Producers team with Ontario Government on Making Murdoch

From a media release:

SHAFTESBURY PARTNERS WITH ONTARIO GOVERNMENT ON MURDOCH MYSTERIES COMPANION SERIES

Shaftesbury today announced that it has partnered with the Ontario government on Making Murdoch, a 20-part online series that offers a behind-the-scenes look at the making of Murdoch Mysteries on location in Ontario, with a special focus on the sites and stories of the province. Available on the CBC YouTube channel and at cbc.ca, Making Murdoch has also been shared with Murdoch Mysteries’ international distribution and broadcast partners in 110 countries worldwide. Watch Making Murdoch: Discovering Ontario.

“Over eight seasons, Murdoch Mysteries has featured some of Ontario’s most recognizable tourism destinations, like Victoria Park Square in Brantford, Parkwood Estate in Oshawa or the historic mining town of Cobalt. Making Murdoch is a wonderful opportunity for viewers to learn more about these important landmarks, while also showcasing Ontario as a great place to visit.” — Michael Coteau, Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sport

“Each week, Murdoch Mysteries brings the province of Ontario to millions of viewers across Canada and around the world. Ontario’s breathtaking vistas, historic sites and story gems are what make this series a success. We’re thrilled to partner with the Ontario government in showcasing our province as a coveted destination in Making Murdoch, to ensure that what Ontario has to offer is not a mystery.”
— Christina Jennings, Chairman & CEO, Shaftesbury, Smokebomb Entertainment and shift2

Filmed on location in Ontario during production of Murdoch Mysteries Season 8 from April to December 2014, Making Murdoch (20 x seven minutes) offers an in-depth look at the making of the series, including interviews with the cast, crew, writers and producers who bring the show to life, and insight from expert spokespeople on the people and places of Ontario featured in the show. Season 8 (18 x one hour) of Murdoch Mysteries premiered in October 2014 and airs Mondays at 8 pm (8:30 pm NT) on CBC in Canada, with the season finale of the series scheduled for Monday, March 30. Season 9 of the series will begin production in May 2015.

From Cambridge to Cobalt, Making Murdoch explores the beautiful sites and untold stories of Ontario featured in Murdoch Mysteries Season 8, including the history of Old Town Toronto and the Constabulary’s Station House No. 4, where the series is set; Queen’s Park and the Canadian women’s suffrage movement; the legendary Walper Hotel in Kitchener; the rough-and-tumble nature of the Toronto waterfront and the rise of the automobile circa 1902; the legacy of vaudeville and the Elgin & Winter Garden Theatres in Toronto; the industrial background of Hamilton’s 270 Sherman heritage site; the little known story of Northern Ontario’s silver rush in Cobalt; the perfectly preserved Black Creek Pioneer and Westfield Heritage Villages; the beautiful Rockwood Conservation Area; the South Simcoe Railway, Tottenham’s historical gem; turn-of-the-century honeymoon traditions in Niagara Falls; the dangers of the corset as showcased at the Fashion Victims exhibit at Toronto’s Bata Shoe Museum; Hamilton’s storied Scottish Rite Club and Whitehern Historic House and Garden; the remarkable Foster Memorial in Uxbridge; and the picturesque and historic communities of Dundas, Georgina, Cambridge and St. Marys.

One of Canada’s most successful and longest-running dramas, Murdoch Mysteries has become a staple for CBC and broadcasters around the world with its winning formula that brings together compelling mysteries, unique slices of turn-of-the-century history, ingenious inventions and personal moments for each character. Licensed to broadcasters in 110 countries and territories including the U.S., UK, France, Finland and China, the series continues to thrive with eight seasons and 114 episodes under its belt, boasting an average audience of 1.3 million each week in Canada in Season 8. The series has logged 651 days of shooting in more than 200 unique locations in Ontario, and triggered 8000 production jobs in the province for actors, writers, directors, producers, crew, background performers and technical and production services across three made-for-television movies and eight seasons of the series.

With millions of fans, Murdoch Mysteries also boasts one of the most engaged fan communities in Canadian television, including 62,000 likes on Facebook and more than 60,000 followers for the series and its cast on Twitter. Fan events in Ontario attract thousands each summer from across Canada, the U.S., UK, France and Australia.

Set in Toronto at the dawn of the 20th century, Murdoch Mysteries is a one-hour drama series that explores the intriguing world of William Murdoch (Yannick Bisson), a methodical and dashing detective who pioneers innovative forensic techniques to solve some of the city’s most gruesome murders. Murdoch’s colleagues include the love of his life, coroner and psychiatrist Dr. Julia Ogden (Hélène Joy, Durham County), a staunch ally who shares the detective’s fascination for science; Constable George Crabtree (Jonny Harris, Of All Places), Murdoch’s eager but sometimes naïve right-hand man; Inspector Brackenreid (Thomas Craig, Coronation Street), Murdoch’s skeptical yet reluctantly supportive boss; and coroner Dr. Emily Grace (Georgina Reilly; The L.A. Complex), Dr. Ogden’s protégé.

Murdoch Mysteries was initially adapted for television from Maureen Jennings’s popular Detective Murdoch series of novels as three made-for-TV films produced by Shaftesbury and broadcast in Canada in 2004 and 2005. The series first premiered in Canada in January 2008 and aired on Citytv for five seasons, before moving to CBC in September 2012.

Making Murdoch is directed and produced by Jean Greig; produced by Lorraine Clark and Katherine Wolfgang; and edited by Mike Garniss and Mike Meddik, with Graeme Potts serving as cinematographer. Christina Jennings and Scott Garvie are executive producers.