We have a eight wonderful seasons of Murdoch Mysteries, and the very-Canadian detective has created some pretty cool things in those 114 episodes. I thought I’d take a moment to go over 5 of my favourite inventions by the detective. These are in no particular order. It’s somewhat unwise to pick your favourite because, lets face it, Murdoch inventions are all cool!
Do share your favourite invention in Murdoch Mysteries in the comments below. It doesn’t have to be by the artful detective himself, but even from others such as serial-inventor James Pendrick.
#1: The Numograph
I truly loved the invention of the numograph, AKA the lie detector. It measures “physiological change associated with duress”, with variations (or lies) causing a rise in fluid inside a tube. While it was amazing to see this device be used in Still Waters, with the King’s Rowing Club, I really liked it in Invention Convention when other inventors were fascinated by it.
#2: “Day Light In a Box”
To very cleverly quote the Murdochian Arthur Conan Doyle, the detective’s portable briefcase-style-flashlight helps illuminate footprints in Elementary, My Dear Murdoch in Season 1. It’s a pretty hilarious moment, as they are using lamps just a short while before that.
#3: The UV “Day Light In a Box”
Murdoch does love his lights. Another favourite of mine is the UV light box that Murdoch uses to find blood residue on various different items. That handy box has come in use to Murdoch and his detective adventures many times, especially in Murdoch Night in Canada.
#4: The Graphizer
There is no way anyone can ever call Murdoch a pencil pusher when he had the brains to create the Graphizer. The cool looking box with a hand that moves a pencil left and right measures sound waves. Murdoch used this device to evaluate sound waves underwater – what we’d call sonar today – in Confederate Treasure, and we’ve seen it evolve for many uses in future episodes.
#5: The Weaponized Capacitor
There is nothing more awesome than giving a super-intelligent detective the James Bond aura. What is essentially a Murdochian taser, the device does showcase Murdoch’s great skills at creating complex devices that solve even more complex situations. It was a cool gadget to introduce in Season 8 of Murdoch Mysteries in the last episode: Artful Detective.
All Murdoch Mysteries images used in this article are property of CBC and Shaftesbury. They are used here for illustrative purposes only.
Scrutiny camera.
Circumscope.
Night vision goggles.
Seismographs to track tunneler under Toronto.
With a Tesla, wiretapping.
Great examples, especially the scrutiny camera! Thanks for sharing!
What will the brilliant people on this show invent next? I’m still waiting for the Pendrick spaceship. LOL
Now that be a pretty crazy episode 🙂
I made a list, just to keep them straight. But of all the inventions, I like the benign ones that turn into games or toys like scrabble, the bicycle deraillier, silly putty, frisbees, clue, paint by numbers. Crabtree’s instincts are flawless.
Of Murdoch’s other inventions, I have to like the weaponized capacitor, based on the name alone and his demonstration of its impracticality.
Of the evil inventions, I rather like the microwave canon. Parboiled detectives were amusing. Luckily the horses escaped. I found the Gillies character so unnerving, I couldn’t watch those episodes, which Is to the actors credit. The ultimate Snidley Whiplash.
Lastly, the cryogenic tank Dr. Robert’s brother used to flash freeze him for the future.
Full props to the writers for their inventiveness and the prop guys for execution of those visions.
Thanks for your input Kate! Some great examples here!
Out of these 5, which are great picks, I think I like the Weaponized Capacitor.
Although it is really hard to pick. As a kid we had something that looked a lot like the Day Light in a Box UV light to look at rocks.
Weaponized Capacitor has a pretty cool name too!
One of our favs was Murdoch apparently invented road hockey the police staff played at the end of one episode, and suddenly somebody yells “WAGON !!!”
hahahahahahaha
dear Murdoch mysteries August 21,2015
I want to thank you for put the show on for me.
It is amazing show and actors/characters writers prouducers directors are really awesome. I’m biggest fan I wish I would love to meet them. Who is my favourite actors
are is Yannick Bisson as detective William Murdoch. Helene Joy as Julia Ogden they are very madly in love with each other also they are perfect together.i hope they are in love
in real life too. I could see them be married and have kids real life too.and I don’t know what to say about them I could say lots of good things about them. Johnny Harris as constable George Crabtree he is so funny and smart greatest guy. Thomas Craig as inspector Thomas brackenreid he is awesome. Georgina Reilly as Dr Emily Grace she is great wonderful. Lachlan Murdoch as constable Henry Higgins he is so funny also he is good. Jonathan Watson as Dr Darcy Garland he is really awesome Lisa Ray as Mirela. Paul Rhys as Dr Liewllyn Francis he does amazing job!!! Kit Long as Fred /passerby. Thomas Mason as Winston Churchill from Leslie Forstner
My all time favourite is the “fax-paint by number” – brilliant idea on Murdoch’s part. Love this episode even though the murders are really shocking and gruesome. The casting is outstanding and the actors absolutely wonderful.
The UV Daylight Light and The Humograph are close seconds.
Several other inventions, brought to life by the researchers, writers and “Monkey Lair”, are really memorable, especially the ones in “Invention Convention”. Not Murdoch’s I know, but memorable all the same. What a great way to introduce viewers to the age of invention.
I never tire of viewing reruns of these episodes.