Has Murder, She Wrote as a show aged terribly

[TMC]

The show usually has Jessica Fletcher visit a family wedding, invited to an event due to her success as a writer etc, and someone gets killed. The police usually arrest the wrong person and is usually Jessica's relative or close friend.

She manages to weasel her way to help the detective (and a phone from the police commissioner or congressman) solves the case.

Jessica however, can’t seem to accept that the police have arrested the wrong person, even though the evidence suggests that they might have, after all, they have to follow up all evidence. She also reads files, questions suspects, and convinces police to follow her lead.

She basically orders the police to simple police procedures. And, no matter where she goes, someone dies.

[Steve_uk]

Originally Posted by TMC

The show usually has Jessica Fletcher visit a family wedding, invited to an event due to her success as a writer etc, and someone gets killed. The police usually arrest the wrong person and is usually Jessica's relative or close friend.

She manages to weasel her way to help the detective (and a phone from the police commissioner or congressman) solves the case.

Jessica however, can’t seem to accept that the police have arrested the wrong person, even though the evidence suggests that they might have, after all, they have to follow up all evidence. She also reads files, questions suspects, and convinces police to follow her lead.

She basically orders the police to simple police procedures. And, no matter where she goes, someone dies.

That always was the weakness of the show, but didn't they try a series which was not an unmitigated success when she was just sat in a chair reminiscing on a case and not personally involved?
I agree that the programme now seems dated, with cardboard cutout characters and guest stars often rejects from other well-known shows. I did like the episodes where you got to see something of Maine and Angela Lansbury acted it as well as any other actress could have done, given the scripts.

[Fallon97]

No. All shows are timeless.

[James28]

Originally Posted by Fallon97

No. All shows are timeless.

No way. Anything that dates itself to the point of being withheld from syndication reruns, home entertainment, and digital streaming, even, I don't think they can be considered "timeless". Remember Murphy Brown?

[biffbronson]

Let's look at a couple of terms:
"aged terribly"
"dated"

Now look at "The Dick Van Dyke Show" with its big free-standing box TVs and show writers hammering out scripts on manual typewriters. So what if those terms apply? The quality of scripts and acting, IMO, are all that's important. If anything, Murder She Wrote is at least as good as Matlock and other similar, concurrent series.

[biffbronson]

Let's look at a couple of terms:
"aged terribly"
"dated"

Now look at "The Dick Van Dyke Show" with its big free-standing box TVs and show writers hammering out scripts on manual typewriters. So what if those terms apply? The quality of scripts and acting, IMO, are all that's important. If anything, Murder She Wrote is at least as good as Matlock and other similar, concurrent series.

[Fallon97]

Originally Posted by James28

No way. Anything that dates itself to the point of being withheld from syndication reruns, home entertainment, and digital streaming, even, I don't think they can be considered "timeless". Remember Murphy Brown?

Well, in my opinion, all shows are timeless.