OVATION TV UNCOVERS A WHOLE NEW SET OF MYSTERIES WHEN SEASON 8 OF "THE ARTFUL DETECTIVE" PREMIERES SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 21

Ovation TV's Fan-Favorite Continues with All-New Episodes Every Saturday Night at 7pm ET

SANTA MONICA, CA - January 14, 2015 Fans of Detective Murdoch's clever sleuthing skills, rejoice! Ovation TV, America's only arts network, is uncovering a whole new season of mysteries with the premiere of The Artful Detective on February 21 at 7:00 pm ET.

Based on author Maureen Jennings's popular Detective Murdoch novels set in late 1890s Toronto, The Artful Detective explores the intriguing world of William Murdoch (Yannick Bisson), a detective who pioneers innovative forensic techniques and inventions in his quest to solve some of the city's most gruesome murders. Murdoch's colleagues include Inspector Brackenreid (Thomas Craig, Coronation Street), Murdoch's skeptical yet reluctantly supportive boss; feisty pathologist Dr. Emily Grace (Georgina Reilly, The L.A. Complex); and the love of his life, pathologist-turned-psychiatrist Dr. Julia Ogden (Hélène Joy, Durham County), a staunch ally who shares the detective's fascination with forensic science and innovative ideas. All are valuable allies who help Murdoch solve his varied cases and traverse the many stratums of Victorian-turned-Edwardian society.

In this 8th season of The Artful Detective, the series celebrates its 100th episode. Building on the top-rated show's winning formula of bringing together compelling mysteries, unique slices of turn-of-the-century history, ingenious inventions and personal moments for each character, Season 8 will find Detective Murdoch and his colleagues exploring the world of corsets, the Women's Suffrage Movement, Vaudeville, the silver boom in Northern Ontario, the rise of the automobile, and the early days of organized crime on the Toronto waterfront. The new season will also delve into Detective Murdoch's origins, and feature historical figures, including notorious lawman, gunslinger, and sports writer Bat Masterson; President Teddy Roosevelt; Mark Twain; Thomas Edison and his son; and W.C. Fields.

Guest stars this season include Kari Matchett (Covert Affairs, Elementary) as a fashion maven whose corsets quite literally kill, Wealthy Barber author and Dragons' Den investor David Chilton as Brackenreid's financial advisor, Ryan Belleville (Satisfaction, The LA Complex) as an abrasive comedian, Peter Keleghan as spy Terrence Meyers, and Peter Outerbridge as Murdoch's childhood mentor.

"The Artful Detective is Ovation TV's most-popular series, and it's not difficult to understand why," said Scott Woodward, EVP, Programming and Production, Ovation TV. "Between the debonair and handsome lead character, played skillfully by Yannick Bisson, and the engaging mix of mystery and history, this series is one viewers just can't get enough of. And Season 8 doesn't disappoint. There's more intrigue -- and romance -- to look forward to every Saturday night."

The Artful Detective is produced by Shaftesbury in association with ITV Studios Global Entertainment. A brand new episode of The Artful Detective will air every Saturday night at 7 pm ET beginning February 21.

For more information, please visit http://www.ovationtv.com/series/artful-detective/

About Ovation TV

Ovation TV is America's only arts network, whose mission is to inspire the world through all forms of art and artistic expression. Ovation TV programming is a one-of-a-kind mix of original and selectively curated art-centric series, documentaries, films and specials. The network reaches a national audience of over 52 million homes and is available on cable, satellite, and telco systems, such as Comcast Cable/Xfinity, DIRECTV, Time Warner Cable, DISH, Verizon FiOS, AT&T U-Verse, Charter, Bright House Networks, RCN, and Hawaiian Telcom. Ovation TV is also available on VOD (in both standard and high definition). The network's diversified viewer experiences extend across its linear network, the popular ovationtv.com, and active social presence on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and more. Ovation TV is a cause based-media company and is deeply engaged with the arts both nationally and locally, providing more than $16 million in contributions and in-kind support to community organizations, cultural institutions, and arts education programs. See the Ovation TV Facebook page for the latest information and conversations happening across the brand and the arts: www.facebook.com/OvationTV.