The series starts off around 1895 in Toronto Canada. William Murdoch is a detective that mainly uses science and charts in order to solve the mystery. The show is admittedly anachronistic. There's sort of a fantasy vibe to it, tho the show doesn't actually go there. I like to think of it as an alternative reality. It's lighthearted for the most part, tho it does delve into some dark and serious things. There's a really good balance. Bravo to the writers.
The strength of the show isn't actually "the whodunnit" part, but the main characters and their interactions with their quirky personalities. Murdoch is a nerd, introverted, religious, and on the straight and narrow, yet funny in a variety of situations due to his persona. Inspector Brackenreid is grouchy, charming, and cultured(he loves the opera and theater). He can be blunt most of the time, yet sweetly compassionate other times. George is sweet, charming, and funny. He sometimes thinks vampires, werewolves, or some other supernatural thing is involved. He's hilarious. But tho he gets carried away by flights of fancy sometimes, he's actually really smart and capable, and not written as a dumb sidekick to Murdoch.
Julia is the most forward-thinking character on the show. All the main characters are too, to some extent. She's a total geek with a bit of an oddball sense of humor. I love the way she kind of laughs off to the side at something funny. Mirroring how the audience might be laughing at that moment. She gives William her opinion about things, which he encourages and in fact asks of her, and he takes them seriously and truly listens. He respects her. They make a great pairing. These four characters(actors) are the strength in the show. Their interactions with each other(and others) make the show a delight to watch. You care about them. They give the show heart.
There are many other great characters that recur a lot and/ or become series regulars later, such as Higgins, Emily, Miss James, Terrence Myers, Watts, James Pendrick, and many more.
William is a devout catholic. For anyone thinking Murdoch will be unlikable because of this, think again. He is open-minded and is a very empathetic character. He questions his own faith at times, which leads to some good storytelling as a conflicted character. A good example of this is 'Til Death Do Us Part 'in season one.
There's a lot of humor on the show. George often sees great potential ideas for the future that he's right about, but Murdoch always downplays it. It's hilarious. Some winks to the audience include email, Twitter, TV, The Internet, reality cooking show competitions. There are so many more. Too many to mention.
As I said before, all the main characters are very forward in their ideology to some extent. Again the show is anachronistic. I don't think anyone in today's audience wants to watch a show where the four main white characters are a bunch of racists and bigots. I mean back then those attitudes would have been regarded as normal. But not today. Well, maybe a tiny few do want to see those attitudes, as I see sometimes in the reviews. But that's more telling of bigotry that exist inside some people than it is about the show. The show is not historically correct and is mainly in the light-hearted spectrum. That's why I think of it as an alternative reality, which to me, gives off a bit of a fantasy vibe.
Speaking of the four main white characters, the show does have series regular black characters, later on, Miss James, and Violet Hart. They also have a lot of diverse guest stars and gay characters throughout the entire series. Tho the show is mainly on the light-hearted side, it does delve into darker themes, and there are many episodes that I feel are making a statement about society. They do a great job of this. It's not preachy, yet gets it points through.
I said many times that the show is anachronistic, but a lot actual correct historical events are used in stories such as the "Great Toronto Fire" or the assassination of President McKinley, and a number of actual historical figures in the right time period, such as Edison and Alexander Graham Bell. Too many to mention, but there are a lot and especially of Canadian events and Canadian historical figures.
I feel like this show is underrated and doesn't get enough credit for being a great series with talented actors, writers, and directors. Especially for being very Canadian in content. It's one of the highest-rated Canadian shows in Canada and is going on its 14th season. Yet when I look at its awards and nominations, it seems rather abysmal. Especially when comparing to another Canadian show, Schitt's Creek. Fewer seasons, more noms and wins. I love this show too, but you can't even tell this show takes place in Canada. You can't even tell if any of the characters are Canadian as it's never mentioned where anyone is actually from. In fact, I guess they were dodgy about it due to its international popularity. It makes me feel like they thought Canada wasn't good enough. Almost like they're pretending it could be American. I suppose that helps sells it better to American buyers, but it turns me off. I can't help but think the "trendy train" which a lot of people got on, played a huge part in that show's popularity and award nods. Again, I love that show too, but the disparity in praise and lack thereof for MM is very blatant. Perhaps this comparison isn't fair, but these are the two main Canadian shows I've watched in the last few years. I'm glad Schitt's Creek has done so well, I just wish Murdoch Mysteries, which was there before, and will be there after, wasn't so ignored.
Thankfully Murdoch Mysteries keeps churning out quality material despite not getting proper recognition. The audience knows this is a diamond in the rough. I feel like I can write an entire book on my thoughts about the series, so forgive me my rather long review. It is after all 13 seasons and counting. 10/10
The strength of the show isn't actually "the whodunnit" part, but the main characters and their interactions with their quirky personalities. Murdoch is a nerd, introverted, religious, and on the straight and narrow, yet funny in a variety of situations due to his persona. Inspector Brackenreid is grouchy, charming, and cultured(he loves the opera and theater). He can be blunt most of the time, yet sweetly compassionate other times. George is sweet, charming, and funny. He sometimes thinks vampires, werewolves, or some other supernatural thing is involved. He's hilarious. But tho he gets carried away by flights of fancy sometimes, he's actually really smart and capable, and not written as a dumb sidekick to Murdoch.
Julia is the most forward-thinking character on the show. All the main characters are too, to some extent. She's a total geek with a bit of an oddball sense of humor. I love the way she kind of laughs off to the side at something funny. Mirroring how the audience might be laughing at that moment. She gives William her opinion about things, which he encourages and in fact asks of her, and he takes them seriously and truly listens. He respects her. They make a great pairing. These four characters(actors) are the strength in the show. Their interactions with each other(and others) make the show a delight to watch. You care about them. They give the show heart.
There are many other great characters that recur a lot and/ or become series regulars later, such as Higgins, Emily, Miss James, Terrence Myers, Watts, James Pendrick, and many more.
William is a devout catholic. For anyone thinking Murdoch will be unlikable because of this, think again. He is open-minded and is a very empathetic character. He questions his own faith at times, which leads to some good storytelling as a conflicted character. A good example of this is 'Til Death Do Us Part 'in season one.
There's a lot of humor on the show. George often sees great potential ideas for the future that he's right about, but Murdoch always downplays it. It's hilarious. Some winks to the audience include email, Twitter, TV, The Internet, reality cooking show competitions. There are so many more. Too many to mention.
As I said before, all the main characters are very forward in their ideology to some extent. Again the show is anachronistic. I don't think anyone in today's audience wants to watch a show where the four main white characters are a bunch of racists and bigots. I mean back then those attitudes would have been regarded as normal. But not today. Well, maybe a tiny few do want to see those attitudes, as I see sometimes in the reviews. But that's more telling of bigotry that exist inside some people than it is about the show. The show is not historically correct and is mainly in the light-hearted spectrum. That's why I think of it as an alternative reality, which to me, gives off a bit of a fantasy vibe.
Speaking of the four main white characters, the show does have series regular black characters, later on, Miss James, and Violet Hart. They also have a lot of diverse guest stars and gay characters throughout the entire series. Tho the show is mainly on the light-hearted side, it does delve into darker themes, and there are many episodes that I feel are making a statement about society. They do a great job of this. It's not preachy, yet gets it points through.
I said many times that the show is anachronistic, but a lot actual correct historical events are used in stories such as the "Great Toronto Fire" or the assassination of President McKinley, and a number of actual historical figures in the right time period, such as Edison and Alexander Graham Bell. Too many to mention, but there are a lot and especially of Canadian events and Canadian historical figures.
I feel like this show is underrated and doesn't get enough credit for being a great series with talented actors, writers, and directors. Especially for being very Canadian in content. It's one of the highest-rated Canadian shows in Canada and is going on its 14th season. Yet when I look at its awards and nominations, it seems rather abysmal. Especially when comparing to another Canadian show, Schitt's Creek. Fewer seasons, more noms and wins. I love this show too, but you can't even tell this show takes place in Canada. You can't even tell if any of the characters are Canadian as it's never mentioned where anyone is actually from. In fact, I guess they were dodgy about it due to its international popularity. It makes me feel like they thought Canada wasn't good enough. Almost like they're pretending it could be American. I suppose that helps sells it better to American buyers, but it turns me off. I can't help but think the "trendy train" which a lot of people got on, played a huge part in that show's popularity and award nods. Again, I love that show too, but the disparity in praise and lack thereof for MM is very blatant. Perhaps this comparison isn't fair, but these are the two main Canadian shows I've watched in the last few years. I'm glad Schitt's Creek has done so well, I just wish Murdoch Mysteries, which was there before, and will be there after, wasn't so ignored.
Thankfully Murdoch Mysteries keeps churning out quality material despite not getting proper recognition. The audience knows this is a diamond in the rough. I feel like I can write an entire book on my thoughts about the series, so forgive me my rather long review. It is after all 13 seasons and counting. 10/10