Jill Golick at Running with my Eyes Closed analyses the pilot of Murdoch Mysteries:

• Murdoch Mysteries
  “Murdoch Mysteries, which premiered in Toronto last night and around the country on other nights this week, knows just what kind of a show it is and shares that information with us right up front in the teaser.” Read more.

From Shannon Montgomery of the Canadian Press:

• ‘Family Restaurant’ goes Chinese
  “The family dynamics of the entire Quon clan will be served up on television screens across the country next year as they become the new face of “The Family Restaurant” on the Food Network. They take over from another family – the Psalios – who run a chain of Greek restaurants in Edmonton and starred in the show’s first two seasons.” Read more.

From a media release:

THE FAMILY RESTAURANT SEASON III PRODUCTION LAUNCHES WITH BIG LUCK

Old-style elegance and family warmth are the hallmarks of The Lingnan, the eating establishment featured in Season III of The Family Restaurant, the hit documentary series returning to Food Network in January 2009. Filming gets underway in Edmonton on Saturday January 26, launched with the traditional Big Luck Ceremony that heralds the start-up of important Chinese projects.

Continue reading Upcoming series: The Family Restaurant, Food Network, January 2009 →

From Vinay Menon of the Toronto Star:

• Murdoch, you’re a mystery
  “Now, admittedly, I am not familiar with the novels from which this character is adapted. So maybe Murdoch is supposed to be an accidental detective? Maybe he’s supposed to ask pointless questions? Maybe he’s supposed to strike ponderous poses and pace slowly, not doing much of anything?” Read more.

From Alex Strachan of Canwest News Service:

• Unusual setting doesn’t spoil Murdoch
  “That classic struggle between the lowly plod who knows he’s right and the bosses who are convinced he’s wrong is a staple of detective fiction and has been mirrored on TV all the way from Peter Falk as Columbo to Tony Shalhoub as Monk today. Based on early evidence, Murdoch Mysteries is not in that class, but it shows promise of becoming something better.” Read more.

From the Canadian Press:

• ‘CSI’ meets Sherlock Holmes in ‘Murdoch Mysteries,’ debuting Thursday
  “Each episode gives viewers ‘interesting little history lessons’ into 19th-century law enforcement, said Bisson. “Things like ‘What does it mean to trace a call?’ you know, fingermarks now known as fingerprints … everyday things – ‘How come the lights in our home are powered by electricity?’.” Read more.