Murdoch Mysteries (The Artful Detective) Season: 1 Network: Citytv / CBC Release Format: Blu-ray (1080p / MPEG-4 AVC / DTS-HD Master Audio) Number of Episodes: 13

The release brings the high-stakes world of Victorian-era Toronto to life with stunning clarity. Originally debuting in 2008, this first season of the acclaimed Canadian series was released on Blu-ray by Acorn Media in April 2012, offering fans a significant visual upgrade over the original DVD editions. High-Definition Presentation

When the disc was finally pressed, it was a revelation. Encoded in AVC at a high bitrate (often hovering around 25-30 Mbps), the 1080p image was a time machine. The opening credits—the sweeping shot of the Don River and the old city skyline—no longer looked like a postage stamp. It became a panorama. The brickwork of the morgue felt textured enough to scrape a match on.

Then came the announcement. Acorn Media, known for their meticulous handling of British and Canadian period dramas, revealed plans for a proper North American Blu-ray release of Season 1. Not an upscale, but a true high-definition transfer from the original 16mm and early digital source materials. The case was reopened.

Consider a key scene from Episode 6, "Elementary, My Dear Murdoch," where Murdoch uses a phonograph to analyze a dying woman’s last words. In the DVD version, the scene is dim and flat. On the Blu-ray, the mahogany grain of the phonograph’s horn is distinct. The dust motes dancing in the single shaft of window light are visible. And Yannick Bisson’s eyes—those famously analytical, almost melancholic eyes—hold a flicker of a reflection: the spinning wax cylinder. A clue that was always there, but never seen .

Syndicated airings and some streaming services occasionally trim scenes to fit tighter commercial slots. The Blu-ray presents the full episodes as originally intended, preserving the pacing of the investigations.

5/5 stars

In the end, the story of the Season 1 Blu-ray is a fitting metaphor for the show itself. William Murdoch uses the latest technology—photography, fingerprinting, telegrams—to uncover a truth that the naked eye cannot see. Similarly, the 1080p transfer uses modern codecs and careful restoration to uncover the truth of the show’s own humble, beautiful, gaslit beginnings. It proved that even in the digital age, sometimes the best way to see the past… is in high definition.