The Murdoch Mysteries

I've only recently seen "The Murdoch Mysteries", and for the life of me I can't understand why the plug was pulled on them. I thought they were terrific.

Peter Outerbridge was perfectly cast as the eponymous hero, and ideally coupled (in the first two episodes) with the ever delectably delicious Keeley Hawes, and the plots weren't bad either.

So what went wrong? I wish someone could tell me. There were recent murmurings that the BBC were interested in taking up the reins, but I've yet to hear anything solid.

If some company does start making further episodes, either in the UK or in Canada, I sincerely hope, (mainly because I'm passionately in love with Keeley Hawes, only don't tell the wife) that they round up the same cast.

I have to say that having watched and truly enjoyed 10+ TV show seasons of the newer Murdoch Mysteries with Yannick Bisson, Thomas Craig, Helene Joy, and Jonny Harris, I had extremely hard time getting through these older three movies ... Perhaps these movies are more true to the Victorian reality so they are darker and totally humorless, but I didn't warm up to any of the characters, and especially the inspector (Colm Meaney) put me off with his shouting and boorishness.

Politically Correct high school stuff. Women doctors, black women coroners, women in taverns...pathetic beyond belief.

The pace is too slow and the atmosphere is too dark and grimy. I've seen countless period pieces of this era and this is by far the darkest. Watching the destituteness was too depressing.

When I bought my first Murdoch Mysteries boxset years ago, these original adaptations of Maureen Jennings novels were included. Back then, I didn't know much about them, all I knew was the long running show starring Yannick Bisson as Murdoch. So when I first started watching these TV movies, I had trouble adapting to the dark and gritty style. On second viewing, however, I fell heads over heels in love. The cast is great, the characters are edgy and the cases suspenseful. So if you like the novels and a good murder mystery, do yourselves a favor and watch these films. You might even learn a thing or two about the late 1800s and Toronto the Good.

PS: As a treat to fans of today's Murdoch Mysteries, Hélène Joy played a crucial character in the last made-for-TV movie, a part that (as rumor has it) ultimately resulted in her playing Dr. Ogden in the following TV show.