OH YES IT’S MURDER, IT’S MURDER SHE WROTE…

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So I was talking to a friend on the playground yesterday about TV detectives and I was telling her about my date night at Solve-Along-A-Murder-She-Wrote and explaining my not-so-closely-guarded secret obsession with Jessica Fletcher [Dame Angela Lansbury] in Murder She Wrote. You see, there are two people I hold dear in TV land. If you know me very well you’ll name them straight off the bat. My kids could recognise them by voice alone. One is Jessica, and the other, of course, is Poirot – the World’s Greatest Detective.

Sadly I have no chance of seeing Poirot again after he died [and I cried] on screen, but Jessica is still at it so far as I’m aware, thriving in Cabot Cove. And so, as a treat, Gav has bought me tickets not once but twice, to see Tim Benzie’s Solve-Along-A-Murder-She-Wrote. In case you’re a closet Jessica fan too, and you’ve seen these evenings advertised but weren’t sure whether to go, I thought I’d share my experience. My short-form advice is, go. Go EVERY time you can. It’s awesome.

I don’t even have to exaggerate. I’ve been watching Jessica Fletcher of Cabot Cove, Maine solving murder after murder – which, for the record, she HAS NEVER BEEN PROVEN GUILTY OF COMMITTING despite many conspiracy theories, the majority of which I deeply suspect my husband is guilty of perpetuating – since I was around 12 years old I think.

Anyhow, despite his suspicions surrounding the innocence of my favourite mystery writer, Gav bought us tickets for the second Solve-Along-A-Murder She Wrote at the Stage Door in Southampton that we’ve been to. The first time was for my birthday and naturally I had a nasty old virus that made me feel awful as I sat there with my archers and lemonade. This time I was feeling much more spritely when I ordered my archers and lemonade.

Anyhow, the guy behind #Solvealongamurdershewrote is called Tim Benzie and he couldn’t be more perfect. From his opening credits act to throwing out foam shrimp sweets from a Cabot Cove fishing bucket, right through to his own lyrics for the Murder She Wrote Theme tune, he’s amazing.

The idea behind the show is that Tim works with the crowd to solve the murder whilst watching the episode – and as you go, he fills you with amazing facts about the show and its history. I howled with laughter as we reached Jessica’s epiphany moments reel. He’s just the best and most knowledgeable person I’ve ever had the pleasure to see.

If you get a chance, and you’re a fan, Solve-Along-A-Murder-She-Wrote is the best night ever. If you’re not a fan [and people are in the crowd who have never seen the show], get there anyway – you have no idea what you’re missing.