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Octavia Spencer Starring in Murder, She Wrote Remake, Taking Over Angela Lansbury’s Role

Octavia Spencer has signed on to play Jessica Fletcher in Murder, She
Octavia Spencer has signed on to play Jessica Fletcher in a remake of Murder, She Wrote -- the role Angela Lansbury made famous in the '80s.

Sixteen years after the original Murder, She Wrote went off the air, NBC has announced that it is reviving the show with Oscar winner Octavia Spencer signed on to reprise the role of Jessica Fletcher, which earned Angela Lansbury a total of 12 Emmy and 10 Golden Globe nominations. 

Deadline reported that the new project will be a hourlong show described as having a "light, contemporary procedural in the vein of Bones or Fargo."

Related: PHOTOS: Octavia Spencer and other best dressed Ocscars stars

Spencer's Jessica Fletcher is a hospital administrator and amateur south who starts looking into the cases she writes about. The original show was on the air for 12 seasons from 1984 to 1996 and aired on CBS.

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This remake will be headed up by former Desperate Housewives executive producer Alexandra Cunningham and Six Feet Under executive producer David Janollari. 

Lansbury has been approached to be a part of the reboot in some way, but no word yet on if she'll agree. 

Related: PHOTOS: How Octavia Spencer spent last Thanksgiving

The 88-year-old actress appeared in Mr. Popper's Penquins in 2011 and has had a series of acclaimed Broadway roles, including her part in 2012's revival of Gore Vidal's The Best Man

Spencer won an Oscar for her role in 2011's The Help, and has since held a series of roles in film and television including her role as Wanda in 2013's critically-acclaimed Fruitvale Station.

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