From Debra Yeo of the Toronto Star:
Link: Downton Abbey’s Daisy guest stars on Murdoch Mysteries
There’s not much at first glance that connects Downton Abbey and Murdoch Mysteries, aside from both being period dramas.
One is a beloved British-made TV series about an aristocratic family and their servants; the other is a beloved Canadian-made TV series about a Toronto detective, his pathologist wife and the crimes they solve. Continue reading.
From Victoria Ahearn of the Canadian Press:
Anne with an E adds first black character, LGBTQ storyline with season 2
“It’s always been a concern to me that L.M. Montgomery’s world of Avonlea is such a white world when in fact it doesn’t really accurately reflect the diversity that Canada was and is.” Continue reading.Â
From Melissa Girimonte of The Televixen:
Link: Growing up with Anne: Amybeth McNulty on Season 2 of Anne with an E
“There’s definitely more of a stability in her now. She’s not afraid that she’s going to be sent away if she makes mistakes. She has a family to help her learn about her mistakes instead and help her become a better person.” Continue reading.
From Bridget Liszewski of The TV Junkies:
Link: Anne with an E’s Amybeth McNulty previews Anne’s Season 2 journey
“We’re definitely going to have more flashbacks, but they aren’t all going to be negative, which I thought was interesting. We see some more positive sides of how Anne fought her time in the orphanage and what those experiences gave her.” Continue reading.
From Leora Heilbronn of Brief Take:
Link: Interview: Anne with an E’s Amybeth McNulty
“She definitely has her fiery temper, which I think that some people can see as a kind of downfall of hers, but I guess that I kind of see it more as a strength, which I think is so beautiful. She’s one of my favourite characters ever. So I’m grateful that I get to incorporate parts of my heart and soul into playing her.” Continue reading.Â
From Sabrina Furminger of YVR Screen Scene:
Link: Lauren Lee Smith dishes on second season of ‘Frankie Drake Mysteries’
“Their relationship is volatile and they don’t see eye to eye, ever. He definitely creates a huge challenge and huge barriers for her in season two. She has to constantly figure out how to get around him and outsmart him.†Continue reading.
From Kelly Townsend of The TV Junkies:
Link: Frankie Drake Mysteries: Lauren Lee Smith on returning to the 1920s
“We had spent a good chunk of time getting over the exhaustion of filming a TV show, so we were all so ready and so excited to come back. We all kind of had an outline of what the season was going to look like and what at least the first few episodes looked like. We were all just super stoked to get back into it and get back into these characters.” Continue reading.
From She Does the City:
Link: CBC’s Frankie Drake Mysteries inspired by post-WWI book Toronto Girl Problems
It was during a research effort for Murdoch Mysteries that Carol Hay and Michelle Ricci came across a historical book entitled Toronto Girl Problems, which was published after World War I. Continue reading.Â
From Debra Yeo of the Toronto Star:
Link: We said yes to a vintage dress for our Frankie Drake Mysteries debut
Back when I was a vintage clothing-loving teenager, coveting a bona fide flapper dress, there was one thing I didn’t figure on: old-fashioned fabrics aren’t so breathable.
In present-day Toronto, attired in a dream of a 1920s dress, I am mortified to realize as I resume my place for the umpteenth take of a dance scene in Frankie Drake Mysteries that the sweat smell I detect is coming from me. Continue reading.
In 2015, director and anthropologist Niobe Thompson debuted “The Great Human Odyssey” as part of The Nature of Things. It won several awards, all deserved. Now Thompson is back with a new, and expansive, look at the life of an animal that has a close relationship with humans: the horse.
The three-part “Equus — Story of the Horse,” kicking off The Nature of Things’ new season on Sunday at 8 p.m.,  is an ambitious, masterful exploration into the animals through visits to 11 countries, three continents and trips back in time to delve deep into the human-horse relationship.
“No other animal has done more for us,†Thompson says in press materials for the program. “We built the world around us with horsepower. But what is it that makes humans and horses so perfect for each other? And how have we transformed the wild horse we tamed 6,000 years ago into over 400 specialized breeds today?â€
Much of Episode 1, “Origins,” does exactly that, with Thompson tracing back to the beginning of this proud, muscular beasts’ entrance to the world. He begins his journey in Saudi Arabia and the Bedouin people, who live on horseback and regard them as members of the family. His two-day experience into the desert is astride the Arab horse, a breed hardy, spirited, quick and able to handle the harsh climate thanks to some unique physical details. The Arab is one of the world’s oldest breeds, but it’s not the oldest.
That recognition is bestowed upon the 45 million-year-old Dawn Horse, a creature that led to modern horses. Tiny, forest roaming, vulnerable to predators, and a fruit eater, fossils of Dawn Horse are brought to stunning (and a humorous) life by evolutionary biologist Martin Fischer and Thompson’s team of 3-D animators. The changing of the planet from a greenhouse world to more temperate place meant the introduction of grasses and shrinking of the places a petite, chubby mammal could hide. So Dawn Horse ran and evolved into the tall, fit animal we recognize today.
With stunning visuals (the slow motion is simply amazing) and Darren Fung’s soundtrack, “Equus — Story of the Horse,” is a gem to behold and will likely garner more awards for Thompson. Future episodes of “Equus — Story of the Horse,” continue with “First Riders,” on Sept. 30 and “Chasing the Wind,” on Oct. 7.
The Nature of Things, “Equus — Story of the Horse,” airs Sunday at 8 p.m. on CBC.
Image courtesy of Handful of Films.
It’s been a long summer, hasn’t it Murdoch Mysteries fans? Those months between new seasons of the show seem to get more drawn-out with every passing year. But let’s forget about the days gone by and focus on the journey ahead: 18 shiny new episodes to enjoy.
When we last left Julia and William, they’d reconciled after Julia miscarried and the pair briefly separated. Meanwhile, Crabtree and Nina are kaput, perhaps forever, after she left for Paris and he stayed behind.
Season 12 kicks off with “Murdoch Mystery Mansion,” written by showrunner Peter Mitchell and directed by Gary Harvey. Here’s what the CBC has revealed as the official synopsis for the episode.
Det. Murdoch (Yannick Bisson) and Dr. Ogden (Hélène Joy) have rebuilt their life after Ogden’s recent miscarriage by building a house designed by Frank Lloyd Wright (Aaron Poole), a Chicago architect with a burgeoning reputation. However, the house is rocked by an explosion in Murdoch’s specially designed potato-cooking room that claims a man’s life.
And here are a few more tidbits I gleaned after watching a screener.
What? New show credits and theme music?!
After 12 seasons, there’s a major shakeup with the opening credits and … KIDDING. It wouldn’t be Murdoch Mysteries without Robert Carli’s iconic theme and those oh-so-steampunk credits.
Downton Abbey’s Sophie McShera checks in…
I must admit, it’s a bit strange to see the actress I’ll always think of as Daisy from Downton Abbey walking around William Murdoch’s world. Here she plays Ann Ryand, which several eagle-eyed fans have suggested might be a nod to author Ayn Rand via wordplay.
…And so does Aaron Poole
No stranger to the CBC—Poole played Captain John Slotter in the cancelled-too-soon Strange Empire—he’s most recently appeared in the horror flick The Void, drama feature The Definites and sci-fi series Salvation. He’s great as the brilliant architect who has built William and Julia’s first home. And there is a very funny catch to owning Wright’s first-ever house in the Toronto area. (A hearty “Hurrah” to the set designers, props department, builders and other crew who made the interior of the home look so realistic.)
Julia and William are in a wonderful place
Those hoping our favourite couple are happy will be thrilled to find that’s certainly the case as “Murdoch Murder Mansion” begins. But then, well, murder.
Higgins and Ruth are still going strong
One of the most entertaining couples in primetime television is hurtling towards their wedding day. That means major events as precursors … and the opportunity to learn more about these two characters.
Miss Hart is perturbed
She may have big plans when it comes to running the morgue, but Inspector Brackenreid has other ideas.
Murdoch Mysteries airs Mondays at 8 p.m. on CBC.
Images courtesy of CBC.
