Peter S. Fischer, the late-blooming TV writer and producer who co-created Murder, She Wrote after serving on such other crime-solving series as Columbo, Baretta, and Ellery Queen, has passed away at the age of 88. His grandson Jake McElrath announced that Fischer died on Monday at a care facility in Pacific Grove, California. The cause of death has not been disclosed.
Before becoming a prolific novelist, Fischer worked in Hollywood and wrote murder mysteries. He collaborated with Richard Levinson and William Link, the co-creators of Columbo, on the Peter Falk series and the Jim Hutton-starring Ellery Queen. In a 2011 interview, Fischer recalled a meeting with CBS executives in 1984 where they pitched the premise for a murder mystery series called Blacke’s Magic, about a retired magician who solves mysteries. However, CBS was more interested in a murder mystery with a female lead. This led to the creation of Murder, She Wrote, which combined elements of Agatha Christie and Miss Marple into one character, Jessica Fletcher.
After being turned down by Jean Stapleton, Fischer and his colleagues approached Angela Lansbury, who had never done a TV series before. Lansbury had to choose between Murder, She Wrote and another offer from Norman Lear. She ultimately chose Murder, She Wrote and Fischer penned the pilot episode. Throughout his seven-season tenure on the show, he wrote or co-wrote nearly three dozen episodes and served as an executive producer. He received an Edgar Award and three Emmy nominations during his time on the show.
Fischer left Murder, She Wrote after seven years because he didn’t know how to keep finding fresh ideas as a writer. However, the show continued for five more seasons without him.
Born in 1935, Peter Steven Fischer initially studied drama at Johns Hopkins University but later decided to become a writer. He started his career in Hollywood after his younger brother, a casting director at Universal Studios, gave him guidance on scriptwriting. Fischer sold scripts for various TV series before finding success with Columbo. In addition to his work on Murder, She Wrote, he created, produced, and wrote other TV shows such as The Eddie Capra Mysteries and The Law and Harry McGraw.
After retiring from Hollywood, Fischer became a full-time author. He wrote a series of novels under the banner of “Hollywood Murder Mysteries,” featuring a studio press agent named Joe Bernardi. The books revolve around murders in the film industry and include appearances by famous Hollywood stars. Fischer integrated characters such as Alfred Hitchcock, Humphrey Bogart, and James Cagney into the stories, creating an enjoyable experience for readers.
Peter S. Fischer retired from Hollywood in 2002 and spent his final years in Pacific Grove. He is survived by his children and grandchildren.
