Customer Reviews

Murdoch Mysteries, Season One

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(10)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

Three television adaptions of Maureen Jennings' Victorian William Murdoch novels were so successful, the broadcaster (CITY television in Canada, UKTV in Britain and Granada International) commissioned a full fledged 13 episode series. 14 Gemini award nominations for season one led to the series being renewed for season two.
This collection of episodes from season one has some stellar performances. Thomas Craig as Inspector Brackenreid, Helene Joy (Gemini award winning actress) as Dr Ogden, Jonny Harris as Constable Crabtree, and Yannick Bisson as the handsome and dapper Detective Murdoch, will provide hours of great entertainment and suspense.
Standout episodes in season one include an adaptation of the novel Let Loose the Dogs, Elementary My Dear Murdoch (which features Arthur Conan Doyle), The Glass Ceiling, The Annoying Red Planet, and the touching Child's Play. Highly recommended.

Poor William Murdoch. Will he ever get a fair shake in the casting department? He's a police detective in a number of turn-of the-century mysteries set in gas-lit Toronto written by Maureen Jennings. They are good books, well written, detailed and intricate, and Murdoch is a fine protagonist. He's reasonably well educated, worked rough before he became a policeman and is a Catholic in a very Protestant town which has a largely Protestant police force. Murdoch is convinced that beating a confession out of a suspect -- the usual way of solving a crime -- is not as effective as using deduction and the new scientific methods that are being talked about. He's thoughtful, sincere and shrewd. He's not the most popular copper at his station, but he grudgingly earns the respect of his superior and most of his colleagues.

The Murdoch Mysteries is the second attempt by Canadian producers to bring Murdoch to television. The first consisted of three 90-minute programs based on three of Jennings' books. Murdoch's impostor didn't look much like Jennings' description but he was a skilled actor. It all started well but quickly drifted down into melodrama, with Murdoch in the third program involved with a loving street prostitute. With that highly unlikely development, not in the books, the axe came down on the show.

Murdoch Mysteries showed up a couple of years later. It's a conventional television approach with thirteen one-hour mysteries in a season, with two seasons finished and production started on the third. My impression is that the television producers and writers are caught between trying to bring Murdoch and his times to life and having a hit in the ratings. The series, considering that no one in their right mind on this side of the Atlantic is about to spend the kind of budget the BBC used to on production values for a series, looks good enough to be satisfying. The pressure of cranking out 13 mysteries a year is evident in stories that don't leave much time for character development or in plotting mysteries that are complex and don't cheat. The squalor and social injustice Maureen Jennings writes about are largely missing. The writers try for humor by frequently having Murdoch, who loves to apply science to solve crimes, make innocently ironic comments about how such and such an advance - the auto, ballistics, alternating current - might or might not be good for future generations. It's a bit of shtick that wears thin.

The weakness, for me, once more lies in the casting of Murdoch. Yannick Bisson is an extremely handsome actor who got his start doing television commercials and then moved into acting. He's 40 but looks younger, with eyes that probably make his lady fans swoon. His eyebrows sometimes have a life of their own. He's not a big man and he has a somewhat light voice. He can play serious but there's not a great deal of gravitas about him. Don't get me wrong; he's not a bad actor. But Murdoch requires a fine actor who can combine thoughtfulness, curiosity, some quiet humor and authority. He's also a man who can handle himself well in a brawl. Bisson, whose career has mainly been in television, reminds me of all those interchangeable and handsome Hollywood television actors who luck out in popular series. He's better than they are, but he doesn't carry much actorly weight.

If you like historical mysteries, I recommend trying out this series. It's nowhere near as gripping and detailed as, say, Holmes and Poirot. It doesn't have the character development and cleverness of Marple. The programs are a pleasant way to spend an hour at home. By all means, however, get the books and really delve into the crimes and squalor of William Murdoch's world of murder and injustice.

The season one and season two sets contain 13 episodes on four discs in each set.

Set in 1890's Canada, Murdoch Mysteries Season One is a four-DVD thinpack set collecting the first thirteen episodes of this popular mystery series following Detective William Murdoch (played by Yannick Bisson), a sleuth whose genius leads him to discover and use modern techniques such as "finger marks" to catch criminals. His antagonistic boss (Thomas Craig) derides his methods at every turn, but he has willing allies in a beautiful pathologist (Gemini-winner Helene Joy) and an intrepidly inquisitive constable (Johnny Harris). Famous brilliant minds of the era also make appearances, such as Nikola Tesla, Arthur Conan Doyle, and Prince Alfred. Based on the hero of the enjoyable and widely beloved Murdoch novels, Murdoch Mysteries Season One is an excellent adventure sure to please mystery fans, and is especially notable for winning two Geminis and being nominated for twelve more. Special features include episode commentary by stars Yannick Bisson and Jonny Harris, production designer Sandra Kybartas, and executive feature Cal Coons; interviews with the author and cast; a photographic gallery; cast filmographies; and brief cast biographies. 598 minutes, 16:9 widescreen, subtitles.

By chance I purchase the Murdoch Movies..and found them interesting and enjoyble...CSI in 1890 Victorian years....
Was surprised to learned that this had been made into a series...with a new cast of actors...with my interest peeked...I purchased the set...what a pleasant surprise...all episodes interesting and enteraining....My favorite episodes were with Murdoch and Arthur Conan Doyle..playing off on each other...Also, enjoy the sparks from Murdoch and the good doctor...(not many woman doctors back then or in the field.)
Have read there is a season 2..Will be waiting impatiently for that season to be release....since this program in not found on USA channels..

Based in 1890s Toronto, Ontario, Canada, the 13 episodes of the critically-acclaimed first season of this Victorian-era mystery series - with bonus features - clocks in at nearly 600 minutes.

The episodes chronicle the exploits of inventive Detective William Murdoch (portrayed by Yannick Bisson) and his unique vision to think outside the box while solving crime in the nick of time. To give special flavor to the era, historical figures like Prince Alfred and Arthur Conan Doyle make appearances, but the costumes and settings bolster the sweet story lines and solid acting.

The bonus features are the typical kind - episode commentary, interviews, photo gallery - though the angle provided by production designer Sandra Kybartas is very interesting. Do not be surprised if the hours fly by as the sleuthing heats up as Murdoch and his colleagues play their old school version of "beat the clock."

Judging by past reviews, it seems I may be in the minority. I have watched all 3 original Murdoch Mystery movies and I was somewhat dissappointed. The stories are a bit too bizarre. And although Outerbridge has very nice blue eyes, there is something lacking in his character. Upon watching the first 5 minutes of the "series" 1, episode 1, I instantly senced an improvement. I should wait further comment until completing the series 1 and 2 I have ordered. Incidentally, I have in the past reserched the life of Nicola Tesla and I can tell you it is quite a story of one of the most unique and profound individuals who ever lived.

Murdoch (Yannick Bisson) has a face like George Clooney & bikes around Toronto looking like a Wright Brother.
MURDOCH MYSTERIES is now among my favorite TV mystery series.
The opening set, props, & costumes, including Murdoch arriving on his 2-wheel safety bicycle, immediately transforms the viewer to Victorian days of Toronto. Filmed in Toronto & Hamilton, Canada.

Murdoch seems to have the fortune to be on hand when technological advancements are made, or scientific discoveries are born. With a bit of tongue-in-cheek, these astonishing breakthroughs assist Murdoch's investigations.

Waiting for the next bit of gadgetry is as exciting as watching Murdoch and Toronto's 4th police station solve crimes. These murders carry with them the occasional scenes that cause mirth, smiles, and laughs. Many of today's routine crime investigation techniques were originated, or at least often used, by Murdoch. Such as fingermarks, time line analysis, ballistics, lie detection, etc.

13 46-minute Episode details:
1 POWER Miss Toronto Elec. & Light gets electrically struck down. Who? Why?
2 GLASS CEILING A trunk delivered to Station #4 contains a body. Will the inspector be next?
3 KNOCKDOWN A black boxer is shot. Murdoch must clear the wife & find the true killer.
4 ELEMENTARY, MY DEAR MURDOCH A medium tells Murdoch where a body is buried. Sherlock Holmes creator, Doyle, assists this search.
5 TIL DEATH DO US PART Wedding day death in the church office. Inheritance? The intended bride? Murdoch reveals much.
6 LET LOOSE THE DOGS Pub argument precedes a death. Murdoch's drinking dad? What's the truth about Murdoch's mom?
7 BODY DOUBLE A theater stage catches a body dropping from the ceiling. Not part of Macbeth. Facial reconstruction helps as did finding the hidden......
8 STILL WATERS Just prior to Olympic Trials a rower is dead. Coach & rower who was replaced are suspect, but they're just the beginning. A funny lie detector scene with Murdoch attached.
9 BELLY SPEAKER Murder by varnish drinking. Who dun it? The belly speaker, ventriloquist, or the dummy? The story takes a twist, after a twist, after a twist. A stellar episode.
10 CHILD'S PLAY Industrialist murder, a supporter of homes for orphans.
11 BAD MEDICINE This killer is robed, hooded, and shoots crossbow. Robin of the Hood? A medium sees all, including Murdoch's future death.
12 THE PRINCE & THE REBEL Grandson Prince Alfred (Queen Victoria's) gets Murdoch and Crabtree as guards. A dead girl, a tattoo, and suddenly the Irish Republican Brotherhood are suspect. Is the Prince in danger?
13 THE ANNOYING RED PLANET A suspect suicide hanging in a tree with no footprints below. How? Crabtree suspects Martians. Who or what was the killer?

One of the best. Suspenseful yet light at moments. Fun viewing.
SUBTITLES INCLUDED. Also bonus stuff about author, cast, bios, & other films.

I'm VERY GLAD I got this set.

I'm going to call "Murdoch Mysteries Season One" a British mystery, although it's set in Canada and uses Canadian actors, because it appears to have been jointly produced by ITV Global Entertainment, and Granada International, two companies surely at least artistically headquartered in Great Britain. The stylish, contemporary television series, a costumed historical police procedural, is set in the Toronto of the 1890's, and features "cutting edge Victorian science." The boxed set at hand consists of four DVD's comprising 13 episodes, approximately 598 minutes, of the series that debuted in Canada in January, 2008. And, all praises to Acorn Media, subtitles, in addition to the usual extra features, interviews and such. It is now available to U.S. audiences for the first time.

"Murdoch" is based on characters from the detective novels of Maureen Jennings: the first published, in 1997, Except the Dying; to be followed by six more in the series. Jennings is creative consultant on the TV series that aims to give us a look at the dawn of forensic sleuthing. It was nominated for 14 Geminis in 2008, including Best Dramatic Series, Best Achievement in Casting, and Best Writing.

It centers on Detective William Murdoch (Yannick Bisson,Sue Thomas: F.B.Eye (2002 TVseries)), who adopts modern forensic techniques such as "finger marks," and blood spatter analyses, and an early lie detector. His skeptical, old-school boss Inspector Brackenreid (Thomas Craig,Where the Heart Is); gung-ho protégé Constable George Crabtree (Jonny Harris, "Hatching, Matching & Dispatching"); and comely pathologist Dr. Julia Ogden (Helene Joy, "Durham County") aid and abet his efforts. Most of the plots are ingenious, quick-moving, and reasonably original/complex for their length; some do generate emotional power. Some ingenuity has also been invested in bringing a few celebrities of the age to Toronto: famed British mystery author Arthur Conan Doyle; Nikola Tesla, who helped invent electricity and a bunch of other modern gizmos, too; and Price Alfred, son of England's awesome Queen Victoria. The series is nicely filmed, and its makers haven't stinted on its budget, plenty of people and vehicles in the street and the station.

The episodes are: (1) Power; (2) The Glass Ceiling; (3) The Knockdown; (4) Elementary, My Dear Murdoch; (5) Till Death Do Us Part; (6) Let Loose the Dogs; (7) Body Double; (8) Still Waters; (9) Belly Speaker; (10) Child's Play; (11) Bad Medicine; (12) The Rebel and The Prince;(13) The Annoying Red Planet.

Unfortunately, aside from Craig as Inspector Brackenreid, the actors don't look or sound Victorian, and Bisson, who plays the title character, is handsome enough, but rather wooden. There are also some anomalies. In one episode, we see, in an upper crust home, a print of a world-famous Picasso over the fireplace, in the spot where the household's best picture is generally hung. Picasso, however, was born in 1881 and had painted neither this famed "rose period" portrait, nor anything else, by the 1890's. Nor did the bourgeoisie even start buying his work before the late 1920's. Furthermore, surely in the 1890's, and even now, a house-proud woman of any means does not hang a reproduction in the living room, let alone over the fireplace.

Never mind: the Toronto "Globe and Mail" has called this series "smart, fast-paced fun." That it is.

Murdoch mystries Season one is not enough we need season two. One of the best I have ever viewed.

While the movies were better than the series; this series is alot of fun and is worth watching. The plots are logical and not dumb as some have stated. I enjoyed every minute of this show and I am glad to see it come back for a second season. The historical guest 'stars" like Tesla and Sir Arthur conan Doyle make for even more fun. It's great to see a show this well produced and featuring a long ago time period that may have some historical inaccuracies but not overly so. We need more period dramas out there and it's a great thing to see a very good one on television being produced somewhere and in english. So I would say that any fan of dectective series that take place in the past should enjoy this show. It's fun to just sit back and take in the atmosphere. I don't think the leads acting is terrible either , he comes off as brainy and restrained and that fits the character. So this show is worth adding to your mystery collection if you are a fan of period mysteries.