Murder, She Wrote

[Soapsuds]

Awwwwww

Brilliant!!

[Khan]

Right, lol?  But, I've wondered whether Angela Lansbury liked the idea of Jessica teaching criminology at a university, because the season after the second show-runner, David Moessinger, left, it seems like that was dropped entirely.

There's also a point in the latter seasons when I really start questioning whether Jessica needs a home base.  I mean, if she wasn't still in NYC, she was traveling all over the country (and the world).  It seemed like she was in Cabot Cove maybe one week out of every three months, lol.

[kalbir]

Peter S. Fischer Dead: ‘Murder, She Wrote’ Co-Creator Was 88 – The Hollywood Reporter

[DaytimeFan]

Just saw another of the darker MSW episodes. Season 4, Episode 2, 'When Thieves Fall Out'

It's one of those episodes about people Jessica knows personally and her time as a teacher in Cabot Cove.

No spoilers, but the ending is really good as Jessica basically says she doesn't care that justice was done because the result has hurt her and so many people she cares about.

[DaytimeFan]

And another of the darker episodes. Season 4, episode 17: "A Very Good Year for Murder"

It features DAYS' Kristian Alfonso. 

In the end, Jessica and the police decide to look the other way after the killer confesses before attempting suicide. 

[Maxim]

As a child I was traumatized by an episode in which Jessica was helping a woman, who was seeing her dead husband and hearing him around the house. It was very spooky and I had it recorded on VCR and would re-watch it all the time. Does anyone know which episode this is... in the end it ended up not being paranormal of course.

[Khan]

You might be talking about "Reflections of the Mind," which aired on 11/3/1985, during MSW's second season.  Guest stars included Ann Blyth, Ben Murphy, Stacy Nelkin, Esther Rolle, Steven Keats, Martin Milner and Wings Hauser (ex-Greg, Y&R).  What I loved about that episode was how Jessica did not at all think her friend (Blyth) was losing touch with reality; that, in fact, what she saw and heard were very real, and very clearly the work of someone trying to drive her mad.  Now that's a friend, lol!

Edited December 30, 2023 by Khan

[Soapsuds]

@DaytimeFan

I watched a Columbo episode recently featuring Andrew Stevens. 

Walter Grauman from MSW directed the episode.

I was fascinated through the whole episode and thought you'd enjoy it too.

The episode is called murder in Malibu.

 

Edited December 30, 2023 by Soapsuds

[Khan]

I agree.  It's one thing if MSW no longer fit within CBS' agenda.  No show runs forever.  But CBS owed Angela Lansbury the opportunity to close the show on her terms after everything she had done to help the network through what you yourself called some very awful years in the late '80's and early '90's.

[Maxim]

My god this is it! Thank you million times. I am watching it in bed right now.

[kalbir]

100% this. Murder, She Wrote was CBS's rare bright spot in that third place primetime mess era. After carrying CBS primetime on her back for the better part of a decade, Angela deserved so much better at the end than what she got. There's a special place in hell for Les Moonves for the way he treated Angela and for his comment about her years later.

Edited December 30, 2023 by kalbir

[DaytimeFan]

 

I had it recorded and watched it this evening - a great episode and so fun to see the photo of Ann Blyth and Angela from their days at MGM. 

[Aback]

random question - but I was always under the assumptions that the show was about the murders that Jessica - as a novelist - wrote. Cabot Cove was not a dangerous place, it was just a city in her mind.

Am i wrong?

[Khan]

Unfortunately, you are.  Cabot Cove was very much real - and very much dangerous, lol.

[DRW50]

Michael Gross is asked about Family Ties being moved against MSW. (his interview starts about 5 minutes in)

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