Murder, She Wrote: The Complete Series Blu-ray Review
“Murder, She Wrote” gets a stunning hi-def upgrade.
Created by Peter Fischer, Richard Levinson and William Link, 1984’s “Murder, She Wrote” is a timeless crime-drama whodunit. The series was enormously popular during its 12 season and 4 movie run and became a syndicated staple. It was a comfort show for many as it adhered to a simple formula and allowed viewers to travel along with the central character Jessica Fletcher- a widowed retired teacher (who does teach again) that became a mystery writer and amateur detective. Jessica resides in the town of Cabot Cove, Maine, but traveled all across the globe to Paris, London, New York, California, Las Vegas, and much more.
Throughout the long-running series, plots involved book promotions, a “Magnum P.I.” crossover, hundreds of murder investigations, Jessica becoming a murder suspect (more than once), her nephew Grady and his love Donna, Jessica helping innocent people (including family, former students, and friends), vacations and trips, Jessica’s niece Victoria, deadly parties, writing books (and researching them), friends, jury duty, her identical cousin Emma (also played by Angela Lansbury), crimes based on Jessica’s stories, family secrets, Jessica going undercover, another mystery writer, Cabot Cove drama, Dennis (a jewel thief turned insurance claims investigator), the mafia, book conventions and speaking engagements, Michael (a former MI5 agent) and Harry (a P.I.), and the TV and movie worlds. The 4 TV movies include plots about a missing woman, the death of a Russian dissident author, dark family history in the South, and secret treasure in Ireland.
In typical 80’s TV fashion, there are guest stars galore such as George Clooney, Kate Mulgrew, Andy Garcia, Milton Berle, Linda Blair, Darren McGavin, Chuck Connors, Karen Black, Bryan Cranston, Adrienne Barbeau, Adam West, Dean Stockwell, Brad Dourif, John Rhys-Davies, Jim Caviezel, Pat Morita, and tons more.
“Murder, She Wrote” is a fascinating series in that it is both old fashioned and ahead of its time. There was nothing like it on TV at the time due to the series having an older female protagonist as the lead character. At the same time, the series is a clear throwback to murder mysteries of old like various Agatha Christie novels. The show hooks you with the notion of a mystery writer becoming an amateur sleuth, but each episode certainly adhered to a formula of Jessica trying to solve a crime and catch a killer. It’s the type of show that if you see 1 episode, you have seen them all. It allows viewers to jump in at any point (which is probably why it became such a big syndicated hit). Yes, it’s a bit corny, overly dramatic, and has aged over the years, but Angela Lansbury is always a pro and her charm goes a long way in elevating the entire series. Plus, Jessica Fletcher’s dual lives, her attention to little details, and her willingness to help those around her make her an admirable figure/character that audiences can’t get enough of.
Of course, Jessica Fletcher isn’t the only character here. She meets many allies in law enforcement (local or otherwise) like Amos, Mort, and Andy and her family members like Grady (who was the one to convince her to publish her first novel) appear every now and then. Not even her family members can stay out of trouble though. Must be a Fletcher family curse.
Speaking of curse, if you really start to think about the premise as a whole, it certainly doesn’t hold up to scrutiny. Season 4 episode 13 is titled “Harbinger Of Death” and you really have to wonder if that is what Jessica really is. Whether she’s in her small town or traveling abroad, death follows her everywhere like something out of “Final Destination.” Is she cursed? Does she bring bad luck? Is she always in the wrong place at the wrong time? Does her eye for details allow her to just see the crimes that others cannot? Wouldn’t she be psychologically impacted by all of the death that surrounds her for years on end? All of these eerie questions come to mind, but at the end of the day, this is just a murder mystery show with formulaic plots designed to entertain. In that it succeeds.
Video/Audio:
Presentation: 1.33:1 1080p for all 12 seasons and “South By Southwest” and 1.78:1 1080p for the other 3 films. How does it look? This is far and away one of the best restorations I’ve seen of a pre-HD era series. Even season 1 episodes look absolutely crystal clear. For those who were on the fence about grabbing this one, let me assure you this is well worth the upgrade.
Audio Track: 2.0 DTS-HD MA. How does it sound? From the iconic credit music to Lansbury’s exposition filled dialogue, the audio is always crisp and clean.
Extras:
* The “Magnum P.I.” episode “Novel Connection.”
* “The Great 80’s TV Flashback”- A half-hour special on 80’s TV which includes “Murder, She Wrote.”
* “Origin Of A Series”- A 10 ½ minute featurette on how the show came about.
* “Recipe For A Hit” is all about the mystery formula of the series.
* “America’s Top Sleuths”- Sleuth Channel half-hour special about the best TV and film sleuths.
* “The Perils Of Success” covers Angela Lansbury’s exhaustion in making the series and how the show worked around that by focusing on other characters.
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