular scripted series on CBS; in fact, it had been one of only two series on the network to garner a rating in the top ten (''[[60 Minutes]]'' was the other). Meanwhile, over at NBC, their Thursday night [[Must See TV]] lineup had been a ratings powerhouse for years and CBS decided to use ''Murder, She Wrote'' in an effort to cut into their viewership. So, after eleven years on Sunday night, the series moved to Thursday for the 1995–1996 season. It would keep the same time slot (8:00&nbsp;p.m.) on its new night, leading off a lineup that included the new drama ''[[New York News]]'' and the long-running news magazine ''[[48 Hours (TV program)|48 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 against ''Friends'' and a pair of freshman comedies in its time slot, ''Murder, She Wrote'' saw 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 that ''Murder, She Wrote'' was vacating, CBS elected to try a situation comedy block. Leading off the 8 o'clock hour, CBS went with ''[[Cybill]]'', which starred [[Cybill Shepherd]] and had finished its abbreviated first season just outside the top 20 in the Nielsen ratings. The second half of the hour featured the new series ''[[Almost Perfect]]'', which starred [[Nancy Travis]] as 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 Perfect'' found itself relocated to Monday night in the hopes of improving its ratings; its replacement, a retooled ''[[Bonnie (TV series)|Bonnie]]'', lasted five episodes on Sunday before it was cancelled.

Ultimately, ''Murder, She Wrote'' finished 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 return ''Murder, She Wrote'' to 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===
The network also agreed to commission four ''Murder, She Wrote'' movies over the next few years. The first was ''South by Southwest'' (1997), with three more following as ''A Story to Die For'' (2000), ''The Last Free Man'' (2001), and ''The Celtic Riddle'' (2003).<ref>{{cite news|title=Movies Keep 'Murder, She Wrote' Alive|work=Chicago Tribune|date=August 5, 1997|url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/1997/08/05/movies-keep-murder-she-wrote-alive/|access-date=October 20, 2010|archive-date=June 14, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120614033542/http://articles.chicagotribune.com/1997-08-05/features/9708050162_1_magnificent-seven-advocacy-groups-horst-buchholz|url-status=live}}</ref>

Lansbury stated in May 2011 that she would like to make a comeback appearance as Jessica Fletcher.<ref>{{cite magazine|title='Murder, She Wrote' Angela Lansbury Return|magazine=Entertainment Weekly|date=May 13, 2011|url=http://insidetv.ew.com/2011/05/13/murder-she-wrote-angela-lansbury-return|access-date=February 22, 2012|archive-date=February 8, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120208023833/http://insidetv.ew.com/2011/05/13/murder-she-wrote-angela-lansbury-return/|url-status=live}}</ref> 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."<ref>{{cite web|last=Bobbin|first=Jay|url=https://www.bostonherald.com/2015/07/12/lansbury-a-driving-force-as-miss-daisy/|title=Angela Lansbury thinks reviving Jessica Fletcher 'would be a downer'|website=Zap2it.com|date=July 17, 2015|access-date=August 10, 2016|archive-date=May 11, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160511034959/http://zap2it.com/2015/07/angela-lansbury-murder-she-wrote-jessica-fletcher-downer/|url-status=live}}</ref> Dame Angela Lansbury died on October 11, 2022, at age 96.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/pop-culture/celebrity/angela-lansbury-murder-wrote-beauty-beast-star-dies-96-rcna42421|title=Angela Lansbury, 'Murder, She Wrote' and 'Beauty and the Beast' star, dies at 96|publisher=[[NBC News]]|accessdate=11 October 2022|archive-date=11 October 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221011194028/https://www.nbcnews.com/pop-culture/celebrity/angela-lansbury-murder-wrote-beauty-beast-star-dies-96-rcna42421|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2022/10/11/obituaries/angela-lansbury-dead.html?smtyp=cur&smid=tw-nytimes|title=Angela Lansbury, Star of Film and Stage and TV's Favorite Sleuth, Dies at 96|work=[[The New York Times]]|date=11 October 2022|accessdate=11 October 2022|archive-date=11 October 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221011194748/https://www.nytimes.com/2022/10/11/obituaries/angela-lansbury-dead.html?smtyp=cur&smid=tw-nytimes|url-status=live}}</ref>

In 2023, [[Over-the-top media services|over-the-top]] [[Video on demand|video streaming]] service [[The Roku Channel]] launched a 24-hour ''Murder, She Wrote'' channel.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.techradar.com/streaming/roku-has-added-a-ton-of-free-channels-from-nbcuniversal-and-more-are-on-their-way |title=Roku Has Added a Ton of Free Channels from NBCUniversal and Aore Are on Their Way |website=[[TechRadar]] |date=August 18, 2023 |access-date=June 14, 2024}}</ref>

==Cast==
{| class="wikitable"
! rowspan="2"| Actor
! rowspan="2"| Character
! colspan="12"| Seasons
! rowspan="2"| Movies
|-
!style="width:25px;"|1
!style="width:25px;"|2
!style="width:25px;"|3
!style="width:25px;"|4
!style="width:25px;"|5
!style="width:25px;"|6
!style="width:25px;"|7
!style="width:25px;"|8
!style="width:25px;"|9
!style="width:25px;"|10
!style="width:25px;"|11
!style="width:25px;"|12
|-
| [[Angela Lansbury]]
| [[Jessica Fletcher]]
| colspan="13" {{cMain}}
|-
| [[Tom Bosley]]
| Sheriff Amos Tupper
| colspan="4" {{cRecurring}}
| colspan="9" {{cNone}}
|-
| rowspan="2"|[[William Windom (actor)|William Windom]]
| Sam Breen
| {{cGuest|Guest}}
| colspan="12" {{cNone}}
|-
| Dr. Seth Hazlitt
| {{cNone}}
| colspan="11" {{cRecurring|Recurring}}
| {{cNone}}
|-
| [[Ron Masak]]
| Sheriff Mort Metzger
| colspan="4" {{cNone}}
| colspan="8" {{cRecurring|Recurring}}
| {{cNone}}
|-
| Will Nye
| Dep. Floyd
| colspan="4" {{cNone}}
| colspan="3" {{cRecurring|Recurring}}
| colspan="6" {{cNone}}
|-
| [[Louis Herthum]]
| Dep. Andy Broom
| colspan="7" {{cNone}}
| colspan="5" {{cRecurring|Recurring}}
| {{cNone}}
|}

* [[Angela Lansbury]] as [[Jessica 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 ===
* [[Tom Bosley]] as 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 Horton (actor)|Michael Horton]] as 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 Orbach]] as Harry McGraw (7 episodes, 1985–1987, 1989, 1991), an old-school [[private investigator]] who 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 to ''Murder, She Wrote'' after his show was cancelled. Harry ceased to be a character permanently after Orbach took on the role of [[Lennie Briscoe]] on ''[[Law & Order]]'' in 1992.
* [[Len Cariou]] as Michael Hagarty (7 episodes, 1985–86, 1988–1992), a British former [[MI5]] agent, who often appeared when Jessica least expected him to drag her into a dangerous case. Cariou had previously starred with Lansbury on Broadway in ''[[Sweeney Todd (musical)|Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street]]'' as the titular character.
*[[William Windom (actor)|William Windom]] as 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 in ''[[Magnum, P.I.|Magnum P.I.]]'', which takes place in the same universe.
* [[Richard Paul]] as 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 Adams]] as Eve Simpson (10 episodes, 1987–1993), the Cabot Cove realtor with a great love for men, both single and married, and for gossiping.
* [[Keith Michell]] as 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 the [[fourth 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 Masak]] as Sheriff Mort Metzger (1988–1996; 39 episodes), a former [[NYPD]] officer who takes Sheriff Tupper's place as sheriff in the mistaken belief that he would be living in a more peaceful place. His [[unseen character|unseen 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 Herthum]] as Deputy Andy Broom (1991–1996, 25 episodes), Sheriff Metzger's second deputy.
* [[Herb Edelman]] as Artie Gelber (7 episodes, 1992–1995), a [[NYPD]] Lieutenant 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===
* [[Hallie Todd]] as 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 Swofford]] as Lt. Perry Catalano (6 episodes, 1990–1991). Swofford also appeared in four previous episodes and one later episode as various characters.
* [[James Sloyan]] as 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 Rogers]] as 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 Lightfoot]] as Detective Henderson (5 episodes, 1993–1994).
* [[Debbie Zipp]] as 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 Akins]] as Ethan Cragg (4 episodes, 1984), Jessica's fisherman friend. Ethan is replaced by Seth as Jessica's friend from Season 2 onwards.
* [[Madlyn Rhue]] as 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 Astin]] as 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 Francis]] as 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 Roman]] as Loretta Speigel (3 episodes, 1987–1989), Cabot Cove's lovelorn hairdresser and an inveterate gossip.
* [[Kathryn Grayson]] as Ideal Molloy (3 episodes, 1987–1989), one of the regulars at Loretta's beauty parlour.
* [[Gloria DeHaven]] as Phyllis Grant (3 episodes, 1987–1989), one of the regulars at Loretta's beauty parlour.
* [[Bruce Gray]] as Ted Hartley (3 episodes, 1991–1994). Gray had previously appeared as different characters in two other episodes.
* [[Gregory Sierra]] as Lt. Gabriel Caceras (3 episodes, 1993–1995). Sierra had previously appeared as various characters in three other episodes.
* [[Paddi Edwards]] as 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.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Paley Center - Murder She Wrote, The Murder of Sherlock Holmes, Pilot Episode Cast and Other Info |url=https://www.paleycenter.org/collection/item/?q=cbs&p=225&item=T:11201 |access-date=2023-01-09 |website=www.paleycenter.org}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-10-07 |title=The Denizens of Cabot Cove |url=https://murdershewroteshewrote.com/finding-cabot-cove/the-denizens-of-cabot-cove/ |access-date=2023-01-09 |website=Murder, She Wrote, She Wrote |language=en}}</ref><ref name=":0">{{Cite web |date=2019-03-29 |title=Murder, She Wrote Recurring Characters |url=https://murdershewatched.com/murder-she-wrote/murder-she-wrote-recurring-characters/ |access-date=2023-01-09 |website=Murder, She Watched |language=en}}</ref>
*Many actors and actresses also appeared in many episodes playing various characters, sometimes a different character in each one. These include [[Rosanna 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'Neil]] who appeared in the Pilot and 5 episodes overall; and [[Barbara Babcock]], who portrayed different characters in 5 episodes. There are several other examples including veteran character actor [[Steve Forrest (actor)|Steve Forrest]] famous for ''[[S.W.A.T. (1975 TV series)|S.W.A.T.]]'' and a memorable appearance on ''[[Dallas (TV series)|Dallas]]''.<ref name=":0" /><ref>{{Cite web |title=Barbara Babcock - Rotten Tomatoes |url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/barbara_babcock |access-date=2023-01-09 |website=www.rottentomatoes.com |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Rosanna Huffman - Rotten Tomatoes |url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/rosanna_huffman |access-date=2023-01-09 |website=www.rottentomatoes.com |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Tricia O'Neil - Rotten Tomatoes |url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/tricia_oneil |access-date=2023-01-09 |website=www.rottentomatoes.com |language=en}}</ref>

==Episodes==
{{Main|List of Murder, She Wrote episodes}}
{{:List of Murder, She Wrote episodes}}
{{notelist}}

===Crossover with ''Magnum, P.I.''===
{{See also|Magnum, P.I.#Crossovers}}
The third-season episode of ''Murder, She Wrote'' entitled "Magnum on Ice" concludes a crossover that began on the seventh-season ''[[Magnum, 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. The ''Magnum, P.I.'' episode originally aired on November 19, 1986, with the concluding ''Murder, She Wrote'' episode following four days later on November 23.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Murder, She Wrote {{!}} TV Guide|url=https://www.tvguide.com/tvshows/murder-she-wrote/episode-8-season-3/magnum-on-ice/100310|website=TVGuide.com|language=en|access-date=2020-05-19|archive-date=October 11, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221011195741/https://www.tvguide.com/tvshows/murder-she-wrote/episodes-season-3/1030038216/|url-status=live}}</ref>

The ''Magnum, P.I.'' episode of the crossover is included on the ''Murder, She Wrote'' Season 3 DVD set, as well as the Complete Series Set. The ''Magnum, P.I.'' Season 7 DVD set, as well as its Complete Series set, includes the ''Murder, She Wrote'' episode.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Magnum P.I.: Season 7|url=https://www.amazon.com/Magnum-P-I-Season-Tom-Selleck/dp/B000TZX5XK|website=Amazon|access-date=2020-05-19|archive-date=April 23, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210423211327/https://www.amazon.com/Magnum-P-I-Season-Tom-Selleck/dp/B000TZX5XK|url-status=live}}</ref>

==Awards and honors==
Over its 12 year run ''Murder, She Wrote'' received 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]], the [[art director]] for 102 of the series' 264 episodes, received three [[Emmy Awards|Emmy]] nominations for her work on ''Murder, She Wrote''.<ref name=thr>{{cite news|first=Mike|last=Barnes|title=Mary Weaver Dodson, Art Director on 'Murder, She Wrote', Dies at 83|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/mary-weaver-dodson-dead-murder-868089|work=[[The Hollywood Reporter]]|date=February 21, 2016|access-date=March 13, 2016|archive-date=October 7, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161007024355/http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/mary-weaver-dodson-dead-murder-868089|url-status=live}}</ref> In total, the show was nominated for 41 Emmys.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Murder, She Wrote|url=https://www.emmys.com/shows/murder-she-wrote|access-date=2021-10-31|website=Television Academy|language=en|archive-date=October 11, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221011195741/https://www.emmys.com/shows/murder-she-wrote|url-status=live}}</ref>

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Group
! Award
! Years
! Result
|-
| rowspan="5"| [[Primetime Emmy Awards]]
| [[Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Drama Series|Outstanding Drama Series]]
| 1985–87
| {{nominated}}
|-
| [[Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series|Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series]] <small>(Angela Lansbury)</small>
| 1985–96
| {{nominated}}
|-
| [[Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Music Composition for a Series (Original Dramatic Score)|Outstanding Music Composition for a Series]] <small>(John Addison)</small>
| 1985<ref name="latimes1991">{{cite news|title=Television: Angela Lansbury is miffed that her top-rated series, a CBS bulwark, is routinely ignored at Emmy time: 'The industry is barely aware the show exists.'|work=[[Los Angeles Times]]|date=September 13, 1991|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1991-09-13-ca-2283-story.html|access-date=October 20, 2010|first=Rick|last=Du Brow|archive-date=September 13, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110913202737/http://articles.latimes.com/1991-09-13/entertainment/ca-2283_1_tv-industry|url-status=live}}</ref>
| {{won}}
|-
| Outstanding Music Composition for a Series <small>(Bruce Babcock)</small>
| 1993, 1995
| {{nominated}}
|-
| [[Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Costumes for a Series|Outstanding Costume Design for a Series]] <small>(Alfred E. Lehman)</small>
| 1986<ref name="latimes1991"/>
| {{won}}
|-
| rowspan="4"| [[Golden Globe Award]]s
| rowspan="2"| Best TV Series—Drama
| 1984, 1985
| {{won}}
|-
| 1986–89
| {{nominated}}
|-
| rowspan="2"| Best Performance by an Actress in a TV Series—Drama <small>(Angela Lansbury)</small>
| 1984, 1986, 1989 & 1991
| {{won}}
|- 
| 1985, 1987, 1988, 1990, 1992 & 1994
| {{nominated}}
|-
| rowspan="2"| [[Edgar Award]]s
| Best Episode of a TV Series <small>("Deadly Lady")</small>
| 1985
| {{won}}
|-
| Best Episode of a TV Series <small>("The Dead File")</small>
| 1993
| {{nominated}}
|-
| [[Screen Actors Guild Awards]]
| Best Performance by an Actress in a TV Series—Drama <small>(Angela Lansbury)</small>
| 1994
| {{nominated}}
|}

==US television ratings==
''Murder, She Wrote'' maintained 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 Wrote'' was 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 the [[1994–1996 United States broadcast television realignment|television realignment]], meaning major markets could not find the network. The show rated as the following:

{| style="text-align:center;" class="wikitable"
|-
|+Television ratings
|-
!scope= "col" colspan="2" | Season
!scope= "col" | Episodes
!scope= "col" | Time slot (ET)
!scope= "col" | Season premiere
!scope= "col" | Season finale
!scope= "col" | Rank
!scope= "col" | Rating
|-
!scope= "row" | 1
| [[1984–85 United States network television schedule|1984–85]]
| 22
| Sunday at 8:00 pm <small>(Episodes 1, 3–22)</small><br/>Sunday at 9:00 pm <small>(Episode 2)</small>
| September 30, 1984
| April 21, 1985
| style="text-align:center" | #8<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.classictvhits.com/tvratings/1984.htm |title=TV Ratings: 1984–85 |publisher=Classictvhits.com |access-date=May 14, 2012 |archive-date=August 15, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180815052553/http://classictvhits.com/tvratings/1984.htm |url-status=live}}</ref>
| style="text-align:center" | 20.1
|-
!scope= "row" | 2
| [[1985–86 United States network television schedule|1985–86]]
| 22
| rowspan="10"|Sunday at 8:00 pm
| September 29, 1985
| May 18, 1986
| style="text-align:center" | #3<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.classictvhits.com/tvratings/1985.htm |title=TV Ratings: 1985–86 |publisher=Classictvhits.com |access-date=May 14, 2012 |archive-date=August 2, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130802200649/http://www.classictvhits.com/tvratings/1985.htm |url-status=live }}</ref>
| style="text-align:center" | 25.3
|-
!scope= "row" | 3
| [[1986–87 United States network television schedule|1986–87]]
| 22
| September 28, 1986
| May 10, 1987
| style="text-align:center" | #4<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.classictvhits.com/tvratings/1986.htm |title=TV Ratings: 1986–87 |publisher=Classictvhits.com |access-date=May 14, 2012 |archive-date=February 6, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100206054018/http://www.classictvhits.com/tvratings/1986.htm |url-status=live }}</ref>
| style="text-align:center" | 25.4
|-
!scope= "row" | 4
| [[1987–88 United States network television schedule|1987–88]]
| 22
| September 20, 1987
| May 8, 1988
| style="text-align:center" | #9<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.classictvhits.com/tvratings/1987.htm|title=TV Ratings: 1987–88|publisher=Classictvhits.com|date=July 26, 2002|access-date=May 14, 2012|archive-date=March 7, 2004|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040307143742/http://www.classictvhits.com/tvratings/1987.htm|url-status=live}}</ref>
| style="text-align:center" |20.2
|-
!scope= "row" | 5
| [[1988–89 United States network television schedule|1988–89]]
| 22
| October 23, 1988
| May 21, 1989
| style="text-align:center" | #8<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.classictvhits.com/tvratings/1988.htm |title=TV Ratings: 1988–89 |publisher=Classictvhits.com |access-date=May 14, 2012 |archive-date=December 15, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151215140945/http://www.classictvhits.com/tvratings/1988.htm |url-status=live }}</ref>
| style="text-align:center" |19.9
|-
!scope= "row" | 6
| [[1989–90 United States network television schedule|1989–90]]
| 22
| September 24, 1989
| May 20, 1990
| style="text-align:center" | #13<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.classictvhits.com/tvratings/1989.htm |title=TV Ratings: 1989–90 |publisher=Classictvhits.com |access-date=May 14, 2012 |archive-date=December 9, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151209043417/http://www.classictvhits.com/tvratings/1989.htm |url-status=live }}</ref>
| style="text-align:center" |17.7
|-
!scope= "row" | 7
| [[1990–91 United States network television schedule|1990–91]]
| 22
| September 16, 1990
| May 12, 1991
| style="text-align:center" | #12<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.classictvhits.com/tvratings/1990.htm|title=TV Ratings: 1990–91|publisher=Classictvhits.com|access-date=May 14, 2012|archive-date=September 6, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120906044108/http://www.classictvhits.com/tvratings/1990.htm|url-status=live}}</ref>
| style="text-align:center" |16.4
|-
!scope= "row" | 8
| [[1991–92 United States network television schedule|1991–92]]
| 22
| September 15, 1991
| May 17, 1992
| style="text-align:center" | #8<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.classictvhits.com/tvratings/1991.htm|title=TV Ratings: 1991–92|publisher=Classictvhits.com|access-date=May 14, 2012|archive-date=November 19, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151119034124/http://www.classictvhits.com/tvratings/1991.htm|url-status=live}}</ref>
| style="text-align:center" |16.9
|-
!scope= "row" | 9
| [[1992–93 United States network television schedule|1992–93]]
| 22
| September 20, 1992
| May 16, 1993
| style="text-align:center" | #5<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.classictvhits.com/tvratings/1992.htm|title=TV Ratings: 1992–93|publisher=Classictvhits.com|access-date=May 14, 2012|archive-date=January 15, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100115170154/http://classictvhits.com/tvratings/1992.htm|url-status=live}}</ref>
| style="text-align:center" |17.7
|-
!scope= "row" | 10
| [[1993–94 United States network television schedule|1993–94]]
| 21
| September 12, 1993
| May 22, 1994
| style="text-align:center" | #11<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.classictvhits.com/tvratings/1993.htm|title=TV Ratings: 1989–90|publisher=Classictvhits.com|access-date=May 14, 2012|archive-date=January 6, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100106211654/http://www.classictvhits.com/tvratings/1993.htm|url-status=live}}</ref>
| style="text-align:center" |16.0
|-
!scope= "row" | 11
| [[1994–95 United States network television schedule|1994–95]]
| 21
| September 25, 1994
| May 14, 1995
| style="text-align:center" | #8<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.classictvhits.com/tvratings/1994.htm|title=TV Ratings: 1994–95|publisher=Classictvhits.com|access-date=May 14, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091026022514/http://www.classictvhits.com/tvratings/1994.htm|archive-date=October 26, 2009|url-status=dead}}</ref>
| style="text-align:center" |15.6
|-
!scope= "row" | 12
| [[1995–96 United States network television schedule|1995–96]]
| 24
| Thursday at 8:00 pm <small>(Episodes 1–12, 14–17, 19–20)</small><br/>Sunday at 8:00 pm <small>(Episodes 13, 18, 21–24)</small>
| September 21, 1995
| May 19, 1996
| style="text-align:center" | #58<ref>{{cite web|url=http://fbibler.chez.com/tvstats/recent_data/1995-96.html|title=Complete TV Ratings 1995-1996|access-date=April 5, 2012|archive-date=November 7, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151107015936/http://fbibler.chez.com/tvstats/recent_data/1995-96.html|url-status=live}}</ref>
| style="text-align:center" | 9.50
|}

==Cancelled reboot==
''[[Deadline Hollywood]]'' reported in October 2013 that NBC was planning a reboot of the series, starring Oscar-winning actress [[Octavia Spencer]] as a "hospital administrator and amateur sleuth who self-publishes her first mystery novel."<ref>{{cite web|last=Andreeva|first=Nellie|title=NBC to Reboot 'Murder, She Wrote' with Octavia Spencer Starring, Alex Cunningham Writing and David Janollari Producing|url=https://deadline.com/2013/10/murder-she-wrote-reboot-series-octavia-spencer-nbc-619107/|publisher=[[Deadline Hollywood]]|access-date=October 26, 2013|date=October 24, 2013|archive-date=October 11, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221011195741/https://deadline.com/2013/10/murder-she-wrote-reboot-series-octavia-spencer-nbc-619107/|url-status=live}}</ref> 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 it ''Murder, She Wrote'' because ''Murder, She Wrote'' will 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.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/tv/showtracker/la-et-st-angela-lansbury-is-not-happy-with-murder-she-wrote-remake-20131111,0,1702555.story#axzz2kg37dgaM|work=Los Angeles Times|title=Angela Lansbury is not happy with 'Murder, She Wrote' remake|date=November 11, 2013|access-date=April 17, 2020|archive-date=February 1, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140201140917/http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/tv/showtracker/la-et-st-angela-lansbury-is-not-happy-with-murder-she-wrote-remake-20131111,0,1702555.story#axzz2kg37dgaM|url-status=live}}</ref> On January 21, 2014, ''Deadline Hollywood'' announced that the reboot would not be going forward.<ref>{{cite web|last=Andreeva|first=Nellie|title=NBC's 'Murder She Wrote' Reboot Not Going Forward, Could Be Revisited in the Future|url=https://deadline.com/2014/01/murder-she-wrote-reboot-nbc-octavia-spencer-669042/|work=Deadline Hollywood|access-date=January 21, 2014|date=January 21, 2014|archive-date=January 22, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140122075313/http://www.deadline.com/2014/01/murder-she-wrote-reboot-nbc-octavia-spencer/|url-status=live}}</ref>

==Film adaptation==
On September 9, 2023, it was revealed that a film adaptation of the series is in the early stages of development at [[Universal Pictures]]. ''[[Dumb Money]]'' screenwriters Lauren Schuker Blum and Rebecca Angelo will write the script while [[Amy Pascal]] acts as producer.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Sneider|first=Jeff|date=September 9, 2023|title=Exclusive: Murder, She Wrote Movie in the Works at Universal From Dumb Money Writers and Amy Pascal|url=https://abovetheline.com/2023/09/09/murder-she-wrote-movie-amy-pascal-universal-dumb-money-writers/|access-date=September 12, 2023|website=Above The Line|language=en-US}}</ref> On December 16, 2024, it was announced that [[Jamie Lee Curtis]] had signed on play Jessica Fletcher, with [[Phil Lord and Christopher Miller|Phil Lord & Christopher Miller]] joining as producers. <ref>https://theplaylist.net/murder-she-wrote-jamie-lee-curtis-eyed-to-star-in-new-mystery-film-produced-by-lord-miller-20241216/</ref>

==Merchandise==
In 1985, Warren Company released a ''Murder, She Wrote'' board 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 publisher [[Legacy Interactive]], under license with Universal Pictures Digital Platforms Group (UPDPG), announced the release a PC and Macintosh video game, ''[[Murder, She Wrote (video game)|Murder, She Wrote]]'', based on the television series. In the game, players help [[Jessica Fletcher]] to solve five unusual murders.<ref>{{cite press release|url=http://www.legacygames.com/news/press_release/2009/murder_she_wrote_widespread_release|title=Legacygames.com|publisher=Legacy Interactive|date=December 18, 2009|access-date=May 14, 2012|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120329024026/http://www.legacygames.com/news/press_release/2009/murder_she_wrote_widespread_release|archive-date=March 29, 2012}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.legacygames.com/download-games/5/PC/Murder%2C+She+Wrote |title=Murder, She Wrote for PC |access-date=November 9, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161110043836/https://www.legacygames.com/download-games/5/PC/Murder%2C+She+Wrote |archive-date=November 10, 2016 |url-status=dead }}</ref> A sequel, ''Murder She Wrote 2'', was launched by Legacy Interactive in November 2012.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.legacygames.com/download-games/209/PC/Murder%2C+She+Wrote+2 |title=Murder, She Wrote 2 for PC |access-date=November 9, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161110043951/https://www.legacygames.com/download-games/209/PC/Murder%2C+She+Wrote+2 |archive-date=November 10, 2016 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

Since 2020, [[Funko]] and [[National Entertainment Collectibles Association|NECA]] have released an array of dolls and action figures based on ''Murder, She Wrote'', specifically the character Jessica Fletcher.

==Multimedia==
*[[List of Murder, She Wrote novels|List of novels]]
*[[List of Murder, She Wrote home video releases|Home video releases]]
*[[Murder, She Wrote Mystery Theatre|Mystery Theatre]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Wikiquote}}
* {{IMDb title|id=0086765|title=Murder, She Wrote}}

{{Murder, She Wrote}}
{{GoldenGlobeTVDrama 1969-1989}}

[[Category:Murder, She Wrote| ]]
[[Category:1984 American television series debuts]]
[[Category:1996 American television series endings]]
[[Category:1980s American crime drama television series]]
[[Category:1980s American mystery television series]]
[[Category:1990s American crime drama television series]]
[[Category:1990s American mystery television series]]
[[Category:American detective television series]]
[[Category:Anthony Award–winning works]]
[[Category:Best Drama Series Golden Globe winners]]
[[Category:Cozy mystery television series]]
[[Category:Edgar Award–winning works]]
[[Category:American English-language television shows]]
[[Category:Television series by Universal Television]]
[[Category:Television series created by Peter S. Fischer]]
[[Category:Television series created by Richard Levinson]]
[[Category:Television series created by William Link]]
[[Category:Television shows about writers]]
[[Category:Television shows filmed in California]]
[[Category:Television shows set in Maine]]
[[Category:CBS crime dramas]]