The Canadian detective series Murdoch Mysteries is based on the novels by Maureen Jennings. The stories follow the brilliant and innovative Detective William Murdoch (Yannick Bisson) as he solves crimes in late 19th-century Toronto along with his colleagues, coroner Dr. Julia Ogden (Helene Joy), police chief Inspector Brackenreid (Thomas Craig), and Murdoch's incorrigible assistant Constable George Crabtree (Jonny Harris). The thirteen episodes in Season 1 feature historical figures such as Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (Geraint Wyn Davies) and Nikola Tesla (Dmitry Chepovetsky), a gimmick used less in the following seasons.
Episode 1: Power (January 24, 2008)
When Miss Toronto Electric and Light dies in a demonstration about the dangers of AC current, Murdoch suspects murder and consults inventor Nikola Tesla for help.
Episode 2: Glass Ceiling (January 30, 2008)
When the body of a well-known Toronto lawyer is delivered to the police station, along with a threatening letter, Murdoch turns to forensic science to determine the time of death and solve the murder. Despite Murdoch's talent, his Catholicism holds him back from promotion.
Episode 3: The Knockdown (February 7, 2008)
When a black professional boxer is murdered and his wife arrested, Murdoch worries that the investigators may be motivated by racism rather than the facts, and searches for a more likely killer.
Episode 4: Elementary, My Dear Murdoch (February 14, 2008)
When a medium helps Murdoch locate the body of a murdered Toronto Paranormal Society member, prominent spiritualist Sir Arthur Conan Doyle inserts himself into the case. Murdoch's doubts about spiritualism are shaken when he receives a message from his dead fiancée.
Episode 5: 'Til Death Do Us Part (February 21, 2008)
When a man dies on his wedding day, Murdoch learns that the wedding was a sham so that the victim, a homosexual, could inherit his father's estate. The investigation both challenges Murdoch's sexual morals and leads him to an unlikely suspect.
Episode 6: Let the Dogs Loose (February 28, 2008)
When a man dies after a bar fight, Murdoch must investigate his own father as a suspect. The case depends on Murdoch pinpointing the time of death with the help of an idiot savant.
Episode 7: Body Double (March 7, 2008)
When a dead body falls onstage during a performance of Macbeth, Murdoch's investigation reveals that the victim is not who he seems, and the answer lies in a complex love triangle and murder plot.
Episode 8: Still Waters (March 13, 2008)
When the newest member of the men's rowing team at a country club turns up dead, the conflict seems rooted in a class struggle. Murdoch uses a new lie detection device to help uncover the killer.
Episode 9: Belly Speaker (March 20, 2008)
When a man is murdered with a deadly dose of varnish, Murdoch must deal with the victim's son, a disturbed young ventriloquist who speaks through his puppet. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle returns to aid in the investigation for reasons of his own.
Episode 10: Child's Play (March 27, 2008)
When a philanthropist who helped find adoptive parents for underprivileged children is murdered, the evidence suggests that the children the victim helped save were the ones to kill him.
Episode 11: Bad Medicine (April 3, 2008)
When people connected with a paranormal research center are murdered by a strange, hooded figure with a crossbow, a medium warns Murdoch that he will be the killer's final victim.
Episode 12: The Prince and the Rebel (April 10, 2008)
When Murdoch and Crabtree are assigned to protect Prince Alfred, they discover a dead woman who may be connected to the Irish Republican Brotherhood. Murdoch must investigate an old friend in order to uncover a plot against the prince.
Episode 13: The Annoying Red Planet (April 17, 2008)
When a man is found dead at the top of a tree with no apparent means of getting there, Crabtree suspects aliens. Murdoch, however, investigates the human culprits: developers who wanted the man's land.
Join the Conversation