• Finalists Announced: The Writers Guild of Canada congratulates the 2010 Finalists

Murdoch Mysteries Season 3 Premieres Sunday, March 14 on Citytv

The third season of Murdoch Mysteries premieres Sunday March 14 at 9:00pm ET/CT/PT (7pm MT) on Citytv. An encore presentation of Murdoch Mysteries will air Fridays at 9:00pm ET/PT (8pm CT, 10pm MT) starting March 19.

Set in 1895 Toronto, Murdoch Mysteries is a one-hour drama series that explores the intriguing world of William Murdoch (Yannick Bisson) a handsome young detective using radical forensic techniques, like fingerprinting and trace evidence, to solve some of the city’s most gruesome murders. Season 3 will bring back some of Murdoch Mysteries more intriguing characters such as the mysterious warmonger Terrence Meyers (Peter Keleghan) and Nikola Tesla (Dimitry Chepovetsky) whom Murdoch calls on to help defeat his newly discovered nemesis. Some of the cases Murdoch will try to solve in this season include the death of one of their own, a decorated police officer, that blows open the dark underbelly of Station Number Two, eventually leading Murdoch into a world of police racketeering, profiteering, brutality and racism; and the elaborate heist of a valuable Rembrandt painting.

The premiere episode finds Murdoch running for his life from British Intelligence agents accusing him of murder. He finds himself in Bristol, England with no memory of who he is, how he got there and why anyone would want him dead.

Find out Whodunit? in the Season 3 premiere of Murdoch Mysteries Sunday, March 14 at 9:00pm ET/CT/PT (7pm MT) on Citytv (replaces previously announced March 4 premiere date).

Fridays (starting March 5)
Murdoch Mysteries (season 3 premiere) at 10pm ET/PT (9pm CT, 8pm MT)

Stay tuned for information on season 3 premiere date.

• TVonDVD – Murdoch Mysteries: Season One – British Cozy Meets Forensics in Canada!
  “Based on a series of novels by Maureen Jennings, the Canadian Murdoch Mysteries is a delightful mix of several types of classic styles – the British cozy, Sherlock Holmes and forensics shows like CSI. Set in Victorian era Toronto, the series mixes historical fact with dramatic – and occasionally, whimsical – fiction. The series, which follows on the heels of a number of made for TV movies that starred Peter Outerbridge as Murdoch, is a good lighter in tone and brighter in presentation, though every bit as absorbing.” Read more.

• A Glanmore murder mystery – TV SERIES MURDOCH MYSTERIES: Being filmed at historical site
  “Glanmore National Historic Site was the scene of a murder Monday. Actually, there were several scenes involving murder — all staged for filming of the Murdoch Mysteries television series. The show is based on Maureen Jennings’ novels and is set in 1897. Today is the final of two days of location shooting at the museum. ” Read more.

• Happy to host murder
  “One of Belleville’s most recognizable landmarks will be the site of a murder next month and staff at the Glanmore National Historic Site couldn’t be happier. Cast and crew of the television series Murdoch Mysteries are scheduled to begin four days of filming at the Bridge Street East museum Nov. 9. The mystery series, set in 1897 Ontario, is expected to conduct three days of interior shooting and one of exteriors along streets in the neighbourhood.” Read more.

• Murdoch Mysteries to film in UK
  “Canadian co-pro Murdoch Mysteries is to get more of a British flavour for its third run, thanks to a strengthened co-production deal between UKTV, ITV Studios, Global Entertainment and indie Shaftesbury Films.” Read more.

Here’s a small sample of what people are saying so far:

Alex Epstein at Complications Ensue:

• Divorced, Beheaded, Died
  “I really enjoyed the first two seasons of (The Tudors); but not on the CBC. The BBC version clocks in at about 51 minutes, the CBC version had to be edited down to 44 or so. I found the CBC version to be quite choppy, if you’ll pardon the expression, with odd priorities. So I watched Seasons 1 and 2 on DVD.” Read more.

• This is What I’m Talking About
  “Shows like DURHAM COUNTY are worth making just because they’re fun, scary, creepy detective shows; and if you like the dark, Laurie Finstad and director Adrian Mitchell ladle out darkness enough for any appetite. But, together with FLASHPOINT and CORNER GAS and the other exports, they go a little way towards giving the rest of the world a sense of who we’ve become. And that’s a value in its own right. Okay, Steven Harper?” Read more.

From Groove Kittie:

• Teeeeeeeeee Veeeeeeeeeeeeeeee, eh!
  “The Border: OH MAN! Talk about a cliffhanger! I’m a bit anxious about this one being a bit of a Gray/Layla shipper. :S On the upside, my favourite characters (Gray and Slade and Maggie) were untouched by the blast. Hey. I’m trying to keep positive here. *trembles* And just to make things a little bit worse, the premiere isn’t until October 8th. Way to drag out the suspense, CBC. *flail* Evil bastards! October 8, 2009 / CBC” Read more – she talks about Flashpoint, Murdoch Mysteries, and Sanctuary, too.

Check out #tveh on Twitter for even more Canadian TV chatter.

And enter the contest – deadline’s Monday!

• TV turns to literary hits for newest prime-time series
  “The small screen similarly offers the greatest potential for Vincent Lam’s Bloodletting & Miraculous Cures, said screenwriter and playwright Jason Sherman, who adapted the collection of stories for an eight-episode miniseries bound for The Movie Network and Movie Central early next year. Sherman wonders if the influx of literary inspiration is in any way driven by cable’s success with more sophisticated, layered TV dramas. ‘TV needs story,’ said Sherman, who has also adapted books for the stage and written for Citytv’s Murdoch Mysteries, based on a series of novels by Maureen Jennings.” Read more.

Looking forward to Blood Letting & Miraculous Cures or the return of Murdoch Mysteries? Enter the TV, eh? giveaway!

• Canadian TV show Murdoch Mysteries film episode around Bristol landmarks
  “The episode sees the titular hero Detective William Murdoch in Bristol trying to stop an assassination. His co-star for this episode was Lisa Faulkner, a British actress most famous for dying a particularly gruesome death in the BBC1 spy drama Spooks. The episode was filmed for the series’ forthcoming third season.” Read more.