Who hasn't at least heard of Murder, She Wrote? If you were old enough to watch TV in the 1980s, you'd at least have known about author-turned-amateur-detective Jessica Fletcher (played with charm by Angela Lansbury). Given the popularity of this gentle-hearted mystery series, which would eventually run to twelve seasons, it's quite likely that you were a fan (admit it!) or had a fan somewhere in the family. The show certainly had a lot of appeal with "older" viewers (which can mean "elderly" but in this context refers more to "older than the target audience for Knight Rider and The A-Team...) but it had its share of fans across all the demographics, including yours truly as a teenager.

In my review of Season 1, I commented that the show's appeal in the present day has a strong tinge of nostalgia for the 80s; the episodes themselves felt dated and a little awkward at times. The third season actually feels significantly less dated, and as a result the episodes work quite a bit better.

To be sure, we still have the elements that are occasionally awkward, but they work better here than at the start. Some of the guest-star performances can be a bit stiff, but overall, the acting feels considerably more natural than in the first season. Lansbury continues to do a fine job of portraying Jessica Fletcher, and remains the mainstay of the show in terms of acting ability, so it's nice to see her with a stronger supporting cast in these episodes.

There's also the ongoing plot issue that may very well drive some viewers crazy (and amuse others): that wherever Jessica Fletcher goes, people drop dead (thus allowing her ample opportunity to exercise her sleuthing talents). If Fletcher were a real person, the wake of death around her would extend for miles, and nobody would invite her for dinner, much less for major speaking engagements... But this is the problem that arises for all mystery programs that involve amateur detectives, so we can't give Murder, She Wrote a hard time for working within the same set of assumptions as sleuths like Miss Marple and Brother Cadfael, to name a few.

At any rate, the episodes in Season 3 give Fletcher a variety of different cases to solve, both in Cabot Cove and elsewhere. They're all murder-related (of course), but the actual plots are nicely varied. There's also the amusing tie-in to Magnum, P.I., with "Magnum on Ice" giving Fletcher the chance to help Magnum out of a tight spot. "Magnum on Ice" is the second half of a two-episode set; the first half was a Magnum, P.I. episode rather than a Murder, She Wrote episode. Fortunately, the producers of the DVD set have done the right thing by fans, and in the bonus features, have included the full Magnum, P.I. episode ("Novel Connections"). So, for maximum enjoyment, after you watch "Deadline for Murder" (Disc 1, episode 7), you should hop over to Disc 7, Side B to watch "Novel Connections" in the bonus features before continuing with episode 8, "Magnum on Ice."

The DVD

Murder, She Wrote: The Complete Third Season is a three-DVD set, with each disc in a plastic keepcase inside a paperboard slipcover. Each disc is double-sided.

Video

I noticed a definite improvement in the image quality from Season 1 to Season 3. The image is reasonably clean and clear, and more pleasing to the eye than the earlier set. Contrast can be a little heavy, but outdoor shots look nice. Some grain appears.

Audio

The Dolby 2.0 soundtrack is also better than in the first season. The sound is clear and clean, with no problems.

Extras

I'm pleased to report that an annoying aspect of the first set has now been fixed. Each episode has a preview clip running at the start, but fortunately it and the opening credits sequence is now made into a single chapter, so you can skip past without missing anything from the actual episode.

Several special features are included on the final disc, Side B. As mentioned in the body of the review, we get the Magnum, P.I. episode "Novel Connections," which involves the character of Jessica Fletcher and serves as the first part of a story that's continued in this season's "Magnum on Ice."

There's also a 28-minute featurette called "The Great '80s TV Flashback," which has various producers, writers, and others involved in 1980s television reflecting on the various shows that made their mark in popular culture of that decade. Murder, She Wrote is only one of many that are discussed here, but it's actually quite an interesting segment. The participants offer some very interesting insights into the television of the time as they analyze what made the various shows popular, or how the shows were influential at their time and later.

Final thoughts

The third season of Murder, She Wrote is much more fan-friendly, with a cleaner transfer and a couple of nice special features along with the show's episodes. If you enjoyed the show during its original run, or if you got a kick out of seeing the first season or two again on DVD, you'll be likely to enjoy the Season 3 set. Recommended.