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.
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.
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.
