Murder, She Wrote was an CBS network crime drama series created by Peter S. Fischer & Richard Levinson, starring Angela Lansbury, Tom Bosley, William Windom and Ron Masak.
The show premiered on September 30, 1984 and became one of the most successful and longest-running TV shows in history and averaged close to 26 million viewers per week.
For her role in the series, Angela Lansbury was nominated for 10 Golden Globes and 12 Emmy Awards, holding the record for the most Golden Globe nominations & wins for "Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series".
As for the series, it has received three Emmy nominations, but no wins in the "Outstanding Drama Series" category. It was nominated for a Golden Globe award in the same category six times and won the award twice.
In 1987, the show spawned a short-lived spin-off series "The Law & Harry McGraw."
On May 19, 1996, "Murder, She Wrote" ended on May 19, 1996 after 12 seasons and 264 episodes.
After the show's end, a series of four TV movies were released between 1997 and 2003.
Synopsis[]
Mystery writer and amateur detective Jessica Fletcher, a down-to-earth, middle-aged widow who ferrets out the criminals in idyllic Cabot Cove, Maine.
Cast[]
- Angela Lansbury as Jessica Fletcher
- William Windom as Doctor Seth Hazlett
- Tom Bosley as Sheriff Amos Tupper [seasons 1-4]
- Jerry Orbach as Harry McGraw [seasons 1-6]
- Michael Horton as Grady Fletcher [seasons 1-11]
- Richard Paul as Mayor Sam Booth [seasons 3-7]
- Julie Adams as Eve Simpson [seasons 4-9]
- Will Nye as Deputy Floyd [seasons 5-7]
- Keith Michell as Dennis Stanton [seasons 5-9]
- Ron Masak as Sheriff Mort Metzger [seasons 5-12]
- James Sloyan as Robert Butler [seasons 6-7]
- Ken Swofford as Lt. Perry Catalano [seasons 6-7]
- Hallie Todd as Rhoda Markowitz [seasons 6-7]
- Louis Herthum as Deputy Andy Broom [seasons 8-12]
Ratings[]
| Season | Episodes | Season premiere | Season finale | TV season | Rank | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 22 | September 30, 1984 | April 21, 1985 | 1984–85 | #8 | 20.1 |
| 2 | 22 | September 29, 1985 | May 18, 1986 | 1985–86 | #3 | 25.3 |
| 3 | 22 | September 28, 1986 | May 10, 1987 | 1986–87 | #4 | 25.4 |
| 4 | 22 | September 20, 1987 | May 8, 1988 | 1987–88 | #4 | 20.2 |
| 5 | 22 | October 23, 1988 | May 21, 1989 | 1988–89 | #8 | 19.9 |
| 6 | 22 | September 24, 1989 | May 20, 1990 | 1989–90 | #13 | 17.7 |
| 7 | 22 | September 16, 1990 | May 12, 1991 | 1990–91 | #12 | 16.4 |
| 8 | 22 | September 15, 1991 | May 17, 1992 | 1991–92 | #8 | 16.9 |
| 9 | 22 | September 20, 1992 | May 16, 1993 | 1992–93 | #5 | 17.7 |
| 10 | 21 | September 12, 1993 | May 22, 1994 | 1993–94 | #11 | 16.0 |
| 11 | 21 | September 25, 1994 | May 14, 1995 | 1994–95 | #8 | 15.6 |
| 12 | 24 | September 21, 1995 | May 19, 1996 | 1995–96 | #58 | 9.50 |
Awards & Achievements[]
| Group | Award | Year(s) | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Emmy Awards | Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series (Angela Lansbury) | 1985–96 | (nominated) |
| Outstanding Music Composition for a Series (John Addison) | 1985 | (won) | |
| Outstanding Music Composition for a Series (Bruce Babcock) | 1993, 1995 | (nominated) | |
| Outstanding Costume Design for a Series (Alfred E. Lehman) | 1986 | (won) | |
| Golden Globe Awards | Best TV Series – Drama | 1985, 1986 | (won) |
| Best TV Series – Drama | 1987–90 | (nominated) | |
| Best Performance by an Actress in a TV Series – Drama (Angela Lansbury) | 1985, 1987, 1990 & 1992 | (won) | |
| Best Performance by an Actress in a TV Series – Drama (Angela Lansbury) | 1986, 1988, 1989, 1991, 1993 & 1995 | (nominated) | |
| Edgar Awards | Best Episode of a TV Series ("Deadly Lady") | 1985 | (won) |
| Best Episode of a TV Series ("The Dead File") | 1993 | (nominated) | |
| Screen Actors Guild Awards | Best Performance by an Actress in a TV Series – Drama (Angela Lansbury) | 1995 | (nominated) |
Video[]
Murder, She Wrote Series Premiere Promo (1984)