With so many TV shows only having around 10 episodes per season, or splitting their longer seasons in half, we here at Steampunkary have been forced to look around for new TV shows to watch. Streaming opens up lots of new places to look for television shows to watch, and one of the benefits is access to shows from other countries. We have found so many new shows from other countries that we love. Often they are only new to us, not to television.
One of our favorite finds is Murdoch Mysteries, a Canadian TV show based in Toronto, Canada. What makes this show so unique is that it is set during the Victorian period and has many Steampunk elements. The first season begins in 1895, and successive seasons continue from that timeline and go forward. Each episode is set in a specific year, some of them during historical events, such as the Toronto fire in 1904.
The main character is William Murdoch, lead detective at police station house #4. He is a meticulous detective who loves science and technology (of the time), often inventing machines and and tools that in reality won’t be invented until many years later. His tinkering with building machines makes this show Steampunk in reality, not just Steampunk-adjacent. Most episodes, Murdoch creates a machine that helps solve his case or works with a famous inventor from that time period, like Nikola Tesla. Murdoch also meets other famous people from that time period including Mark Twain, Arthur Conan Doyle, and a young William Churchill.
Besides William Murdoch, the show has several other secondary characters that are fun to get to know. There is Dr. Julia Ogden, the coroner, Constable George Crabtree who is Murdoch’s main assistant, and Inspector Thomas Brackenreid who is in charge of Station #4. All of these characters add to the narrative in their own ways, cycling in and out of Murdoch’s life.
If you already have a membership to Hulu, you can stream Murdoch Mysteries for free from Season 1. Acorn is currently the place to find current shows. Murdoch Mysteries is currently in its 14th season and still going strong. If you start with Season 1, then you will have 218 episodes to watch until you catch up with 2021’s season.
If not, you can also enjoy Murdoch Mysteries on your own TV by purchasing episodes or seasons from Amazon.
If you prefer reading instead of watching, you can read the series of books the TV show is based on by author Maureen Jennings. They are available in paperback and some are also available on Kindle and Audible. They also would make terrific gifts for anyone who loves mystery, the Victorian period, or Steampunk. Below is the first book in the series.
Except the Dying (Murdoch Mysteries)
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I have been watching Murdock Mysteries for a few years, and some episodes I've seen 2 or 3 times. I really like the characters and the stories. It's almost like I've adopted them as family.