Murder, She Wrote was a very good & enjoyable murder-mystery show! Angela Lansbury was superb as Jessica Fletcher! Just because this one episode was goofy, doesn’t mean the whole show was like that.
MSW tied the original Hawaii Five-0, as being the longest running crime drama, in 1996...as both shows were on for 12 years/seasons (H5-0: 1968-1980 & MSW: 1984-1996)! MSW also had 4 reunion/TV movies from 1997-2003. But, in 2003, the original Law & Order passed them both up with its 13th season. It went on to have 20 years...tying Gunsmoke as the longest running TV drama, period (Gunsmoke: 1955-1975 & L&O: 1990-2010). Now the L&O spin-off SVU has surpassed them all. Personally I don’t care for the L&O shows...but, to each his or her own.
Anyway, just some useless but interesting TV trivia. I grew up with “Dukes” and MSW...both were awesome & wholesome shows in their own ways, and have become icons of television (and both have huge cult-followings today)!