Murdoch Mysteries
Encyclopedia
Murdoch Mysteries is a Canadian drama television series that airs on Citytv
, featuring Yannick Bisson
as William Murdoch, a police detective working in Toronto
, Ontario
in the 1890s. The television series is based on the Detective Murdoch series of novels by Maureen Jennings
. The fifth season was announced in May 2011. On September 27, 2011, Rogers Media announced that they would not be continuing the series beyond their current commitment of the fifth season. On November 15, 2011, it was reported that CBC
picked up the show, ordering a sixth season.
, and trace evidence
.
Detective Murdoch is assisted by the three other main characters: Inspector Brackenreid (Thomas Craig
), Doctor Julia Ogden (Hélène Joy
), and his inexperienced but eager partner Constable George Crabtree (Jonny Harris). Brackenreid, his supervisor, is usually skeptical until Murdoch starts getting results. Brackenreid prefers conventional detection methods over Murdoch's eccentric methods, but is usually pleased and proud when Murdoch is successful despite all odds. Crabtree is often unable to grasp the much more advanced methods, but his enthusiasm and loyalty makes him a good partner and assistant. Like Crabtree, Ogden is a great supporter of Murdoch's methods. Her skill in pathology
usually helps by revealing a great deal of useful evidence to aid Murdoch in solving cases. Throughout the series Murdoch's growing infatuation with her, and his inability to express his feelings, provides a light subplot.
The series makes frequent references to contemporaneous real-life events and persons. Plots, though fictitious, sometimes involve real persons, such as Buffalo Bill Cody, Annie Oakley
, H. G. Wells
, Nikola Tesla
, Wilfrid Laurier
, Jack London
, and Queen Victoria and often foreshadow future events. For example, in one episode it is implied that secret British-American government co-operation was producing a highly advanced aircraft similar to the airship, paralleling the 1896-1897 mystery-airship flap
. After the characters were forced to give up pursuit of the scheme, Crabtree and Murdoch allude to the building of a secret government facility in Nevada
and New Mexico
"at Concession 51", an allusion to Area 51
, the nickname for a real, highly secretive military base of the U.S. Air Force
.
They also refer to future inventions such as microwaves, the games Clue
and Hangman
and a silencer for small arms.
in association with Citytv, ITV Studios Global Entertainment
, UKTV
and with the assistance of the Canadian Film or Video Production Tax Credit; the Ontario Film and Television Tax Credit; and the Canadian Television Fund
.
Seasons one and two were filmed at the Toronto Film Studios facility on Eastern Avenue
in Toronto. However, that facility was closed at the end of 2008, forcing the third season to be filmed elsewhere in Toronto, in the area near Kipling Subway to the west of the city.
For seasons one, two and three, filming locations included the Galt district of Cambridge, Ontario
. Sidewalks and driveways were covered in earth and in season one the Dobbie Mansion was used for about a week of indoor filming. Parts of the opening episode of Season three was filmed in Bristol in England.
Shaftesbury Films announced in April 2010 that a fourth season had been ordered by Citytv and Alibi, with production scheduled to begin later that year. In August 2010 Shaftesbury Films announced that production on the fourth season had begun and was scheduled to continue through November 2010 with filming in Toronto and Hamilton
. Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper
filmed a cameo appearance as a constable in the fourth season on October 15, 2010 when he visited the set with his daughter. Season four premiered February 15, 2011 on Alibi in the UK, and in Canada on June 7, 2011 on Citytv
.
Filming of season five began in July 2011 which included a visit to Dawson City in the Yukon. On September 27, 2011 Rogers Media
announced that they were not continuing with Murdoch Mysteries beyond the fifth season. In response to the cancellation of the series Christina Jennings, executive producer and CEO of Shaftesbury Films said:
Murdoch Mysteries was described as a "odd fit" for Citytv's schedule which consists of more contemporary, urban hip, imported programming. Shaftesbury's UK partners in the production of the series, British broadcaster UKTV and the international distributor ITV Studios Global Entertainment, were both interested in additional seasons. Christina Jennings approached Kristine Stewart, executive vice-president of CBC's English services, about continuing the series and she felt that "a home at CBC made absolute sense". Reports of the change of broadcasters and commitment for a sixth season appeared in the evening of November 15 with the press releases being issued on November 16. Production of the sixth season is to being in April 2012 so that it will be ready for CBC in September 2012.
American Public Television
, a broadcast-syndication distributor, acquired the first season of Murdoch Mysteries from ITV Global Entertainment for broadcast syndication to public-television stations throughout the U.S.
In France, the first season premiered on June 14, 2009, on France 3
as Les Enquêtes de Murdoch, starting with the second episode. It aired in a Sunday night timeslot, traditionally the timeslot for U.K. police television-drama series such as Midsomer Murders
or Lewis, whose audience ratings were excellent. Due to comparatively much lower ratings, the series was placed on hiatus
. The series returned in 2010 but was again removed after three weeks. The series returned once more in September 2011, with two episodes of the second season every Sunday night.
In Turkey, Murdoch Mysteries airs on MovieMax Family Channel in Digiturk
.
In Denmark, the first season of Murdoch Mysteries was aired on TV 2 Charlie
, in fall 2009.
In Australia, Murdoch Mysteries airs on 13th Street
, Friday and Saturday, at 7:30pm
In Sweden the first season of Murdoch Mysteries aired on Kanal 9
in summer 2009, season two started on June 20, 2010.
In the Czech Republic, the first three seasons was aired on ČT1
from spring to autumn 2010.
In Singapore, Murdoch Mysteries is on Channel 512 on Universal Channel Asia
.
In Poland, Murdoch Mysteries was aired on Ale Kino!
in January 20, 2008, season four ended on June 12, 2011.
In Hungary, Murdoch Mysteries is on Story4 TV from 2010 on Mondays at 8 pm.
In Italy, Murdoch Mysteries is on Rai 3 and Fox Crime Italy
.
In Portugal, Murdoch Mysteries airs on Fox Crime Portugal
.
In Russia, Murdoch Mysteries was aired on TVC
In Thailand, Murdoch Mysteries was aired on True Series
has released the first two seasons of Murdoch Mysteries on DVD in Region 1 with the third season released on May 3, 2011 on DVD and Blu-ray. ITV Studios Home Entertainment individually released the first two seasons on DVD in Region 2 and then released a box set of the first three seasons. The fourth season was released in Region 2 on May 16, 2011.
Citytv
Citytv is a Canadian English language television system owned and operated by Rogers Communications under its Rogers Broadcasting Ltd. division...
, featuring Yannick Bisson
Yannick Bisson
Yannick Bisson is a Canadian film and television actor.-Career:Born in Montréal, Quebec, Canada, Bisson moved to Toronto as a teenager and there he began acting lessons; he has been acting since the age of 13. His big break was in CBC's critically acclaimed 1984 movie of the week Hockey Night with...
as William Murdoch, a police detective working in Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
in the 1890s. The television series is based on the Detective Murdoch series of novels by Maureen Jennings
Maureen Jennings
Maureen Jennings is a British-born Canadian writer. Born on Eastfield Road in Birmingham, England she spent her formative years there until she emigrated to Canada at the age of seventeen with her mother...
. The fifth season was announced in May 2011. On September 27, 2011, Rogers Media announced that they would not be continuing the series beyond their current commitment of the fifth season. On November 15, 2011, it was reported that CBC
CBC Television
CBC Television is a Canadian television network owned by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, the national public broadcaster.Although the CBC is supported by public funding, the television network supplements this funding with commercial advertising revenue, in contrast to CBC Radio which are...
picked up the show, ordering a sixth season.
Synopsis
The series follows eccentric Detective Murdoch (Yannick Bisson) who solves many of his cases using methods of detection that were unusual at that time. These methods including fingerprinting, human-blood testing, surveillanceSurveillance
Surveillance is the monitoring of the behavior, activities, or other changing information, usually of people. It is sometimes done in a surreptitious manner...
, and trace evidence
Trace evidence
Trace evidence is evidence that occurs when different objects contact one another. Such materials are often transferred by heat induced by contact friction....
.
Detective Murdoch is assisted by the three other main characters: Inspector Brackenreid (Thomas Craig
Thomas Craig (actor)
Thomas Craig, is a British actor best known for his work on such TV series as Where the Heart Is and Tommy Harris in Coronation Street, and also the film The Navigators, directed by Ken Loach in 2001.Craig was originally a plumber before making the move into acting in the 1980s...
), Doctor Julia Ogden (Hélène Joy
Hélène Joy
Hélène Joy is an Australian–Canadian television actress. Her credits include roles in the television series MVP, Durham County, The Secret World of Og, An American in Canada, ReGenesis, Pearlie, and Murdoch Mysteries....
), and his inexperienced but eager partner Constable George Crabtree (Jonny Harris). Brackenreid, his supervisor, is usually skeptical until Murdoch starts getting results. Brackenreid prefers conventional detection methods over Murdoch's eccentric methods, but is usually pleased and proud when Murdoch is successful despite all odds. Crabtree is often unable to grasp the much more advanced methods, but his enthusiasm and loyalty makes him a good partner and assistant. Like Crabtree, Ogden is a great supporter of Murdoch's methods. Her skill in pathology
Pathology
Pathology is the precise study and diagnosis of disease. The word pathology is from Ancient Greek , pathos, "feeling, suffering"; and , -logia, "the study of". Pathologization, to pathologize, refers to the process of defining a condition or behavior as pathological, e.g. pathological gambling....
usually helps by revealing a great deal of useful evidence to aid Murdoch in solving cases. Throughout the series Murdoch's growing infatuation with her, and his inability to express his feelings, provides a light subplot.
The series makes frequent references to contemporaneous real-life events and persons. Plots, though fictitious, sometimes involve real persons, such as Buffalo Bill Cody, Annie Oakley
Annie Oakley
Annie Oakley , born Phoebe Ann Mosey, was an American sharpshooter and exhibition shooter. Oakley's amazing talent and timely rise to fame led to a starring role in Buffalo Bill's Wild West show, which propelled her to become the first American female superstar.Oakley's most famous trick is perhaps...
, H. G. Wells
H. G. Wells
Herbert George Wells was an English author, now best known for his work in the science fiction genre. He was also a prolific writer in many other genres, including contemporary novels, history, politics and social commentary, even writing text books and rules for war games...
, Nikola Tesla
Nikola Tesla
Nikola Tesla was a Serbian-American inventor, mechanical engineer, and electrical engineer...
, Wilfrid Laurier
Wilfrid Laurier
Sir Wilfrid Laurier, GCMG, PC, KC, baptized Henri-Charles-Wilfrid Laurier was the seventh Prime Minister of Canada from 11 July 1896 to 6 October 1911....
, Jack London
Jack London
John Griffith "Jack" London was an American author, journalist, and social activist. He was a pioneer in the then-burgeoning world of commercial magazine fiction and was one of the first fiction writers to obtain worldwide celebrity and a large fortune from his fiction alone...
, and Queen Victoria and often foreshadow future events. For example, in one episode it is implied that secret British-American government co-operation was producing a highly advanced aircraft similar to the airship, paralleling the 1896-1897 mystery-airship flap
Mystery airship
Mystery airships or phantom airships are a class of unidentified flying objects best known from a series of newspaper reports originating in the western United States and spreading east during 1896 and 1897. According to researcher Jerome Clark, airship reports were made worldwide, early as the...
. After the characters were forced to give up pursuit of the scheme, Crabtree and Murdoch allude to the building of a secret government facility in Nevada
Nevada
Nevada is a state in the western, mountain west, and southwestern regions of the United States. With an area of and a population of about 2.7 million, it is the 7th-largest and 35th-most populous state. Over two-thirds of Nevada's people live in the Las Vegas metropolitan area, which contains its...
and New Mexico
New Mexico
New Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth-most sparsely inhabited U.S...
"at Concession 51", an allusion to Area 51
Area 51
Area 51 is a military base, and a remote detachment of Edwards Air Force Base. It is located in the southern portion of Nevada in the western United States, 83 miles north-northwest of downtown Las Vegas. Situated at its center, on the southern shore of Groom Lake, is a large military airfield...
, the nickname for a real, highly secretive military base of the U.S. Air Force
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
.
They also refer to future inventions such as microwaves, the games Clue
Cluedo
Cluedo is a popular murder/mystery-themed deduction board game originally published by Waddingtons in Leeds, England in 1949. It was devised by Anthony E. Pratt, a solicitor's clerk from Birmingham, England. It is now published by the United States game and toy company Hasbro, which acquired its U.S...
and Hangman
Hangman (game)
Hangman is a paper and pencil guessing game for two or more players. One player thinks of a word and the other tries to guess it by suggesting letters.-Overview:...
and a silencer for small arms.
Guest stars
Production
Murdoch Mysteries is produced and developed by Shaftesbury FilmsShaftesbury Films
Shaftesbury Films is a Canadian film and television production company founded by Christina Jennings and is based in Toronto, Ontario. Founded in 1987, Shaftesbury is a leading creator and producer of original content for television and multiple platforms, with programming available in more than...
in association with Citytv, ITV Studios Global Entertainment
ITV Studios
ITV Studios is a television production company owned by the British television network ITV. It not only makes programmes primarily for its parent company, but also for other networks...
, UKTV
UKTV
UKTV is a digital cable and satellite television network, formed through a joint venture between BBC Worldwide, a commercial subsidiary of the British Broadcasting Corporation, and Scripps Networks Interactive, spun off from The E.W Scripps Company in 2008...
and with the assistance of the Canadian Film or Video Production Tax Credit; the Ontario Film and Television Tax Credit; and the Canadian Television Fund
Canadian Television Fund
The Canadian Television Fund supported the production and broadcast of Canadian television programs. On 1 April 2010, the Canadian Television Fund became the Canada Media Fund...
.
Seasons one and two were filmed at the Toronto Film Studios facility on Eastern Avenue
Eastern Avenue (Toronto)
Eastern Avenue is an east-west street in Toronto, Canada. It runs from just east of Parliament Street in the downtown to just west of Coxwell Avenue, near the Beaches neighbourhood. Originally Eastern crossed the Don River at the Old Eastern Avenue Bridge, but that bridge was disconnected in 1964...
in Toronto. However, that facility was closed at the end of 2008, forcing the third season to be filmed elsewhere in Toronto, in the area near Kipling Subway to the west of the city.
For seasons one, two and three, filming locations included the Galt district of Cambridge, Ontario
Cambridge, Ontario
Cambridge is a city located in Southern Ontario at the confluence of the Grand and Speed rivers in the Regional Municipality of Waterloo, Ontario, Canada. It is an amalgamation of the City of Galt, the towns of Preston and Hespeler, and the hamlet of Blair.Galt covers the largest portion of...
. Sidewalks and driveways were covered in earth and in season one the Dobbie Mansion was used for about a week of indoor filming. Parts of the opening episode of Season three was filmed in Bristol in England.
Shaftesbury Films announced in April 2010 that a fourth season had been ordered by Citytv and Alibi, with production scheduled to begin later that year. In August 2010 Shaftesbury Films announced that production on the fourth season had begun and was scheduled to continue through November 2010 with filming in Toronto and Hamilton
Hamilton, Ontario
Hamilton is a port city in the Canadian province of Ontario. Conceived by George Hamilton when he purchased the Durand farm shortly after the War of 1812, Hamilton has become the centre of a densely populated and industrialized region at the west end of Lake Ontario known as the Golden Horseshoe...
. Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper
Stephen Harper
Stephen Joseph Harper is the 22nd and current Prime Minister of Canada and leader of the Conservative Party. Harper became prime minister when his party formed a minority government after the 2006 federal election...
filmed a cameo appearance as a constable in the fourth season on October 15, 2010 when he visited the set with his daughter. Season four premiered February 15, 2011 on Alibi in the UK, and in Canada on June 7, 2011 on Citytv
Citytv
Citytv is a Canadian English language television system owned and operated by Rogers Communications under its Rogers Broadcasting Ltd. division...
.
Filming of season five began in July 2011 which included a visit to Dawson City in the Yukon. On September 27, 2011 Rogers Media
Rogers Media
Rogers Media Inc is a subsidiary of Rogers Communications Inc., which owns Canada's largest publishing company, Rogers Publishing Limited, which has more than 70 consumer and business publications. Rogers Media Inc...
announced that they were not continuing with Murdoch Mysteries beyond the fifth season. In response to the cancellation of the series Christina Jennings, executive producer and CEO of Shaftesbury Films said:
Murdoch Mysteries was described as a "odd fit" for Citytv's schedule which consists of more contemporary, urban hip, imported programming. Shaftesbury's UK partners in the production of the series, British broadcaster UKTV and the international distributor ITV Studios Global Entertainment, were both interested in additional seasons. Christina Jennings approached Kristine Stewart, executive vice-president of CBC's English services, about continuing the series and she felt that "a home at CBC made absolute sense". Reports of the change of broadcasters and commitment for a sixth season appeared in the evening of November 15 with the press releases being issued on November 16. Production of the sixth season is to being in April 2012 so that it will be ready for CBC in September 2012.
International airings
The series airs in the United Kingdom on Alibi (formerly known as UKTV Drama).American Public Television
American Public Television
American Public Television is the largest syndicator of programming for public television stations in the United States.-History:...
, a broadcast-syndication distributor, acquired the first season of Murdoch Mysteries from ITV Global Entertainment for broadcast syndication to public-television stations throughout the U.S.
In France, the first season premiered on June 14, 2009, on France 3
France 3
France 3 is the second largest French public television channel and part of the France Télévisions group, which also includes France 2, France 4, France 5, and France Ô....
as Les Enquêtes de Murdoch, starting with the second episode. It aired in a Sunday night timeslot, traditionally the timeslot for U.K. police television-drama series such as Midsomer Murders
Midsomer Murders
Midsomer Murders is a British television detective drama that has aired on ITV since 1997. The show is based on the books by Caroline Graham, as originally adapted by Anthony Horowitz. The lead character is DCI Tom Barnaby who works for Causton CID. When Nettles left the show in 2011 he was...
or Lewis, whose audience ratings were excellent. Due to comparatively much lower ratings, the series was placed on hiatus
Hiatus (television)
In television scheduling, a hiatus refers to a break of at least several weeks in the normal schedule of a broadcast programming. It can occur during a season of a television program, or can be between television seasons .- Planned hiatus :Many times television stations will implement a hiatus...
. The series returned in 2010 but was again removed after three weeks. The series returned once more in September 2011, with two episodes of the second season every Sunday night.
In Turkey, Murdoch Mysteries airs on MovieMax Family Channel in Digiturk
Digiturk
Digiturk is a Turkish Satellite television provider, founded in 1999, with services starting in mid-2000. They offer, both national cable TV channels and their own channels, national radio, and music streams of different genres. Digiturk is also the current owner of the broadcasting rights of...
.
In Denmark, the first season of Murdoch Mysteries was aired on TV 2 Charlie
TV 2 Charlie
TV 2 Charlie is a Danish television channel owned by TV 2. It was launched on 1 October 2004. The channel is primarily aimed at audiences over 50. It broadcasts from 13:00 in the afternoon to 01:00 in the night, and is available by cable and satellite only...
, in fall 2009.
In Australia, Murdoch Mysteries airs on 13th Street
13th Street
13th Street Universal is a television channel specialising in action and suspense shows and movies. It is owned by NBCUniversal and was launched in France on November 13, 1997 and in Germany on May 1, 1998...
, Friday and Saturday, at 7:30pm
In Sweden the first season of Murdoch Mysteries aired on Kanal 9
Kanal 9
Kanal 9 is a commercial television channel owned by ProSiebenSat.1 Media AG broadcasting to Sweden. It targets the 30-59 age group, which is a slightly older age group than the sister channel Kanal 5. The channel launched on 25 February 2007. Its opening night featured the 79th Academy Awards...
in summer 2009, season two started on June 20, 2010.
In the Czech Republic, the first three seasons was aired on ČT1
CT1
CT1 stands for Cordless telephone generation 1 and is an analog cordless telephone standard that was standardized by the European Conference of Postal and Telecommunications Administrations in 1984 and deployed in eleven European countries...
from spring to autumn 2010.
In Singapore, Murdoch Mysteries is on Channel 512 on Universal Channel Asia
Universal Channel (Asia)
Universal Channel is a television channel specializing in movies and television series in the thriller, drama, comedy, crime and investigation genres. It is owned by NBC Universal Global Networks...
.
In Poland, Murdoch Mysteries was aired on Ale Kino!
Ale Kino! (television)
Ale Kino! is a Polish television channel owned and operated by Canal+. It is available on the networks of cable television and the digital platform Cyfra + since April 16, 1999....
in January 20, 2008, season four ended on June 12, 2011.
In Hungary, Murdoch Mysteries is on Story4 TV from 2010 on Mondays at 8 pm.
In Italy, Murdoch Mysteries is on Rai 3 and Fox Crime Italy
Fox Crime (Italy)
Fox Crime is a television channel in Italy owned by Fox International Channels Italy, dedicated to crime series. It is one of the most popular pay television channels in Italy, and was the most viewed pay channel in 2008 and in the first quarter of 2011....
.
In Portugal, Murdoch Mysteries airs on Fox Crime Portugal
Fox Crime
Fox Crime is a television network, launched by the Fox International Channels, which airs across several countries of Europe and Asia, such as Italy, Spain, Portugal, Slovenia and Bulgaria...
.
In Russia, Murdoch Mysteries was aired on TVC
TV Center
TV Center is a state-run Russia TV station with the fourth largest coverage area in Russia, after Channel One, Rossiya and NTV. It is owned by the administration of the city of Moscow and is dedicated to programming that highlights various aspects of Moscow life.The channel is broadcast in the...
In Thailand, Murdoch Mysteries was aired on True Series
True Series
True Series is a Thai television channel owned and produced by TrueVisions. It features series, lifestyle programs and reality shows from around the world. Most of the shows air in their original English language audio with subtitles in Thai but there are also some dubbed shows...
Home video releases
Acorn MediaAcorn Media UK
Acorn Media UK is a DVD publisher which distributes and sells home video products with a particular focus on British television.- Company history :The company was founded in 1997 when Lesley Fromant set up a branch of parent company Acorn Media in the UK....
has released the first two seasons of Murdoch Mysteries on DVD in Region 1 with the third season released on May 3, 2011 on DVD and Blu-ray. ITV Studios Home Entertainment individually released the first two seasons on DVD in Region 2 and then released a box set of the first three seasons. The fourth season was released in Region 2 on May 16, 2011.
DVD
| Title | Region 1 | Region 2 | Region 4 | Extras | Discs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Murdoch Mysteries — Season One | June 16, 2009 | February 9, 2009 | June 26, 2009 |
|
4 |
| Murdoch Mysteries — Season Two | May 4, 2010 | February 15, 2010 | February 10, 2010 |
|
4 |
| Murdoch Mysteries — Season Three | May 3, 2011 | February 9, 2011 |
|
4 | |
| Murdoch Mysteries — Complete Series 1-3 | August 14, 2010 | 12 | |||
| Murdoch Mysteries — Season Four | May 16, 2011 |
Blu Ray
| Title | Region A | Region B | Extras | Discs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Murdoch Mysteries — Season One | ||||
| Murdoch Mysteries — Season Two | ||||
| Murdoch Mysteries — Season Three | May 3, 2011 |
|
3 | |
| Murdoch Mysteries — Season Four |
External links
- murdochmysteries.com, official website (requires Adobe FlashAdobe FlashAdobe Flash is a multimedia platform used to add animation, video, and interactivity to web pages. Flash is frequently used for advertisements, games and flash animations for broadcast...
) - citytv.com/murdochmysteries Murdoch Mysteries module at CitytvCitytvCitytv is a Canadian English language television system owned and operated by Rogers Communications under its Rogers Broadcasting Ltd. division...
's website - Murdoch Mysteries on Alibi