There's no denying the empowering impact of Jessica Fletcher. Countless stories attest to her role in instilling confidence in women who were often overlooked in productions. Have you ever thought about Angela Lansbury's process of developing the character? Was she inspired by someone Lansbury knew, or was the actress so skilled that she breathed life into a fictional persona with such finesse?

Angela Lansbury's commitment to her audience in Murder, She Wrote was unwavering. She often reiterated that her primary goal was to never disappoint her viewers. If that meant standing up to the producers, she was ready to do so.

When it came to Jessica Fletcher's development, Lansbury went through a process. The character always had to be in tune with the times, not "elderly" and foggy, as production companies, producers, and directors often made women characters over forty looks in productions.

What made Jessica Fletcher different from other star television murder mystery characters? To start, she made age nonexistent, but another imperative aspect is that she explored the character.

"Exploring a character to find out what I am going to take on physically and emotionally is a part of the fun," she told the Star Tribune in 1983. "I take a snippet from here, a chunk from there. But none of the characterizations [are] solely based on someone I know or even myself. As long as the characterization comes off as believable, I'm halfway there."

Was Jessica Fletcher believable? Absolutely! Everyone wanted to visit Cabot Cove just so they could run into the character by chance. We'd all read her books and, if possible, attend a literature class taught by her.

She's so believable that decades later, we're still admiring her.