Ovation channel

It’s quiet, Canadian … and sort of eternal

In the transient TV world, “Murdoch Mysteries” (shown here) seems almost eternal.
The show is quiet, clean, Canadian. People rob and kill, but they rarely are impolite or unkempt.
And now it reaches a landmark: Its 300th episode is at 8 p.m. ET Monday (Jan. 20) on the Ovation channel, with earlier ones streaming on Acorn, Amazon, Hulu and more.
Yes, 300. That ‘s seven more than “Blue Bloods” or “Beverly Hills, 90210,” 25 more than “Cheers,” 36 more than “Frasier” or “Murder, She Wrote.” Read more…

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…

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…