Murder, She Wrote: The Complete Series + 4 TV Movies Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.5
Audio		3.5
Extras		3.0
Overall		4.0

Murder, She Wrote: The Complete Series + 4 TV Movies Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Justin Dekker July 9, 2025

Airing on CBS from 1984 to 1996, the Angela Lansbury anchored 'Murder, She Wrote' arrives on Blu-ray disc courtesy of Universal. All 264 episodes and four TV movies are included in this massive 62-disc set. Each season is housed in its own case, with the TV movies being afforded a case of their own, all of which are contained in an attractive slipbox which features three pictures of Lansbury's beloved Jessica Fletcher. Hundreds of guest stars would work their way through the various weekly adventures, some appearing several times and others only once, with cast lists reading like a veritable "who's who" of Hollywood stars of the era including Elliot Gould, Kate Mulgrew, Robert Vaughn, Adrienne Barbeau, Eileen Brennan, Cesar Romero, Sarah Douglas, and Jenny Agutter, to name but a very few. While the five short legacy features from previous DVD sets are brought forward here, no new supplements were created for this release. A Digital Code is not included.

Each week for a dozen years, the unassuming but not to be underestimated Jessica Fletcher entered livings rooms to solve murder after murder. Hailing from Cabot Cove, Jessica's quiet life as a widow from a small town in Maine is permanently changed when her nephew Grady puts the manuscript for a mystery novel she wrote as a way to cope with the death of her spouse in front of a publisher. Fame quickly follows, and her skills of observation and powers of perception and deduction honed through her writing, position her to get to the bottom of a murder at a costume party. Soon, the budding author also becomes an amateur detective solving a seemingly endless stream of murders that occur in her orbit, both in sleepy Cabot Cove and around the world. Co-stars including William Windom's Dr. Hazlitt and Ron Masak's Sheriff Metzger were the two to most frequently play a part in her investigations, though Tom Bosley's (Happy Days) Sheriff Tupper was also a welcome sight to viewers during the show's beginnings. Revolutionary in it's way, the series has lost none of it's charm since it originally aired 41 years ago.

As with the product of any media, but especially, it seems, television, nostalgia is important. Critical, even. Murder, She Wrote was wildly popular in its time, lasting twelve seasons and by my math is second only to The Simpsons in terms of the longevity of a series that premiered in the 1980s. Whereas the age of the actors is less important to to an animated series such as The Simpsons, that theatre giant Angela Lansbury started her incredible run as the show's Jessica Fletcher at the age of 59 is nothing short of extraordinary. All around it, shows such as Miami Vice, Magnum P.I., Simon & Simon, and Remington Steele, just to name a few, were aimed a younger, "hipper" demographic and included a mix of sex appeal and "the new". Yet, somehow this cozy little show about a widow from a small town in Maine became a ratings juggernaut and outlasted them all. Forty-one years after the author cum amateur sleuth solved her first murder of the man dressed in the Sherlock Holmes costume found floating in the pool the series still satisfies, but is likely more attractive to those who tuned in regularly during its initial broadcasts. Thanks to the power of nostalgia, those viewers are likely more inclined to look past the broad performances that populated the early seasons, the overt folksiness of some of those found within Cabot Cove's city limits, and the more casually paced (by today's standards, at least) weekly adventures. Those who do, will revel in Lansbury's charm, the comfort of a familiar time gone by, and the stressless tidiness of mysteries that were typically solved before the credits rolled. For me, it was a series my parents watched regularly, and since there was but one television in house, that meant everyone took in Murder, She Wrote on Sunday evenings after the conclusion of football and 60 Minutes. It's fair to say, there's certainly some nostalgia at play as I take in these episodes again for the first time in years.

Though her nephew started the process that would lead to her literary fame without her initial participation or knowledge, the character of Jessica Fletcher was never helpless or in need of rescue. The work that launched her successful publishing career was hers and hers alone, and it was her personality and presence that secured a publishing deal. Once the bodies began to pile up, Mrs. Fletcher would need to earn her seat at the table in each episode. As with Agatha Christie's Miss Marple, the males in law enforcement would initially respond with irritation or outright resistance to Mrs. Fletcher's lines of inquiry and investigation. Usually, in time, however, they would come to see the soundness of her logic and appreciate her considerable knowledge and powers of observation. Also like Jane Marple, her unassuming presence endeared her to virtually everyone she encountered, and because she was rarely perceived as a threat, it enabled her to observe and discover things that those with a badge or a uniform could not. Every week it was her powers of deduction and her unique ability to piece the clues together that led to the wrongfully accused being exonerated and the killer(s) being unmasked and and brought to justice. While her reveals lacked some of the pomp and drama of those conducted by David Suchet's Hercule Poirot in Granada's Poirot or Jeremy Brett's Sherlock Holmes from the ITV series, they still typically mystified or surprised the law men assigned to the case.

Murder, She Wrote was also unique in how it handled violence. Though there was at least one murder per weekly installment, the nefarious actions never felt gratuitous. Violent scenes lasted only as long as they needed to and always included no more blood than was absolutely necessary to convey the point. Other series of the era and genre may have delighted in car chases, dramatic explosions, shoot-outs, and the like, but whether Jessica Fletcher was at home in Cabot Cove or more exotic locations like Paris or Hong Kong, most those elements were never to be found. Only the odd explosion made an appearance now and again. Even when it handled more difficult story content such as sexual assault in the season six episode "Seal of the Confessional", the relevant scenes primarily focus on nervous, frightened, angry, or tearful reactions rather than to the actual incidents themselves. All of this resulted in Murder, She Wrote remaining steadfastly approachable to a wide potential viewing audience.

Lansbury herself was integral to the success of the series. Her storied career began before she was twenty years old in the 1944 Ingrid Bergman film Gaslight, though to me her turn as Sibyl Vane in 1945's "The Picture of Dorian Grey" is much more interesting. The film is a gem and her singing "Goodbye, Little Yellow Bird" is a moment that most will stick with viewers. She worked steadily in film, television, and the theatre ever since. While many viewers may remember her fondly as Mrs. Potts, the character to whom she lent her voice in Disney's animated Beauty and the Beast (1991), it was in her portrayal of Jessica Fletcher that she was at her most memorable. Lansbury quickly made the character her own, making Mrs. Fletcher relatable to and representative of a demographic largely underserved in television. As a 59-year-old woman, Jessica insists on being noticed for who she is and what she can to. She's persistent and vital, open to new experiences far and near. She's adaptable and unflappable. In an era when most women her age derived much of their identity through that of their husbands Jessica Fletcher is an outlier. Her husband is recently deceased when series begins. She lives comfortably alone and has many social connections and is extremely busy and well-liked, a fact to which the opening credit sequence can attest. As Jessica's fame grows, Lansbury continues to help her on-screen personae evolve. Lansbury influenced her style of dress, making her more sophisticated, and providing her with many opportunities to catch a male guest star's eye and openly flirt. It's an honestly human characterization. In no uncertain terms Lansbury caries the series. She's present in the overwhelming majority of scenes in every episode, save for those specifically crafted to provide her with some brief respite from a grueling shooting schedule. Regardless of the episode format, her performance as Jessica Fletcher is wonderful, with Lansbury able to convey as much with a glance or tilt of her head as she does with a monolog.

One of the other elements that made (and makes) Murder, She Wrote standout from it's peers is the solvability of the cases. While other television detectives may access knowledge or clues that are either unknown to or withheld from viewers, Murder, She Wrote put all of it's cards on the table week after week. Though viewers may not know in the moment which clue would be most critical to solving the case, they always see and hear all of the same things as Jessica Fletcher. In the final moments, when she lays everything out, explaining who did it and why, she is unfailingly able to bring the solutions back to clues revealed at some point during the week's story.

Fans of essential 1980s television viewing will be happy note that both halves of the crossover with Magnum P.I. are present here on disc two of season three, though the first half does not close with the originally broadcasted cliffhanger ending. Here, we're presented with a more "final" ending for the Magnum P.I. episode "Novel Connection", that of Thomas Magnum (Tom Selleck) curling up with one of Jessica Fletcher's books. Murder, She Wrote's season three, episode 8, "Magnum on Ice", begins with a recap of that episode and new action commences with Magnum securely in police custody. Some may be disappointed, but as Magnum does reference finishing Jessica's book partway through "Magnum on Ice", the first installment's ending does work well enough and it's a very watchable two-parter.

Murder, She Wrote: The Complete Series + 4 TV Movies Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Fans will be pleased that Murder, She Wrote's 1080p presentation is free from any serious defect or anomaly. Film grain is present and typcially, resolves naturally, without blockiness or noise. Fine detail is typically high with viewers able to see every fine line and wrinkle on the faces of cast members like William Windom and Tom Bosley, and on series star Angela Lansbury as well. Environmental elements are also available, with various bits of set dressing, textures such as stucco walls, and wood grain being easily discernable. From the beginning, fabrics, more often than not, allow for respectable tactile realism, particularly tweed jackets and the chunky knit of sweaters. Colors are, as a rule well saturated and back levels are convincing. Skin tones are healthy and realistic. As solid as the series looks in season one, subtle improvements in the video presentation are observable over the run of the series, with later seasons displaying an uptick in virtually every regard. This isn't to say that there aren't issues. Minor though they may be, there are instances when skin tones can run a bit pale and colors appear moderately washed out, with instances of both of these found not only in the odd credit sequence but within the episodes as well. While they don't persist for the entire duration of an episode, the scenes or shots that are so impacted are noticeable and therefore worth a mention. Likewise, minor instances of dirt or damage are visible, such as the black spot near the middle of the frame in the introduction to season twelve's first episode, "Nailed". Stock footage inserted for purposes of establishing locations can exhibit softness, graininess, and a bit of age, so too can process shots used to place Mrs. Fletcher in foreign cities which display typical and customary limitations. To be clear, however, the vast majority of episodes from the series' twelve seasons unspool without any real issue. Each of the seasons is displayed in the 1.33:1 aspect ratio, as is the first TV movie, "South by Southwest". The other three ("A Story to Die For", "The Last Free Man", and "The Celtic Riddle") are displayed in 1.78:1. It's a very sound video presentation.

Murder, She Wrote: The Complete Series + 4 TV Movies Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

In keeping with its vintage, Murder, She Wrote The Complete Series is outfitted with an English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Stereo audio track that is more than able to keep pace with the gradually unfolding detective series. Dialogue is front and center and properly prioritized under all circumstances, though for a show that is typically rather comfortably-paced, there isn't often too much hullabaloo that the dialogue needs to compete with other than the occasional musical swell or the odd gunshot or scream. Speaking of which, sound effects such as screams and gunshots are handled well and are consistent with those found from other series or films from the era and are rendered without any legitimate low-end support. Other mundane sound effects from the daily life of the then-modern world such as typewriters, telephones, car engines, and slamming doors are all reproduced satisfactorily, sounding credible and real within the sound design parameters of the show. Music is rarely the focus outside of the the theme song that greets viewers during the opening and closing credits, but in these moments and during atmospheric stings during the episodes, the music is handled well. Horns are crisp, strings are lush, and distortion and defects are absent. It's a solid track.

Murder, She Wrote: The Complete Series + 4 TV Movies Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Considering that the show endured for twelve seasons and consistently garnered high ratings, on-disc supplemental features for the venerable Murder, She Wrote aren't quite as plentiful as perhaps some of J.B. Fletcher's most ardent fans would have hoped. The offerings included are spread out across discs from four seasons and are as detailed below. These legacy features are brought forward from previous DVD sets and unfortunately do not include any new material.

Season Three, Disc Five

• The Great 80's TV Flashback (29.00) - Featuring input from Ray Richmond (Writer, 'Hollywood Reporter'), Alex Ben Block (Columnist, 'Television Week'), Robert Ward (Co-Executive Producer, Miami Vice), Stephen J. Cannell (Executive Producer, The A- Team), Debbie Matenopoulos (Host of TV-Guide's 'Screening Room'), far from focusing on Murder, She Wrote, the feature instead spends time with a number of shows from the era including Miami Vice, Magnum P.I., The A-Team, Knight Rider, Simon & Simon, Quantum Leap, Gimmie a Break!, Charles in Charge, and Kate & Allie, to set the stage for the era, the prevailing tastes, and television's innovations, spending only about two minutes with Murder, She Wrote.

Season Five, Disc One

• Origin of a Series (10.27) - When CBS found that the Agatha Christie movies they were running were winning their timeslots, as Robert F. O'Neill (Supervising Producer) recounts, Co-Creator William Link shared that he and Richard Levinson envisioned a show where a female detective would be need to be "bailed out" by men in the series. Mr. Link shares his remembrances from the pitch meeting and Lansbury recalls that meeting fondly. When choosing between this show and a new sitcom from Norman Lear, Lansbury selected Murder, She Wrote and the rest is television history. Robert Swanson (Writer, Producer) weighs in on the character, and Lansbury shares her character choices and how she made her more modern, yet still an "everywoman". Starting the series at age 59, Lansbury was not quite ready for the arduous shooting schedule that the series called for.

Season Six, Disc One

• Recipe for a Hit (10.27) - William Link, Tom Sawyer (Writer), and Angela Lansbury discuss crafting the mysteries, and the process of selecting who the killer was and then going back and planting clues that fit the story. They discuss the concept of the "play fair clue" where Jessica would remind the audience of a clue they in some way observed that was integral to unraveling the mystery and thereby ensuring they had a legitimate chance to solve the mystery. Link and Sawyer express their admiration for her performance, and Lansbury discusses her reactions and the subtle nuances in her portrayal of Mrs. Fletcher. They also talk about the initial importance of the show's setting of Cabot Cove, and Lansbury remembers Tom Bosley (Sheriff Amos Tupper), one of her early co-stars fondly. Ron Masak speaks briefly about going a different direction with his Sheriff Metzger, and Tom Sawyer and Lansbury cover the importance (and quirks) of William Windom. Lansbury shares she felt that Richard Paul was perhaps going to far with his character of Mayor Booth, before going on to the character of her her nephew Grady. Actor Donna Zipp briefly touches on being married to her on-screen husband Michael Horton (Grady).

• America's Top Sleuths (29.54) - In a piece produced for NBC Universal's Sleuth channel, this feature counts down the top favorite detectives from film and television as determined by a popular vote via an online survey. With input from personalities from a variety of circles, the list includes Basil Rathbone's Sherlock Holmes, Jerry Orbach's Lennie Briscoe, Pierce Brosnan's Remington Steele, James Garner's Jim Rockford, and others. Does Angela Lansbury's Jessica Fletcher make the list? You'll have to watch to find out.

Season Seven, Disc One

• The Perils of Success (8.40) - Lansbury and others comment on the incredible workload that came with character and her commitment to memorize her lines, including her often lengthy reveals before finally relenting and using cue cards for certain scenes. The episodes where Lansbury's Fletcher simply bookends the action of the week so that Lansbury could secure a week off from time to time and the characters that strategy spawned, including Jerry Orbach's Harry McGraw and Len Cariou's MI-6 agent Michael Haggerty, are the focus here.

Regarding packaging, the Scanvo cases utilized for this release offer a hub for every disc and pages that can lock to the front and back covers. The inner print of each season's artwork provides an episode guide, but no information about the plot or guest stars of any given episode. For the sake of consistency, the case for the discs containing the four TV movies is capable of holding six discs though it is only home to two discs.

Murder, She Wrote: The Complete Series + 4 TV Movies Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Murder, She Wrote is a product of simpler times, that's undeniable. But that's hardly an indictment. The series remains what it has always been, a comfortable viewing experience with a foundation of solid writing, carried by a talented lead, and embellished by an endless cavalcade of guest stars from yesteryear, then modern day, and those who had yet to hit it big. Various elements of Jessica's life may change throughout the course of the series, but her uncanny ability to consistently solve the mystery at hand in her gentle but relentless way remains constant. The series may have wrapped in 1996 when Angela Lansbury was 71, but the four included TV movies kept fans engaged with Mrs. Fletcher's activities until 2003, stories which are easily in line with the quality of the episodes which preceded them. While absent any new supplemental features, most importantly, the audio and video presentations for the 264 episodes and four TV movies are excellent. That being the case, it should be no mystery that Murder, She Wrote: The Complete Series comes highly recommended.