Angela Lansbury Is Not Happy With 'Murder, She Wrote' Remake

Los Angeles Times ^ | 11/11 | Kevin Patrick Day

[nickcarraway]

NBC has put a remake of that classic '80s TV staple "Murder, She Wrote" into development, but it turns out the show's original star, Angela Lansbury, isn't too pleased with the idea.

Lansbury, who starred as murder-solving mystery writer Jessica Fletcher for 12 seasons and four TV movies on CBS, recently told the Associated Press she's a fan of actress Octavia Spencer, who's set to star in the remake; she just wishes they wouldn't use the name.

Lansbury told the AP: "I think it's a mistake to call it 'Murder, She Wrote,' because 'Murder, She Wrote' will always be about a Cabot Cove and this wonderful little group of people who told those lovely stories and enjoyed a piece of that place, and also enjoyed Jessica Fletcher, who is a rare and very individual kind of person."

[Buckeye McFrog]

They should call it Hawaii Five-O instead.

Wait a minute...

[HerrBlucher]

That is what I always thought too, it makes sense that she was the one that killed all those people and got away with it by pretending to “investigate” the murders and putting on this folksy down home Cabot Cove cutesy pie personality. Jessica Fletcher was pure evil.

[Sybeck1]

Well they recasted Captain Kirk, Indiana Jones is next.

[nickcarraway]

I saw that. It was her first movie and she was 19. It had some other great actors too. Also, the British 1940 version was good.

[ZirconEncrustedTweezers]

“I always suspected that Lansbury the real killer, and pretended to be a detective in order to frame others for her crimes.”

Yup. Jessica Fletcher was television’s most prolific and most successful serial killer.

[central_va]

Murder She Wrote is Like the Outlaw Josie Wales.

"Not a hard man to track. Leaves dead men wherever he goes"

[Vermont Lt]

Cabot Cove: murder capital of the universe.

[TomGuy]

The black remake of The Honeymooners didn’t earn enough at the box office to pay for the rent on the Kramdens’ apartment.

[hadaclueonce]

I wonder how she felt about the “Manchurian Candidate” remake?

I wonder how she feels about it playing out for real with an Arizona Senator?

[Mastador1]

I want to see them remake the Andy Griffith show with all black characters... I dare them!

Well didn’t they kinda try that with Barbershop?

[BBell]

You sound like my brother.

[BenLurkin]

Bette White would be perfect for the role.

[chaosagent]

Geez, James Arness never complained when they updated Gunsmoke to the 23rd Century and created Star Trek.

---

Gene Roddenberry said it was Wagon Train, not Gunsmoke.

[Liberty Wins]

Contemporary audiences won't watch black and white movies.

What is it with this prejudice? Same reason I can't stand their music?

[Political Junkie Too]

Lansbury told the AP: "I think it's a mistake to call it 'Murder, She Wrote,' 

How about "Mrdr She Txtd?"

-PJ

[CARDINALRULES]

I agree with her. They should not call it Murder She Wrote.

When I read what it was going to be about I thought it seemed more like Diagnosis Murder than MSW.

I hate all of these remakes. Come up with something original already. Or at least don’t call them by the same name.

I haven’t watched a new tv show since Fox yanked Wonderfalls after a few episodes.

[Impy]

LMAO!!!

Now THERE’S an idea for a show. A detective commits various different kinds of murders and frames others while “solving” the crimes. MSW meets Dexter or something like that.