The Murdoch Mysteries

It was such a delight to watch The Murdoch Mysteries! It has everything: fine cast, beautiful locations, interesting storyline. I do not know whether the stories were accurate adaptations of the novels, because I did not read them. I simply enjoyed the series.

I think Peter Outerbridge was an excellent choice for Murdoch, his detective is handsome, curious, clever and brave enough to try new methods of investigation. Keeley Hawes was also great, sad that she was left out from episode 3. The supporting cast was fine too.The set and locations were convincing, just like in the Granada Sherlock Holmes series.

Does anyone know why the series ended after 3 eps? I read that there is a new series with new cast and shorter episodes, but I did not see any of them, only promos. It was quite odd for me to see Yannick Bisson as Murdoch, I think Outerbridge was a better choice.

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.

Though the main characters are the same, this version is a completely different show from the newer series. I give them both a solid 9 for completely different reasons. After having seen all 3 movies with Outerbridge I was initially disappointed with the new one. After watching a few episodes I realized they were intentionally lighter and reconsidered my opinion. The movies are rather somber and the seriousness of the subject matter takes a darker turn than the newer rendition. These are quite intense and very compelling. Well done.

Addendum: The way I rate shows... I don't review anything less than a 7 because 6 would be a failing grade and I won't waste my time watching it. I'm old; I don't know how much time I've got left. Since I probably turned it off before getting even halfway through, it wouldn't be fair to rate or review it. 7 is watchable but I may go a while between episodes since, though somewhat entertaining, there are other shows more interesting or compelling. 8 would be a regular in my lineup. 9 is a must see and probably bingeable. 10 is just the epitome of superbity and headed for my all-time favorites list. I'm adding this to my reviews because it seems there are a lot of binary reactions to pretty much everything these days. I am not a like/unlike kind of guy. I see a lot of grays so if I give something a 10 it doesn't mean the only alternative is a 1.

Murdoch and Ogden are good characters. The mysteries in and of themselves are intriguing and enjoyable, and there is a wee bit of humor. However, many, perhaps most of the characters and their dialog is ugly. Perhaps this is realistic, but I prefer movies that build me up, not gross me out. Much of the casting and acting was mediocre.

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.