Murdoch Mysteries

Stories

Solid, stoic Murdoch discovers slapstick

There are many words we’d associate with the lead character (shown here) in “Murdoch Mysteries.”
They include “steady,” “sturdy,” “solid,” “stoic” and such. They do NOT include “slapstick.”
But here is the season-opener, at 7 p.m. ET (4 p.m. PT) Saturday (Feb. 20) on Ovation, directed by the show’s star, Yannick Bisson. It has versions of Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton and Stan Laurel, plus a big sight gag, complete with a collapsing building. Read more…

By Mike Hughes / February 17, 2021
Stories

Joy to the world: “Murdoch” turns 200

In her nomadic, global life, Helene Joy didn’t expected forever. She was lucky to count on tomorrow.
Then she found the essence of stability – Canadians in general and “Murdoch Mysteries” in particular.
That amiable series (shown here with Joy and Yanick Bisson) has its 200th episode Saturday on cable’s Ovation. The episode is filled with famous names – not the actors, but the characters: Edison and Einstein, Carnegie and Curie and more. Read more…

By Mike Hughes / March 5, 2020
News and Quick Comments

“Five-0” ends, Smothers Brothers (via reruns) return

It’s the circle of life (TV version). Some shows die … some return … some live forever:
1) “Hawaii Five-0” is ending (again). The original version ran for 12 seasons; the reboot is wrapping up after 10. Its two-hour finale will be April 3. There’s no explanation for why it’s leaving now, but CBS has an overload of successful dramas – including “Magnum,” with the same producer and same setting – and “Five-0” is an expensive show. All shows have to end sometime.2)
Or do they? “Murdoch Mysteries” has finished 13 seasons now, with no sign of slowing down. At 7 p.m. ET (4 p.m. PT) Saturday, March 7, it will air its 200th episode. Set in early-20th-century Toronto, the show finds a way to pack that era’s top people – from Einstein and Edsion to Tesla and Curie –into one busy hour.
3) And the best news is that even canceled shows return via reruns. Now one of the all-time best – “The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour” (shown here) – will be on GetTV. Read more…

By Mike Hughes / February 28, 2020
News and Quick Comments

“Murdoch” brings some more good-guy mysteries

During the holidays, our TV tastes might mellow a tad.
We don’t need to probe the darkest recesses of our souls. We might settle for a decent drama about some nice folks.
So it’s logical that a streaming service (www.acorn.tv) is releasing the new “Murdoch Mysteries” season on Christmas Day.
This is nice-guy television. It’s pleasant, precise and likable; in short, it’s Canadian. Read more…

By Mike Hughes / December 21, 2019