Murdoch Mysteries - a gem recently found

[wiseheart]

As I mentioned in my previous post, I've detected a new fandom - as if I needed another one! It's The Murdoch Mysteries, featuring William Murdoch, a police detective working in Toronto, Ontario in the 1890s. The television series is based on the Detective Murdoch series of novels by Maureen Jennings.

I must admit that I never heard before either of the author or of the series - I found it by accident, since I hardly ever watch Hungarian television. But now I'm hooked. The series has a unique charm, mostly due to the old-fashioned settings, and the cast look refreshingly like normal people. The stories are quite good, they have old-fashioned forensics, romance, some religious hue and so on. It's a delight to watch.

I also think the series has unique crossover qualities with the Whoniverse - with the character of Jack Harkness, to be more accurate. I could imagine a series of stories in which Jack visits Murdoch's Toronto: first as a time agent, then as the Doctor's companion, and finally as an immortal freelance agent of Victorian Torchwood Cardiff. It would be great fun to write.

Comments

[artemis10002000]

That sounds very intriguing! I'm not a mystery fan, but it being set in the 1890s certainly make up for it.

Have fun with the new fandom!

I might take a peek, but currently, I can't even keep up with my current fandoms. (I haven't watched a single TV series in months and am just too brain-dead to bother to watch a show at the computer, especially if it's in English.)

[wiseheart.livejournal.com]

Ummm... "The Murdoch Mysteries" is only the title. It's a very regular cop show, set in Victorian era Toronto, á la Sherlock Holmes. It even features Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, twice! Crime stories used to be called murder mysteries, if I'm not mistaken, hence the title, I think.

I can't really watch a show on computer, either. It kills my eyes. BTW, have you noticed that RTL2 has re-started Torchwood (every Tuesday night) and that Andromeda and Star Trek TNG are running every weekday on Tele5, together with Stargate SG-1? Sci-fi fans are having a good time right now.

[morethanpasta]

Nope, I haven't noticed. Like I said, I'm totally out of the loop :(

[artemis10002000]

Sorry, wrong account! That's me.

[wiseheart.livejournal.com]

I assumed it would be so. Funny username, though. ;)

[artemis10002000]

It's a RP account, thus the odd username. Cuz there's so much more to the characters than his love for pasta

*hangs head in shame* Yes, I know it's crazy when I'm already complaining about not having enough time *sigh* But real life has killed my inspiration, even writing to other people's prompts doesn't work anymore. I need some creative outlet to give me a breather from RL, though I *know* I'm going to regret the additional procrastination temptation soon enough.

[wiseheart.livejournal.com]

Hehe! You *do* like to make your own life complicated, don't you? Although I'm the last person who'd be entitled to say anything about that, what with the dozens of my unfinished WIPs and whatnot.

[artemis10002000]

Yeah, I know! *sigh* As if I don't have enough distractions... But I just need something which forces me to think of something else than panicking about the latest real life desaster. With reading, you can too easily just skim it without really processing what you're reading and writing... Ugh. Just doesn't work. Except the occasional angst and war, death, desperation isn't the kind of atmosphere I need to immerse myself in when I'm already depressed.

[jenn-calaelen.livejournal.com]

That sounds like an interesting show. I'll have to add it to my list of things to watch. :)

That sounds like a very interesting story to write - especially as if you have viewpoint characters from there it would be really interesting to see what they make of Jack's changes.

[wiseheart.livejournal.com]

Well, it's very much still just a vague idea. Especially as I've promised myself not to start a new story before I'd have finished at least one of my WIPs - a promise I've already broken, repeatedly. :(

The show is very interesting instead. I started recording it on videotape - it's with Hungarian dubbing, alas, they never do OT with subtitles here (perhaps don't trust that the majority of the population can read or whatnot), but at least it gives me a solid idea about the plotlines, character development, atmosphere and suchlike.

[jenn-calaelen.livejournal.com]

Oh, I sympathise! I've loads of half written stories - and lots of ideas for new ones, just not the time/energy/motivation/inspiration to actually finish anything. Especially when new ideas always seem shinier....

It seems that most tv shows things dubbed than with subtitles - it was annoying when I was watching tv in French, especially with musicals when they dubbed the songs in a way that really didn't scan. (Although it was even more annoying when school made me watch US tv shows with French subtitles for French class... that just seemed completely pointless)

[dr-doomsduck.livejournal.com]

Ahhh! new opportunities! I've been bubbling around the official website of the show (adobe flash?! WHY GOD, WHY) and the guy playing murdoch reminds me of the real capt. Jack Harkness for a bit, except for the...did I see that right?...mascara.

This show looks so steampunk it almost has to be awesome by default. The first connections my mind makes are Johnny Depp in Sleepy Hollow and The league of extraordinary gentlemen movie. I am also loving the fact that this is in Canada, instead of the good ol' US of A.

If you're going to write a crossover, I vote to bring in Emily Holroyd and Alice Guppy, because they were the badasses of their time.

>.< hopefully this story will help me get rid of my newfound dislike for Jack. Thank you, Miracle day interviews....

[wiseheart.livejournal.com]

I can't access the official website at all, so I'm depending on Wikipedia and on the LJ comm - yes, there is one for the show. Thanks for recognizing for me whom Yannick Bissen looks like - I was slowly getting mad b/c I couldn't figure out why does he look so familiar.

The show *is* awesome. It does have a decidedly British air, IMO, which would be natural, given the time and the political environment, and yet different. Still, it reminds me a bit of various Sherlock Holmes adaptations. I find it extraordinarily good that they have a lady coroner, and she has this *very* understated romance with Murdoch. I guess I'm hopelessly sappy. Comes with advanced age perhaps.

The Evil Bitches of TW3 will definitely make an appearance, should I ever get the chance to write the story. There is an episode around the end of Season 1, where Prince Albert (grandson of the Queen) goes to visit Toronto, and Murdoch & Co. must protect him. I think TW3 would send their resident freak for the same reason, since he doesn't stay dead, and TW owes the Queen a great deal, eh?

Besides, Jack with those long sideburns is made of the win, don't you think?

[dr-doomsduck.livejournal.com]

I actually thought it was the same guy, but Capt. Jack's head seems a bit...longer? than Murdoch's. Still not sure about the eyes, is he wearing eyeliner or somesuch, or is it just the pictures?

Well, I would actually guess there was some sort French thing going on as well, since they officially founded the city...I mean even now, Canada has a bit of french, I imagine it was more pronounced by then (over time, they would've had more connection with the yanks than to the french, so naturally they would've lost it a bit).

Either way, Prince Albert Edward, if I've got the right one (and good lord was I afraid I'd end up with the piercing page)lived between 1841 and 1910, I don't know how old he is in the series, but using that angle, you can probably figure out the year using the actor's age. From there on it's possible to find out which events have or haven't happened yet.

I recognized a lot of the side characters as those of Sherlock. Grumpy inspector, wet-behind-the-ears idiot cop, and a doctor (a coroner is sort of a doctor) to finish things up. not sure how I feel about that.

As for sideburns, Sideburns always win!

[wiseheart.livejournal.com]

No, not the same guy - different names, too. This one played in Sue Thomas FBI earlier, if I'm not mistaken.

Prince Albert, if Wikipedia is right, died at a fairly young age by his own hand, due to some debiliating illness. I'll have to re-check that, though.

I think either the TV-series or the original books were meant to a hommage to Sherlock Holmes. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle is mentioned as Murdoch's idol and even has two separate appearances in the series.

Toronto might have been founded by the French, but in the series you can see Bobbys with their typical helmets and all those things, so it does have a British air.

[dr-doomsduck.livejournal.com]

Which prince albert in specifics are we talking about? the one who married queen Victoria...or someone else. (There are to many damn prince alberts)

>.< I should probably just go watch this series. Good thing I'll have a bit of free time on my hands the coming weeks. So I'll just download it all and see how far I'll get.

[wiseheart.livejournal.com]

Prince Albert, grandson of Queen Victoria, the kid of her second son, if I'm not mistaken.

Another one?!!

[lhun-dweller.livejournal.com]

Hurrah! [sigh] Yet another fandom about which I am completely ignorant EXCEPT that I have actually been to Toronto once, years ago for a conference. In fact, that's when I met the guy who ended up leading me into what became my graduate fieldwork-based thesis. Also, a writer whom I enjoy very much, Charles de Lindt, often sets his stories modern-day Toronto. You could say that the city itself is almost a character in some. (Have I sent you anything of his yet? If not, Google his name and see if you'd like me to send you something, along with the holiday package that failed to be delivered. Grrr.)

From what you describe, it sounds like there is some definite crossover potential. Macht Spass!

Re: Another one?!!

[wiseheart.livejournal.com]

Have I sent you anything of his yet? If not, Google his name and see if you'd like me to send you something, along with the holiday package that failed to be delivered.

Actually, if you insist on sending me anything, I'd request one of the original Murdoch Mysteries novels by Maureen Jennings, should they be available second-hand. That would be helpful with the speech patterns and stuff, since the only way I can see the show is with Hungarian dubbing. They don't do the subtitle thing over here, unfortunately.

I think if you imagine Sherlock Holmes in Toronto, you will have an overall impression what the show is like. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle has guest appearances in two episodes of the first season (played by Geraint Wyn Davies, and man, has he got... erm... ripened and filled out since his days as vampire detective Nick Knight!). I like the coroner lady, Dr. Ogden very much. And all that 19th century CSI-stuff, for lack of a better expression.

Crossovers are fun indeed! But I've solemnly promised to ignore this bunny at least until after July, in which month I should finish two of my long overdue WIPs, riding the inspiration wave that is picowrimo.