Murder, She Wrote
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| Murder, She Wrote | |
End of opening title sequence for Murder, She Wrote. |
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| Format | Mystery, Procedural drama |
|---|---|
| Created by | Peter S. Fischer Richard Levinson William Link |
| Starring | Angela Lansbury William Windom Tom Bosley (1984–1988) Ron Masak (1988–1996) |
| Theme music composer | John Addison |
| Country of origin | |
| No. of seasons | 12 |
| No. of episodes | 264 (List of episodes) |
| Production | |
| Executive producer(s) | [Angela Lansbury Peter S. Fischer Richard Levinson William Link David Moessinger |
| Running time | 60 Minutes |
| Broadcast | |
| Original channel | CBS |
| Original run | September 30, 1984 – May 19, 1996 |
| Chronology | |
| Related shows | The Law & Harry McGraw |
Murder, She Wrote is an American television mystery series starring Angela Lansbury as mystery writer and amateur detective Jessica Fletcher. The series aired for twelve seasons from 1984 to 1996 on the CBS network. It was followed by four TV films and a spin-off series, The Law & Harry McGraw.
In February 2007, on the ABC daytime talk show The View,[1] Lansbury announced that she hopes to make another Murder, She Wrote TV movie in the near future, if her son, Anthony Shaw, can find a suitable story.[2]
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[edit] History
[edit] Origin
Debuting September 30, 1984, Murder, She Wrote, TV's longest-running mystery series, starring the character of Jessica Fletcher, might never have come about had producers Richard Levinson and William Link enjoyed success with their TV series Ellery Queen. That series folded after a single season, but Levinson and Link were still committed to the concept of a bestselling murder mystery novelist who solved real murders when not at the typewriter. By changing the gender of their protagonist from male to female and transforming the character from a good-looking, absent-minded young pedant to a middle-aged down-to-earth widow, the producers were able to parlay their 'mystery writer/amateur detective' premise into a 12-year hit for CBS.
The title comes from Murder, She Said, an adaptation of a Miss Marple novel by Agatha Christie. While not appearing in the aforementioned film, Angela Lansbury herself did play Miss Marple in The Mirror Crack'd, and the character of Jessica Fletcher is thought to be based on a combination of Miss Marple, Agatha Christie herself, and another Christie character, Ariadne Oliver, who often appears in the Hercule Poirot mysteries.
[edit] Premise
The show revolved around the day to day life of a retired English teacher who, after being widowed in her early fifties, becomes a very successful mystery writer. Despite fame and fortune, Jessica remains a resident of Cabot Cove, a cozy coastal town in Maine, and maintains her links with all of her old friends, never letting her success go to her head. Exterior shots of Cabot Cove were filmed in Mendocino, California.
Her one eccentricity is an insatiable curiosity, especially whenever murder rears its ugly head - which it does with great regularity. The mystery term "Cabot Cove Syndrome" was eventually coined to describe the constant appearance of dead bodies in remote locations.
In most episodes, Jessica somehow becomes entangled in a murder investigation. The police are almost always willing to arrest the most likely suspect, but Jessica invariably feels that the so-called guilty party was innocent. Carefully and methodically piecing the clues together and asking astute questions, she always manages to trap the real murderer - who, given the series' "special guest star" policy, was often played by a famous film or TV personality.
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 U.S., as well as a British police officer attached to Scotland Yard.
In 1991, newly appointed executive producer David Moessinger and producer J. Michael Straczynski were brought aboard in an effort to shore up ratings. They moved Jessica to New York, and revitalized the show, bringing it back into the top ten from the mid-thirties where it had fallen. It was Straczynski who made her an instructor in writing and criminology, and is widely held to have most emphasized her role as a working writer, with all the deadlines and problems involved in that profession. Although deciding enough was enough, Angela was furious that the network moved the show from its rating winning Sunday slot to Thursdays, up against ratings monsters such as Friends. Unsurprisingly, ratings sharply fell, and the network canceled the show not long after. In an attempt to soften the blow, the network signed up for some TV movies, four of which followed.
[edit] Cast
[edit] Regular cast
- Angela Lansbury as Jessica Fletcher (1984−1996). The show was originally conceived as a vehicle for Jean Stapleton, who had just finished a nine-year run on All in the Family; when Stapleton decided she didn't want to commit to another television series, the role was offered to Lansbury. Doris Day was offered the part afterwards, and also declined. Lansbury was the only actress to appear in all 264 episodes.
- William Windom as Dr. Seth Hazlitt (1985−1996), the local doctor of Cabot Cove and one of Jessica's best friends.
- Tom Bosley as Sheriff Amos Tupper (1984−1988), Cabot Cove's sheriff at the start of the series. Tupper later retires and goes to live with his sister.
- Ron Masak as Sheriff Mort Metzger (1988−1996), a former NYPD officer who takes Tupper's place as sheriff in the mistaken belief that he would be living in a more peaceful place. In one episode he was shown as a cheap store owner in New York City who was in trouble with the law and was trying to get out of trouble by selling his business.
[edit] Recurring cast
- Michael Horton as Grady Fletcher (1984–1995), Jessica's not-so-lucky favorite nephew, who (through no fault of his own) always seems to get in trouble with the law. After many romantic disasters, he gets married later in the series. In real life, Horton is married to actress Debbie Zipp, who played Grady's eventual wife, Donna Mayberry. The two had been married for many years before working together on Murder, She Wrote.
- Jerry Orbach as Harry McGraw (1985–1991), an old-school private investigator who becomes friends with Jessica. Orbach was popular enough to garner his own, short-lived spinoff series in 1987, The Law & Harry McGraw.
- Len Cariou as Michael Hagarty (1985–1992), a British MI6 agent of Irish origin, who would appear when Jessica least expected him to drag her into a dangerous case. Cariou had previously starred with Lansbury on Broadway in Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street as the titular character.
- Richard Paul as Sam Booth (1986–1991), the genial, ineffectual mayor of Cabot Cove whose main campaign promise is that he will do nothing.
- Julie Adams as Eve Simpson (1987–1993), the Cabot Cove real estate agent with a great love for men, both single and married, and the hobby of gossiping. She is a good friend of Jessica.
- Keith Michell as Dennis Stanton (1988–1993), a former jewel thief turned insurance claims investigator, who always solves his cases using unusual methods, and sends a copy of the story to his friend Jessica afterwards.
- Wayne Rogers as Charlie Garrett (1993–1995), a disreputable private investigator who usually gets into trouble and needs Jessica's help.
[edit] Guest stars
Many famous or soon-to-be-famous actors have had guest spots on episodes of Murder, She Wrote. These include George Clooney, Courteney Cox, Neil Patrick Harris, Kate Mulgrew, Leslie Nielsen, Joaquin Phoenix and Nana Visitor.
During the run of the series there have been two "special guest stars", both from the crossover episode "Magnum on Ice". These were Tom Selleck and John Hillerman starring as their Magnum, P.I. characters Thomas Magnum and Jonathan Higgins respectively.
[edit] Episodes
For several years, the show was the longest-running mystery show on television. In total, there were 264 weekly episodes, including the two hour feature-length pilot episode, "The Murder of Sherlock Holmes". However, the pilot is now aired as two separate episodes during syndication.
Many of the episodes took place in either Jessica's hometown of Cabot Cove or in New York, but her travels promoting books or visiting relatives and friends (of which she seemed to have an endless supply) led to cases throughout the world.
Beginning in season six, Lansbury cut back her appearances. A handful of episodes purported to be stories "written" by Jessica, or submitted to her by friends. She would introduce each episode, but generally disappear until the end, when she would wrap up the story. Other sleuths, such as reformed jewel thief turned insurance investigator Dennis Stanton, retired spy Michael Hagarty, and down-at-heel private eye Harry McGraw, took center stage. These episodes became known as "bookend episodes". Viewers, however, didn't like Jessica's frequent absences, and the "replacement detective" policy was eventually dropped.
[edit] Awards
Murder, She Wrote received numerous Emmy Award nominations. Angela 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.
| Group | Award | Year(s) | Won |
|---|---|---|---|
| Emmy Awards | Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series (Angela Lansbury) | 1985−1996 | No |
| Outstanding Music Composition for a Series (John Addison) | 1985 | Yes | |
| Outstanding Music Composition for a Series (Bruce Babcock) | 1993, 1995 | No | |
| Outstanding Costume Design for a Series (Alfred E. Lehman) | 1986 | Yes | |
| Golden Globe Awards | Best TV Series - Drama | 1985, 1986 | Yes |
| Best TV Series - Drama | 1987−1990 | No | |
| Best Performance by an Actress in a TV Series - Drama (Angela Lansbury) | 1985, 1987, 1990 & 1992 | Yes | |
| Best Performance by an Actress in a TV Series - Drama (Angela Lansbury) | 1986, 1988, 1989, 1991, 1993 & 1995 | No | |
| Edgar Awards | Best Episode of a TV Series ("Deadly Lady") | 1985 | Yes |
| Best Episode of a TV Series ("The Dead File") | 1993 | No | |
| Screen Actors Guild Awards | Best Performance by an Actress in a TV Series - Drama (Angela Lansbury) | 1995 | No |
[edit] Novels
In keeping with the spirit of the TV show, the author credit for a series of official original novels, written by Coffee, Tea, or Me? writer Donald Bain, is shared with the fictitious "Jessica Fletcher".
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[edit] DVDs
Universal Studios Home Entertainment has released the first 10 seasons of Murder, She Wrote on DVD in Region 1 and Universal Playback has released them in Regions 2 & 4. The remaining seasons are expected to be released soon.
[edit] International syndication
Aside from its original run on CBS, Murder, She Wrote has been syndicated in many countries around the world, and continues to be to this day.
| Country | Channel(s) | Title | Translation | Language |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Network Ten, TV1,Channel Seven |
Murder, She Wrote | English | ||
| ORF | Mord ist ihr Hobby | Murder is Her Hobby | German dubbed | |
| VTM, VIJFtv |
Murder, She Wrote | English, Dutch subtitles |
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| Universal Channel | Assassinato por Escrito | Written Murder | Portuguese dubbed | |
| Fox Crime, Diema |
Убийство по сценарий | Murder by script | Bulgarian dubbed | |
| Vision TV | Murder, She Wrote | English | ||
| TQS | Elle écrit au meurtre | She writes on the (subject of) murder | French dubbed | |
| Canal 13 | Reportera del crimen | Crime Reporter | Spanish dubbed | |
| HRT | Ubojstvo, napisala je | Murder, She Wrote | English, Croatian subtitles |
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| TV Nova | To je vražda, napsala | Murder, She Wrote | Czech dubbed | |
| DR 2 | Hun så et mord | She Saw a Murder | English, Dutch subtitles |
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| TV3 | Mõrv sai teoks | Murder Became True | English, Estonian subtitles |
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| YLE TV1 | Murhasta tuli totta | Murder Became True | English, Finnishsubtitles |
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| La Cinq, TF1, TV Breizh |
Arabesque | Arabesque | French dubbed | |
| ARD, RTL, Super RTL, TNT Serie, kabel eins |
Immer, wenn sie Krimis schrieb, Mord ist ihr Hobby |
Whenever She Wrote a Crime Novel, Murder is Her Hobby |
German dubbed | |
| Star Channel | Η συγγραφέας ντετέκτιβ | The Detective Writer | English, Greek subtitles |
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| Viasat 3 | Gyilkos sorok | Murderous Lines | Hungarian dubbed | |
| RTÉ One | Murder, She Wrote | English | ||
| HOT Israel 10 |
''''' | Murder With A Stroke Of Her Pen | English, Hebrew subtitles |
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| Rai Uno, Fox Crime |
La signora in giallo | The Mystery Lady | Italian dubbed | |
| NHK, Mystery Channel, LaLa TV, Chiba TV, Gunma TV |
Jessica obasan no jikenbo | Aunt Jessica's Case Files | Japanese dubbed | |
| KTV 2 | Murder, She Wrote | English, Arabicsubtitles |
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| TV3 | Džesika Flečer | Jessica Fletcher | Lithuanian dubbed | |
| Universal Channel | La reportera del crimen | The Crime Reporter | Spanish dubbed | |
| RTL 8 | Murder, She Wrote | English, Dutch subtitles |
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| TV3 | Jessica Fletcher | Jessica Fletcher | English, Norwegian subtitles |
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| GMA Network, RJTV 29 |
Murder, She Wrote | English | ||
| RTP 1 | Crime, Disse Ela | Crime, She Said | English, Portuguese subtitles |
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| Pro Cinema, TVR 2 |
Verdict: Crima | Verdict: Murder | English, Romanian subtitles |
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| НТВ, Домашний |
Она написала убийство | Murder, She Wrote | Russian dubbed | |
| Markíza | To je vražda, napísala | Murder, She Wrote | Slovak dubbed | |
| Kanal A | Umor je napisala | Murder, She Wrote | English, Slovene subtitles |
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| TV1 | Murder, She Wrote | English | ||
| TVE, Calle 13, Antena 3 |
Se ha escrito un crimen | A Crime has Been Written | Spanish dubbed | |
| TV3 | S'ha escrit un crim | A Crime has Been Written | Catalan dubbed | |
| TVG | Escribiuse un crime | A Crime has Been Written | Galician dubbed | |
| TV3 | Mord och inga visor | Murder and not Melodies | English, Swedish subtitles |
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| TRT 1, Star TV, Kanal D |
Cinayet Dosyası | Murder File | Turkish dubbed | |
| ITV, BBC Two, Alibi |
Murder, She Wrote | English | ||
| Hallmark Channel | Murder, She Wrote | English | ||
| Monte Carlo Televisión | Reportera del crimen | Crime Reporter | Spanish dubbed |
[edit] References
- ^ "The View Recaps". ABC.com. http://abc.go.com/daytime/theview/episodes/2007/20070226.html. Retrieved on 2007-02-26.
- ^ "Murder, She Wrote: Could Jessica Fletcher Return?". TVSeriesFinale.com. http://www.tvseriesfinale.com/2007/02/murder_she_wrote_could_jessica_fletcher_return.php. Retrieved on 2007-02-28.
[edit] External links
- Murder, She Wrote at the Internet Movie Database
- Murder, She Wrote at TV.com
- The Murder, She Wrote Wiki
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