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Netflix Killing Off ‘Murder, She Wrote,’ ‘Columbo,’ and Other Classic TV Shows January 1

TV shows come and go on Netflix all the time, but when it involves international treasure Angela Lansbury (now 91 years young!) and Murder, She Wrote, we find it newsworthy.

Starting tomorrow, January 1, 2017, all 12 seasons and 239 episodes of the classic show will vanish from the streaming service like a bloody knife in Cabot Cove. The last time MSW left Netflix was in October 2013, but it returned just a few months later.

murder she wrote
Backup plan: complete DVD set for $80 on Amazon. Whew!

In fact, retro TV lovers – especially those who enjoy a good murder mystery – are in for a rude awakening Sunday when shows like Columbo, The Hardy Boys-Nancy Drew Mysteries, and Kolchak: The Night Stalker leave Netflix as well.

We don’t think there were ever any unsolved murders at Bayside High, but you’ll now have to turn to VH1 for your Dustin Diamond fix, as Saved By the Bell is also departing.

saved by the bell
You’ll have to hunt for Zack & the gang on cable now.

While plenty of websites feature stories promising “everything leaving Netflix next month,” it appears those lists are never complete. We’ve discovered there are many more shows than indicated on the “standard” list (see that below) that won’t be available starting January 1. For example, Murder, She Wrote is publicized as leaving, but Kolchak: The Night Stalker is not.

Other “hidden” shows that are leaving include The Incredible Hulk with Bill Bixby, Battlestar Galactica (1978), Galactica (1980), and SeaQuest DSV. It seems many of the departing shows are NBCUniversal properties, leading one to believe a sweeping contract is expiring between the two companies.

Here is the so-called “official” (but again, far from complete) list of what is leaving Netflix on 1/1/17:

• 30 for 30: Winning Time: Reggie Miller vs. The New York Knicks
• 30 for 30: No Crossover: The Trial of Allen Iverson
• 30 for 30: The Day the Series Stopped
• 30 for 30: Jordan Rides the Bus
• 30 for 30: Without Bias
• 30 for 30: Once Brothers
• 30 for 30: Bernie and Ernie
• 30 for 30: Requiem for the Big East
• 30 for 30: The Price of Gold
• Alvin and the Chipmunks Meet Frankenstein
• Alvin and the Chipmunks Meet the Wolfman
• Angry Birds Toons: Season 1
• Bewitched
• Blade 2
• Bring It On
• Bring It On: All or Nothing
• Breakfast at Tiffany’s
• Coming to America
• Columbo: Seasons 1 – Season 7
• Crash
• Cupcake Wars Collection: Collection 2
• Chopped Collection: Collection 2
• Dazed and Confused
• Final Destination 3
• Flip or Flop: Season 1
• Fixer Upper: Season 1 – Season 2
• Ghost Town
• Hairspray
• House Hunters Collection: Collection 3
• House Hunters Collection: Collection 3
• House Hunters International Collection: Collection 3
• House Hunters Renovation Collection: Collection 1
• Jake and the Never Land Pirates: Season 1 – Season 3
• Law & Order: Special Victims Unit: The Thirteenth Year
• Little Black Book
• Little Man
• Maid in Manhattan
• Miracle on 34th Street
• Murder, She Wrote: Season 1 – Season 12
• Nanny McPhee
• Property Brothers: Season 4
• Property Brothers: Season 5
• Saved by the Bell: Seasons 1 – Season 6
• South Park: Bigger, Longer and Uncut
• Stardust
• Superstar
• The Italian Job
• The Painted Veil
• Sixteen Candles
• Saving Private Ryan
• The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift
• The Fast and the Furious
• The Uninvited
• The Amityville Horror
• The Wicker Man
• Vanity Fair
• You Live in What?: Season 3
• Zoom: Academy for Superheroes

Sam Jordan
Sam Jordanhttps://hd-report.com
Sam Jordan is a freelance writer, editor, and comedian.

82 COMMENTS

    • I was so excited because I had just been told I could watch Columbo on demand. I was looking for the schedule & to subscribe. If I had found Columbo, Poirot & those old mystery series I would have been On It!
      Apparently not necessary now. 😫 Maybe another service has it … or will just buy dvds. I knew it was to good to be true.

  1. Columbo,Kolchak,Dragnet,Hawaii Five 0,Rockford Files all gone.What have you got against our generation.My watch list keeps getting shorter.Screw Netflix.

  2. Are you serious, the only reason I like Netflix is for to watch Murder SHE Wrote, and Columbo!!!! How can you just take classic shows off that your customers love to watch, that’s what we’re paying for!!!! Some customer service, our input means nothing!!!!! This is ridiculous!!!!!

  3. Bring back murder she wrote it’s the only reason my wife and I have Netflix I see no reason to keep it now

  4. Please bring back Seasons 1-6 of Poirot and also Murder, She Wrote. My mother was right in the middle of Poirot (she’s 66) and she also loves Murder, She Wrote.

  5. My wife and I still cannot believe Netflix took off three of the best shows on television – Murder She Wrote, Columbo and Poirot. You stink, Netflix!!!

    • Netflix is turning into blockbuster video, if they don’t rent enough, they’re gone, their noir collection is gone, I called to complain and the operator said,”let’s see you mean like…Gone With the Wind?” Ok stupid young people….stupid company. And yes, their productions are sooo predictable and sophomoric.. not quite as good as the second incarnation of Outer Limits. Waste!

  6. Netflix you suck !!!!! Bring back Murder She wrote ! ! Murder she wrote is the only show I like to watch in rerun ! My whole family watches it !!

  7. DOes anyone know what happen to Agatha Christies Poirot Series 1-6, there were dozens of 1 hour episodes I was in the middle of, and one day they just disappeared, what is left is series 7-13 all full length movies….am I doing something wrong that I can’t find the many many episodes that were there last week it seems?…..anyone please help if you know

  8. COLUMBO was the ONLY reason we got Netflix !!!!!
    And almost the only thing we ever watched. Nightly. When I went to my previously watched section I thought I had messed up something, then I wasted a whole lot of time trying to understand what could have happened. Poof. And no mention of it anywhere, i was sleep deprived so I thought I was loosing it for sure. This was and still is EXCEEDINGLY upsetting. Netflix could have at least sent out an email listing the shows they were going to drop!!!!!!! That is the LEAST they could have done. I’m totally disgusted with them… and I never write comments or reviews but this was beyond upsetting! And if there was no choice, at least they could if handled it better with the minimal mass courtesy email I mentioned.

  9. Gahh!! I was still on season 6 of Murder she Wrote. I can see what’s happening here, Netflix is trying to compete with all these other channels by creating their own lousy “Netflix” originals and catering to young people who only want to see gore, sex and tons of violence. Netflix has also become a bastion for horrible grade Z movies.

    Maybe one or 2 originals are good, but the rest are lame or have horrible acting. I’m hoping Amazon Prime or Hulu picks up MSW or Columbo, 2 of the best Detective series ever made.

  10. I got Netflix because of Murder She Wrote… And I love Columbo. Why do they have to get rid of these older shows? Thinking about canceling my membership…. :(

  11. I really enjoyed Columbo… even after watching the series a few times! It was fun to watch ‘old days’ phones and cars, clothes and housing, that I grew up with. The show was clean by today’s standards; I don’t enjoy vulgarity and find no reason to watch it. I am now watching – again – Hercules Poirot (Agatha Christie)for the quality of these ‘old shows’…. Maybe they need a “Netflix Senior” channel for people over 50; there’s a huge market for “us old people” that some company should cater to! If not Netflix, then some other aware company (AARP?)will fill the gap! Nursing homes, senior centers – there is a market waiting for service!

  12. So sad that your company feels that it needs to remove good shows. Nothing like weekends and days off that you get comfortable and watch good series. So much fun to do. I understand that everyone has their preference of show watching, but Murder She Wrote and Columbo, are like family, maybe they should team up to see what the mystery is on why you removed them off the air

  13. I’m a 40 year old woman that loves watching “Murder, She Wrote” The A-Team” “Columbo” and “The Incredible Hulk” ! It brings back memories of my childhood and where I was when these shows aired on primetime. Not everyone cares for Reality tv and I am one of those people. I still watch the Golden Girls on the Hallmark Channel every evening! I’m not committed to keeping Netflix if these shows will not return in the near future.

  14. I’ve decided to dump Netflix and subscribe to Amazon Prime. My husband loves MurderSheWrote, Columbo and Rockford Files. I am so mad! They obviously don’t care about their older subscribers. Maybe they’ll care when we all take our money to Amazon Prime, and they are surpassed by them in subscriptions. Amazon Prime is charging a monthly rate of $8.99 now. They are obviously in competition with Netflix. Not a good move on your part, Netflix, giving how many pissed subscribers to Amazon Prime over a few old shows!

  15. Come on Netflix, why remove Columbo. No warning, I went to watch an episode and found it missing. You leave so much garbage and remove excellent shows. Very unhappy customer.

  16. I agree with all previous views & opinions. When I went to watch my nightly show of Jessica(Angela Lansbury) and discovered Murder She Wrote gone….I almost had a hissy fit. And then to discover they also took Columbo! Really???? I willnrenew my supscription when these shows return. I rarely watch any movies because they arw all crap. Besides these 2 beloved shows, I also watch Criminal Minds, Longmire, and old Steven Segal movies. But MSW & Columbo is my absolute favorites!!

  17. Is there any network that streams Columbo as well as other classic TV shows like the Fugitive and Alfred Hitchcock presents? If so, where can I subscribe?

  18. Is there any network that streams Columbo as well as other classic TV shows like the Fugitive and Alfred Hitchcock presents? If so, where can I subscribe?

  19. I am sad as well, I started searching comparable shows me tv style and came up blank. With columbo, murDer she wrote, rockford files, and no comparisons brought in like matlock, perry mason, ironside or even diagnosis murder… the shows and movies do not have the lulling nature as before. I have been a netflix subscriber since 199? With the disKS and mail drop. I always felt someone had a lot of dvds in a garage and mailed them. You have grown and done smart things…please Continue to listen to those that need a bit of old school in a fast paced world.

  20. NetFlix just paid Jerry Seinfeld to do some stand-up and to be creative. Paying Seinfeld and other celebrities to produce “original” content means that better grade movies and great old TV shows can no longer be afforded.

    I’m canceling NetFlix; it is no longer worth paying for.

  21. Was going to drop cable service & subscribe to Netflix because it had a decent amount of wholesome programming like “Murder, She Wrote” & “Columbo”. Looks like that’s not happening. Netflix even dumped some great old movies. How sad.

  22. I watched columbo every day. I love murder she wrote. Why replace these great shows with garbage? I will cancel if not brought back.

  23. WOW! Really netflix? You have taken off several great shows in the past only to replace them with trash! When I am through writing this I will be canceling you! You guys really do suck! Good luck to all of you here. I too am a Murder She Wrote and a Columbo addict. Such a sad situation. I hope for all other subscribers netflix reconsiders and brings back these two great shows.

  24. They don’t make shows like murder she wrote anymore. I truly enjoy it and I want it back!! I will cancel and purchase the series from amazon if I have to but I want my show back!

  25. Same here. Murder She Wrote, Columbo, and Rosemary And Thyme are just about the only thing I watch on Netflix. I have no interest in 95 % of the movies……so not much reason to keep Netflix.

    • Yes we want Columbia back as well. I am not happy with this decision. I cannot find any shows that I like to watch that really are as fun to watch
      PLEASE reconsider your decision

  26. I agree with so many regarding Columbo, Rosemary&Thyme, and especially Murder She Wrote!! With so much craziness and unrest going on in our world today, ( and on Netflix ), Jessica Fletcher and Cabot Cove were so easy and comforting to watch. Netflix, when removing shows like these, please replace them with comparable shows. Thanks.

  27. Loved becoming hooked again on this series from my childhood…Even had my daughter addicted- only to become extremely shocked and disappointed to see it’s gone!
    I agree with many others- not too many “feel good” shows around any more which makes this so distasteful. Netflix offers nothing comparable.
    With so many obvious fans I find its’ departure appalling.
    Doesn’t Netflix claim to monitor fan streaming? Apparently this is not about what the viewers want anymore – seriously considering cancelling.

  28. Please bring back Murder She Wrote. I was watching it when all of a sudden it cut off. I truly enjoyed the series and I find it hard to find anything else I like on Netflix. Now I’m watching Hulu but not enjoying it. Please bring it back. Maybe you should petition your subscribers before cutting off a show.

  29. Dear Netflix,

    Please bring back MSW!!! It was one of the main reasons I subscribed to Netflix.

    Many people enjoy this show and would like to see Entertainment like this on a daily basis. It is a comforting show that makes you feel good .

    Don’t make me cancel you Netflix!!!!

  30. Murder she Wrote makes for great conversation and is especially needed in these awkward political times. Please bring it back. I watch other things on Netflix (Midsomer Murders) but nothing is better than Murder she Wrote.

  31. Ugh. Netflix, you suck. This is not cool. I need my nightly dose of MSW. I count on it to fall asleep and wake up to on these very early, dark, cold winter days in Maine. I live in mid-coast Maine and I need this show daily to remind me of the summers. Please bring back Murder, She Wrote. It’s what keeps the insanity away.

  32. Bring back “murder she wrote” please Netflix-Angela Lansberry is truely national treasure and we deserve to be able to watch her every night

  33. I’m dumping Netflix. I am suffering from health issues and I am unable to take any meds and suffer from severe anxiety and the only thing that was helping me was being able to count on putting murder she wrote on and falling asleep at night. It is a very comforting attention holding but no gratuitous violence or loud unnecessary volume fluctuations. The sound of her voice alone is such a comfort. I can not watch it with commercials as they wake me up and are always about pharmaceuticals and are disturbing. I do not have a dvd player or tv in my bedroom. I was watching on my computer. This is a NIGHTMARE and I have severe PTSD now as I don’t know what to do to comfort myself. There is nothing else that measures up. Netflix. You suck. Big time

    • Hey been kind of where youre at before. Try watching Agatha Christie’s Poirot and/or Midsomer murders. Both are attention holding but not over the top murder mysteries.
      Hope things improve for you.
      David

  34. Wish Netflix had let customers know a couple of months ahead that they were going to drop It. What other service can I switch to that shows MSW?

  35. I need my MSW back. It is one of my absolute favorites I watched and would go to sleep too and wake up to every day. Please bring it back!!!!!! Jessica Fletcher we need you to solve the mystery of why Netflix took you from us and how we can get you back!!!! Missing Cabot cove right now!

  36. I also was right in middle of an episode on the 31st, and found out on the 1st the program was gone. Please bring back Murder, She Wrote. We need more good, well written and wholesome shows to watch.

  37. I, too was right in the middle, starting season 7. I love watching Jessica most nights before bed. Damn you, Netflix! Get your $&@T together!

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