Season 18 of CBC’s #1 show and the most-watched long-running Canadian drama in the country is now in production in Toronto
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Watch a behind-the-scenes video here
Shaftesbury and CBC announced today that award-winning, Canadian actor Paul Sun-Hyung Lee (Kim’s Convenience, Avatar: The Last Airbender, The Mandalorian) will join the cast of the CBC original hit series MURDOCH MYSTERIES as the series commences production on its 18th season in Toronto. Lee enters the “Murdoch-verse” as Inspector Albert Choi, who brings a whole new perspective to Station House #4. Best known for his portrayal as Appa on Kim’s Convenience, as well as Uncle Iroh on Netflix’s live-action remake of Avatar: The Last Airbender, this new role marks Lee’s first foray into the world of period drama.
CBC’s most-watched show and Canada’s top-rated long-running drama, MURDOCH MYSTERIES is set in Toronto in the early 1900s during the age of invention, where Detective William Murdoch (Yannick Bisson) enlists innovative forensic techniques to solve some of the city’s most perplexing murders. Notable guest stars on the series have included William Shatner, Margaret Atwood, Geddy Lee, Chris Hadfield, Ed Asner and Nick Nurse, adding star-studded intrigue to its compelling tales. The 18th season, consisting of 22 episodes and celebrating the series’ 300th episode, will broadcast on CBC and CBC Gem in Canada this fall, Acorn TV and Ovation TV in the U.S. and on Alibi in the UK.
Ahead of the Season 18 premiere of MURDOCH MYSTERIES this fall, a special ‘Beginner’s Guide to Murdoch Mysteries’ collection is now available to stream for free on CBC Gem. The 10 iconic episodes are the perfect Murdoch primer pulled from across the series and highlight the show's trademark mystery, murder and Detective Murdoch’s unflappable resolve.
“We are delighted that Paul has joined us in the world of Murdoch,” says Executive Producer Peter Mitchell. “Paul brings a wealth of experience to his role as Inspector Albert Choi and we think the fans will really enjoy seeing him on the team at Station House 4.”
Season 18 is full of ‘Murdochian’ delights: a murder at a Charles Dickens convention; Murdoch acting as a bodyguard for a silent film star (Siobhan Murphy) and thrown into a cinematic adventure himself; foiling a theft of the world’s largest ruby; proving the veracity of a ‘Missing Link’ skull found in Milton, Ontario; and a holiday episode celebrating the ‘misfits’ and singletons. Episodes that root mysteries in the social issues of the time are also explored: a worker’s strike at a factory; an early instance of low-income housing; competing public hydro projects; and immigrants trying to purchase land in the ‘paradise’ of the wilds of Canada.
MURDOCH MYSTERIES was born out Maureen Jennings’ 1997 novel Except the Dying. Key characters in Murdoch’s world include Chief Constable Thomas Brackenreid (Thomas Craig), Constables George Crabtree (Jonny Harris) and Henry Higgins (Lachlan Murdoch), Detective Llewellyn Watts (Daniel Maslany), Chief Coroner Violet Hart (Shanice Banton), Margaret Brackenreid (Arwen Humphreys) and Effie Newsome-Crabtree (Clare McConnell) as Canada’s first female Crown Attorney. In addition, the milestone 300th episode will see Detective Murdoch visit the UK to see his wife, Dr. Julia Ogden (Hélène Joy), as they celebrate their wedding anniversary. This season will also introduce several fresh, new faces, as well as combining the history, humour, romance, and adventure that makes MURDOCH MYSTERIES so popular and unique for viewers around the world.
MURDOCH MYSTERIES is developed and produced by Shaftesbury, in association with CBC, ITV Studios, and UKTV, and with the participation of the Canada Media Fund, the IPF’s COGECO Television Production Fund, the Canadian Film or Video Production Tax Credit and Ontario Creates. Shaftesbury Sales Company and ITV Studios hold worldwide distribution rights for the series.
About Shaftesbury
Shaftesbury, an award-winning creator and producer of original content for television, film, and digital, was established in 1987 by Christina Jennings, Chairman and President. Shaftesbury's current primetime slate includes 17 seasons of the international hit series Murdoch Mysteries for CBC Television, Ovation TV, ION Plus, Acorn TV, and Alibi Channel, and six seasons of Hudson & Rex for Citytv, ION, UP Faith & Family, and Alibi Channel. Both series are available in over 120 countries worldwide. Other productions include: the acclaimed horror anthology series Slasher on Shudder and Hollywood Suite, with Emmy® Award-winner Eric McCormack starring in the fifth season; three seasons of the acclaimed six-part event series Departure for Global starring Emmy® Award-winner Archie Panjabi and the late Academy® Award-winner Christopher Plummer; and SisterS, an Irish-Canadian co-production by and starring Sarah Goldberg (Barry) and Susan Stanley, for Crave, RTÉ and IFC. For more information visit shaftesbury.ca.
About CBC/Radio-Canada
CBC/Radio-Canada is Canada’s national public broadcaster. Through our mandate to inform, enlighten and entertain, we play a central role in strengthening Canadian culture. As Canada’s trusted news source, we offer a uniquely Canadian perspective on news, current affairs and world affairs. Our distinctively homegrown entertainment programming draws audiences from across the country. Deeply rooted in communities, CBC/Radio-Canada offers diverse content in English, French and eight Indigenous languages. We also deliver content in Spanish, Arabic, Chinese, Punjabi and Tagalog, as well as both official languages, through Radio Canada International (RCI). We are leading the transformation to meet the needs of Canadians in a digital world.
About ITV Studios
ITV Studios is a creator, producer and distributor of world-leading programmes that people can’t get
enough of. We connect millions of people every day and shape and reflect the world they live in, we are More Than TV. ITV Studios is home to some of the best creative minds, crafting over 6,700 hours of original programming across more than 60 production labels. Our global footprint spans 12 countries including the UK, US, Australia, France, Germany, The Nordics, Italy and the Netherlands and our global distribution business sells our catalogue of 90,000+ hours to broadcasters and platforms around the world. ITV Studios is part of ITV PLC, which includes the UK’s largest commercial broadcaster.
Contacts:
Teaghan Hawke
CBC PR
Katherine Holmes
Unit Publicist
