'Murdoch Mysteries' Returns to Acorn TV for Season 17
Most of the time, when people think of a "long-running weekly mystery series," the first things that come to mind are British shows. That's not an unfair reaction; between the launch of the government-funded BBC network and the plethora of Shakepearean-trained talent, the tiny island that once conquered most of the planet's biggest export nowadays is culture, so of course, it has series that run a very long time. Midsomer Murders is heading into Season 25, Vera is currently airing Season 13, Father Brown is debuting Season 11, and Death in Paradise is readying Season 14. However, Canada is no slouch either, with Murdoch Mysteries now in Season 17 and heading south across the border to American streaming.
A period piece mystery that began set in the late 19th century, 1895 to be specific, but after nearly two decades is now firmly entrenched in the Edwardian era, Murdoch Mysteries is one of the most stable mystery series on television, with an ensemble quartet of characters who have starred in all seventeen seasons without fail. Yannick Bisson stars as the titular William Murdoch, a police detective working in Toronto, Ontario, during the turn of the century, using methods of detection that were incredibly forward-thinking, to the point of sometimes being anachronistic. The series has sometimes been labeled science fiction due to its steampunk-esque elements.
The series initially ran on Ovation in the U.S. under the title The Artful Detective, but when Acorn TV picked it up under its original title starting in Season 12, Ovation switched over to the actual title to eliminate confusion. Both still have the rights to the series, with Ovation airing it on the wilds of linear cable and Acorn TV with exclusive streaming rights. Check out this video from Ovation for last year's Season 16 milestone, when the series hit 250 episodes.
