Anyone else find Jessica's whole persona annoying?

Actually, I feel completely the same way. I love murder mystery tv shows, so I like this show, but Jessica annoys me basically every episode. She's also pretty self-righteous.

Jessica was married once before, though, to Frank. But they had no children and he died before the start of the show, which makes me wonder if maybe he couldn't stand being around her and eventually got fed up with her.

I think you have a problem with women who DO things and solve problems and are independent.

She should be barefoot in the kitchen, right? And be thankful that some man has provided her with a house and food because she's not worthy.

LOL. Get real. She's not arrogant at all. She notices details because she writes about murderers. She figures out "who done it" because she writes about it and she has a knack for it. It's her duty to point these things out to investigators, to solve the murder.

She's nice, polite, positive, laughs and smiles a lot, likes people, is an excellent writer, is very smart, and has a knack for solving murders. We all have a talent.

She is based a bit on Agatha Christie's Miss Marple...who also was a retired teacher with a knack for solving murders. The title of Murder, She Wrote is a takeoff of Agatha Christie's book "Murder, She Said."

Jessica was a widow, having been married for many years. She was a retired teacher.

Jessica Fletcher is an exciting character and excellent role model for girls. Encourage your daughters to watch the reruns. Maybe they'll end up being investigators or authors!

Jessica is humble in the pilot episode- She is genuinely surprised someone wants to publish her book when nephew Grady calls to say he submitted it to publishers without her knowledge.

Never saw her as self satisfied. she is cheerful and sensible and generally takes a friendly interest in the people around her. she is happy with her life, but why shouldn't she be? She has a home in a nice place with good friends and a succesful career. Who wouldn't be happy with that?

She was married, and her marriage was happy from what we hear qbout it. her husband frank died before the series began.

I totally disagree with your assessment of Jessica. I don't find her self-righteous at all. She does question those who may have secrets, but it's to find the murderer, not to make them feel bad. She always seems to be understanding of the predicament people find themselves in. It's her keen insight into human nature that makes her so perceptive in finding the murderer.

Let's look at the cross-over episode with Magnum PI. She reassures Magnum over and over again that she's not there to step on his toes, because he is of course the professional. She's just there to support her friend in need who called her in her time of distress. And in the end, Magnum, who can really be full of himself at times (and I say this as a Magnum fan), does come to respect Jessica and that she is not your ordinary old lady.

She is compassionate, proven by the fact that she and her husband took Grady in when he was orphaned when his parents (I believe Grady's father is Jessica's husband's brother) and loves him like a son and he is devoted to her throughout the whole series.

Her fellow citizens of Cabot Cove seem to highly respect and are genuinely fond of her. You don't catch her being catty like some of the other women in the beauty parlor! And when Sam the mayor was being accused of having 5 kids outside of marriage at election time, town council members came to Jessica to run for mayor, saying there's no one more honorable or trustworthy or likeable. And to Jessica's credit she doesn't jump on the "anti-Sam" bandwagon, and even though Sam thinks she's supporting other people for mayor, she figures out who the killer really is and proves Sam is not involved in any scandal.

She has loads of long and loyal friends all over the world whom she visits. (Unfortunately, a murder seems to occur on every visit, but that's not Jessica's fault.) And even though most of her relatives at one time or another seem to have been accused of murder, she has stood behind them and ultimately proved their innocence. All her nieces and nephews are devoted to her. In fact, she seems to be the aunt they turn to when they can't talk to their own parents.

As for her investigations with law enforcement, in the end most find out she is useful and she never claims the credit for the solving of the crime.

Also, she is a loyal friend to Seth Hazlitt, standing with him through thick and thin, even when he too is accused of murdering his estranged brother. That Jessica could put up with a curmudgeon like Seth proves she is down to earth, as well as the fact that Seth doesn't suffer fools easily and he in turn is devoted to Jessica. She always laughs off his foibles and gruff statements, and the two never have any serious arguments. That show the love and affection and respect they each have for the other.

So I don't know what show you're watching, but you're not watching the same Jessica I am. Perhaps you're being too judgmental about her?