Editorial: “Murder, She Wrote” Star Angela Lansbury Has Nothing But Hate For Octavia Spencer

“Murder, She Wrote” star Angela Lansbury is not happy with NBC’s planned reboot of her CBS series “Murder, She Wrote,” and says “it’s a mistake” for NBC to keep the original title.

News broke last month that Oscar-winner Octavia Spencer would topline a remake of the popular series, which aired on CBS from 1984 to 1996, earning Lansbury 12 consecutive Emmy nominations and international acclaim.

Lansbury, who will accept an honorary Academy Award later this week, said the show was her “greatest doorway to the world.”

“I suddenly became a worldwide-known character as Jessica Fletcher and really built an enormous audience, which I have to this day,” the 88-year-old told The Hollywood Reporter. “That was the thing that really made me a star in the minds of everybody.”

NBC’s take, which has been granted a put pilot commitment, is described as a reimagining of the series with a light, contemporary take a la the CW’s “Bones” and the feature film “Fargo.”

Lansbury is not feeling it.

“I think it’s a mistake to call it ‘Murder, She Wrote,'” Lansbury said, “because ‘Murder, She Wrote’ will always be about Cabot Cove and this wonderful little group of people who told those lovely stories and enjoyed a piece of that place, and also enjoyed Jessica Fletcher, who is a rare and very individual kind of person. … So I’m sorry that they have to use the title ‘Murder, She Wrote,’ even though they have access to it and it’s their right.”

Lansbury, however, said she admires Spencer’s work.

“I saw her in ‘The Help’ and thought she was absolutely wonderful, a lovely actress,” Lansbury said. “So I wish her well, but I wish it wasn’t in ‘Murder, She Wrote.'”