Murdoch Mysteries (overview)

Murdoch Mysteries or The Artful Detective (USA) is a Canadian detective drama television series set in Toronto in the 1890s and, starting in season six, in the 1900s, based on Maureen Jennings’ popular Detective Murdoch series of novels that premiered January 2008 in Canada.

One of Canada's most successful and longest-running dramas, Murdoch Mysteries (13 seasons; 204 one-hour episodes) has become a staple for CBC and broadcasters around the world with its winning formula that brings together compelling mysteries, unique slices of turn-of-the-century history, ingenious inventions and personal moments for each of the four main characters. The series is licensed to broadcasters in 110 countries and territories including the U.S. (Ovation), U.K., France, Finland, India and China, and continues to thrive at home, boasting an average audience of 1.4 million each week in Canada in Season 9 and for Season 10 to date. Season 12 premiered September 24, 2018 on CBC.

Murdoch Mysteries' successful style and charm is in part due to its unique tropes: the ahead-of-his-time-homemade-crime-solving gadgets made by Detective Murdoch; tongue-in-cheek current cultural references; cameos by public figures; historical figures as characters; fanciful flights of imagination; and allusions to classic literature, theatre, art, television and films.

Summary

This acclaimed mystery series follows Detective William Murdoch from the late 1890s Toronto to the early 20th century as he investigates the city’s most challenging cases and encounters the famous figures of his day. A methodical and dashing detective with a knack for inventing new crime-solving technologies, Murdoch receives valuable assistance from beautiful pathologist Dr. Julia Ogden, eager Constable George Crabtree, and his no-nonsense boss, Inspector Thomas Brackenreid.

A man of scientific progress as well as devout Roman Catholic, Murdoch approaches mysteries with new, state-of-the-art techniques as fingerprinting, blood-testing, and trace evidence, collaborating closely with Dr. Julia Ogden (wife ep.804) and side-kick Constable Crabtree. Working under the skeptical Inspector Brackenreid, an old-school copper who respects his lead investigator's results but has little patience for his complex methods, Murdoch often encounters new fangled technology that, in time, will pave the way for such 20th-century staples as radio, television and the electronic grid. At the same time, the faith element in Murdoch's view of the world allows him to be something more than a complete rationalist to solve some of the city's most gruesome murders.

With 25 Gemini® nominations to its credit, this sharp, sophisticated drama delves into the fascinating roots of modern criminology with sly wit and endearing characters. Combining the period appeal of Sherlock Holmes with the forensic fascination of C.S.I., this slick, stylish series has won fiercely loyal fans in Canada, the UK and, now, around the world.

Murdoch Mysteries received a 2017 Alliance of Canadian Cinema, Television and Radio Artists (ACTRA) nomination for the Series Ensemble Award and won the Golden Screen Award for Best TV Drama.

The series is produced by Shaftesbury, in association with CBC, ITV Studios Global Entertainment and UKTV. Murdoch is executive produced by Christina Jennings, Scott Garvie, Yannick Bisson and showrunner Peter Mitchell. Producers on the series are Stephen Montgomery and Julie Lacey (June 2016).

Trivia

>253 murders solved and counting...
220 times, at least, that Inspector Brackenreid has said “...bloody hell!”
4 Homburg-style hats kept on the set at all times for Detective Murdoch’s costume.
100 guest stars, and counting, who’ve appeared on the show — including Megan Follows, William Shatner, Ed Asner, Victor Garber, opera singer Measha Brueggergosman, and former prime minister Stephen Harper.
Over 110,000 followers of the series and its cast and crew on Twitter. Bisson alone has around >23,700.
10,000 production jobs generated by the show in Ontario, including actors, writers, directors, producers, crew and technical services.
Production crew has set up shop in locations including Toronto, Hamilton, the Vancouver area, Drumheller, Alta., and Bristol, England.
Winner of the Golden Screen Award at the 2017 Canadian Screen Awards for the most-watched Canadian drama/comedy.
Murdoch Mysteries has garnered 25 Gemini Award nominations,19 Canadian Screen Award nominations and 12 Directors Guild of Canada nominations. Because of its impact domestically and Internationally, attracting millions of viewers in more than 100 countries, Murdoch Mysteries was named one of the 50 most influential television shows by the Swiss research company The Wit.[*]