Shaftesbury Preps New Season of Murdoch Mysteries

TORONTO: Shaftesbury Films has begun production on the fourth season of Murdoch Mysteries, for broadcast on Canada’s Citytv and the U.K.’s Alibi in early 2011.

Production on the period piece is set to continue until early November in and around Toronto and Hamilton. This season will see star Yannick Bisson (Detective William Murdoch) directing an episode. Other directors include Don McCutcheon (Corner Gas), Gail Harvey (ReGenesis), Harvey Crossland (Life with Derek) and Cal Coons (ReGenesis).

Also this season, Victor Garber, of Alias fame, comes on board in a guest role as Murdoch’s predecessor, the prematurely-retired Malcolm Lamb, who helps Murdoch with a grisly murder. Other guest stars to be featured this season include British actors Lisa Faulkner, Paul Rhys and Simon Williams; and Peter Keleghan, Craig Olejnik and Lisa Ray

The series is executive produced by Christina Jennings and Scott Garvie for Shaftesbury, and Larry Lalonde  and Phil Bedard. Distribution outside Canada and the U.K. is handled by ITV Studios Global Entertainment.  The show has been licensed in over 100 territories.