‘Murder, She Wrote’ Reboot Axed, 5 Other Mystery Shows to Watch Instead

Shady Angela Lansbury? Photo: Wikimedia

Remember that whole “Murder, She Wrote” reboot project with Octavia Spencer, who won an Oscar for “The Help”? According to Deadline, the NBC series was supposed to keep the original title and feature Spencer as a hospital administrator, amateur detective, and self-published mystery author. Although Dame Angela Lansbury praised Spencer, the one and only Jessica Fletcher was "terribly pleased and relieved" the recycling effort won't go forward.

Did Lansbury Kill the Reboot?
In a November 2013 interview with the AP, Lansbury expressed her disapproval of the project.

"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 ..."

There wasn’t a big window of opportunity for this new show to entice viewers since reboots already carry a bad reputation (“Knight Rider” and “Ironside”), and Lansbury previously expressed interest in reprising her role as the mystery maven. Then there was the question of painting a relatively youthful Spencer as the innocuous investigator who flies under the radar. These characters are usually older like Tom Bosley in “Father Dowling Mysteries,” disarming like Andy Griffith as the country lawyer in “Matlock,” or seemingly inept and non-threatening like Tony Shalhoub in “Monk.”

Until Lansbury lands a “Murder, She Wrote” reboot or TV movie of her own, mystery fans can enjoy a variety of light-hearted whodunnit shows.

Diagnosis Murder cast

“Diagnosis Murder”
As Dr. Mark Sloan, Dick Van Dyke worked as a doctor and police consultant. His son, played by his real-life progeny, Barry Van Dyke, happened to be a detective on the police force. The overlap lured Dr. Sloan into a variety of cases that required his medical skills, subtle snooping, and disarmingly grey coif. A team of younger doctors, including Scott Baio, rounded out the team. “Diagnosis Murder” currently airs on HMC, Hallmark Movie Channel.

Bonus: Matlock appears on a special two-part episode and reveals the reasoning behind some of his peculiarities.

“Monk”
Emmy-winning Tony Shalhoub does an amazing job of incorporating a variety of believable OCD tendencies into Adrian Monk, the defective detective. Monk was once a legend on the San Francisco Police Department, able to use obscure clues to solve the trickiest cases. Following his wife's murder, his OCD spiraled out of control and he was booted from the force. His long list of obsessions and phobias make it difficult to navigate the world, but his trusty assistant (Sharona and, later, Natalie) helps him. Monk works as a private detective while also trying solve his wife's murder and prove he is fit to rejoin the force.
 
It sounds rather dark, but the show combines comedy and drama as he tries to solve complicated cases while still taking time to indulge his tiresome quirks. There is a distinct Sherlock Holmes vibe as Monk annoys his cohorts and uses the tiniest of details to crack the case. Catch marathons of the show on ION or CLOO.

“New Tricks”
When Detective Superintendent Sandra Pullman gets downgraded to unsolved crimes, she lures three old fogey police officers out of retirement to form a team that investigates cold cases. They have to adapt their hard-nosed tactics to navigate a world of social media and strict conduct rules. Ultimately, their years of experience and unique knowledge make them very successful on this UK series. Check to see if your local PBS affiliate airs "New Tricks."

"Psych"
After Shawn Spencer's (James Roday) police officer father, Henry, groomed him to become an ace detective, Shawn opted to use his powers of observation to become a (fake!) psychic. For fun, he calls in tips to the police department, ultimately leading them to suspect him of a crime. Eventually, Shawn works alongside the Santa Barbara Police Department after convincing the chief that his powers are real.

The show, which is currently in its eighth season, has a signature tone and rapid fire jokes that appeal to different sensibilities. Watch USA for the most current episodes, or revel in the reruns on ION.

"Matlock"
Andy Griffith brings his usual charm to the small screen as Ben Matlock, a Harvard-educated country boy who became a high-priced lawyer. He may wear outdated, off-the-rack suits and chow down on hot dogs, but he's well worth the $100,000 retainer he charges. Although he usually finds himself dealing with scandalous cases (affairs, prostitutes, etc.), the show itself is rather tame. If you happen to notice a deleted word on INSP, it was probably one of the rare times Ben said "hell." Watch for "Matlock" weeknights on INSP and weekends on WGN.