RSS
Home
‘Murder, She Wrote’ S9: ‘Scooby-Doo’ for the AARP set
Print
Email
RSS
Subscribe
I don't need no stinkin' p.c.
A comment that a friend made years ago regarding the 12-season hit drama “Murder, She Wrote” sums up the show very well. He remarked that he would hate to be friends with that old woman because someone always dies when she visits.
Because I am a big fan of Broadway and film star Angela Lansbury, who stars as mystery writer Jessica Fletcher, I looked forward to watching the DVD set of the ninth season of the show that was released February 17th. The Fox Sunday night line-up of more juvenile shows won out over “Murder” for me during its network run.
I do not intend any disrespect to “Murder” by comparing it to the entertaining Scooby-Doo cartoon series. Both shows simply largely involve the main character or characters becoming involved in a murder while travelling around visiting friends or attending a festival of some sort.
Scooby and the gang
Further, both shows usually involve an “a-ha” moment in which Jessica or Scooby and the gang find a critical clue that solves the mystery for them and for any audience member who is paying the slightest bit of attention. This leads to a “take me on” (sorry for the painful pop culture reference) moment with the villain du jour.
Fletcher substitutes the elaborate and ultimate faulty traps of Scooby with a classic mystery-style confrontation. Many murderers would have gotten away with it if not for that meddling old woman.
The other difference is that the Scooby-Doo shows appeal to children and aging children who grew up with the show in the 1970s who loved the idea of friendly teenagers and their lovable talking dog having fun adventures. “Murder” offered folks near the other end of the age spectrum the same enjoyment regarding the successful and active 60-something Fletcher. The show even moved Jessica from sleepy Cabot Cove, Maine, to New York City during the eighth season to provide opportunities for more exciting options.
Like the mid-1970 series “The New Scooby-Doo Mysteries,” which had Scooby and the gang teaming up with animated versions of stars such as Don Knotts and Dick Van Dyke every week, the “Love Boat” style guests on “Murder” was a large part of its appeal. The numerous season nine stars included Harvey Fierstein, Cesar Romero, and Neil Patrick “Doogie” Harris. One of the more amusing casting choices was having Ken Howard, who played a basketball coach on the 1970s drama “The White Shadow,” play the owner of a professional basketball team.
On a more general level, “Murder” was produced well and offered mystery buffs classic-style “whodunits.” It was also one of the better series among the programs that cast older stars in this type of show. I am waiting for “Prescription for Death” starring Ben Affleck as a small-town pharmacist whose friend and customers keep dying from mysterious deaths 30 years from now. I predict as well that Affleck’s bromance bff Matt Damon will be an early victim.
Please do share your thoughts regarding “Murder” or anything else as additions to this entry or as e-mail to tvdvdguy@gmail.com.
Related Articles:
Comments
.jpeG)
…
.jpeG)
The April 7 release of series one, my people call it the first season, of the hilarious britcom “The IT Crowd” provided a chance to speak …
