Murdoch Mysteries Renewed For Season 20 – Here’s What We Can Expect!

CBC has officially renewed beloved cozy crime drama Murdoch Mysteries for a landmark season 20, keeping Toronto’s most inventive detective on the case well into 2027.

Based on the books by Maureen Jennings, it is the longest-running television series in Canadian television, and for us fans who love the gentle whodunnits and quirky historical cameos, this is very good news indeed.

A Milestone Renewal: Season 20

The 20th season renewal cements Murdoch Mysteries as one of Canada’s most enduring scripted dramas, with CBC confirming that production on the new season will run from May through December 2026 in Scarborough, Ontario.

The renewal follows the success of season 19 and its cliffhanger finale, with the network clearly confident that viewers aren’t ready to say goodbye to William Murdoch or his turn‑of‑the‑century Toronto just yet.

Season 20 will once again see showrunner Peter Mitchell and the core creative team steering the ship, a vital part of why the series has stayed so consistent in tone, warmth, and quality across nearly two decades.

Star Yannick Bisson has teased that upcoming episodes will bring back some of Murdoch’s most formidable “archrivals,” forcing our methodical detective to keep his cool, follow the evidence, and outthink enemies who know exactly how to push his buttons.

I fully expect the show to follow its usual release pattern, so new episodes will be making their way to CBC in late September or early October, with international rollout happening soon afterward.

For UK fans, that means new episodes air on U&Alibi around eight weeks after they air in Canada, which isn’t too long to wait at all.

Characters Fans Can’t Quit

The core ensemble has become part of the cozy appeal, with long‑time viewers tuning in as much for the relationships as for the murders.

Yannick Bisson plays Detective William Murdoch, the show’s moral and intellectual center. a reserved but quietly romantic investigator whose faith in reason never quite overrides his empathy.

He is married to Dr. Julia Ogden (Hélène Joy), and whether or not she will return for season 20 is a mystery all of its own. Julia was written out by having her move to England to help open a women’s teaching hospital, taking little Susannah with her.

This story exit was referenced again when Murdoch received a letter from Julia explaining that she would be staying in England for an extended period, possibly about a year.

She did return for the 300th episode, but off-screen, she has a young child and has also been busy leading an eight‑part TV adaptation of Carolyn Arnold’s Madison Knight crime novels, which explains why she has been less present on Murdoch Mysteries lately.

If it transpired that season 20 was to be the last, and there’s no news one way or the other, she may appear to wrap up the couple’s storyline. But so far, there’s nothing to suggest that we will be seeing her.

Then we have Inspector Thomas Brackenreid (Thomas Craig), who is largely a blustery, traditional copper but one who has evolved into a fiercely loyal ally and father figure, often supplying gruff comic relief.

Canadian actor Lachlan Murdoch has been a fixture on Murdoch Mysteries since the early days, playing the well‑meaning but often flustered Constable Henry Higgins (later Henry Higgins‑Newsome) across more than 200 episodes.

His role became more prominent with the departure of Jonny Harris, who played Constable George Crabtree. Technically, Crabtree is still part of the show with no permanent departure, but he ultimately divorced Effie Newsom and took a job elsewhere in Canada.

That said, with Inspector Albert Choi (Paul Sun-Hyung Lee), Detective Llewellyn Watts (Daniel Maslany), Chief Coroner Violet Hart (Shanice Banton), Margaret Brackenreid (Arwen Humphreys), Constable Teddy Roberts (Kataem O’Connor), and Effie Newsom (Clare McConnell) all very much a part of the weekly episodes, there are more than enough characters to make up for the loss of George Crabtree.

Together, they create a family that spans the ranks of Toronto’s constabulary, morgue, and courts, giving the show a backbone strong enough to support 300‑plus episodes and counting.

What Yannick Bisson Is Teasing For The New Era

Speaking about the next chapter, Bisson has hinted that Murdoch will once again be tested by returning nemeses, forcing him to walk the line between justice and vengeance.

He has emphasized that what he loves about Murdoch is the character’s ability to retain composure no matter how far he is pushed, relying on his brain and sense of duty instead of giving in to rage.

I love the promise that no matter how dark the case gets, our hero will stay fundamentally decent, rational, and kind.

Yannick Bisson said, “We don’t take ourselves too seriously. So, we’re able to throw in a good laugh every once in a while, and recenter ourselves back to zero.”

In a TV landscape full of anti‑heroes and grim procedurals, Murdoch Mysteries stands out as a show where integrity and teamwork are the ultimate superpowers, and Season 20 looks set to double down on that appeal.

The Staying Power Of Murdoch Mysteries

Based on Maureen Jennings’ Detective Murdoch novels, the series premiered in 2008 and quietly grew into Canada’s longest‑running hour‑long scripted drama, surpassing even fellow stalwart Heartland in episode count.

Over the years, it has also become a global cozy mystery staple, syndicated and streamed around the world, attracting viewers who prefer clever deduction and character‑driven stories to graphic violence.

A huge part of that longevity lies in the show’s unique blend of historical fiction, science, and gentle humor.

Set in Toronto in the late 1890s and early 1900s, each episode invites us into a world where forensics is brand new and every gadget feels like science fiction, all wrapped inside classic whodunnit structures that reset neatly week after week.

Long before CSI, Murdoch was experimenting with fingerprinting, blood typing, surveillance cameras, and ultraviolet light to piece together cases that would stump his more old‑school colleagues.

That modern‑minded approach plays beautifully against the gaslit streets, horse‑drawn carriages, and Edwardian etiquette of turn‑of‑the‑century Toronto, giving each mystery a distinctive flavor.

Roll On October 2026

With nearly 20 seasons on the books, Murdoch Mysteries has become a true comfort‑TV institution, the kind of series families pass down through generations like a well‑worn mystery novel.

As cameras roll once again in Toronto, we can look forward to more ingenious gadgets, more heartfelt character beats, and more evenings spent in the glow of a gas lamp while Murdoch quietly, methodically restores order to a chaotic world.