It’s a ranty podcast with Anthony Marco and I appalled at CBC’s 3D documentary on the Queen and accompanying distribution of 3D glasses and John Doyle’s fabulous tear on Stursberg’s departure: “The CBC is a bizarre institution, a rats’ nest of ego, bickering, backstabbing, rumour and sour dislike of anyone who either has power inside CBC, or anyone or anything that isn’t part of the CBC.”

A clip of The Kids in the Hall talking about downloading their own show from bittorrent leads to even more CBC bashing. We even disparage a show neither one of us has seen yet: So You Think You Can Dance Canada.

And then I lay into the Canadian TV publicity machine for omitting mention of writers while listing directors and production executives, and the Writers Guild of Canada for letting it happen.

And stick around for a great chat with funny, opinionated TV writer/producer Adam Barken (Flashpoint, Rookie Blue, Shattered), one of Playback’s “10 to Watch” and an observer of the State of the Canadian TV Industry. He also talks about the art and science of writing for TV, and how “they’re making it up as they go along” is actually a compliment.

Your links

• I don’t want to see the Queen in 2D, but CBC wants me to see her in 3D
• John Doyle on Stursberg’s departure and what it means for the “bizarre institution” of the CBC
• The Kids in the Hall are pirates … of their own show
• So You Think You Can Dance Canada premiered this week and I will watch it soon to see if I agree with my opinion of it
• The Murdoch Mysteries media release is the one that set me off about Canadian TV writing itself. The Shattered release wasn’t provided electronically but here’s the show
• Adam Barken is one of Playback’s 10 to Watch. Trust me, because the site’s behind a pay wall. Follow him on Twitter @adambarken. We also recommend Hart Hanson, who gives good Twitter @HartHanson. And the show Adam couldn’t remember was Wojeck. Check out Flashpoint and Rookie Blue, too.

Your hosts

• Anthony can be found at Dyscultured and lovehatethings, and on Twitter here and here.
• Diane can be found here at TV, eh? and here, and on Twitter here and here.

MORE MURDOCH MYSTERIES IN STORE WITH PRODUCTION UNDERWAY ON SEASON FOUR OF SHAFTESBURY’S HIT DRAMA SERIES FOR CITYTV AND ALIBI

• Yannick Bisson Does Double Duty and Directs an Upcoming Episode
• Victor Garber (Alias) and Craig Olejnik (The Listener) Join Cast as Special Guest Stars

Shaftesbury Films, Canada’s leading creator and producer of original content for television and multiple platforms, today announced that production has begun on season four of its highly successful one-hour drama series Murdoch Mysteries for broadcast on Citytv in Canada and Alibi in the UK in early 2011. Production will continue until early November in and around Toronto and Hamilton.

Yannick Bisson (Sue Thomas F.B.Eye, Casino Jack), who stars as Detective William Murdoch, will step behind the camera this season to direct episode three (Buffalo Shuffle) of the series. He will also be joined by an impressive list of directors for season four, including veteran director Don McCutcheon (Corner Gas, Relic Hunter), Gail Harvey (ReGenesis, Some Things That Stay), Harvey Crossland, (Ghostly Encounters, Life with Derek) Cal Coons, (ReGenesis, Murdoch Mysteries) Laurie Lynd, (Breakfast with Scot, I Was a Rat) and actress Leslie Hope (The Mentalist, A Very Merry Daughter of the Bride).

Victor Garber (Alias, Titanic) joins the cast in the season opener in a guest role as Murdoch’s predecessor, the prematurely-retired Malcolm Lamb, who helps Murdoch with a grisly murder. Other guest stars to be featured this season include British actors Lisa Faulkner (Spooks, Holby City), Paul Rhys (Luther, Being Human) and Simon Williams (Upstairs, Downstairs); and Peter Keleghan (The Newsroom, 18 to Life), Craig Olejnik (The Listener, Timekeeper), and Lisa Ray (Water, The Summit).

Based on Canadian author Maureen Jennings’s popular Detective Murdoch series of mystery novels and set in late 1890s Toronto, Murdoch Mysteries explores the intriguing world of Detective William Murdoch (Yannick Bisson), who uses radical techniques for the time to solve some of the city’s most gruesome murders. Murdoch’s small circle of confidantes are pathologist Dr. Julia Ogden (Hélène Joy, Durham County), a staunch ally who shares the detective’s fascination for forensic science, and Constable George Crabtree (Jonny Harris, Hatching, Matching, Dispatching), Murdoch’s eager but sometimes naïve right-hand man. Although his unconventional approach elicits skepticism and reluctant support from his boss, Inspector Brackenreid (Thomas Craig, Coronation Street); Murdoch is often the only one that can crack the case.

The fourth season will throw some difficult challenges Detective Murdoch’s way. To start, pathologist Dr. Julia Ogden, who departed for a new job at the Childrens’ Hospital of Buffalo at the end of season three, may have found a compelling reason to stay in Buffalo. Her replacement, brought in from Scotland Yard – the ill tempered Dr. Francis (Paul Rhys) – will frequently clash with the even-tempered Murdoch. In other episodes, under tragic circumstances, an old flame from Bristol, England, Anna Fulford (Lisa Faulkner) will return to pay Murdoch a visit; a crime spree leads to a Gypsy camp and a mysterious “wise woman” (Lisa Ray)”; mysterious Canadian Spy Terence Meyers (Peter Keleghan) will once again show up as Murdoch investigates a case that harkens back to the American Civil War and could threaten Canadian-American relations; Murdoch gets helps from the butler (Simon Williams) when a wealthy businessman is murdered and his son, Nicholas Jenkins (Craig Olejnik) is questioned; and in the season finale a wedding will take place…but who will be walking down the aisle?

Murdoch Mysteries has been honored with several Gemini awards and more than 20 nominations. The series is executive produced by Christina Jennings and Scott Garvie for Shaftesbury, and Larry Lalonde (The Listener, Missing) and Phil Bedard (The Listener, Missing). The series is produced by Laura Harbin for Shaftesbury and Stephen Montgomery (Vacation with Derek) and Peter Meyboom serves as Supervising Producer. Production executives for Citytv are Alain Strati, Vice-President, OMNI Station Group, Specialty TV & Development and Patrice Baillargeon, Director, Development & Production, Rogers Media Television. Production executive for UKTV’s Alibi is Alexandra Finlay, Acquisitions Manager and Noel Hedges, Senior Vice-President, Sales and Acquisitions, the Americas at ITV STUDIOS Global Entertainment Inc., serves as Executive Producer.

• ‘Murdoch’ finale has Buffalo twist
  “In the third-season finale of Murdoch Mysteries, which is set in 1895 Toronto, Dr. Ogden (Hélène Joy) considers a job offer in Buffalo.” Read more.

• The Homegrown TV Scorecard
  “Private Canadian TV networks announced their fall schedules this week, and here are the results as far as homegrown prime time scripted fare goes: …” Read more.

Citytv announces 2010-11 Primetime Schedule

Midseason shows include new seasons of Murdoch Mysteries.

FALL

Canadian programming dominates Saturday nights with animation series, Glenn Martin, DDS and Out There with Melissa DiMarco. Sunday nights feature the return of Extreme Makeover: Home Edition. Then, acclaimed original Citytv series Conviction Kitchen returns in its second season followed by encore presentations of Canadian hit series, Murdoch Mysteries.

All times Eastern:

SATURDAY
8-8:30pm – Glenn Martin, DDS
8:30-9pm – Out There with Melissa DiMarco
9-11pm – Canadian Movie

SUNDAY
9-10pm – Conviction Kitchen
10-11pm – Murdoch Mysteries (repeats in fall)

• Murdoch star alright being wrong
  “‘So I went to the producers and said, ‘Is there any chance that one day Brackenreid might be right and Murdoch will be wrong?’ And the producer just looked at me and said, ‘Tom, let’s not get too complicated.’” Read more.