Every few years I go back to Murder, She Wrote. It’s one of my all-time favorite shows for many reasons. I started again last night, and here are a few notes from season 1.

– The pilot episode has crazy long credits.

– While I wouldn’t say the show has terribly progressive values by contemporary standards, it makes a (sometimes to an after-school-special degree) level attempt to represent people of different backgrounds, races, and lifestyles. I had forgotten that Jessica’s niece Vicki marries a guy who was performing drag for a while to pay the bills.

– Episode 6, “Hooray for Homicide,” features the most amazing neon-lit, synth-soundtracked cemetery.

– The “Maine” accents were wretched from the very beginning.

– Though at one point Jessica is carrying an L.L. Bean boat ‘n tote, which is the most authentic Maine detail this show has ever mustered. She carries it while visiting Hollywood.