William Shatner travels back in time as American legend Mark Twain in CBC's Murdoch Mysteries on October 12

"Marked Twain" Episode of Murdoch Mysteries, premieres in Canada on Thanksgiving Monday, October 12 at 8:00 pm/8:30 pm NT on CBC-TV

TORONTO, Oct. 7, 2015 /CNW/ - William Shatner has fought the bad guys on the streets and in the courtroom, and travelled through time and space, all of which will prepare him for his latest role – as American author and humourist Mark Twain in the hit series MURDOCH MYSTERIES. "Marked Twain" premieres Monday, October 12 at 8:00 pm/8:30 pm NT on CBC-TV. When Twain's life is threatened after a controversial speaking engagement at the Empire Club of Canada in 1903 Toronto, Detective Murdoch (Yannick Bisson) and his colleagues must protect the esteemed writer. Watch an exclusive preview, including interviews with Shatner and the cast: https://youtu.be/c0sKqtEPX8o.

In "Marked Twain," Murdoch and Inspector Thomas Brackenreid (Thomas Craig) find themselves at the posh Empire Club of Canada, in an attempt to please their wives. For Brackenreid, the draw is the prospect of membership to elevate his and Margaret Brackenreid's (Arwen Humphreys) social status. For Murdoch, it's the opportunity to feed Dr. Julia Ogden's (Hélène Joy) intellectual hunger by hearing a talk by esteemed American humorist and writer Mark Twain (William Shatner). But when Twain takes the podium and is greeted by jeers and bullets, all bets for a successful endeavour are off.

Meanwhile, Murdoch's subsequent investigation into the club's members threatens to derail Brackenreid's quest for credibility with the gentry. Brackenreid then faces an unusual quandary when one of the more influential club members suggests he could obtain membership by using his authority to run Mark Twain out of town. The situation is further exacerbated when Ogden decides to invite the eminent writer to speak at a suffragette event. Unfortunately, by lingering in Toronto for another public speaking event, Twain unwittingly faces another life-threatening situation.

One of Canada's most successful and longest-running dramas, MURDOCH MYSTERIES (9 seasons; 132 x one-hour episodes) has become a staple for CBC and broadcasters around the world with its winning formula that brings together compelling mysteries, unique slices of turn-of-the-century history, ingenious inventions and personal moments for each character. Licensed to broadcasters in 110 countries and territories including the U.S., UK, France, Finland and China, the series continues to thrive, boasting an average audience of 1.3 million each week in Canada in Season 8 (Source: Numeris, first-run Season 8 episodes only). Season 9 premiered on CBC on October 5, and is currently in production in Ontario until December 2015.

MURDOCH MYSTERIES has brought dozens of historical figures to life including Nikola Tesla, Thomas Edison, Harry Houdini, Winston Churchill, Wilfrid Laurier and Bat Masterson, and featured more than 100 guest stars including Victor Garber, Tom McCamus, Mary Walsh, Nicholas Campbell, Steven Ogg, past Dragons (Dragons' Den) Arlene Dickinson and David Chilton,Canadian opera singer Measha Brueggergosman, Lieutenant Governor of Ontario David C. Onley and Prime Minister Stephen Harper.

With millions of fans worldwide, MURDOCH MYSTERIES boasts one of the most engaged fan communities in Canadian television, including 77,000 likes on Facebook and more than 80,000 followers for the series and its stars on Twitter. Tickets for the 2015 annual MURDOCH MYSTERIES Fan Day held at the show's Toronto studio in August sold out within 15 minutes, with a second day added to accommodate the overwhelming demand. 2500 fans attended over the two days from August 8 - 9, including fans from Canada, the U.S., the UK, France, Italy, Spain, China and Japan.

Set in Toronto at the dawn of the 20th century, MURDOCH MYSTERIES is a one-hour drama series that explores the intriguing world of William Murdoch (Yannick Bisson), a methodical and dashing detective who pioneers innovative forensic techniques to solve some of the city's most gruesome murders. Murdoch's colleagues include his wife, pathologist and psychiatrist Dr. Julia Ogden (Hélène Joy, Durham County), a loving ally who shares the detective's fascination for science; Constable George Crabtree (Jonny Harris, Still Standing), Murdoch's eager but sometimes naïve right-hand man; Inspector Brackenreid (Thomas Craig, Coronation Street), Murdoch's skeptical yet reluctantly supportive boss; and coroner Dr. Emily Grace (Georgina Reilly; The L.A. Complex), Dr. Ogden's protégé.

MURDOCH MYSTERIES was initially adapted for television from Maureen Jennings's popular Detective Murdoch series of novels as three made-for-TV films produced by Shaftesbury, broadcast in Canada in 2004 and 2005. The series first premiered in Canada in January 2008.

MURDOCH MYSTERIES is developed and produced by Shaftesbury, in association with CBC, ITV STUDIOS Global Entertainment and UKTV, and with the participation of the Canada Media Fund, the Canadian Film or Video Production Tax Credit, the Ontario Film and Television Tax Credit and the COGECO Program Development Fund. Shaftesbury Sales Company and ITV STUDIOS Global Entertainment hold worldwide distribution rights for the series.

About CBC/Radio-Canada
CBC/Radio-Canada is Canada's national public broadcaster and one of its largest cultural institutions. The Corporation is a leader in reaching Canadians on new platforms and delivers a comprehensive range of radio, television, internet, and satellite-based services. Deeply rooted in the regions, CBC/Radio-Canada is the only domestic broadcaster to offer diverse regional and cultural perspectives in English, French and eight Aboriginal languages.

A space for us all is CBC/Radio-Canada's new strategy to modernize the public broadcaster and ensure that it continues to fulfill its mandate for Canadians and for future generations. Through to 2020, it will increase its investment in prime time television programming, and continue to create radio programs of the highest quality, while promoting the development of digital and mobile platforms and content.

About Shaftesbury
With offices in Toronto and Los Angeles, Shaftesbury is an award-winning creator and producer of original content for television and digital platforms, sold in 120 countries worldwide. Shaftesbury's slate includes David Shore's new series, Houdini & Doyle, for Sony Pictures Television, Shaw Media, ITV and Fox; thriller series Slasher for Super Channel and Chiller; nine seasons of Murdoch Mysteries for CBC, UKTV and ITV STUDIOS Global Entertainment; and hit Kids' CBC series The Moblees. Shaftesbury's digital studio, Smokebomb Entertainment, produces original digital, convergent and branded entertainment projects including the hit YouTube series Carmilla, funded by U by Kotex®; and non-traditional wedding series I Do, funded by Cotton Incorporated. Shaftesbury and Smokebomb recently launched shift2, an innovative brand agency that targets millennials on YouTube. Visit us online at http://shaftesbury.ca. 

For more information including screeners, series synopses, press releases, hi-res images, video clips and bios, please visit the CBC Media Centre at cbc.ca/mediacentre.

Follow CBC's publicity team on Twitter @CBC_Publicity.

SOURCE Shaftesbury

Image with caption: "Mark Twain (William Shatner) addresses the Empire Club of Canada in 1903 Toronto while his assistant (Kevin McGarry) looks on. Photo by Christos Kalohoridis for Shaftesbury/CBC (CNW Group/Shaftesbury)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20151007_C8436_PHOTO_EN_516413.jpg

Judy Lung, PR Manager, Television, Shaftesbury, Office: 416-363-1411 x186, Mobile: [phone], [email protected]; Cathleen Saville, Publicist, CBC Publicity, Office: 416-205-7976, Mobile: [phone], [email protected]