MovieChat Forums > Murder, She Wrote (1984) Discussion > Why do so many episodes feature Keith Mi...

Why do so many episodes feature Keith Michell or Jessica Fletcher telling a story


And she isn't in these episodes. So annoying.

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These so-called "bookend episodes" were made because Angela Lansbury wanted a break from the show because the workload became too much.

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They're bloody annoying and very boring. Thanks for letting me know the reason.

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They're definitely not as good as the normal episodes, but I personally did like the Dennis Stanton character.

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Okay then, Dennis should have had his own series.

He shouldn't have been on Murder She Wrote. It's like me tuning into Star Trek, and getting The Adventures of Earnest Tweep, desk clerk by day, spaceman by night!

By the way I've just made that character up!!

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What? I actually thought they made a backdoor pilot about Earnest!

I think he could've been on the show as a recurring character, like one of those friends of Jessica solving murders together with her.

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Haha.

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That is indeed the way I remember it as well, only the '90-'91 season was supposed to be "MSW"s last, until Ms. Lansbury changed her mind! By the fall of '91, not only were the bookend episodes gone (a shame, I liked Keith Michell, and Hallie Todd was ferociously cute), but Angela Lansbury was also given an executive producer title! In a very short time, she went from "exhausted" to " efficient multitasker"!

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We always called those episodes "Murder She Narrated". :-)

Yeah, we turned in for Jessica Fletcher, but I enjoyed the Murder She Narrated shows, also.

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Only a few are worth watching.

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I never followed this series, but these episodes sound like Jessica's Fireside Theater.

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