Frequently (And Not So Frequently) Asked Questions


Hands down, the most frequent question I get from readers of this website is where to find Murder, She Wrote on tape or DVD. I'm going to reveal the answer to the question (or at least answer it the best I can), and toss in some other questions that have popped up from time to time on this page of Frequently (And Not So Frequently) Asked Questions.









Do you know how I can get episodes of MSW on video tape or DVD?

Columbia House is currently re-issuing the series on VHS and DVD, though I must admit that with the advent of the DVD sets, I wonder how much longer they will bother producing episodes on video tape. The DVDs, which as of the autumn of 2009 go as far as through Season 10, are available online through places such as Barnes and Noble and Amazon.com, and also through retailers that sell that sort of thing. As for the VHS tapes, the best deals are on eBay, where people routinely auction them off either singly or in lots.



How can I find out when the next season of MSW will be released on DVD?

Universal Studios has a website where you can sign up to receive e-mail notification when the release date for the next season is announced. The website is www.murdershewrotedvd.com.



What North American television channels are currently showing MSW reruns?

Honestly, right now I have no idea. The Hallmark Channel used to show episodes on a regular basis, but now show it rarely if ever. To heck with the cable channels - buy the DVD sets, and you can watch MSW whenever you wish.



What about airings in the UK?

Good question. I have no direct information, not being a resident of the UK, but according to Joseph, a fan who does live in the UK, Murder She Wrote is currently being shown in chronological order on ITV3 and very occasionally on ITV1, and is also available on Alibi, although at the time of this writing (July 2012) Alibi is "resting" it. Thank you, Joseph!



Where can I connect with other MSW fans?

There are several good message boards out there for fans of MSW and Angela Lansbury to chat with each other in cyberspace. A Google or Yahoo search will turn up several, but the most active one I know of is the following:

Yahoo Groups' Angela Lansbury1 message board

There may be others that I am unaware of - I don't claim this to be a complete list by any means.



When did you become a MSW fan?

At the beginning. I was eleven years old when MSW made its debut in the fall of 1984, and I have been an enthusiast ever since.



Eleven years old? But I thought that MSW was geared toward older viewers.

Maybe so, but contrary to popular belief people of all ages were drawn to the series, thanks to Ms. Lansbury's amazing talent and appeal and the show's intelligent and relatively non-violent format. What's more, there is a large contingent of people even younger than I am who have become fans of MSW since the show went off the air, thanks to the miracle of syndication. The show is still a multi-generational favorite, despite what certain fatheads at A&E seem to think (but I'm not bitter).



Are you a fan of Ms. Lansbury's other work?

Yes, though I mostly came to know her work in film and theater "through the back door," i.e. I was introduced to those facets of her career after getting to know her through television.



Have you ever met Ms. Lansbury in person?

Never.



Do you know how I can write to Ms. Lansbury?

Best bet is probably to send mail to her care of her company, Corymore Productions. Here's the address:

Corymore Productions
9171 Wilshire Blvd.
Ste. 400
Beverly Hills, CA 90210 USA

I should note that I've never written to her myself, so I have no idea what kind of response to expect, if any. I'm guessing she gets a ton of fan mail.



Where is Cabot Cove?

Mendocino, California.



Very funny. What I meant was, where in Maine is the town that Cabot Cove is based on?

There is no one specific town in Maine that served as the model for Cabot Cove, though various sources have cited Boothbay Harbor and Castine as possible candidates for that honor.



A question making the rounds of the message boards is who Jessica would be best paired up with: Seth Hazlitt, Michael Haggarty, George Sutherland, or Dennis Stanton. Whom do you favor?

None of the Above. Fanciful flights into the realm of fan fiction aside, in my heart of hearts I agree with Angela Lansbury, who declared that Jessica should remain "a woman alone."



Okay, okay, but assuming for just a moment that a made-for-TV movie were to be made of Donald Bain's books or the fan fiction trilogy "Legends and Songs," who would you cast as George Sutherland?

George Lazenby, the actor who once portrayed 007 in On Her Majesty's Secret Service ("This never happened to the other fellow"), would be at the top of my list. Sure, he's gotten older since then, but I bet he still looks great in a kilt. Pierce Brosnan would place a close second, but we'd have to age him a couple of decades first.



What were your favorite MSW episodes?

Like many people, I liked the episodes set in Cabot Cove the best. I loved the setting (it's Maine - how can you go wrong?) and I thought the recurring characters there were great.



Aside from Jessica, who's your favorite character on the show?

Seth. As Lizzie of ForeverAngela says, "Nobody doesn't love Seth!"





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