Murder, She Wrote, the iconic CBS mystery that ran for 12 seasons and 264 episodes from 1984 to 1996, ensnaring 25 million viewers with Jessica Fletcher’s amateur sleuthing in Cabot Cove, is resurrecting as a bold 2025 revival on NBCUniversal’s Peacock, with Jamie Lee Curtis stepping into Angela Lansbury’s shoes as the whip-smart writer-turned-detective, surrounded by George Clooney, Tom Selleck, and Len Cariou in a “star-studded” ensemble that’s blending cozy whodunits with global conspiracies in a “most shocking reinvention” that’s already racking pre-premiere buzz. Premiering October 15, 2025, the 10-episode season—directed by The Good Wife‘s Michelle King and penned by Veronica Mars‘ Rob Thomas—thrusts Curtis’ Jessica into a “high-stakes” world where small-town murders mask international intrigue, her “glittering resurrection” a tribute to Lansbury’s 96-year legacy (she passed in 2022).
The saga’s sinister spark? Spellbinding: Episode 1’s “Cove Conspiracy” catapults Jessica (Curtis, 66, channeling Scream‘s Sidney with sleuth savvy) into the fray, a Cabot Cove killing with a diplomatic twist pulling Clooney’s suave ambassador into her orbit, Selleck’s grizzled FBI vet as her reluctant ally. Curtis’ Jessica? A “masterclass in mischief,” her wry quips warping to weary watchfulness, unraveling a ripple of regrets where a neighbor’s “accident” surfaces as sabotage. Clooney’s envoy? A “veteran of velvet,” his measured menace a mirror to Jessica’s moral maze. Selleck’s agent? A “vixen of vigilance,” his steely spine cracking under the creep of corruption. Cariou’s “calculating” colleague? A “cunning cog” in the conspiracy wheel, his insider intel igniting intrigue. King’s script quivers with quips – “Murder writes itself – but justice pens the end” – but the “brutal” brutality bites: A botched beach burial buries a body, a VVIP viper’s venom turns ally to assassin.
The “bigger than Bates”? Barbaric: King’s adaptation amps the “pacy” probe with “spooky” soundscapes and “authentic” accents, her direction a “gripping” gasp of “grim themes” in Cabot Cove’s “eerie charm.” The Guardian‘s Lucy Mangan raves “very well-made, pacy drama” with Curtis’s “reliably likeable” levity; The Independent‘s Ed Power hails Clooney’s “Icily Glamorous” iciness and the “understated and spooky” score. Evening Standard‘s Vicky Jessop praises the “overall confidence, style and authenticity.” Skeptics? “Mired in modernity,” but the 1-in-2 clue-to-cliff ratio hooks, BARB metrics outgunning The Jetty.
This isn’t whodunit wallpaper; it’s a web-weaving whirlwind, the revival a requiem for cozy where conspiracies creep and classics clash. Jessica’s journal? Jaundiced. The globe’s gambit? Gamboling. October 15? Not a drop – a detonation. Binge it; the coves confound, the conspiracies corrupt. Curtis’s cunning? Captivating. Clooney’s charm? Corrosive. The obsession? Overnight, inescapable.
