If you follow TV, eh? on Twitter you know that Murdoch Mysteries is gone from this site and that I won’t be posting further on it, but I thought I should explain on the website as well. And then I’ll shut up about it.
The husband of the author of the original books reacted badly to a lukewarm review I wrote of the show when it premiered in January 2008. Since that time he’s been sniping at me in comments and by private emails, and at commenters who post even slightly negative remarks about the show.
I have over the years tried to convince him of the value of criticism in getting the word out, and that it’s impossible to opt out of only the negative. I told him I would pull Murdoch from the site if he didn’t want it subjected to the negative. I’d like to believe his assurances that he will leave me alone now, but I thought he understood before.
I run this site for fun, putting my time and money into an effort to promote Canadian television because I believe so strongly in the value of publicity and criticism: people need to KNOW about these shows. And I believe strongly that critics and fans should be allowed to talk about these shows as if they are worthy of critical assessment – not delicate flowers that will wither in strong daylight – without being attacked by people with a vested interest in the show.
For three years he’s been sniping at me for my negativity while I’ve tried to grit my teeth and put up with his, and I’ve simply had enough. It’s not one big event that lead to this but three years of feeling harassed. A new season of the show is coming up and I can’t face it any more.
I am reacting from anger but it’s a long period of cumulative anger. I should have banned the man in question from the site and blocked his emails long ago, and that would have been the end. But after all our arguments about the value of criticism and his position that he’s protecting his wife’s work, I am going to both honour his intention and show by spiteful example what I’ve been saying for three years: being ignored is worse than being subjected to the occasional negative remark.
Murdoch Mysteries will go on nicely without TV, eh? and TV, eh? will go on nicely without Murdoch Mysteries. The official website is here and if there are fansites, feel free to post them in the comments.
Ugh. Just…ugh.
Since I heard the invective directed at bloggers from Sons of Anarchy creator Kurt Sutter I’ve been much more selective about shows I’ll write about.
Who needs the hassle? We do this for fun, why are very well compensated creative people not getting that their shows are fair game for criticism as well as praise?
You would think the money and the beautiful homes and living in Southern California with attractive spouses would cushion them from the occasional dig.
Congrats! I’m pretty sure TV,eh? gets more viewers than Murdoch Mysteries anyway! There are few sites that support Canadian TV like yours does, we all appreciate your work!
I don’t know the first thing about the books, but the show deserved a lukewarm review. And I don’t think yours was as tepid as, say, mine would have been if I’d tried to write about it.
I’m sorry you have to deal with people like that. He’s not doing his wife any favors.
+1
You can’t please 100% of the people. Anyone who puts their creative work out there HAS to expect and accept that. Those who can’t, shouldn’t. So sorry that your dedication to the Canadian TV industry had to bear the brunt of one sulky Sam.
I haven’t seen Murdoch Mysteries, but it was a favourite of my Dad’s. When he was in the hospital, I told him that it had been renewed and his face lit up like a Christmas tree. I may have to watch an episode just for him.
Well, this is certainly an unfortunate circumstance and I respect your decision even though I am disappointed. I certainly wish you continued success with your website.
The only thing I’d like to also mention here is that this conflict has absolutely nothing to do with Yannick Bisson or the rest of the fine cast, crew, producers and writers. “Murdoch Mysteries” is a excellent show and I hope that everyone can make the distinction between the production and the unfortunate actions of one person who is not primarily connected to the show.
All the best to everyone in 2011!
Does this mean you eliminated the category and the posts specifically related to Murdoch Mysteries? Wow. If your review is what the author’s husband finds negative, he clearly hasn’t run headlong into the belly of the CanCon beast.
Ugh. You made the right choice. It’s unfortunate that you had to make it but there you go.
I just want to say that I agree with your reasoning and love what you’ve been doing for Canadian TV.
Thanks!
I had a run in with spouse last year too and he unfriended me. He told me that I was pushy and demanding so I got dumped from his page. He has a website “Canadian Musings” if you want to read his totally self-serving posts. Sometimes worth it because he has info about Murdoch Mysteries.
This is your website and you should run it the way you want, so I (for one) and okay with you no longer posting about Murdoch Mysteries. Life is too short to be harassed from someone who isn’t even involved with the show. Good for you!
Donald, he is involved with the show, quite extensively I might add.
Aww, it makes me sad because this is actually where I came to get all my Murdoch news! That being said, I 100% agree with you removing it if you are being bothered/harassed. It really isn’t worth the effort and you do such a good job here!
So sorry that you’ve been subjected to this behaviour. It really is too bad that this guy just doesn’t get it.
Thanks for expending your time and energy to run TV,Eh?
Ok, question for you all, does anyone who has commented on this post actually know the “husband” in question? Have any of you actually met him and know about his passion for both the Murdoch Mysteries show and the books? Im willing to bet that the majority, if not all of you have no clue who he is and wouldn’t recognise him if you passed him in the street.
If any of you had met him then you would know that he does appreciate constructive critism, as does his wife, they wouldn’t be where they are now without it.
I am all for free speech and the right to give “lukewarm” reviews. As I didn’t actually read the reviw in question, I can’t comment on exactly what was said, but like Lindsey, I used to come here to get my Murdoch information too so no longer posting about the show doesn’t seem fair to all the people who are fans of the show.
WHilst I respect your decision, punishing the rest of us because of one person’s comments doesn’t seem fair.
I just did a little digging around to read your review and watched the first 5 episodes of the show. I recall channel surfing into what i now know to be the premiere episode of the show and the one the review is based on. I had channel surfed on to something else 3 years ago after giving it a few minutes and thinking it was some boring, cheap movie made for the CanCon requirement. Giving it a lukewarm review was appropriate, even generous. I too have a fondness for the leading man, though for myself it is because of rather than in spite of Nothing Too Good For A Cowboy.
I came back to Murdoch Mysteries the other day when i realised while browsing TV eh? that for all of the American TV i had seen i missed this Canadian show that had just wrapped production on its fourth series thanks to finding this post about why the show is not covered like all of the others. Nikola Tesla is still a character in the series, just as Conan Doyle is too. Any resemblance to persons living or dead is still just a resemblance and may or may not be intentional or entirely accurate (The Good Wife episode the other day was on this very premise). I am still a fan of YB in spite of what i saw of “Power”. Having now seen about 1/10 of the series-to-date i admit i am enjoying it. It is just different enough from the American mega-ratings shows. If i had to pick an American show to compare Murdoch Mysteries to it would be BONES.
As for the husband being here and not liking things, one need only read his wife’s site which describes it as “her show” that the Prime Minister visited with his daughter to have an idea of how possessive they can be. If you go digging through the interwebs you can find an archive of TV eh? and see some of the comments that the husband had left. The ones i found were mostly polite because it is about the time Citytv ordered a second season. About punishing the rest of us because of the husband being unfair, i would think the husband punished Diane more than enough to ensure she would have no interest in continuing to cover “his wife’s show”. It is unfair of the husband to have been harassing and all of us in varying degrees suffer the consequences of his actions, including “his wife’s show”.
Considering this post about TV eh? not covering the show due to harassment from the husband of the creator and author of the novels is essentially my introduction to the show the husband has done enough himself to ruin his wife’s show that he is so proud of and involved with. Silly, stupid the husband. A brilliant piece of PR work he crafted here over the last few years. It makes me not feel bad at all for downloading instead of buying the DVDs. …. season 3 on DVD & BD on 3 May 2011 in Canada & is already available in Australia if you live there or want Region 4 discs. Hopefully Diane won’t mind me sneaking in that little bit of news for the fans who might want to know and missed the announcement on Friday.
I am sad that personal conflict has forced you to stop writing about a show I enjoy.
Mostly, I don’t care about reviews of TV shows: I just want to know when they’re on, when they’re coming back, and whether they’ve been cancelled. Your site often provided me that kind of information when “official” sites did not.
Please keep on doing that, even in the face of sniping!
The fourth season on Citytv has been delayed for an as of yet undisclosed time for an undisclosed reason. It has been on in the UK for a month now and was to start last night in Canada. Instead there was two hours of “Minute To Win It”