Citytv announced today production details for the fifth and final season of original one-hour drama series Murdoch Mysteries.
Principal photography commenced in the summer and will continue until early November in and around Toronto, with the first episode of Season 5, “Murdoch of the Klondike,” filmed on location in Dawson City, Yukon.
Encore episodes of Murdoch Mysteries are currently airing weekly on Citytv. Season five broadcast details will be announced at a later date.
“With new characters and locales, Season 5 will be the most exciting yet for Murdoch Mysteries,” said Claire Freeland, Director of Development and Production, Rogers Media Television. “Beloved by viewers of all ages, Murdoch Mysteries has been a resounding success in Canada and internationally over the last four seasons and we are proud of the enduring legacy this series will leave its countless loyal fans.”
“While we are sad to contemplate the end of Murdoch Mysteries, we are grateful to Rogers and Citytv for believing in the series and taking this journey with us over the past seven years,” said Christina Jennings, Chairman and CEO, Shaftesbury and executive producer, Murdoch Mysteries. “We’ve watched the show grow with the passionate support of audiences in Canada and around the world, and look forward to bringing the storyline to a fulfilling conclusion for fans during our final season. Thank you to one of the most talented casts and crews I’ve ever had the privilege of working with for creating an unforgettable series.”
The fifth season premiere will feature an array of guest stars joining the cast in the Yukon, including include Aaron Ashmore (Warehouse 13; Smallville) as author Jack London and U.K. actress Jill Halfpenny (Coronation Street) as Elizabeth Bryant, a tough-as-nails hotel owner who finds herself accused of murder. Plus, Canadian soprano Measha Brueggergosman also makes a guest appearance this season.
Based on Canadian author Maureen Jennings’s popular Detective Murdoch novels, Murdoch Mysteries is set in late 1890s Toronto and explores the intriguing world of William Murdoch (Yannick Bisson), a detective using radical techniques for the time to solve the city’s most gruesome murders. Murdoch’s colleagues are coroner Dr. Julia Ogden (Hélène Joy, Durham County), a staunch ally who shares the detective’s fascination for forensic science; Constable George Crabtree (Jonny Harris, Hatching, Matching, Dispatching), Murdoch’s eager but sometimes naïve right-hand man; and Inspector Brackenreid (Thomas Craig, Coronation Street), Murdoch’s sceptical yet reluctantly supportive boss. The series has been sold in more than 100 countries worldwide.
Season 5 of Murdoch Mysteries will present Detective Murdoch with fresh frustrations in his relationship with Julia. Viewers will be introduced to Julia’s protégé, Dr. Grace Howard (Georgina Reilly, Pontypool), a headstrong, ambitious new coroner. In addition to investigating a murder in Yukon during the Klondike Gold Rush, the final season will see Murdoch uncovering the intrigue behind the invention of the electric car, and exploring the drama on and offstage when a travelling opera company is hit with murder.