The Best TV Detective Isn’t Who You Think

Detective shows have always been a hit. It’s something to take viewers’ minds off their troubles. And there’s been so many prominent detectives and amateur sleuths that have stolen our hearts. But who’s the best? There’s Columbo (Peter Falk), Richard Castle (Nathan Fillion), Poirot (David Suchet), Thomas Magnum (Tom Selleck, Jay Hernandez), and Mark Sloan (Dick Van Dyke), just to name a few. But in all reality, hands down, Jessica Fletcher (Dame Angela Lansbury) is the best T.V. detective. An icon for the ages (12 seasons to be exact), Jessica traveled the world as a bestselling author, solving mysteries in style. From the small town of Cabot Cove, we traveled with her to see her many friends and extensive extended family. No one can rival her skills in the Murder She Wrote universe, and she brings something to the table that hadn’t been done much in television. A competent older woman with a zest for life and sharp wit, she listens, puts clues together, and isn’t afraid to speak her mind. She outsmarts the best of criminals and dupes the authorities more than once.

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J.B. Fletcher Is an Icon For the Ages

Jessica Beatrice Fletcher, also known by her pen name J.B. Fletcher, is an unconventional woman of the 1980s. She’s a striving widow who decides to start a new career in her 60s, something that we hadn’t seen on television before. She becomes a best-selling mystery novelist, criminology professor, and police consultant. Usually, older people are portrayed as incompetent and judgy, but she breaks all the stereotypes. She’s a retired school teacher with no children, an affinity for murder, and solving them before anyone else can. Jessica is a master sleuth and can resolve any problem thrown at her, and she does it by looking at every angle. Even if it causes a stir, she isn’t afraid to get her hands dirty to uncover the truth.

And getting her hands dirty can sometimes mean she disguises herself and pretends to be someone she’s not to get information. She’s been anything from a wealthy recluse (“Widow, Weep For Me”) to the drunk aunt (“My Johnny Lies Over The Ocean”) to the boozy barfly (“Weave a Tangled Web”) and anything in between. She’s been a wealthy pushy patient to expose doctors taking advantage of patients (“Smooth Operators”), a shopkeeper at the circus to find her long-lost brother-in-law (“Death Stalks the Big Top”), or even a Lila Lee Lady (“Murder By Appointment Only”) who is in search of a certain lipstick color. It shows how versatile Angela Lansbury was and how much fun she must have had when she got to play a wild character that was so unlike Jessica.

It’s no secret that Jessica has a huge extended family and a lot of friends. Many reside in Cabot Cove, Maine, and some are worldwide. But let’s talk about Jess’s best friend, Dr. Seth Hazlette (William Windom). He’s the town’s doctor and gossip, for that matter. Their platonic friendship is absolutely adorable, and his curmudgeon attitude rivals Jessica’s fun-loving one. But they’re the perfect pair. They suffer through dull parties together (“Mr. Penroy’s Vacation”), and she finds him after he’s been taken by the mafia (“Family Doctor”) or he’s been lost in the forest after his car breaks down (“The Trouble With Seth”). He’s always down for a game of chess or to help Jess trick a killer.

Even though she is the master of disguises, subterfuge, and deception, she gets recognized by almost everyone, whether it’s because someone is a fan of her novels or because of her reputation for helping out the police. Said police either love having her help them or hate having her meddling; there’s no in-between. Either way, she gets the mystery solved.

Jessica Has Connections Everywhere and Uses Them To Help Her

It’s no secret that Jessica has a huge extended family and a lot of friends. Many reside in Cabot Cove, Maine, and some are worldwide. But let’s talk about Jess’s best friend, Dr. Seth Hazlette (William Windom). He’s the town’s doctor and gossip, for that matter. Their platonic friendship is absolutely adorable, and his curmudgeon attitude rivals Jessica’s fun-loving one. But they’re the perfect pair. They suffer through dull parties together, she finds him after he’s been taken by the mafia, or he’s been lost in the forest after his car breaks down. He’s always down for a game of chess or to help Jess track a killer.

Grady Fletcher (Michael Horton) is another great side character. He’s Jessica and Frank’s Nephew, now an accountant. He skyrocketed Jessica’s newfound novelist career by sending Jess’s manuscript – “The Corpse Danced At Midnight” – to a publisher. He first came to Jessica and Frank as a child after his parents were killed in a car crash. Jessica also doesn’t drive out of respect for them but can be seen motoring around town on her bicycle. Grady is a great contrast to Jessica because he seems to worry about everything, while Jess has learned that life is too short to worry about every little thing. However, he somehow always gets roped into helping Jess figure out who the killer is and is usually the bait. And after never having been successful in love, Grady finally finds his perfect match, an accountant like himself, Donna (Debbie Zipp).

Harry McGraw (Jerry Orbach) is another great minor character with a handful of episodes. He’s exactly what you would expect of a private investigator with a gray moral compass. He’s gritty and a scoundrel, but he’s got good intentions and is resourceful. He’s got his vices, such as gambling, smoking, and alcohol (the classic P.I. Trope), and heads into many situations without thinking first. The odd time leads to a solved case, but more often than not, it leads to a black eye or a bloody lip. Like most minor characters, his personality contrasts Jessica’s, which adds a comedic element to the situation. After warming up to her sleuthing style, he even goes as far as to offer Jessica a job at his agency.

Len Cariou plays the character of MI6 super spy Michael Hagerty. He always gets Jessica into trouble and never wants to let her in on the secrets he keeps until necessary. To keep her safe, he even tossed her into jail for a few days (“J.B. As in Jailbird”) and had Grady pretend he didn’t even know her. Jessica is always suspicious when Michael pops up because she knows there’s some shady business going on and doesn’t want to be involved. Of course, she always gets suckered into it, even if they have to pretend to be married (“Appointment in Athens”) as Michael’s cover.

Cabot Cove Was a Hive of Criminal Activity

There were two Cabot Cove Sheriffs throughout Murder She Wrote’s 12-season run: Amos Tupper (Tom Bosly) and Mort Metzger (Ron Masak). They both boosted Jessica’s mystery-solving in their ways. Amos was somewhat dim and always went to Jessica when he needed help unless Seth roasted him too many times about it. Ultimately, he always required Jess to put the prices together properly. Whereas when Mort joined the party as a big city slicker thinking Cabot Cove is just a sleepy little town (someone didn’t do their research), he gets a rude awakening when there’s a murder. But he usually insists he doesn’t need Jessica’s help. But, of course, no one can solve a mystery like Jess.

Jessica seems to know everyone, everywhere, but it’s a wonder she gets invited anywhere. Wherever she goes, someone gets killed. And, of course, her hometown, Cabot Cove, is the murder capital of the world. But she gets to explore the world, meet new people, and write mystery novels. What could be better?