Murder She Wrote had some of the best episodes of any murder/mystery of its time. The show didn't have a unique format, as there were at least 8 similar programs on television at the time. What it had was great writing, interesting settings, and Angela Lansbury. I've always been a fan, and probably always will be.

Murder She Wrote episodes could always be counted on to provide clever twists to a seemingly simple story. The show centered on Angela Lansbury's Jessica Fletcher, a middle aged widow with a profitable writing career. She lived in a small eastern town, and had the most mysterious adventures imaginable. There were a few "monster of the day" episodes that failed to offer any real progression to the main story, but those were few and far between. Mostly, the show had dynamic plot twists that put a novelist in grave danger.

Angela Lansbury is an accomplished actress. Her talents rival Meryl Streep's as a dramatic actress. Most people don't know that Angela is also a practiced singer, having appeared in the stage production of Pirates of Penzance. Her performing career spans nearly 7 decades, and is virtually unrivaled in diversity. She continues to act today in the Broadway production of Blithe Spirit.

The remarkable value that Angela brought to Murder She Wrote is evidenced in the performance of the show's 6th season. During the 6th season, Angela was working on other projects, and didn't want to get tied down to Murder She Wrote. As a result, the show had to produce a new main character on a temporary basis. Their efforts took the form of the so called "replacement detective" episodes. The characters that replaced Jessica Fletcher were all professional crime solvers (played by bit actors), and it's not surprising to learn that season is considered the worst of the lot.

Murder She Wrote may be gone, but the great writing and clever twists are still around. Angela Lansbury has advanced her career and continues (at 84 years old) to be one of the best thespians around. If you have a chance to catch a rerun of a Murder She Wrote episode, you can see a much younger Angela Lansbury in one of her most renowned roles as Jessica Fletcher, the mystery solving novelist.