17 years after bidding the world adieu, Peter S.Fischer’s ‘Murder, She Wrote‘ has been dealt a fresh hand by NBC today, gearing up to return to TV screens in a way we’ve never seen it before.

For, after enlisting ‘Desperate Housewives’ producer Alexandra Cunningham to write the new series, the network has revealed that ‘The Help’ actress Octavia Spencer will take on the lead role, starring a hospital administrator /crime novelist whose passion for real crime sees her become an active participant in crime investigations!

Set for takeoff in 2014, Deadline reports that its original star- London born actress Angela Lansbury– has been offered a role in the series, which will see Spencer’s character serve as a cross between Lansbury’s ‘Jessica Fletcher’ and Peter Falk’s ‘Columbo‘.

On the new series, Spencer shares:

“I’ve always considered myself an armchair detective and in a recent meeting with Bob Greenblatt, he asked me what type of character would be able to lure me to TV. Naturally, I said ” J.B. Fletcher” meets “Colombo”… And here we are. I’m ecstatic to have the opportunity to work with Dave Janollari again, and Alex Cunningham a brilliant writer who shares my love for all things mysterious and Angela Lansbury.” 

Source.

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