Recently I found myself, for the first time in my life, incapacitated to the extent that I was stuck in the house (my lovely mum’s) following an operation.
One day, a bit bored and feeling decidedly sore and sorry for myself, I switched on the tv and I heard this familiar music.... a sort of tinkling piano thing, followed by orchestra. Without looking at the screen I knew what it was and I was humming along. And that was what was strange. I have, or rather, had never in all my life watched this show, and yet I could hum the signature tune. With nothing else to do I sat and watched it... and the weird thing is that I also somehow knew the main character, and where the action took place.
I’m talking about “Murder She Wrote”, that cute bit of piano playing of John Addison’s music and the multi-talented Angela Lansbury or Jessica Fletcher of Cabot Cove, Maine. Population 3,560!
OK, so what, you may think (and one reader in Leith, who shall be nameless, is choking himself laughing at this), but the point is that although I’d never watched it (it’s on at 2.15 weekdays for heaven’s sake. I’d be at work), somehow I knew all about it. It occurs to me that there really hasn’t been a time when the BBC hasn’t been showing reruns of this show, and somehow it seems to have soaked into my brain.
Then when I got thinking about it I realised that although I’d never watched Corrie or Eastenders I could probably name a few of the cast, and although I never watch the Apprentice or Strictly Come Dancing or Britain’s Got Talent, I still know things about them, including being able to recognise the signature tunes.... Weird, don’t you think how popular culture somehow percolates into your subconscious?
Anyway the outcome is that I have become completely captivated by Mrs Fletcher, Amos Tupper and Seth Hazlitt, and never miss the show even although I’m back living at home, much recovered and have to get someone to record them for me. Over 12 seasons from 1984-1996 there were 264 episodes recorded and I aim to see them all.
Ok... I’m a secret Angela Lansbury fan, but this week it beats the very hell out of watching Gordon Brown and his team of cheerless has-beens talking to 2/3 empty halls of sad people looking as if they lost a pound and found a tanner.
One day, a bit bored and feeling decidedly sore and sorry for myself, I switched on the tv and I heard this familiar music.... a sort of tinkling piano thing, followed by orchestra. Without looking at the screen I knew what it was and I was humming along. And that was what was strange. I have, or rather, had never in all my life watched this show, and yet I could hum the signature tune. With nothing else to do I sat and watched it... and the weird thing is that I also somehow knew the main character, and where the action took place.
I’m talking about “Murder She Wrote”, that cute bit of piano playing of John Addison’s music and the multi-talented Angela Lansbury or Jessica Fletcher of Cabot Cove, Maine. Population 3,560!
OK, so what, you may think (and one reader in Leith, who shall be nameless, is choking himself laughing at this), but the point is that although I’d never watched it (it’s on at 2.15 weekdays for heaven’s sake. I’d be at work), somehow I knew all about it. It occurs to me that there really hasn’t been a time when the BBC hasn’t been showing reruns of this show, and somehow it seems to have soaked into my brain.
Then when I got thinking about it I realised that although I’d never watched Corrie or Eastenders I could probably name a few of the cast, and although I never watch the Apprentice or Strictly Come Dancing or Britain’s Got Talent, I still know things about them, including being able to recognise the signature tunes.... Weird, don’t you think how popular culture somehow percolates into your subconscious?
Anyway the outcome is that I have become completely captivated by Mrs Fletcher, Amos Tupper and Seth Hazlitt, and never miss the show even although I’m back living at home, much recovered and have to get someone to record them for me. Over 12 seasons from 1984-1996 there were 264 episodes recorded and I aim to see them all.
Ok... I’m a secret Angela Lansbury fan, but this week it beats the very hell out of watching Gordon Brown and his team of cheerless has-beens talking to 2/3 empty halls of sad people looking as if they lost a pound and found a tanner.
PS: Hasn't Angela Lansbury got the most incredible eyes you ever saw?
Tris..
ReplyDelete" Over 12 seasons from 1984-1996 there were 264 episodes recorded and I aim to see them all."
" Jessica Fletcher of Cabot Cove, Maine. Population 3,560!"
..
Now in each episode someone always gets murdered. No i just did a quick calculation (and im good with a calculator btw) and between 1984 and 1996, 7.5% of the towns population has been bumped off. Extraordinary and it will take a lot more than just funky piano playing to get me to live in that toon.
Oh that person in Leith, aye just ignore that one. :)
I have watched murder she wrote a couple of times and it is a good program, easy to follow and witty and the murderer always get caught.
Your right about the music though, it is very distinctive and has my feet taping. In fact i might do a remix and put it onto some of my RnB classics, er perhaps not.
Hmm, Murder she wrote, oh aye!!!
Spook...
ReplyDeleteWell, all the episodes didn't take place in Cabot Cove; Jess went all over the States; last night I watched one in Arkansas where two people got murdered. According to Wikipedia The New York Times calculated that more than 2% of the population of CC was murdered during the run of 12 years. More visitors than residents were killed.......
Lord, you got me reeling off figures like some MSW nerd. But trust an accountant to sit down and work it all out with a pencil!!
It is good family television though (well apart from all the dead bodies) and it was easy to watch when I was sick. Hey, I never pretended to be an intellectual!
As for that guy in Leith.... what can I say?
Who's the guy that's such a smart backside and a calculator to work out the percentage Munguin?
ReplyDeleteNothing wrong with Murder She Wrote, it's well acted and usually a decent plot.
I'd be far more worried about you if you spent your time watching football - too many youngsters waste so much of their lives doing that :)
Hey S/R it’s not me that’s sitting down with a calculator. I did not post this it was Tris. But it’s amazing what you can do with a computer these days: how did we ever get by without one? It’s so easy to check your facts and so on without getting up off that proverbial backside. Can you imagine who difficult it would be to find out how many episodes there were of Murder She Wrote without a PC?
ReplyDeleteTris: it’s a great show. My favourite character is Sheriff Amos Tupper played by Tom Bosley. Perhaps they should project the show onto the screen at the Labour Conference it might bump the audience up by quite a bit. I understand that Angela recently won a Tony for her role in Blithe Spirit on Broadway so she is still going strong.
Aye Subrosa, it's a couthie wee show and the plots are good. It's astonishing that they managed to make 12 seasons of it before it was pulled and that it's viewed all over the world twelve years after they stopped making it.
ReplyDeleteI think it would take an accountant to work out all these figures. Not me. I get confused past two so I just cribbed mine from the net.
Munguin
Angela Lansbury is actually a fine actress and at 83 to be winning Tonies (is that how you spell it) is a great achievement in the youth orietated world of show biz. She was a co-producer of many of the shows. And yeah, after Ms Fletcher, Amos is that great character of detective fiction, the hard working but dim cop!
Tris...
ReplyDelete" According to Wikipedia The New York Times calculated that more than 2% of the population of CC was murdered during the run of 12 years. More visitors than residents were killed "
......
Oh dear Tris, please get better soon, that is one hell of a statistic btw :)
It is a good family show i grant you that.
Subrosa..
ReplyDeleteI have given up watching football now that im hooked on Murder she Wrote. Its a rare old treat i tell you :)
Och Spookie, you know you like it as much as I do. You should be thankful that I reminded you about it. It's probably better for you than all that footie. At least you don't break stuff watching it.... :)
ReplyDeleteI think we chould pay a pilgrimage to Cabbage Cove ... what d'ya say?