Murdoch Mysteries

Plot synopsis:
The series takes place in Toronto starting in 1895 and follows Detective William Murdoch (Yannick Bisson) of the Toronto Constabulary, who solves many of his cases using methods of detection that were unusual at the time. These methods include fingerprinting (referred to as "finger marks" in the series), blood testing, surveillance, and trace evidence.
Some episodes feature anachronistic technology whereby Murdoch sometimes uses the existing technology of his time to improvise a crude prototype of a technology that would be more readily recognizable to the show's 21st-century audience. In one episode, for instance, he creates a primitive version of sonar to locate a sunken ship in Lake Ontario. In another, he effectively invents wire-tapping. In still another, a foreign police officer has a photograph that Murdoch needs as evidence, so Murdoch asks the other officer to overlay the photograph with a grid numerically coded for the colour in each square, and to transmit the numerical data to Murdoch via telegraph – with the end result that the foreign officer has essentially sent Murdoch a bitmap image they call a "facsimile" – a telefax.
Detective Murdoch is assisted by the three other main characters: Inspector Brackenreid (Thomas Craig), Doctor Julia Ogden (Hélène Joy), and the inexperienced but eager Constable George Crabtree (Jonny Harris), who aspires to be a mystery-novel writer. Brackenreid, Murdoch's immediate superior, is a blunt and sceptical Yorkshireman with a fondness for whisky, and prefers conventional methods of detection over Murdoch's eccentric methods, though he is typically pleased and proud when Murdoch is successful despite the odds. Crabtree is often unable to grasp the more advanced methods, but his enthusiasm and loyalty make him a good assistant. Like Crabtree, Dr. 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, provide a light subplot. In the fifth season, after Dr. Ogden is married to Dr. Darcy Garland (a colleague she met in Buffalo), a new doctor is introduced, Doctor Emily Grace (Georgina Reilly). She and George Crabtree show some romantic interest in each other.
Real history is an important element in most episodes, and the plots, though fictitious, sometimes involve real people, such as Buffalo Bill Cody, Annie Oakley, H G Wells, Nikola Tesla, Wilfrid Laurier, Jack London, Arthur Conan Doyle, Queen Victoria, Oliver Mowat, Orville and Wilbur Wright, Henry Ford, Sir Winston Churchill, Bat Masterson, Alexander Graham Bell, Emma Goldman, Harry Houdini and Thomas Edison. Future events are often foreshadowed. For example, it is implied that secret British-American government co-operation has produced a highly advanced aircraft similar to an airship, and 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). Characters also refer to actual inventions of the 19th century and extrapolate from them to future inventions such as microwave ovens, night-vision goggles, computers, the games "Cluedo" (marketed as "Clue" in the U.S.) and "Hangman", the toy Silly Putty, and a silencer for small arms.
Another underlying theme of the series involves the fact that Murdoch is a Roman Catholic in what was at the time a predominantly Protestant city, and the prejudices that he occasionally encounters as a result.

Tags: sci-fi

Review:
Having neither read the books nor seen the original television movies, I come to the series with unbiased (if ignorant) eyes.
We, at least, have been captivated by William Murdoch as portrayed by Yannick Bisson, a character who is a genuinely honest, gentle and quiet man of strength facing ethical, moral, professional and legal challenges in each episode.
Murchoch Mysteries is one of 4 particular shows that I watch regularly - and tape so that I do not miss them.There are three main reasons that I like MM.First, it is such a pleasure to watch something that does not have swearing, sex scenes, and gratuitous violence.
Even though there are the odd (bordering on) romantic interludes the story line remains true to the theme of the title and they do not over-shadow the stories.Second, I quite like viewing shows that depict times gone by and it is interesting to see how detectives'/police duties were (supposedly) undertaken in that time.Third, the acting and story telling - as noted in a previous post - equals that of Midsummer Murders, Poirot (another favourite of mine), Judge John Deed (again, another favourite).I like each character who has a distinct role and adds to the show as well as the enjoyment of watching the show.
With each season the character story lines change as in the case of Helen Joy, Yannick Bisson which is excellent leaving us more curious with what will happen next.
Now that the show is in it's fourth year the plot lines are continually changing which goes to prove that Murdoch Mysteries is a true success.
I'm been watching mysteries for many years and never have enjoyed a series more than Murdoch Mysteries.
The unfulfilled love affair between Doctor Ogden and Murdoch is so well written and performed perfectly by Helene Joy and Yannick Bisson.
'Murdoch Mysteries' stars Yannick Bisson as Inspector William Murdoch who solves crimes in 1890's Toronto, is an exceptionally well made and acted series, which makes a nice change from CSI/NCIS etc.
staple of whiz-bang, FX laden crime showsBisson is likable as the handsome Inspector, with English Actor Thomas Craig suitably sceptical and at times dopey as his by-the-book boss and Johnny Craig is good as his rather naive partner and at times hindrance Constable Crabtree.Helene Joy is suitably understated as the resident Doctor/Pathologist.Now in its Third series, currently being shown on UK Cable channel ALIBI, (It surely deserves a wider audience on a Major British Channel)The writing, set design and Photography is exquisite and convincingFans of well made and intelligent Mystery Series will find much enjoyment in Inspector Murdoch's cases..
Each episode has a strong mystery to be solved, sometimes offering an intriguing moral dilemma to both Murdoch and the viewer.
The Murdoch Mysteries is like; The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, with Jeremy Brett meets CSI: Crime Scene Investigation.
Yannic Bisson had made a master piece in establishing 'Murdoch's" character, which in my opinion, takes the best of William Peterson's role as "Gil Grissom" and Jeremy Brett's as "Sherlock Holmes".
The feel of this show gives me the impression that these characters are believable, I actually care about how their relationships' enfold and in the exploration of the early sciences of crime scene investigation, it shows an appreciation for the intelligence of it's viewers.
For example, the episode: "Still Waters", where Murdock uses his "new fangled lie detector", show us a level of sophistication in helping the viewer, me, see how through science and experimentation these early "machines", might have actually looked like.
Their interpretation of the material is different for one very important reason, the movies of the week were based on novels, the series is based on the characters with the exception of one episode which is an adaptation of Let Loose The Dogs.
My feeling is that you should not rush to judgement or make comparisons until you are able to see the entire series of episodes and witness how the characters unfold.
The series is excellent and I would urge viewers to form an opinion after viewing a number of the episodes and see how the actors nuance their characters as well as the different textures that are shown from story to story, episode to episode..
I have been watching Murdoch Mysteries since the first season and it just keeps getting better and better.
There are many reasons why I love this show so much - it has so many great elements in it - humour, drama, mystery, romance....the writing/story lines are so creative and clever.
The ratings and reviews would lead one to believe that "Murdoch Mysteries" was among the finest series on television today.
I have watched several episodes from different seasons, trying to find some redeeming features and have come to the conclusion that either there is an active campaign to artificially boost the ratings of this poor production or this series suggests a backlash against the complex, highly sophisticated, high production value television available elsewhere.
Whatever the reason, "Murdoch Mysteries" is shockingly under par in writing, acting, and production values, especially glaring in this new "golden age" of television.
And if you read Maureen Jennings site you find out that she likes Yannick Bisson as Murdoch in the TV show as well as Peter in the movies.
If you watch the TV show you will fine that it is wonderful show and that Yannick Bisson is a fine actor and does a great job as Murdoch.
I love detective mysteries, and in particular I enjoy ones set in the Victorian era, so I admit with reluctance that Murdoch Mysteries almost makes me want to swear off both era and genre altogether.
The main character is inarguably the smartest, most effective policeman in his station (regardless of how utterly cliché and guessable a great deal of the "mysteries" are), and yet he simply allows himself to be berated by his hot-headed, moronic boss and every other plot-device naysayer the writers can't seem to do without.
OK - you've asked for it - As we are (me and Wifey) coming close to end of finishing the long marathon of GREAT detective shows such as Poirot, Miss Marple, Morse and most recent one Endeavor, I noticed this show recommended somewhere on the net.
On the acting - Jonny Harris plays the role of Constable George Crabtree is one the worse offenders - he's like the kid which do magic tricks and gets applaud from close family, decides that skills set is sufficient to play at big time TV shows.On the storytelling - nothing prepared me to sheer incompetence of story writers - it's full with ancient clichés and holes in the story line.
In agreement with most of the top responders, I find this Toronto-based detective series at the very TOP of my retirement 'Bucket-list viewing.' Most of the accolades have already been spent, but I'll add a few viewer-stars to the creator, cast, crew, directors, editors - and to Chris Robinson, music supervisor - only shy of Superior.
So, watch a few more episodes; delve into the characters of Murdoch, Ogden and Brackenried and then give us your opinion.
But sadly, having arrived at Season 9, I share many of the criticisms.The most troubling aspect of the show is the character of Julia Ogden, portrayed by Helene Joy. She seems written by a teenage girl fantasizing about an empowered Victorian woman.
In one episode - where an African American band leader is murdered - she is literally cracking jokes and smiling from ear to ear when a man has just died!I'm not sure Helene Joy can be blamed for the frustrating character she portrays, as I have seen her interviewed, and she has a lovely personality.
I have just finished watching the first episode of the new TV Series on Maureen Jennings "Murdoch Mysteries".
In December there were a series of TV Movies starring Peter Outerbridge as Detective William Murdoch that appeared (at least to me) far superior that what I saw on the TV series.
Ms. Jennings makes a comment in her website that Peter Outerbridge is the perfect actor to portray Detective Murdoch (and she ought to know).
There are several things I find not right with the series (which in itself is OK and I would probably have liked if I hadn't seen the other versions and/or read the book).1.
The actor in the TV series is definitely to cocky and over confident and abrupt in his dealings with suspects and the people he works with.The last thing I will say is that in the books that although Murdoch is definitely intelligent and intuitive, he knows that he has bosses to answer to and constables under him that he needs to guide and nurture.
Therefore he is neither top man or low man he is somewhere in the middle and he knows his place quite well.Well, I have droned on enough, but I would urge people to definitely see the Peter Outerbridge versions and see how you like his portrayal of Murdoch or better yet read the books!
A prime example is the episode where Mr. Murdoch wants to abandon his faith (Catholicism) because God condemns homosexuality, wherein also the female coroner defends homosexual behavior with dubious "scientific" data often cited today, but certainly not a part of the scientific ethos of that day, and claims that God "made them that way and put those desires in their hearts, hence how can God judge them," another modern contrivance.The writers seem to try hard to include sexual content both by allusion and by graphic violent scenes, regularly including sexual crimes with full detailed descriptions as part of the story.
We like Yannik Bisson far better as detective constable Murdock and the show is very entertaining.
When you get bored with everything else that is currently on television and you need a guaranteed hour of sheer entertainment that can whisk you away to a simpler time when the world was not as chaotic and confusing as it is now than may I suggest getting hooked on the CBC's (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation) television series Murdoch Mysteries which is now entering their ninth season of continued success.This is a very unique crime/mystery series which takes place at the turn of the 20th century in the large bustling city of Toronto Ontario, Canada, which is served by the finest constabularies in the country, that being the Toronto Constabulary.
Thus the series provides some historical significance to many inventions/things we usually take for granted.Detective William Murdoch also is ahead of his time with some of his newly created forensic science approaches to solving crimes, such as his underwater sonar device and his archaic night vision glasses.
Murdoch has a near distant love interest in the city coroner Dr. Julia Ogden played extremely well by Helene Joy. The audience anticipates and is constantly teased that some day maybe they will be together.
Between the two of them they assess the W5 (Who, What, When, Where and Why) of the current episodes latest murder victim(s), serious crime, and/or historical event that actually occurred in documented history and brought to life in this excellent crafted mystery/crime series.Mrs. Shullivan and I have not only watched every single episode of this amazing series but we have also deliberately watched repeated episodes with as much interest if not more than the first time we saw the episodes as we always seem to pick up more interesting tidbits of not only historic events but of the development of the City of Toronto and its urban sprawl during the 20th century.
The success of this excellent series continues into its ninth season with no diminishing return as each episode concludes.
Eleven series and it never lets you down , crime,murder and fun all done with excellent scripts and even better acting ..
Imagine that having good stories, actors, sets, costumes and great writers actually work.
We want to see well-done and engaging shows like Murdoch Mysteries (the Artful Detective here in the States).
Although it had a very amateurish feel to it, I enjoyed the first few seasons of Murdoch Mysteries.
The sombre and at times neurotic feel of the Holmes dramas are absent from this series.Indeed, in spite of the fact that the Murdoch Mysteries is a crime drama, the mood is fundamentally optimistic, capturing the upbeat attitude of the era.
A time of transformative change, driven by rapidly emerging technology.The key character senior detective William Murdoch uses his fascination with technology and talent for invention to devise devices, familiar to us today, to assist him in solving crimes that would otherwise go unsolved.The mysteries presented each week are cleverly designed with enough plot complexity to keep you guessing.
Excellent Historical Mystery Series With Fresh Setting & Characters.
Superbly written, this imaginatively realized series features a wonderful cast of characters and unique stories that are finely acted.
It is very rare that one can say that a television series is very nearly perfect.The Murdoch Mysteries is one such example.
With excellent acting, interesting story lines, strong but not overly preachy social commentary and just enough nonsense and humour to make you laugh, the cast, crew and team that put this together have exceeded all my expectations.Running into its ninth season, I cannot think of an episode I did not like.
I think the acting and casting are good, the introduction of new police techniques and tools is intriguing, the technology of the era is interesting, and the involvement of historic figures adds a nice touch.
I'm enjoying watching the relationship between the doctor and detective evolve.Overall, a very good series and one I would recommend to others..
With over 300 cable channels on Charter, can't seem to find any of these Murdoch Mysteries on any channel.Such a great production from our friends up north, even if the story lines in some episodes leave a bit to be desired, the graphics are amazing.Many websites claim you can watch season five on your computer, but everyone I tried so far is some kind of advertising gimmick.Any help on this would be greatly appreciated and not even expecting to get it for free..
Murdoch mysteries,is an amazing series,that you can watch again and again.
Hopefully someone in the States will see fit to broadcast this on one of the channels in my cable package.Yannick Bisson who has done a few Canadian television series plays the title role of Detective Murdoch.
I settle back and am comfortable and contented.I look forward to hearing William Murdoch say, "What have you, George?" because I know with almost 100% certainty that it will happen, and it will make my heart skip a beat.I started watching Murdoch somewhere in the middle of the series.
For a number of years, they were airing Castle episodes on Saturday night (yeah, I live an exciting life) and then one Saturday it was not Castle, it was Murdoch.I had seen this series referenced as part of readers' lists of good books set in historical periods.
But I did not read any of the novels.As I write this review, the show has been on for ten years -- an achievement in itself.I have been able to go back to episode 1, series 1, and get a feel for the early seasons.
It's interesting to see the main characters development (Detective Murdoch, Constable Crabtree, Inspector Brackenreid and Dr. Ogden), along with the introduction of the multitude of secondary (or recurring?) characters like Meyers -- characters that we will see over and over as the years go by.
In addition, the science is pretty fun: Murdoch is an inventor and you see early versions of inventions like (for example) night-vision goggles.Kudos to Bisson, to be sure, for delivering to us a character that is a decent human being and one who, over the years, has developed and grown into a very good, kind, loyal and dedicated man.The series is not afraid to take on social issues, but it does so in its own fairly non-threatening way.
I suppose that aspect of this show may turn some viewers off, but let's face it -- this series would get pretty boring without it striving to (just like its hero) make the world a better place.I just want to shine a light on Jonny Harris.
I can't help but notice that after ten years these characters are all becoming something like good, old friends to the viewer.Like a few others who have left reviews here, I hope this series continues.
Murdoch talks with doctors and also makes an invention to see clues left with a blue light.We hear all their assumptions and In the end the killer did not give a reason why he killed women and went after them in 8"s so I was kind of disappointed for a good plot but little explanation for the killings..
OH and one more thing, it took me almost 2 seasons to actually get into the show and attached to the characters and there roles, because of how poorly the very first episode was written!!You put detective Murdoch and based him in some strange town, introducing characters that would never been seen again in the show.
If you like historical mysteries, I recommend trying out this series.
I like the acting in this mystery/detective show.
Murdoch is without question, the best Canadian series ever made..
We will be watching this great Canadian series.
and Yannick Bisson had a very different approach to the character of Murdoch; however, I adjusted and enjoyed the tongue in cheek approach the series decided to go off in.
And if you want a sort of definitive episode that captures the spirit of the series I recommend "The Filmed Adventures of Detective William Murdoch" featuring Thomas Alva Edison and the reasons why Canada didn't become the film capital of the world.
Part of the fun in the series is watching the two different ways imagination can go.
Murder is never fun but the series was initially quirky as you were amused at Murdoch's inventive ways to discover who did it.