Murder, She Wrote

Glenn Close. Since films just aren't working for her anymore.

I don't mind Glenn Close as an actress, but she gives off too much of a cold vibe to play Jessica. She's best suited for psycho-bitch roles.

Jessica would have to have a blog, which would have readers everywhere who could introduce her into new mysteries.

Lots of people seem to die in Vigata, Sicily too.

The Mad parody was called Murder, She Hopes.

And instead of vintage MGM stars making one last dramatic network appearance, the guest stars would be 80s and 90s tv stars who appeared on the original series in their youth. The original series began in 1984, nearly 30 years ago.

And Angela Lansbury is still a working actress, she just finished doing 8 shows a week on Broadway in BEST MAN. She could play this Jessica's mother, or something.

Sally Field....so why'd have a new Sally Field program to talk about.

Gabourey Sidibe.

Bonnie Franklin.

Lindsey Wagner

Joyce DeWitt.

Ann Jilliannn

Heather Locklear

For Heather, they would have to de-glamorize her and put her in a setting out of Hollywood/L.A.

Blair Brown would also be a good choice.

Larry Bird

I like the idea of Kate Mulgrew doing a new show. But I doubt she would do this kind of show again. After playing - unsuccessfully - Mrs Columbo she may ask for a new show that isn't a reboot or sequel.

Blair Brown would be an interesting choice, R14

Patty Duke would be great and she would not invite Angela to do a guest spot :-)

Lynda Carter. Think about it.

R19 - Lynda is too glamorous.

Lynda can look 'down home'.She doesn't have to look glamorous. She has all the other qualkities. Dykeish syraight woman with a big gay and lesbian following.So-so actress, but she's personable and likable and seems like someone who would be surrounded by dead friends.

Mo'nique.

If you were to go with a black woman, either Allen sister would be great.

Another vote for Blair Brown.

Angela Lansbury might as well play the role again. She still works, is probably more than willing and everybody would love to see hr back.

Olivia Newton-John as Jessica

Murder, She Blogged

Starring Sarah Michelle Gellar as Jesse Fletcher.

R27 - that might work. SMG did a good job with Ringer.

You forget that Jessica has to be a woman who not only can read a book, but can also write one.

Susan Sarandon would be interesting. She's done TV and might be open to a series if it were updated well.

Let me put a magnifying glass up to my face to give you an idea.

Lynda Carter could be a glamerous J.K. Rowlings / Jackie Collins type of author. Prefering to stay in the shadows while being on the prowl for hot young men and the occasional murder to solve.

Cougar, She Growled.

I've actually thought about this, which may be the gayest thing I've ever done.

Frances Conroy as Jessica. Six Feet Under showed her styled like a schoolmarm AND later on as a more relaxed, contemporary woman. As with the original series, she's a childless widow, who starts writing after the unexpected death of her husband, although instead of an illness, he died in a car accident...or did he. The overarching story involves, as Jessica's first book climbs the best-seller list, and she gains notoriety for being able to solve murders, she starts getting clues from someone claiming to be Frank's killer.

JK Simmons as Seth. Like the original series, he's a widower, unlike the original series, he and Jessica have a sexual relationship, which is an open secret around Cabot Cove. He would probably marry her, but as much as she cares for him, her real love is her new career. He is EXTREMELY skeptical of the clues from Frank's alleged killer, but supports her anyway, even though he makes his displeasure known.

Avery Brooks as Amos. Amos has a very antagonistic relationship with Jessica at first, wanting her to stay out of what he considers police business. He slowly begins to trust her insights when she helps clear one of his deputies who was involved in a shooting, but still considers her a bit of a nuisance. The big breakthrough in their relationship comes when he has a tricky case and he has to come to her for her help, which finally begins a friendship between to two of them.

Phillip P Keene as Grady. This time around he is openly gay. He is an unwavering supporter of his Aunt Jess, and is even willing to put himself into harm's way to help her, even if, like the first Grady, he's a little clumsy about it. Grady is married; his husband David (Kirk Acevedo) works for Jessica's publisher. He was the one who helped her her first book on store shelves. He loves Aunt Jess as much as Grady, but is more reluctant in taking on risk, but does so, more to watch out for Grady. Whenever it's necessary for Jessica to come to New York, she stays with them instead of a hotel.

As with the original series, after a few years, Jessica will start dividing her time between her life in Cabot Cove, and a new job teaching creative writing in New York.

I miss The Love Boat, Fantasy Island and MSW-type series. We need more of these anthology shows so older actors can get some work.

I would love to see her back, R25. I watched that show every week.

[quote] Sally Field....so why'd have a new Sally Field program to talk about.

You mean Sally Field Programme - and yes I love this idea!

Kate Mulgrew is fine….if Jessica Fletcher is now a chain smoking lesbian.

Are you implying that Angela Lansbury is a dyke-ish, so-so actress r21?!

Unfortunately no studio or channel is interested in financing a show that is a modern day Love Boat or Murder, She Wrote that would hire TV legends from the 80s and 90s in guest roles. It's cheapter to buy the rights for syndicated shows and air them in marathons. However they would remake them CW style and you get someone like Emma Roberts as a crime enthusiast blogger who stumbles from a frat house party where a murder occurs to a murder at Fashion Week in NY.

I would love to see Georgia Engel play Jessica. Adore her!

Bump, in honor of William Windom's passing.

Knowing today's network TV executives, the update choices would be:

IT'S MURDER, BITCHES: Kate Walsh plays Jess Fletcher, former sorority girl and volleyball queen, who moves to a town without any Starbucks or Burberrys. She's forced to solve crimes, binge drink with other cougars and (gasp) shop at Coldwater Creek.

MURDER, SHE RAPPED: Nia Long IS Jacinda Fletcher, Jessica's distant (very, very, VERY distant) cousin from Compton. Bitches be dropping dead and shit, and Jacinda needs to peep out why.

THESE HEELS ARE MURDER: John Travolta makes his triumphant (?) return to TV as John Fletcher, who after a lifelong gender identity struggle becomes Jessica Fletcher. Watch as Jessica solves crimes and gets into kooky situations with best friend Lulu (Sally Kirkland).

If Pamela Anderson was cast as Jessica, I would SO watch it!

Two words...Melanie Griffith.

r39

No one cares who you "adore"

Stephanie Zimbalist.

Well, tough shit Queenie at R44. Georgia Engel is a comedy goddess and I will adore her wherever I choose!

Georgia looking fabulous in Jessica Fletcher fashions & dishing the MTM show with Betty White.

Jessica Fletcher was clearly a serial killer. How did she ever get invited anywhere? Someone always wound up dead when she came to visit!

And how unfazed she seemed that nearly half of her friends/ relatives turned out to be killers.

I love her though and watch it still whenever its on.

Kate Mulgrew played Mrs. Columbo, Peter Falk's wife.

I thought they were remaking it. Or did they abandon those plans?

ttp://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-24669151

I like OP's idea for a Key West locale for a new series.

There aren't any shows today that keep all the old stars employed like MSW and Love Boat.

[quote]And instead of vintage MGM stars making one last dramatic network appearance, the guest stars would be 80s and 90s tv stars who appeared on the original series in their youth. The original series began in 1984, nearly 30 years ago.

Then: "Tonight's special guests: Cesar Romero, Robert Horton and MISS ANNE JEFFREYS"

Today: "Tonight's special guests: Fred Grandy, Michael Spound and MISS HEIDI BOHAY"

Was Grady gay?

Reese Witherspoon

Caitlyn Jenner

Stormy Daniels.

LaToya Jackson, of course.

[quote] Why did everybody always die around Jessica Fletcher? What charges would you want to see?

Hmm. Good question.

Murder She Cooked (Up). A female chef, a PC Paula Deen type, doing shows, having her own restaurant, releasing books, doing tours. Great dishes and lots and lots of MURDER!

J.B. Fletcher: Dawn French

Seth: Neil Flynn. He plays grumpy well.

Amos: Jake"Pedulous Dong" Silbermann. New at being a sherriff and really pissed off at J.B. getting into his business at first.

Grady: Jonathon Groff. Nice, but terribly naive at times where his aunt has to save him from tricky situations. He has the hots for the new sheriff (another reason why he visits his aunt so often these days at Cabot Cove).

Grady:

Sorry, for the typos. It should be Jonahan Groff.

dang, Jonathan!

I think R33's ideas might actually work.

Idris Elba

Did they ever address Jessica's childlessness on the original show? I assume it was because she was barren, but don't recall that ever being worked into an episode, heaven knows she had enought nieces and nephews...

Angela Lansbury was 59 when MSW began. Actresses who are currently approximately that age include:

Emma Thompson Allison Janney Catherine Keener Sean Young (!!!) Rosanna Arquette Rebecca De Mornay Linda Blair Mare Winningham Mackenzie Phillips Tracey Ullman Marie Osmond

OMG, what an amazing list! How would you even choose??

On a sad note, if Dominique Dunne were still alive, she'd be eligible to be the new Jessica, too.

R65, I don't believe they ever addressed the why, but yes, Jessica mentioned in at least one or two episodes that she and Frank were not blessed with children, or something like that. I even think she mentioned she had so many nieces and nephews they doted on they never felt deprived, or something to that effect.

In answer to OP's question: It's titled "MURDER She Wrote". "Getting together and having serious discussions about life she wrote" doesn't scan......

I seem to recall that her and Frank not having children on their own was mainly a plot point mentioned when she dotes on Grady whom she and Frank raised after his parents died.

As a kid the childless treatment but raising her nephew reminded me of Ducktales and Donald Duck taking care of his nephews Huey, Dewey & Louie because it was considered problematic for Donald Duck to have children on his own and therefore hinting him to be sexually active. I wonder if the same happened to J.B.? Was she de-sexualized? I mean, she even turned down the advances of that hot, younger man in one Murder, She Wrote episode. And there is no actual hint that any of her friendships, even with the secret agent, were sexual in any way?

They had Jessica have flirtations. Leslie Nielsen played an old flame who flirted with her, and you could tell Jessica was tempted. Also in the pilot, Jessica clearly has feelings for Preston Giles (played by Arthur Hill, who played the same character again in a later season) before busting him as the murderer. In another episode, Howard Duff played the owner of a company who was killed by one of his daughters. When he shows up in Cabot Cove, he and Jessica have a connection. And of course she and Seth flirted for how many seasons? But that was all they ever let Jessica do.

I bought into it. My grandmother and mother both lost their husbands in their 50s and neither dated or wanted to date again. For the generation Angela Lansbury was in, widowed women more often than not stayed single the rest of their lives.

There was one episode where she played a total slut and went all the way with that guy from Hill Street Blues. Her FUPA was off the hook in that episode.

Angela Bassett

Every time a Len Cariou or George Hearn episode is on I go "Awwww".

VotN (R33), I like you concepts for a revamped MSW... one change I would make for the new program is to move it from a small fishing village in New England and place it in a smaller city in New England... Portland, Maine perhaps.

I doubt she would want the role, but Mary McDonnell would be an excellent JB Fletcher. Of course, she just finished up the Major Crimes series, so I doubt she's want another mystery role.

If you did a revamp with cooking as a theme, could Valerie Bertinelli take on the role? She's the right age, has a good following, is well-liked and I think there are other actors and actresses who would work with her as killers and victims.

Oh god I would love to see Allison Janney in this.

If they didn't die around her, THERE WOULDN'T BE A SHOW!

How would it have turned out if Jean Stapleton had taken the part.

I thought I read somewhere that Jean Stapleton turned down the role partly because she wanted Jessica to be more of a sexual person, but the producers had a vision in mind and were rigid about this and other changes Jean had in mind. Thus, Jean turned down the role, and from what I understand, never regretted it.

And I don't regret not seeing Jean Stapleton as a hot 'n horny Jessica. Good God.

They'll remake this when Lansbury dies.

She put up a stink when they tried to do the Octavia Spencer remake, but trust, they will try again.

As far as Jean Stapleton goes....I think I remember her saying something about her passing on MSW like: I didn't want this to be a dotty old woman thing, because then it's Edith Bunker solves murder mysteries. Or something like that.

Unfortunately I don't think there is a market for this type of entertainment. Everything's so youth obsessed and shows like Grace & Frankie are more novelty exceptions.

I believe a compromise would be of Angela doing introductions or special guest appearances while a much, much younger lead (probably one of the Pretty Little Liars girls) would have a murder blog (that leads to a book deal) going from one murder to the next.

I think Jean Staplepton wanted it written into her contract that there would be a three minute section in every episode where Jessica would be seen tastefully 'snapping her bean' while watching an episode of Simon and Simon (a CBS show). When CBS balked, Jean walked.

Murder, She Moaned

I was thinking maybe Jennifer Aniston. Now my thinking has turned to Vanessa Williams. She glamour's, smart and beautiful while appealing to gay, straight, black and white demography.

Jessica Fletcher lived in a small town. It's amazing anyone was still living there after season 2.

It has to be set in Maine. You need the small town feel, with the beautiful backdrops.

I need Vanessa to come back as Wilhelmina Slater.

Pia Zadora.

R86, as a native New Englander, my father used to call it Cabot Cove, California. It didn't really look like Maine, although they tried their best to use the rocky coastline.