When CBS was looking for a star for its proposed murder mystery show, it turned to a renowned actress who had just completed a run on one of its biggest shows ever- All in the Family's Jean Stapleton.
![](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-SOUYF6epYRY/VmhNmWMNwuI/AAAAAAAADCo/LTuAwJGGjiI/%25255BUNSET%25255D.png)
Ms. Stapleton, however, was not interested in jumping into another weekly series, much less one that was one hour long. She turned down CBS, who then offered the show to Angela Lansbury.
![](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-PfkbwX1D4F0/VmhNnHms2JI/AAAAAAAADCs/KqIYEoO7cOw/%25255BUNSET%25255D.png)
Murder, She Wrote became a huge hit, making Ms. Lansbury even more famous than she already was. She would play Jessica Fletcher for twelve seasons.