NBC Eyes "Murder, She Wrote" Reboot Starring Octavia Spencer
Oct 24, 2013
by Liz Raftery


Jessica Fletcher is back on the case!

NBC is developing a "Murder, She Wrote" reboot starring Octavia Spencer as an amateur detective who publishes a mystery novel, Deadline reports. Spencer will take over the role originated by Angela Lansbury in the series, which ran for 12 seasons beginning in 1984.





The new series is described as a "re-imagining" of the original and will be a "light, contemporary procedural in the vein of Bones or Fargo," according to Deadline.

Spencer will play a hospital administrator and amateur detective whose fascination with true crime prompts her to aid in criminal investigations.

The network has given a put-pilot commitment to the reboot from writer Alexandra Cunningham (Desperate Housewives) and producer David Janollari, both of whom will executive-produce.






This will be the first starring television role for Spencer.

"I've always considered myself an armchair detective and in a recent meeting with [NBC chairman] Bob Greenblatt, he asked me what type of character would be able to lure me to TV. Naturally, I said 'J.B. Fletcher meets Colombo'... And here we are," Spencer said, according to Deadline.

http://www.tvguide.com/News/Murder-She-Wrote-NBC-Octavia-Spencer-1072455.aspx

Being such a HUGE fan of the original---if and when this is picked up, I hope it's dropped quicker than a Paula Deen Sponsor. This remake is so wrong for so many reasons. They need to get Angela to do a new TV movie instead of trying to do this garbage.

I love "Murder, She Wrote"- and I'd definitely rather see Angela Lansbury return for a TV-movie rather than a remake TV series. The majority of remake TV shows have generally not been good. I don't know that I see this one being all that good...
If Octavia Spencer wants to do a detective show, why can't NBC come up with an original detective show? Besides, "Castle" is already on the air with a mystery writer who solves crimes. Maybe they should find a new angle and then they could have an original series- how about an armchair detective who writes mystery novels who writes herself into the stories- and then suddenly finds them coming true? (To give it a bit of a supernatural flair.) I don't know- just something different would be good. And in general- leave the classics alone! In my opinion, it's incredibly rare that any new remake series has even lived up to the original, let alone actually be better than the original.

http://www.sitcomsonline.com/boards/showthread.php?t=318489

Not sure why the first thread was posted in the sitcoms forum.

Just think...

In 20 or 30 years, we'll have remakes of "Pretty Little Liars", "Revenge", & "Bones"

I never saw the original but maybe ( I said maybe) I'll give it a try.

That's pretty much the only good thing that comes out of bad remake versions of older TV shows- at least it gets the original show back on the minds of people and maybe that inspires companies to finally release the whole series to DVD or to get an actual reunion movie done for the show or something, etc. (Merchandising always seems to wait for opportunities like this so they can tie things in together and build off of each other and hopefully help support each other's success. Of course, I've also seen great merchandising opportunities totally passed by too.)
In the case of "Murder, She Wrote"- the whole series is on DVD, including the TV-movies- so there isn't much more to do for this series. I think the book series may still well be going- it's run for a number of years and I have heard those are quite good.
If Angela Lansbury wants to come back and portray Jessica Fletcher again in a TV-movie or something, I'd love to watch it.:) :cool:

No, just please no. Somebody at NBC wants to just recycle Universal's classic TV shows and apparently (no offense) thinks casting a black actor in the iconic role will somehow make it different. If Octavia Spencer is available to do a mystery show I'm all for that, but why push her into Angela Lansbury's definitive role in a remake? Is a new show too hard to write?
This networks obviously have lost all creativity and just stick a new actor in a remake of a show many people remember fondly with another actor. It is really kind of unfair to someone to be cast in these roles. I rememebr the fiasco in trying to reboot "Rockford Files" it flopped to the point the pilot never aired. Why put a young current actor into James Garner's shoes when he can never fill them?
TV has become extremely lazy with these reboots.

I'm all for political correctness when it spares people's feelings and brings about equality but this proposed remake has no credibility whatsoever. I also don't want to see an 88 year-old Angela Lansbury resurrected with lip lines,crow's feet and turkey neck,however many wonders your Californian plastic surgeons are able to perform these days. Let the show lie in peace.

I hope she will give this her blessing.

I'm all for political correctness when it spares people's feelings and brings about equality but this proposed remake has no credibility whatsoever. I also don't want to see an 88 year-old Angela Lansbury resurrected with lip lines,crow's feet and turkey neck,however many wonders your Californian plastic surgeons are able to perform these days. Let the show lie in peace.
I am totally opposed to political correctness. There should be an effort to have a show reflect reality in terms of demographics, but it should not be primary in a casting decision for a remake of "Murder She Wrote" and I do not have any idea that it was. The actress chosen was probably the best choice for the job, as it should be. My point is that these old shows should be left alone. Why is there no creativity for new shows with new characters? Why can'y NBC create new shows that star actors who happen to be black and were chosen based upon merit, rather than plugging them into roles long remembered for somebody else?
With "Ironside" Raymond Burr is deceased and with Angela Lansbury she is a bit elderly to put in long days learning scripts and acting if she doesn't want to. I'm also not sure NBC wants a show with an 88 year old star.
At the rate they are going there will be no new classics in the future because of so many failed remakes of old shows. There are few if any examples of it working and many cases of it failing miserably.

I hope she will give this her blessing.
I suspect she will. It promotes the old series and she probably wants to enjoy her older years without working so much as a series would require. I just don't see why they could not find a new mystery type show for the new lady. I'm not sure she deserves to always be compared with Angela Lansbury. I'm sure she is a fine actress to have been selected for the role, but that comparison is always going to be there. It is bad enough with constant movie remakes like the recent "Carrie" where I still remember Sissy Spacek. Sure kids may not have seen the original. But most adults that like that kind of film has seen it on TV or DVD. I love Chloe but to me Sissy was "Carrie". Same goes for old TV series.

I hope she will give this her blessing.
I hope she spits on it and calls it for what it is----crap.

I hope she spits on it and calls it for what it is----crap.


Angela Lansbury Calls "Murder, She Wrote" Reboot a "Mistake"
Nov 11, 2013
by Liz Raftery


There's at least one person who isn't excited about the planned "Murder, She Wrote" reboot starring Octavia Spencer: original star Angela Lansbury.

"I'm sorry that they have to use the title Murder, She Wrote, even though they have access to it and it's their right," Lansbury told The Associated Press after the announcement was made.

"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."



However, Lansbury holds no hard feelings towards Octavia Spencer.

"I saw her in The Help and thought she was absolutely wonderful, a lovely actress. So I wish her well, but I wish it wasn't in Murder, She Wrote."

http://www.tvguide.com/News/Angela-Lansbury-Murder-She-Wrote-Reboot-Mistake-1073229.aspx

HAHA---I knew Angela wouldn't like the idea. I'm glad she isn't shy about expressing her feelings. You go girl!

I wish these stupid network executives would stop remaking the classics. I think Hawaii Five-O is the only one to succeed. Most of these remakes are just awful.

I wish these stupid network executives would stop remaking the classics. I think Hawaii Five-O is the only one to succeed. Most of these remakes are just awful.

For the most part, I agree with you. However, I am a fan of the new H50 and loved the Battlestar Galactica reboot. I also wish that the Ironside remake had been better. So much time has passed since the late Raymond Burr wheeled around San Francisco, and attitudes regarding disabilities changed so much, I think that there was a lot of fresh ground they could have covered.

I really like Octavia Spencer, but I think she could star in a successful show without needing the reboot gimic.

I think the reboot could tied in with the old show perhaps by suggesting that the Octavia Butler either was a student or fan that takes over from JB Fletcher. Angela will always be JB in my mind and a lot of other people as well