I thought I’d take this Monday to introduce one of my great TV loves—Murder, She Wrote.
If you’re not familiar (and honestly, it may be well before your time, but still worth a look), Murder, She Wrote is a classic 80s and 90s series starring the legendary Angela Lansbury as Jessica Fletcher—a retired high school English teacher turned bestselling mystery novelist who keeps stumbling into real-life murders everywhere she goes. And she always solves them.
I’m not exactly sure what got me started on reruns, but at some point Murder, She Wrote became my go-to background show. I’d seen every episode—so I could check out when life got loud, and check back in without missing a beat. During hard years—when my parents were sick and my daughter was facing serious health issues and my husband was working out of town a lot —Jessica Fletcher was a steady presence. Familiar. Comforting. Rewatchable. Optimistic. Witty.
Psychology Today actually explains this phenomenon well: “Rewatching a movie, series, or single episode enhances our well-being… fulfills emotional needs, gives us comfort, provides a sense of control over our lives, and connects us with our past.” That tracks. My life felt very out of control for many years, but I was always secure that Jessica Fletcher would solve the crime and usually with some other familiar faces in the mix.
I’ve always loved murder mysteries, but when my daughter was younger, I didn’t want anything too graphic or dark. So Law & Order and Midsomer Murders took a back seat. Murder, She Wrote stepped in with its small-town charm, gentle whodunits, and a quietly feminist heroine who solved crimes with grace, grit, and zero need for approval. It didn’t hurt that she wasn’t 25 and beautiful, so I could identify more with her. It’s cozy crime with a kick. And for me? It’s the TV version of a warm cup of tea. And I’m still watching it, many years later; I’ve probably seen every episode at least three or four times.
In addition to the psychological benefits of rewatching the show, I also find it deeply inspiring. Jessica Fletcher didn’t start solving crimes until after retirement. There’s something incredibly encouraging about that: life’s second acts can be bold, brilliant—and just a little bit nosy.
As a woman of a “certain age”—now closer to 60 than 50—I admire Angela Lansbury’s real-life reinvention just as much as I admire Jessica’s fictional one. Already a highly successful stage and film actor, Lansbury returned to television with Murder, She Wrote after a long hiatus. The show debuted in 1984, when she was 58, and ran until 1996, when she was 70.
And she didn’t stop there. She continued acting well into her 90s, with her final appearance in Netflix’s Glass Onion in 2022 at the age of 96. What a model for living fully, embracing reinvention, and continuing to make an impact later in life.
What is your go-to TV show or movie? I would love to hear in the comments what you love about it!
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