What influence has Murder, She Wrote had on contemporary TV mysteries? In this special episode, we'll talk about what movies, series, and even channels like Hallmark Movies and Mysteries owe our beloved series, and how they don't quite capture its spirit.
The night deputy might be having an affair with one of Loretta's beauty parlor clients...or all of them. Guest host Frank Berman investigates with Bridget.
Guest host Frank Berman joins Bridget to talk about the first ever Jessica-free episode. Bonus Mr. Belvedere!
Guest hosted by YOU! Bridget and fellow LanStans talk about this Macbeth riff set among high-powered executives.
This week, we revisit an episode from January in which we discuss the Murder, She Wrote tie-in novel, A Little Yuletide Murder. Make sure you read the book before listening!
Listen to find out how you can participate in our next episode!
Five words: Eileen Brennan in a habit. When Jessica goes to a convent, Bridget pretty much just laughs through the whole episode, and TJ takes a trip down school book fair memory lane.
A grim episode in Cabot Cove in which Jessica seems to change character. Plus, TJ is hangry, and we speculate on what happened to Ethan.
We're going to Paris, baby! Jessica investigates a murder at a fashion show, and Bridget and TJ assess which is worse: the outfits or the accents.
While recording an audiobook, Jessica just happens to be around a murder in a recording studio. TJ and Bridget don't think she did it, but they are suspicious of how she decides to announce the solution.
An interesting mashup of an old film noir and a hot take on the jurisprudence system, plus TJ and Bridget's usual hot mess banter.
In small town Idaho, the sheriff turns out not to be the bad guy, there's a magical ring, and TJ introduces the concept of the Cabot Cove diaspora.
Grady once again finds himself in the middle of something illegal, someone's living inside the walls of an office building, Mort isn't Mort, and an Irish guy who's not Michael Hagerty falls for Jessica.
Let's take a trip back in time to the Borscht Belt, where things get out of control when videotapes go on sale. And we discuss the physics of stabbing oneself.
The gayest episode yet! Plus, Jessica's social graces carry Cabot Cove through the death of a painter, a murderous affair, and an economic class divide.
Harry McGraw is back in a hot mess of an episode that is redeemed by Adam West and Levar Burton! Plus, Bridget and TJ's friendship is in jeopardy over TJ's secret interests.
Murderous teddy bears, deepfakes, and feminist lesbians. TJ and Bridget will sort it all out.
TJ and Bridget talk about Lansbury's performance and how the movie fit into her wider career. They also lament they "just don't make 'em like they used to."
In contemplation of the news of Pat Robertson's death, we thought it would be useful to revisit this episode, originally broadcast in November 2022.
A dud of an episode that doesn't feature Jessica as the investigator, but we promise our podcast episode finds ways to be fun anyway.
A bedridden Jessica overhears a murder through a crossed telephone line, and TJ and Bridget are absolutely here for this fun homage to Barbara Stanwyck's "Sorry, Wrong Number."
Her Gloriousness Captain Janeway, aka Kate Mulgrew, aka the Hepburn of her time, might have done a little murder on an airplane...But TJ and Bridget will forgive her, even if Jessica won't.
TJ and Bridget are hot messes in this episode, but the TV episode, based on The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, is perfection.
Jessica's theatrical friend might be the intended victim of murder, and we're on the case to find out which kind of gay man TJ really wants to be.
A profile on JB in Cabot Cove turns deadly. Introducing Sam Booth. No Seth. Amos actually seems to know what he's doing. It's a wild ride.
The second part of our special two-parter on the Murder, She Wrote / Magnum PI crossover. Plus, Bridget finally calls out TJ for some of his more macabre comments...
CW: This episode, like the televised episode, mentions domestic violence.
Part one of our two-parter on the Murder, She Wrote / Magnum PI crossover. This week, we talk shorty shorts and what a terrible investigator Magnum is.
Treguna Mekoides Trecorum Satis Dee! TJ and Bridget are finally taking on the beloved Disney movie Bedknobs and Broomsticks. We'll talk comparisons to Mary Poppins and what feels different watching now from when we watched as kids, and nobody got turned into a rabbit during the making of this episode.
Jessica does his gal Friday and gets the scoop! We love this back-to-basics episode with an evil newspaper editor and fantastic rapport between Jessica and this week's friend, Haskell.
Leslie Nielsen is back as Jessica's long-lost love, and TJ and Bridget are very divided about this. Also something about a murder....
Victoria and Howard, Jessica's most annoying niece and nephew are back, and a corned beef sandwich is a key clue to murder. TJ and Bridget are having none of this episode's nonsense.
Jessica runs into her favorite British secret agent while an East German violinist is on the run from TJ and Bridget's favorite soap opera star.
When Seth goes missing over a cold case murder, Jessica heads off to find him and prove his innocence. Meanwhile, Bridget and TJ play Crusty Old Man trivia.
This week we talk about the tie-in novel “A Little Yuletide Murder” and discuss adaptations and Jessica’s character.
Jessica infiltrates a circus, Bridget and TJ debate Martin Balsam's fame, and the elephants definitely didn't do it.
It's our 50th episode! We're celebrating by taking you behind the microphone to hear what really goes on when we make this podcast.
Join TJ, Bridget, and Binky for a delightful romp into the world of aristocratic art thieves as we close out season two!
It's Mardi Gras, baby, and Jessica has to unmask a killer while trying to connect with Frank's distant cousin. TJ and Bridget are here to explain it all.
Multiple personalities, a missing sister back from the dead, and Bryan Cranston as this week's red shirt. This episode is off the rails, but TJ and Bridget will make sense of it for you.
Another country estate full of guests, one of whom must be the murderer. Classic cozy mystery stuff here, but TJ and Bridget will explain how the episode also taps into 1980s anxieties about the rise of video technologies.
Corpse shenanigans ensue in Cabot Cove when the dead guy isn't dead....but who's in the coffin? TJ and Bridget will find out!
Harry McGraw is back! When Jessica encounters a murder at an auction and a fight over a diary that makes no sense, TJ and Bridget are quick to join the occasion and complain about plot holes and celebrate fashion.
Jessica's old friend was murdered...possibly by a pastor. TJ and Bridget wade into the fraught waters of 1980s prosperity theology and televangelism. Content warning: Brief references to domestic violence.
Jessica is stranded in Alabama while a lynch mob gathers outside the local jail. Run, girl, run! Otherwise entitled, one our least favorite episodes.
There's food poisoning at the new Revolutionary War-themed restaurant, which means Jessica, Seth, and the state health department inspector are busy trying to figure out what happened while Amos imagines he's dying. Plus, TJ and Bridget bicker the definition of "preserves."
Following the news of Angela Lansbury's death, we take a look back over her career to discover how kids born in the Murder, She Wrote age might have understood her stardom.
It's jury duty for Jessica, and TJ and Bridget are on the scene to give you their hot takes on murder trials, a ridiculous guest cast, and which other detective series this episode most emulates. Content advisory: Like the TV episode, this episode discusses domestic violence.
Lipstick, Stan and Kirsten, prostitution, and Grady being dumb - there's a lot to love about this episode. Put your best face on and join TJ and Bridget for the discussion!
In New Mexico, Jessica joins an archaeological dig with Dr. Seth Hazlitt, and Bridget and TJ think the whole episode is kind of a hot mess.
When poison pen letters flood Cabot Cove with gossip, Jessica has to find out who's sending them. Plus, more real estate shenanigans on the coast! Join TJ and Bridget for a discussion of a favorite episode with a shocking revelation at the end.
Jessica enters a women's prison. Bonus: Jan Brady shows us the consequence of always talking about Marcia. And TJ raves about Yvonne De Carlo.
Jessica's off to the races! Can she solve the murder faster than a champion thoroughbred can make it around Churchill Downs? TJ and Bridget will tell you everything. Plus, in the first furlong, we apologize to our listeners for pretty much everything we ever did.
While at a lake resort, Jessica witnesses a woman being drowned. Or did she? Bridget and TJ will find out and share their memories of vacationing together, with a bonus argument over Catwoman.
In a dark take on Gaslight, Jessica visits a friend whose daughter is torturing her into believing her dead husband is still alive. TJ and Bridget talk about the episode and its connections to feminist care ethics - with just the right amount of references to old Hollywood movies.
Goodbye, little yellow bird, and hello to Emma Macgill! This week we go to London to talk Gaslight, identical twins, Hallmark naps, and how much we love "Sing a Song of Murder."
Jessica's going to give the commencement address at a private college, but the boyfriend of an erotic novelist who's the daughter of the English dept chair is murdered. Confused? You won't be after listening to Bridget and TJ!
Behind the scenes at a daytime soap opera, real life turns out to be more melodramatic than anything the writers can cook up! And speaking of cooking, Bridget and TJ discuss baking...and the fabulous Jessica Walter.
We're finally back in Cabot Cove for our beloved curmudgeon Dr. Seth Hazlitt's debut! TJ and Bridget talk about how the writers established him as an old friend to Jessica, even though he didn't exist in season one, and a host of other topics. But like the TV episode, we regret we never conclusively determine if Joshua Peabody is real or not.
We're back, baby! Season two kicks off with Jessica masquerading as an uppity rich lady ripe on a Caribbean island. Meanwhile, Bridget and TJ have comically disastrous attempts to understand each other when the internet cuts in and out.
As we wrap up season 1 and look ahead to season 2, TJ and Bridget are joined by special guest listeners Geoffrey D. Henry and Anton Runkles, who share some of their memories of Murder, She Wrote and flatter us with praise for this podcast.
It's the season one finale! Bridget and TJ discuss the Western, culottes, and guest star William Windom before he became Seth Hazlitt. CW: This episode and the episode of the TV show discuss sexual assault.
Fly us to a place that's kinda like Palm Springs, let us swing among the classical Hollywood stars. In other words, it's "Murder at the Oasis," which is part family melodrama, part Rat Pack allegory with guest star Joey Bishop. Bonus: Bridget and TJ writing fan fic to fix the episode's ending.
Jessica does Dallas! When our favorite novelist lands in the hospital in Texas, she's in prime position to witness and solve the murder of a doctor.
Blanche! Cheddar cheese on apple pie! A fake sailor and a big screen TV raffle! And some nerdy thing about how close-ups guide audiences and the crumbling middle class. We've got the best takes on "Murder Takes the Bus."
Jessica and her drunk poet friend are nominated for big-time book awards, but a plot twist with a pushy wannabe and a feud between a bro and a dandy gets in the way. Join Bridget and TJ for their discussion of the stereotypes of the literati and the persistent snobbery toward genre fiction. CW: This episode, like the TV episode, contains discussion of sexual assault.
Jessica inherits a football team, Caitlyn Jenner guest stars, and TJ and Bridget reveal they know very little about professional athletics...but they are very opinionated about carpeting in bathrooms.
The beloved PI Harry McGraw (Jerry Orbach) makes his first appearance in this week's knockoff of The Maltese Falcon and other hard-boiled detective novels and film noir. TJ plays a lightning round of "Translate This Tough Guy Slang," and Bridget laments the set design.
We're headed to the Mediterranean, where TJ confesses his lifelong crush on Cesar Romero. Too bad, because Romero, playing a world-famous painter, is about to be murdered by someone close to him on his private island. Join us for our discussion of the 1% and other things we'll never be.
A bizarre combination of campy fun and gothic suspense on a cruise ship! Bridget and TJ discuss "My Johnny Lies Over the Ocean," and if you're lucky, they'll show you the hootchy-kootchy. CW: This episode contains brief discussions of suicide.
We're in New Orleans this week - or are we? And something about how the Reagan era made life tough for artists. Join us for a discussion of the "Murder to a Jazz Beat."
With the release of a new remake of Death on the Nile, it's a fitting time to revisit the 1978 film version, featuring Angela Lansbury as an eccentric novelist. TJ and Bridget talk acting, old Hollywood, and grace.
Whether your star is rising or falling, Broadway is a dangerous place. TJ and Bridget tag along with Jessica to go behind the scenes at a new musical that's been plagued with murder attempts. With bonus Milton Berle!
Otherwise entitled "Mrs. Fletcher Goes to Washington," this episode sees JB as the nonpartisan representative from Maine! Move over, Susan Collins! Also featured: Bridget and TJ argue over the commercials on Peacock.
You are getting very sleepy....very sleepy...But not too sleepy to listen to TJ and Bridget talk about Jessica's big adventures in hypnotism!
Russians, queers, and queer Russians. When Jessica helps two ballet dancers defect and escape a murder charge, Bridget and TJ are there!
A theme park mogul wants to make J.B. Fletcher's books into...rollercoasters, or something. TJ and Bridget investigate the nonsense that is "We're Off to Kill the Wizard." CW: This episode has mild discussions of rape culture.
JB Fletcher, shoe fetishist, is back in Cabot Cove this week, where she meets the guy who invents Peloton....or something. Join TJ and Bridget for a close look at "Hit, Run, and Homicide" with guest star Van Johnson. We also share our tribute to Her Majesty Betty White.
One of Murder, She Wrote's darkest episodes...TJ and Bridget discuss film noir, sexism, misperceptions about academia, and of course the fabulous Lois Nettleton.
When a dog inherits millions, your podcast has to talk about it. Bridget and TJ discuss "It's a Dog's Life." Special listener note: Due to technical problems, a third of this episode was lost. We wanted to make sure we released a new episode according to schedule, but we hope to be able to fix this or re-record it in the future. For now, we hope you'll enjoy what we were able to save.
In this very merry episode, TJ and Bridget discuss Mrs. Santa Claus, the 1996 TV movie in which Angela Lansbury stars as the title character. The movie tackles child labor and women's suffrage while somehow also being a feel-good holiday musical. It's a shining example of Lansbury's versatile talents and wide appeal to audiences.
When she learns her book is being made into a sex-filled movie, Jessica goes to Hollywood to stop the production. But, as TJ and Bridget will explain to Mrs. Fletcher, there is no stopping Hollywood.
This week Jessica journeys to the straightest drag show San Francisco ever put on, and Bridget and TJ are left scratching their heads. Join us for a discussion of the Murder, She Wrote episode "Birds of a Feather."
There's so much to love about the second (or third) episode of Murder, She Wrote, "Deadly Lady." From Jessica's secret shoe fetish to Ethan, the lovable curmudgeon who just wasn't quite Seth, Bridget and TJ will talk about it all.
TJ and Bridget discuss the two-part MSW pilot, "The Murder of Sherlock Holmes," in which new author J.B. Fletcher goes to New York to promote her book and fend off naysaying critics and becomes entangled in murder and romance.
A preview for the Cabot Cove Gazette, the world's newest (and best!) podcast dedicated to the beloved TV series Murder, She Wrote. Hosts TJ West III and Bridget Kies will take you on an episode by episode analysis to understand why the show is so iconic and remains so popular even today.