‘Murder She Wrote’: 20 best episodes, ranked

In the fall of 1984, CBS found a surprise hit with a show about a retired widow turned best-selling mystery novelist and amateur sleuth. On September 30, 1984, Angela Lansbury’s Jessica Fletcher began her reign as TV’s premier amateur detective, making “Murder, She Wrote” a top 10 show for much of its 12-year run. Created by Richard Levinson and William Link, the minds behind the successful “Columbo” series, and Peter S. Fischer, “Murder She Wrote” was both a throwback to popular whodunnit series of the past and a groundbreaking series that ushered in a new era of representation for middle-aged women on TV.

After Jean Stapleton declined the role, Lansbury signed on to play J.B. Fletcher, over a decade after playing Agatha Christie’s Miss Marple in “The Mirror Crack’d” (1980). A full-time TV series was new territory for the 58-year-old, a four-time Tony winner (at the time) and thrice-time Oscar-nominated veteran actress. Lansbury took a lot of pride in playing Jessica, and was very protective of the character, rejecting studio executives’ suggestions to put her in a romantic relationship and insisting on rewrites if a script called for something out of character for Jessica. Lansbury’s Jessica is a spunky, independent, intelligent middle-aged woman, who, while she clearly loved her deceased husband Frank, is content to live alone. She is often smarter than her male counterparts, flirted with by men of all ages and a successful writer.

Lansbury was the sole main character and clearly star of the show, with her male co-stars clearly secondary characters, a rare phenomenon 40 years ago. Although the work load nearly led to her bowing out a few seasons in, her own production company began to co-produce the series, and she eventually became executive producer. “Murder, She Wrote” became a Sunday night staple in many homes, and it stayed in the top 10 for eight of its first 11 seasons, and the top 15 for the other three. For season 12, CBS made the mistake of moving it to Thursday nights, opposite NBC’s “Must See Thursday” comedy lineup, causing it to plummet in the ratings.

As beloved as the series became, Lansbury never won an Emmy for the role, despite a record 12 nominations for Best Actress. However, she did win a record-setting four Golden Globes for Best Drama Actress (1984, 1986, 1989, 1991), and also holds the record for most nominations in that category with 10. The show itself received three Emmy and six Golden Globe nominations for Best Drama Series, and won two Golden Globes (1984, 1985). In 1985, its familiar jaunty theme with the clacking of typewriter keys earned an Emmy for composer John Addison.

I was 13-years-old when “Murder, She Wrote” premiered, and it has been one of my favorite shows in the 40 year since, for varying reasons. All those years ago, I watched with my mother, who loved a good mystery; she passed away in 1997, and I still feel connected to her whenever I watch an episode. It also debuted at the time that my love of classic film began, and I enjoyed catching the Golden Age stars who appeared in various roles, and was delighted to discover Lansbury’s films, which included so many roles that were the antithesis of the sweet Jessica Fletcher. And now I’m close to the age Lansbury was when the show began, and I appreciate what both the character and the actress accomplished. Fletcher showed that life does not end with menopause, retirement, or the death of a partner, and those life changes can be the beginning of a new chapter just as rewarding as the previous. Lansbury herself was THE star of the show, the only main cast member in a 12-season series centered solely around her, and a hands-on contributor behind the scenes. She employed her friends and c-oworkers of yesteryear who had been forgotten by a youth-obsessed industry. Some pretty amazing feats for a 60ish-year-old actress who would have been, in many instances, considered “past her prime.”

I had a hard time narrowing down 12 seasons of episodes ranging from fun (“If It’s Thursday, It Must Be Beverly”) to spooky (“Witch’s Curse) to sinister (“Threshold of Fear”), but we found 20 of the best episodes to rank and celebrate the 40th anniversary. All episodes are available to stream on Peacock.