Very few scripted dramatic TV shows have ever attempted to mount a full-blown musical episode. Certainly Dallas never did it. Mad Man sent off Bert Cooper in style when, in a fantasy sequence, Robert Morse took a career-ending bow singing, “The Best Things in Life are Free.” Even Don Draper was speechless. But full blown
Never say Murdoch Mysteries does not take chances. In its 17th season, the popular CBC series presents, as far as I can remember, a first for a Canadian TV drama — an all musical episode. Writer Paul Aitken had had the idea for years. Helene Joy (Dr. Julia Ogden) always wanted to do it. Yannick
Do not adjust your set. Tonight’s episode of Murdoch Mysteries is shot in sensational black and white. It is a milestone episode, the 250th of the popular CBC drama, which is halfway through its 16th season. After tonight, the series will sit out the holiday season as CBC goes wall-to-wall Christmas right through until January.
For the past four seasons, Peter Mitchell has been doing Ryan Murphy-level duty. He’s the showrunner for the two primetime scripted Canadian series with by far the largest schedules: Murdoch Mysteries and Hudson & Rex. Murdoch, CBC’s historical whodunnit which returns for a 16th season next Monday, September 12, is currently in production in and
It pays to be a pack rat. Example: believe it or not, an interview I did with comedy legend George Burns way back in December of 1985 still plays on a cassette recorder. It will kick off a series of “From the Vault” podcasts coming to brioux.tv. Burns was about to turn 90 when I
My late mother-in-law Teresa used to have many colourful expressions. One was, “Busy as a dog licking two pots.” This pretty much describes TV showrunner Peter Mitchell this past year. The veteran writer/executive producer has overseen CBC’s Murdoch Mysteries for over a decade and last year took on the added assignment of overseeing Hudson &
The third week of September is still when stuff gets real in any new TV season. Several shows launch this very week, including the new version of Magnum,P.I. and the Lost-in-reverse drama Manifest (Monday), FBI and the hospital drama New Amsterdam (Tuesday), the This is Us/”Big Chill” wannabee A Million Little Things (Wednesday), the Murphy