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Post by snacky on May 2, 2014 4:57:12 GMT
I wouldn't know, eus. Even though I'm an American fan, I found it through Netflix. Ovation doesn't come through on our television package. Ovation was a terrible choice. They were actually dropped from major cable systems (like Time Warner) before the MM deal because they weren't doing enough original programming to build an audience. MM was probably the main reason they managed to get back on the roster last year. I've seen someone suggest the Science channel as a good home for Eureka, and MM might also work there. But I suspect they would be almost as bad for audience-reach as Ovation. The Science Channel mainly appears on higher priced packages, and the only time I've ever seen a major publicity push is for "Through the Wormhole". The History Channel might be a good a choice - especially since they've succeeded with Vikings. But what MM needs is a lot of reruns during the week, and that would only happen on channels that deal mainly with scripted shows. |
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Post by wildhorseannie on May 2, 2014 16:04:27 GMT
I don't watch a ton of scripted shows on a daily basis, so it's hard to say what American channel MM would be most at home on. Perhaps one of the female-based networks like LMN or Oxygen...I would imagine the beautiful faces of William and George would be welcome there.  |
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Post by snacky on May 2, 2014 17:09:13 GMT
I don't watch a ton of scripted shows on a daily basis, so it's hard to say what American channel MM would be most at home on. Perhaps one of the female-based networks like LMN or Oxygen...I would imagine the beautiful faces of William and George would be welcome there. I'd watch MM on LMN or Oxygen, but they would probably lose 90% of the male audience. It's in everyone's interest if MM's audience is as broad as possible: and perhaps, in the American context, something that even draws young guys. I think the steampunk-macgyver elements can do that. |
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Post by wildhorseannie on May 2, 2014 17:17:14 GMT
That is very true...I guess networks have gotten so specialized these days, it's hard to find one that caters to such a broad range of viewers. I know personally I probably watch the History Channel, NatGeo Wild, and Turner Classic Movies the most, but none of those would fit Murdoch very well!  |
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Post by snacky on May 2, 2014 17:58:19 GMT
That is very true...I guess networks have gotten so specialized these days, it's hard to find one that caters to such a broad range of viewers. I know personally I probably watch the History Channel, NatGeo Wild, and Turner Classic Movies the most, but none of those would fit Murdoch very well! There are so many cable channels and so many different systems with their own packages that it's hard to tell which channels are "common" and which channels will mostly appear in "premium" packages. Ovation and the Science channel seem to be mostly premium. I have a "mid-range" package from Dish. I don't get TCM, but I do get TBS and TNT, so that might go either way. I get Lifetime, but not LMN. My guess is USA, History Channel, Lifetime, SyFy, and TBS are probably the most common beyond network channels. I'm wondering how common ION is, because they do a lot of reruns of scripted shows - but they tend to be very mainstream modern-day-setting. There needs to be a cult tv channel at the common end. The ones that currently run weird TV shows, like the Chiller channel, are all obscure. |
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Post by wildhorseannie on May 3, 2014 0:38:21 GMT
ION may be a good one. We used to get it on Dish and I would watch Criminal Minds reruns on it all the time! I think MM would fit in well with their mostly crime show lineup. Unfortunately, we switched to AT&T Uverse a few months back and no longer get it. :/
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Post by snacky on May 3, 2014 7:52:23 GMT
ION may be a good one. We used to get it on Dish and I would watch Criminal Minds reruns on it all the time! I think MM would fit in well with their mostly crime show lineup. Unfortunately, we switched to AT&T Uverse a few months back and no longer get it. :/ I lost ION when I switched packages and then got it back. That one might be in flux. On the bright side, it picks up Canadian shows like Flashpoint and The Listener. I can't believe they chose a cookie cutter psychic-crime-fighter show like The Listener over Murdoch Mysteries. Even for Flashpoint, I think US viewers would actually be more interested in historic Toronto (a foreign city made even more exotic by being set in the European-esque past) than yet another police procedural in a city that might as well be New York. One of the Orphan Black reviews said that Canadian shows liked to keep the city vague so US viewers could believe it was set in the US. I guess that could work with partly-symbolic sci fi shows. In the case of Murdoch Mysteries, though, I think they should just embrace the fact its set in Toronto and present it as a kind of televised tourism. That gives a whole new meaning to "destination show" doesn't it? XD |
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Post by wildhorseannie on May 4, 2014 1:09:51 GMT
I for one, love the fact that the show is set in Toronto! It makes me do my homework when it comes to researching the locale! Then again, the show Monk is set much closer to home, so it makes it sometimes exciting to see places that I've actually been.
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Post by Deleted on May 4, 2014 16:34:42 GMT
That MM is set in Toronto, and trumpets that fact loudly, is the first thing that kept me watching when I just happened upon it initially. Most of the place names are familiar to me as I have lived in or near Toronto for most of my life. That it so well written and acted is such a bonus.
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Post by snacky on May 29, 2014 1:40:54 GMT
I just rewatched the Filmed Adventures of William Murdoch and there was a bit of comic business about the constable removing his hat so the film could have International distribution. I also remember reading some review of Orphan Black about how Canadian shows often attempt to be set in "generic cities" so International audiences can imagine themselves there. I've read similar sentiments in the past.
I agree with Eus: I think proudly asserting the Toronto setting is a feature, not a bug. Anchoring Murdoch Mysteries in a particular sense of place gives it a kind of solidity and adds to the "period" feel, even if it isn't one of the standard settings for period pieces: "London", "Paris", "New York", "Boston", "Carson City". Why not "Toronto"? All it takes is a show like Murdoch Mysteries to familiarize people with what is special about Toronto as a "signature place" ("brand" place? ew...), and after that it will become an *asset* (instant "character") to locate TV shows, movies, video games, and whatnot in Toronto. Thanks to Murdoch Mysteries people all over the world will start to get that setting etched into their heads. In fact if there is anything particularly touristy about Toronto, Murdoch Mysteries should try to squeeze it in there.
This is also the argument for CBC, and Canada in general to continue to support and promote this show. I have to say I only had the vaguest notion that Toronto even existed before watching Murdoch Mysteries.
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Post by wildhorseannie on May 29, 2014 3:46:53 GMT
As an American fan, I love the fact that the show is set in Toronto. It almost has the feeling of an exotic locale, while still coming across as familiar and relatable. And of course, the show's "place in time" (the Victorian Era) adds to allure of the setting.
Personally, I tend to immerse myself in the setting of the shows I watch. For shows like Criminal Minds and Monk, it didn't take much of an effort. But with Murdoch, I'm finding myself devouring books on Canadian history and the development of forensic sciences. It's great! Although it speaks to my unfortunate people skills, I've found myself more engaged in Canadian culture now than I ever did when a majority of my schoolmates were Canadian.
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Post by snacky on May 29, 2014 3:56:30 GMT
As an American fan, I love the fact that the show is set in Toronto. It almost has the feeling of an exotic locale, while still coming across as familiar and relatable. And of course, the show's "place in time" (the Victorian Era) adds to allure of the setting. Personally, I tend to immerse myself in the setting of the shows I watch. For shows like Criminal Minds and Monk, it didn't take much of an effort. But with Murdoch, I'm finding myself devouring books on Canadian history and the development of forensic sciences. It's great! Although it speaks to my unfortunate people skills, I've found myself more engaged in Canadian culture now than I ever did when a majority of my schoolmates were Canadian. I've never been to Canada, so if it looks Belle Epoque, it might as well be Europe to me.  |
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Post by awnb95 on Jun 16, 2014 1:47:16 GMT
ION may be a good one. We used to get it on Dish and I would watch Criminal Minds reruns on it all the time! I think MM would fit in well with their mostly crime show lineup. Unfortunately, we switched to AT&T Uverse a few months back and no longer get it. :/ ION would be a good network for the show. They already show a few Canadian shows. "Flashpoint" and "The Listener". BBC America would work as well if they didn't only show British or CO produced shows. |
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Post by snacky on Jun 16, 2014 2:50:17 GMT
ION may be a good one. We used to get it on Dish and I would watch Criminal Minds reruns on it all the time! I think MM would fit in well with their mostly crime show lineup. Unfortunately, we switched to AT&T Uverse a few months back and no longer get it. :/ ION would be a good network for the show. They already show a few Canadian shows. "Flashpoint" and "The Listener". BBC America would work as well if they didn't only show British or CO produced shows. ION is really good support for building a fan base: they are on lower-priced cable packages (unlike Ovation) and they barrage you with reruns of shows that are currently running, so it has the same effect as binge-watching. They run scripted shows during the daytime, when stay-at-home moms used to watch soap operas: a good alternative to the "reality TV" that dominates these days. I think the problem is ION focuses on contemporary shows, whereas Murdoch Mysteries has more of a cult/genre feel to it. I think they've tried to walk a line in that respect, but sometimes when you try to please all, you please none. MM should follow where the cult TV shows do - X-Files, Buffy, Dr. Who, Firefly, Star Trek, Dead Like Me, Twin Peaks, Veronica Mars, Lost, Dark Shadows, The Prisoner, The Avengers, Stargate, Brisco County, etc. Actually I think Wild Wild West belongs in this list way more than "Western". Face it, MM is quirky. MM should own it's quirkiness, just like it owns it's Toronto setting. Unfortunately, US TV tends to split up its cult channels into genres, and MM is notoriously a hybrid genre, so that's a tough one. A "mystery" channel would probably be the best fit, but those don't tend to be on the low end of the cable package. In terms of expanding distribution of MM, there's the rub. :/ The biggest win would be to get it on the History channel, since that is often included in low-end cable packages, and they've started running scripted shows like Vikings. But it might be hard to squeeze enough florins out of them to make the deal worth it: they strike me as a "shoestring budget" type of channel. ...yet...they did kick in for Vikings... Someone from Team MM should approach the History Channel again. |
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Post by jeff0253 on Jun 16, 2014 22:55:35 GMT
Just a quick note to say hi to all. I've done a couple of other posts (which led to me finding season 7 for FREE on acorn.tv)!Thanks to Snacky and Lovemondays for that! Ok, I have a slightly offbeat shipper response: I want Dr. Bajjali to re-appear and challenge Julia for Murdoch's affections. Think of it-the dark and mysterious orient vs. the blonde and very "western" Julia:-) Both are women of great intellectual accomplishment, a good match for Murdoch's inventive mind. I plan to maintain this obnoxious opinion against all comers :-)
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