“Say that again.” And again. And again. For a dozen seasons, 264 episodes from 1984 to 1996, Angela Lansbury solved murders on a weekly basis on “Murder, She Wrote.” Veteran thespian Lansbury —who turns 90 this year— played Jessica Fletcher, a retired English teacher turned mystery novelist with a penchant for solving homicides. Perhaps it was due to her writing, or maybe her previous career minding students five days a week, but whatever the reason, Fletcher was better at cracking cases than the cops in the show’s fictionalized Cabot Cove locale. And more often than not she’d ask whomever she was talking to to “say that again” when her epiphanies struck.
Editor Isaac Royffe has taken the time to compile a nearly hour-long video he calls “The Many Epiphanies Of Jessica Fletcher,” and we’re glad he did. The tribute video showcases some of the best, most bizarre moments when realization struck Fletcher. From an offhanded remark to a short notice in the newspaper, no clue was too small or too inconsequential for the teacher/writer/sleuth.
A few facts about “Murder, She Wrote”: ridiculous as the show might look from the clips below, it was immensely popular. At its peak, “Murder, She Wrote” reached 22 million households a week. It placed in the top ten television shows ranked by ratings for eight of its twelve seasons —a full 66% of its run— and is one of the longest-running detective shows in TV history. It spawned four made-for-TV movies, two computer games and a failed Octavia Spencer reboot. Oh, and all twelve seasons are streaming on Netflix.
Check out the tribute below, and major thanks to Isaac Royffe for putting it together. [via AV Club]
