Alibi Picks Up Shaftesbury Web Series

TORONTO: The Shaftesbury web spin-off series Murdoch Mysteries: The Curse of the Lost Pharaohs has been picked up by the UKTV crime channel Alibi as an online precursor to the premiere of season five of Murdoch Mysteries in 2012.

The 13-episode three-minute original online series Murdoch Mysteries: The Curse of the Lost Pharaohs was created as an exclusive extension of season four of the TV series for Citytv.com in Canada. The web series is a joint initiative of Shaftesbury and its digital media division, Smokebomb Entertainment.

The spin-off features the stars of Murdoch Mysteries and illustrations by comic book artist Francis Manapul (The Flash, Superman/Batman). Murdoch Mysteries is based on Canadian author Maureen Jennings’s Detective Murdoch series of mystery novels. ITV Studios Global Entertainment has added the spin-off series to its MIPCOM sales catalogue and will manage international sales for the title outside of Canada and the U.K.

“Curse of the Lost Pharaohs offers a unique experience for fans of Murdoch Mysteries who can’t get enough of the series, and we’re confident that it will be as strongly embraced by U.K. and international audiences as it has been in Canada,” said Shane Kinnear, the senior VP of sales and marketing at Shaftesbury.

“With its unique mix of live action and animation and playful perspective on the Murdoch Mysteries’ characters, this spin-off series is the perfect way to bridge the gap for U.K. viewers online and in broadcast until the start of the fifth season,” added Alexandra Finlay, the acquisitions manager at UKTV.