What time is it
Jan. 28th, 2014 03:09 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
dormouse1953So, the Murdoch Mysteries returned to UK TV last night and the first episode involved a maiden voyage of a boat that owed a little to the film Titanic. I was curious as to when it was set.
In the very first scene, someone says, "Happy Victoria Day", to which someone else replies "God save the king". Now, Victoria Day is apparently a Canadian holiday celebrated on Queen Victoria's birthday in May, and came to prominence after the queen's death in January, 1901. There was some indication that this was the first celebration after her death, and other chronology of the series would tend to agree with that. The first season was set in 1895 and this is the seventh season, so May 1901 would be right. (The fifth season ended with the celebration of New Year 1900, the only episode I think set in winter.)
However, the boat was called the SS Keewatin. There was such a boat on the Canadian lakes, but it wasn't launched until 1907. The boat on the show sank at the end (told you it was a bit like Titanic), so it was presumably not the same boat.
A side plot involved someone called Annie Taylor visiting Toronto. She went over Niagara Falls in a barrel on her 63rd birthday and this was mentioned as having already happened. According to Wikipedia, that didn't happen till October 1901.
The Keewatin had wireless telegraphy on board, which is just about possible in 1901. (But would they have a black radio operator at that time?)
Still a fun show, though.
In the very first scene, someone says, "Happy Victoria Day", to which someone else replies "God save the king". Now, Victoria Day is apparently a Canadian holiday celebrated on Queen Victoria's birthday in May, and came to prominence after the queen's death in January, 1901. There was some indication that this was the first celebration after her death, and other chronology of the series would tend to agree with that. The first season was set in 1895 and this is the seventh season, so May 1901 would be right. (The fifth season ended with the celebration of New Year 1900, the only episode I think set in winter.)
However, the boat was called the SS Keewatin. There was such a boat on the Canadian lakes, but it wasn't launched until 1907. The boat on the show sank at the end (told you it was a bit like Titanic), so it was presumably not the same boat.
A side plot involved someone called Annie Taylor visiting Toronto. She went over Niagara Falls in a barrel on her 63rd birthday and this was mentioned as having already happened. According to Wikipedia, that didn't happen till October 1901.
The Keewatin had wireless telegraphy on board, which is just about possible in 1901. (But would they have a black radio operator at that time?)
Still a fun show, though.
