*This editorial was written before Hurricane Helene*

For the Cabot Cove-thon, I originally wanted to write an editorial about the Universal Studios Florida attraction, Murder, She Wrote Mystery Theatre. This show having a presence in any theme park, let alone Universal Studios, was an intriguing concept to discuss during my blogathon. But the more I learned about Murder, She Wrote Mystery Theatre from the Youtube channel, Poseidon Entertainment, the more I discovered that once guests consumed the information from Jessica and the actors associated with the Mystery Theatre, they had little reason to return. A behind-the-scenes look at how to create an episode of Murder, She Wrote from the post-production stage is both fascinating and educational. However, with the aforementioned details from Poseidon Entertainment in mind, I wondered how I could improve Murder, She Wrote Mystery Theatre. If Murder, She Wrote were to return to Universal Studios’ theme park, bringing the show back as an event instead of an attraction would give fans and park guests a reason to come back. This is how I created the idea of Universal Orlando Resort hosting a fan event called Murder, She Wrote Weekend! In this editorial, I will explain why Universal Orlando Resort should host Murder, She Wrote Weekend by providing a basic concept of the event’s schedule. My editorial is, simply, proposing an idea, so any decisions related to event creation will be determined by Universal Orlando Resort themselves.

Friday

The beauty of having Universal Orlando Resort host Murder, She Wrote Weekend are the amenities and accommodations at their disposal. One of them are the soon to be ten hotels on their property. Each hotel has its own unique identity, offering their guests a variety of experiences. These unique identities could work in the favor of Murder, She Wrote Weekend, as the chosen hotel could play a role in the event’s theme. Murder, She Wrote has created some episodes related to music. In the season nine episode, “The Sound of Murder”, Jessica witnesses the filming of a rock music video. With the themes of rock n’ roll and music, the Hard Rock Hotel would serve as the perfect venue.

Using the Hard Rock Hotel as this editorial’s example, attendants of Murder, She Wrote Weekend would check in on Friday. At the front desk, hotel information as well as weekend itinerary, badges, and goodie bags will be presented. There will be a large gap in time between check-in and the first official event. This will give attendants an opportunity to rest, explore Universal Orlando Resort, or create a schedule for the weekend. When it’s time for the first official event, attendants will gather in the theater of either Velvet Sessions or Velvet Unplugged for a trivia contest. Trivia will include a variety of topics connected to Murder, She Wrote’s twelve season history. Attendants who win the trivia contest could receive prizes such as a signed script from the show, a shopping spree at the Tribute Store Plaza (if the store was open at the time of Murder, She Wrote Weekend), or an expenses paid trip to Blair House Inn (the house that portrayed Jessica’s home on Murder, She Wrote).

Saturday

The first official day of Murder, She Wrote Weekend will begin with a panel in the morning. This panel could focus on a topic related to the show, the mystery genre, or the event’s theme. According to the synopsis for “The Sound of Murder”, “Jessica records one of her novels for the blind”. So, in this editorial’s example, the panel on Saturday would revolve around the topic of audiobooks. The panel itself would consist of five people: an executive of a publishing firm, an author whose book was transformed into an audiobook, an audiobook’s narrator, the president of an audiobook company, and an employee of a recording studio. This diverse group of people would hold a discussion on what it takes to create an audiobook, exploring this topic from different perspectives. Toward the end of the panel, attendants will receive an opportunity to ask the panelists questions.

Another amenity Universal Orlando Resort has at their disposal are their theme parks. With Universal Studios Florida and Islands of Adventure, a water park known as Volcano Bay, and their Epic Universe on the horizon, Universal Orlando Resort provides guests with a bundle of attractions to make their day action-packed and fun-filled. Attendants of Murder, She Wrote Weekend can take advantage of their time in the parks by participating in a scavenger hunt. Clues related to Murder, She Wrote would be hidden throughout the parks. During this activity, participants will encounter various attractions, giving them a reason to stay in the parks after the scavenger hunt is over. Winners of the scavenger hunt will earn a prize, like a commemorative pin. Murder, She Wrote Weekend attendants also have the option of a Murder, She Wrote themed escape room. Similar to Universal CityWalk’s Universal’s Great Movie Escape, attendants can be transported to the world of Jessica Fletcher as they try to escape locations relevant to the show, such as Jessica’s living room. Winners of the escape room can also earn a commemorative prize like the aforementioned scavenger hunt. To close out Murder, She Wrote Weekend’s first day, a screening of a Murder, She Wrote episode and/or an upcoming movie from the mystery genre will take place at Universal CityWalk’s Universal Cinemark cinema.

Sunday

The schedule for the second and final day of Murder, She Wrote Weekend is similar to Saturday’s schedule, except for two major differences. While Sunday will begin with a panel, this panel, in my editorial’s example, will feature a collection of actors, producers, screenwriters, and directors who worked on Murder, She Wrote. Like the aforementioned panel on Saturday, attendants of Murder, She Wrote Weekend will be able to ask the panelists questions toward the end of the panel. But this time, the attendants will have the chance to take photographs with the panelists in a meet & greet. The second major difference is the event that will conclude Murder, She Wrote Weekend. This event would either be a costume party (where attendants are invited to dress up as characters from Murder, She Wrote, programs from Universal Studios, or from ‘80s and ‘90s productions) or a mystery dinner theatre presentation. If attendants of Murder, She Wrote Weekend already participated in the scavenger hunt and escape room I talked about earlier in this editorial, they will have the opportunity to explore Universal Orlando Resort at their leisure.

As I have already mentioned, Universal Orlando Resort has a bundle of attractions in their parks. At Universal CityWalk, a collection of shops, restaurants, and entertainment options are located under Universal Orlando Resort’s umbrella. These attractions and facilities are another amenity Universal Orlando Resort can use to their advantage, especially if they hosted Murder, She Wrote Weekend. When bringing up ideas for trivia contest prizes, I mentioned the Tribute Store Plaza. This store, which operates during limited times, sells merchandise that represent a specific theme. In the case of Murder, She Wrote Weekend, the store could sell products related to Murder, She Wrote; from Cabot Cove postcards to a typewriter that mirrors Jessica’s. “The Sound of Murder” takes place in New York City. Keeping this editorial’s example in mind, Cold Stone Creamery could create a Murder, She Wrote Weekend exclusive flavor based on New York cheesecake. The Toothsome Chocolate Emporium & Savory Feast Kitchen could also capitalize on Murder, She Wrote Weekend by crafting a blueberry pie flavored milkshake in honor of Jessica Fletcher’s home in Cabot Cove, Maine.

2024 became the year when fan events failed. Two notable examples are the Bluey event in Las Vegas that disappointed families and Glasgow’s unimpressive Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory themed event. But for every fan event that attracts attention for the wrong reasons, there is a desire to see a fan event succeed. With the resources and amenities at their disposal, Universal Orlando Resort has the potential to host a Murder, She Wrote themed event that meets and even exceeds expectations. It also helps how Universal Orlando Resort is familiar with Murder, She Wrote’s IP (intellectual property), as this show has had a presence in Universal Studios Florida. Murder, She Wrote benefits from having a twelve-season lifespan. The abundance of stories, ideas, and famous faces can provide ideas for a Murder, She Wrote themed event. At the beginning of my editorial, I pointed out how bringing the show back as an event instead of an attraction would give fans and park guests a reason to come back to the parks. Hosting a Murder, She Wrote themed event would also create a new tradition and celebrate the legacy of Jessica Fletcher.

Have fun in Cabot Cove!

Sally Silverscreen

Featured references:

Poseidon Entertainment’s video, “A Deep Dive Into Classic Universal Studios Florida (Part 1)

(segment about Murder, She Wrote Mystery Theatre is featured from 28:12 to 31:46)

http://www.blairhouse.com

orlandoinformer.com/blog/the-tribute-store-plaza-universal-studios-florida/

universalorlando.com

IMDB synopsis for “The Sound of Murder” — http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0653664/?ref_=ttep_ep10