The Best Mystery Series of All Time Is Surging on Streaming 30 Years After It Ended

In the 1980s, male protagonists dominated TV detective mysteries. Tom Selleck was the epitome of cool on Magnum, P.I., as were Don Johnson and Philip Michael Thomas on Miami Vice, while Simon & Simon paired Gerald McRaney and Jameson Parker together as private investigator brothers. One small-screen detective, however, was not like the others. In 1984, Murder, She Wrote debuted on CBS, starring the near-60-year-old Angela Lansbury in the lead role of Jessica Fletcher. Today, 30 years after its last episode aired in 1996, Murder, She Wrote is still a big streaming hit, now topping the charts on the Apple TV store.

‘Murder, She Wrote’ Embraces a Unique Lead and Setting

TV detective shows often embrace predictable tropes. The lead is often a grizzled cop, a guy new to the force, or a wise-cracking P.I. Sometimes they’re paired with a reluctant partner. Nearly every time, they’re officially employed by law enforcement, have a military background, and use the gun on their hip and physical strength to subdue the bad guys. Murder, She Wrote‘s Jessica Fletcher fits none of these character archetypes.

Rather than being a seasoned detective, Jessica has never worked in law enforcement. Instead, she’s a famous writer of mystery novels and a retired English teacher. Not only is she a widow, but she’s also a strong, independent, and outspoken woman who refuses to be the damsel in distress when things get tough. She’s a bit eccentric, but not in an off-putting way. She’s always kind to her friends and strangers, making her easy to root for. Most compelling of all, Jessica uses what she’s learned from writing mysteries to solve them in real life. Rather than charging into investigations, she uses her disarming nature to interview suspects, then puts the pieces together before leaving it to law enforcement to take the bad guys down.

Another aspect that helps Murder, She Wrote stand out from the rest of the pack is its setting. So many TV mysteries take place in New York, Los Angeles, or another big city, but can you really imagine Angela Lansbury taking down gun-toting drug dealers on Miami Vice? Most episodes of the CBS show take place in the fictional town of Cabot Cove, Maine​​​​​​, where Jessica is from and where she has retired to. Cabot Cove is a small, picturesque town, the perfect place to spend your golden years, but there are also plenty of secrets — and murderers — for Jessica to uncover, provided you’re willing to suspend your disbelief about that.

‘Murder, She Wrote’ Is Cozy Despite Its Dark Subject Matter

Despite the darker implications of its premise, Murder, She Wrote is a cozy murder mystery series. In every episode, someone is killed by an unknown figure, and it’s up to Jessica to figure out what happened and who’s ultimately responsible. With a murder having taken place, the stakes are, of course, high, but Jessica’s life never hangs in the balance, and all of this death won’t traumatize her. Instead, it brings out the best of a character who becomes a Sherlock Holmes-type super sleuth. None of this goes to her head, either. Jessica is already rich and famous; now she’s seemingly the best detective in the world. Still, she’s the type of person who cares about her small-town friends more than anything else. Dr. Seth Hazlitt (William Windom) is a dear friend who always has her back and helps her out. So do the local law enforcement bosses, like Sheriff Amos Tupper (Tom Bosley) and later Sheriff Mort Metzger (Ron Masak).

Murder, She Wrote is predictable, but that’s not a criticism. It’s exactly why the series succeeded so many decades ago and why it’s still drawing in viewers today on streaming. It’s the television equivalent of a warm blanket, and a fun escape that doubles as family-friendly entertainment. What’s more is that other quirky, women-led mystery series, like Poker Face and iZombie, might not have ever existed if Jessica Fletcher hadn’t been solving murders in Cabot Cove 30 years ago.