Show: Murder, She Wrote
Meddlesome murder-mystery author J.B. Fletcher embodied a fantasy held by many mystery-lovers: she always knew better than the professionals. She did seem to end up around more homicides than the average fan would hope for, but she handled it with aplomb. As played by veteran stage star Lansbury, she used her brains and writerly observational skills to determine who was responsible for all those crimes plaguing her Maine town. After 12 seasons worth of crimes (1984-1996), you might expect Fletcher to figure out that every case fits a similar pattern. But even if the episodes are a bit predictable, Fletcher’s go-get-’em attitude never got old.
Case File: In season three’s “Unfinished Business,” a cold case gets warmed up, leading to another death—which, of course, Jessica Fletcher helps the sheriff and his detective investigate.
LIST: Top 10 Murder-Mystery Series