More Murdoch Mysteries in store with production underway on season four of
Shaftesbury's hit drama series for Citytv and Alibi

Yannick Bisson Does Double Duty and Directs an Upcoming Episode

Victor Garber (Alias) and Craig Olejnik (The Listener) Join Cast as Special Guest Stars

TORONTO, Aug. 16 /CNW/ - Shaftesbury Films, Canada's leading creator and producer of original content for television and multiple platforms, today announced that production has begun on season four of its highly successful one-hour drama series Murdoch Mysteries for broadcast on Citytv in Canada and Alibi in the UK in early 2011. Production will continue until early November in and around Toronto and Hamilton.

Yannick Bisson (Sue Thomas F.B.Eye, Casino Jack), who stars as Detective William Murdoch, will step behind the camera this season to direct episode three (Buffalo Shuffle) of the series. He will also be joined by an impressive list of directors for season four, including veteran director Don McCutcheon (Corner Gas, Relic Hunter), Gail Harvey (ReGenesis, Some Things That Stay), Harvey Crossland, (Ghostly Encounters, Life with Derek) Cal Coons, (ReGenesis, Murdoch Mysteries) Laurie Lynd, (Breakfast with Scot, I Was a Rat) and actress Leslie Hope (The Mentalist, A Very Merry Daughter of the Bride).

Victor Garber (Alias, Titanic) joins the cast in the season opener 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 (Spooks, Holby City), Paul Rhys (Luther, Being Human) and Simon Williams (Upstairs, Downstairs); and Peter Keleghan (The Newsroom, 18 to Life), Craig Olejnik (The Listener, Timekeeper), and Lisa Ray (Water, The Summit).

Based on Canadian author Maureen Jennings's popular Detective Murdoch series of mystery novels and set in late 1890s Toronto, Murdoch Mysteries explores the intriguing world of Detective William Murdoch (Yannick Bisson), who uses radical techniques for the time to solve some of the city's most gruesome murders Murdoch's small circle of confidantes are pathologist Dr. Julia Ogden (Hélène Joy, Durham County), a staunch ally who shares the detective's fascination for forensic science, and Constable George Crabtree (Jonny Harris, Hatching, Matching, Dispatching), Murdoch's eager but sometimes naïve right-hand man. Although his unconventional approach elicits skepticism and reluctant support from his boss, Inspector Brackenreid (Thomas Craig, Coronation Street); Murdoch is often the only one that can crack the case.

The fourth season will throw some difficult challenges Detective Murdoch's way. To start, pathologist Dr. Julia Ogden, who departed for a new job at the Childrens' Hospital of Buffalo at the end of season three, may have found a compelling reason to stay in Buffalo. Her replacement, brought in from Scotland Yard - the ill tempered Dr. Francis (Paul Rhys) - will frequently clash with the even-tempered Murdoch. In other episodes, under tragic circumstances, an old flame from Bristol, England, Anna Fulford (Lisa Faulkner) will return to pay Murdoch a visit; a crime spree leads to a Gypsy camp and a mysterious "wise woman" (Lisa Ray)"; mysterious Canadian Spy Terence Meyers (Peter Keleghan) will once again show up as Murdoch investigates a case that harkens back to the American Civil War and could threaten Canadian-American relations; Murdoch gets helps from the butler (Simon Williams) when a wealthy businessman is murdered and his son, Nicholas Jenkins (Craig Olejnik) is questioned; and in the season finale a wedding will take place but who will be walking down the aisle?

Murdoch Mysteries has been honored with several Gemini awards and more than 20 nominations. The series is executive produced by Christina Jennings and Scott Garvie for Shaftesbury, and Larry Lalonde (The Listener, Missing) and Phil Bedard (The Listener, Missing). The series is produced by Laura Harbin for Shaftesbury and Stephen Montgomery (Vacation with Derek) and Peter Meyboom serves as Supervising Producer. Production executives for Citytv are Alain Strati, Vice-President, OMNI Station Group, Specialty TV & Development and Patrice Baillargeon, Director, Development & Production, Rogers Media Television. Production executive for UKTV's libi is Alexandra Finlay, Acquisitions Manager and Noel Hedges, Senior Vice-President, Sales and Acquisitions, the Americas at ITV STUDIOS Global Entertainment Inc., serves as Executive Producer.

Murdoch Mysteries is developed and produced by Shaftesbury, in association with Citytv, a division of Rogers Media Inc., ITV Studios Global Entertainment and UKTV, and with the assistance of the Canadian Film or Video Production Tax Credit, the Ontario Film and Television Tax Credit, the Canada Media Fund, the Bell New Media Fund and the Cogeco Production Development Fund. ITV Studios Global Entertainment has worldwide distribution rights (excluding Canada and UKTV rights) and Murdoch Mysteries has now been licensed in over 100 territories.

About Shaftesbury Films:

Founded in 1987, Shaftesbury is Canada's leading creator and producer of original content for television and multiple platforms. Recent productions include Bloodletting & Miraculous Cures for HBO Canada based on the Giller Prize-winning book by Dr. Vincent Lam; The Listener for CTV and Fox International Channels; and the fourth season of Murdoch Mysteries for Citytv and UKTV's Alibi. Shaftesbury also produces a variety of award-winning children's programming, including the global hit Life with Derek, which is broadcast in more than 120 countries worldwide, and the hit movie based on the series, Vacation with Derek. Shaftesbury's newest series, Good Dog, is a half-hour comedy created, written and directed by Ken Finkleman (The Newsroom) that will premiere on The Movie Network and Movie Central in 2011. Shaftesbury Sales Company, the organization's sales division, manages international sales and distribution for the company's content. Visit Shaftesbury at www.shaftesbury.ca.'

About Alibi:

Alibi is TV's home of crime drama featuring the world's best-known TV detectives. Famous faces such as Miss Marple, Inspector Lynley and Jessica Fletcher are joined by the teams from Silent Witness and New Tricks, plus there's murder most foul with the channels first co-production, Murdoch Mysteries and acquisitions including US hit Castle. www.theperfectalibi.co.uk Where to find Alibi: Sky channel 132 and Virgin TV channel 130.

About Citytv:

Citytv(TM) television stations in Toronto, Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton and Winnipeg offer viewers intensely-local, urban-oriented, culturally-diverse television programming. A distinct alternative to other conventional television stations, Citytv engages its viewers with dynamic on-air personalities and delivers an entertaining mix of news, local-interactive formats such as: Breakfast Television and CityLine; as well as local Canadian and US acquired prime time entertainment programming. Citytv is a part of Rogers Broadcasting Limited, a division of Rogers Communications Inc. (TSX: RCI and NYSE: RCI) which is a diversified Canadian communications and media company. For more information on Citytv stations and programming, visit www.Citytv.com

About ITV STUDIOS Global Entertainment:

ITV STUDIOS Global Entertainment is one of the world's leading international TV distribution, home-entertainment, merchandising and licensing businesses. ITV STUDIOS Global Entertainment proudly represents a world-class portfolio from ITV Studios, Granada and over 200 leading independent producers. Showcasing more than 35,000 hours of critically celebrated and hugely-popular original and formatted programming, including all new Hell's Kitchen, Come Dine with Me, Dancing on Ice, I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here!, Coronation Street, Agatha Christie's Marple and Poirot, Inspector Morse, Prime Suspect and The Prisoner.

For further information: or to arrange a set visit or interview, please contact: Sue Baldaro, Shaftesbury Films, [email protected], 416.363.1411 X 154 or 647.802.0739 mobile