'Murder, She Wrote' Remake No Longer in the Works: NBC

Plans for a remake of "Murder, She Wrote" on NBC have been scrapped.

The show was supposed to star Octavia Spencer in the title role. NBC said they could revisit the idea of a reboot some point in the future, according to Deadline.

Urgent: Do You Approve Or Disapprove of President Obama's Job Performance? Vote Now in Urgent Poll

Spencer, who won an Oscar for "The Help," was to play a hospital worker and part-time detective, who self-publishes her first mystery novel. When first announced in October, the pilot was described as a "light, contemporary procedural in the vein of 'Bones' or 'Fargo.'" 

The original series aired 264 episodes from 1984 to 1996 and starred Angela Lansbury as a mystery writer who helped solve mysteries in Cabot Cove, Maine.

The 88-year-old actress, who opposed using the "Murder, She Wrote" name for the new series, told BBC News that she was "terribly pleased and relieved" the remake had been canceled.

"I knew it was a terrible mistake," said Lansbury, who collected four Golden Globes and 12 straight Emmy nominations for her portrayal of retired English teacher/mystery solver Jessica Fletcher. "I didn't want to sully the memory."

Editor's Note: Do You Support Obamacare? Vote in Urgent National Poll

Lansbury's disdain for the project had nothing to do with Spencer.

"Octavia Spencer is a superb actress. She had no business being put into a situation that she couldn't win," she said.