Jamie Lee Curtis to Star in ‘Murder, She Wrote’ Film

Okay, so I just heard some news that’s got me really excited! One of my all-time favorite TV mystery shows – seriously, it’s been on forever and has a huge following – is getting the big-screen treatment. They’re turning it into a movie, which I think is a fantastic idea. I’m already picturing all the twists and turns on a much larger scale!

Universal Pictures is creating a new movie based on the popular TV show Murder, She Wrote. Jamie Lee Curtis will play Jessica Fletcher, the mystery novelist who also solves crimes in her small town of Cabot Cove, Maine.

Jason Moore, who directed Pitch Perfect, will direct the film. Lauren Schuker Blum and Rebecca Angelo adapted the story for the screen.

Created by Peter S. Fischer, Richard Levinson, and William Link, Murder, She Wrote was a hugely popular series that aired on CBS for 12 seasons, followed by four TV movies. This new film will be the first Murder, She Wrote movie released in theaters. Angela Lansbury starred as Jessica Fletcher in all previous episodes and TV movies, and she received an Emmy nomination for every season of the show – though she never won for her performance.

During its peak, Murder, She Wrote was a hugely popular television show. It ranked as the third most-watched series during its second season. Even now, you can still watch episodes in reruns through syndication and on free streaming platforms like Tubi.

By this point, Murder, She Wrote was incredibly popular – so much so that it inspired a ride at Universal Studios Florida called the Murder, She Wrote Mystery Theatre. This live stage show gave audiences a behind-the-scenes look at how TV shows are made, but it unfortunately closed in 1996.

Murder, She Wrote (the movie) is scheduled to open in theaters on Dec. 22, 2027.

10 TV Episodes So Controversial They Were Banned

The Twilight Zone Season 5, Episode 31 “The Encounter”

“The Encounter” is a particularly disturbing episode of The Twilight Zone, even for that show. It was so unsettling, dealing with racial tension and the lingering effects of World War II, that it was removed from television after its initial broadcast in 1964 – a unique fate for any Twilight Zone installment. Despite this, it’s actually a well-made episode, directly addressing the anxieties felt by both Americans and Japanese people after the war. The story centers on an American man and a young Japanese man (played by George Takei) who become trapped in an attic with a cursed sword that intensifies their already difficult relationship, forcing both to confront their guilt and anger stemming from the war. CBS ultimately pulled the episode due to viewer complaints about the American character’s repeated use of racist language and the generally negative portrayal of both men.

Star Trek: The Original Series Season 1, Episode 8 “Miri”

Like the original Star Trek, many episodes tackled difficult moral questions, and some of the best ones sparked thoughtful debate. For example, the episode “Miri” features the Enterprise crew visiting a planet inhabited solely by children, who are the only survivors of a deadly virus that kills people when they become teenagers. As the child population declines, Captain Kirk and his team race to find a cure, but the wary children and the disease itself put them in danger. Dr. McCoy eventually finds a solution just in time. This episode caused controversy when it first aired on the BBC, receiving complaints from viewers. As a result, the BBC refused to show it – along with other Star Trek episodes like “Plato’s Stepchildren” and “The Empath” – to children, deeming the content too disturbing.

Beavis and Butt-head Season 3, Episode 4 “Incognito”

It’s not shocking that a recent Beavis and Butt-Head episode caused controversy. In the episode, Beavis and Butt-Head disrupt class by throwing things until they upset a classmate named Earl, who implies he’s in a gang and threatens them with a gun. The next day, they try to hide from Earl at school, but their confrontation is interrupted when a stray bullet comes through the window. The teacher takes Earl’s gun, and he surprisingly thanks Beavis and Butt-Head for not accusing him of firing the shot. Considering the country’s heightened awareness of gun violence and school shootings, this unusual episode hasn’t been aired or released on DVD or Blu-ray since it originally aired.

The X-Files Season 4, Episode 2 “Home”

Often considered the most disturbing episode of The X-Files, “Home” centers around Mulder and Scully investigating a case of infanticide in a small town. They uncover a horrifying secret: three brothers have been breeding with their own mother, who has been kept alive and hidden away after a car accident left her unable to move. The brothers have been burying the resulting deformed children. Written by Glen Morgan and James Wong, who aimed to shock audiences, the episode was inspired in part by a story from Charlie Chaplin’s life. It’s one of only two X-Files episodes to receive a TV-MA rating (the other being “Via Negativa”), and Fox only aired it once after its initial broadcast – on Halloween in 1999.

Pokémon Season 1, Episode 38 “Computer Warrior Porygon”

Another well-known banned episode centers around a Pokémon broadcast that caused serious health problems for viewers. Hundreds of children experienced seizures, and over 600 people required hospital treatment after watching scenes with rapidly flashing lights. The episode featured Ash and his friends battling Team Rocket with the Pokémon Porygon while investigating a problem at a Pokémon Center. The crisis culminated in Pikachu destroying digital missiles with an explosion of bright, flashing lights. Due to the incident, known as “Pokémon Shock,” the episode was immediately removed from broadcast and has never been aired outside of Japan; its only official title remains the original Japanese one, “Dennō Senshi Porygon.”

Dexter’s Laboratory Season 2 “Rude Removal”

As a huge Dexter’s Laboratory fan, I always heard whispers about the lost episode, “Rude Removal,” and it’s wild to learn the full story! Apparently, it was never shown on Cartoon Network because Dexter and Dee Dee, as their ‘rude’ selves, were just too naughty. Even with the swearing bleeped out, the network thought it was too much for kids. The title card alone – rude Dexter mooning everyone and Dee Dee flipping the bird – kind of tells you everything! Thankfully, it finally saw the light of day in 2013 when Adult Swim put it online, fifteen years after it was made. It’s a crazy piece of cartoon history!

South Park Season 5, Episode 3 “Super Best Friends”

Everyone knows South Park is famous for its edgy humor, but sometimes it goes too far. While many episodes have been considered controversial, the episode “Super Best Friends” stands out. It featured depictions of religious figures, including the Prophet Muhammad, which is a sensitive topic for many. Surprisingly, it didn’t cause much of a stir when it first aired, likely because it was South Park and the episode also satirized media censorship. However, about ten years later, some Muslim groups protested the reappearance of Muhammad’s image in later episodes, leading South Park Studios to remove “Super Best Friends” from its website.

Peppa Pig Season 1, Episode 47 “Mister Skinnylegs”

You might be surprised to learn that an episode of Peppa Pig is actually banned! It wasn’t because of anything offensive like religious insults or violence, but because of an episode called “Mister Skinnylegs.” The episode is simple: Peppa learns not to fear a spider her brother finds. While that’s a good lesson for kids everywhere, it’s not ideal in Australia, which has many dangerous spiders. Australian television decided it wasn’t a good idea to portray spiders as friendly, so they banned both “Mister Skinnylegs” and “Spider Web” from being shown.

Hannibal Season 1, Episode 4 “Oeuf”

The TV series Hannibal frequently depicted graphic content, but the episode “Oeuf” was especially disturbing. It centered on kidnapped boys who were manipulated into killing their birth families to create bonds with new ones. Creator Bryan Fuller asked the network to postpone airing the episode, and many initially believed this was due to the Boston Marathon bombing which had occurred a week earlier. Fuller later revealed the true reason was the recent Sandy Hook school shooting, which still deeply affected the nation. While NBC didn’t broadcast the episode immediately, they released clips online, and it eventually became available to stream on Amazon Prime and was included in home video releases.

It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia Season 9, Episode 9 “The Gang Makes Lethal Weapon 6”

You can’t really argue that It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia ever endorses the actions of its vile main characters, but the show pushes the envelope into unexpected places anyway. One such episode is “The Gang Makes Lethal Weapon 6,” in which the gang attempts to screen their own footage of a sequel to the popular franchise for investors after Frank pulls his money out of the project. The footage is, of course, awful, containing offensive depictions of just about anything, and putting two of its actors in full blackface. This episode, along with a few other Always Sunny episodes and episodes from other shows like Community, were pulled from streaming in 2020 following Hollywood’s reckoning with industry-wide racism. The incident was referenced in a later Always Sunny episode, “The Gang Makes Lethal Weapon 7.”

2026-03-25 21:57