Murdoch Mysteries transforms New Hamburg into 1912 for Christmas episode

Members of the community of New Hamburg turn out to catch a glimpse of the stars of Murdoch Mysteries during an episode shoot downtown July 29 and 30. Photo courtesy of Shaftesbury Inc.

By Galen Simmons

Downtown New Hamburg stepped back in time last week as the cast and crew of Murdoch Mysteries transformed the community into 1912 for the hit CBC series' upcoming Christmas special.

The production, filmed over two days on July 29 and 30, used New Hamburg's historic downtown streets and architecture as the backdrop for the holiday episode, “On a Cold Winter’s Night,” which is scheduled to air this December.

Producer Jeremy Hood said the production team knew they had found the right location as soon as they arrived.

"It was just a great look for our period," Hood said. "Not too busy because we had to do some street stuff. As soon as we got there, it was like, 'Yeah, it's just a great look, great feeling.' "

The community's heritage buildings and picturesque streets required relatively few changes to recreate the early 20th century.

"We said, 'No, we've got to come back here. It's perfect,'" Hood said. "There's very little that we had to take away and mask."

While viewers may notice the fake snow covering parts of downtown when the episode airs, Hood said much of the work involved removing modern elements rather than adding period decorations.

"You go into towns and it's a quaint, old-looking town, but you wouldn't imagine how many modern elements there are," he said. "For the most part, it's store signs and road signs – no parking signs or stop signs or yield signs. Some of the store signs that are there, it's like, 'No, that's fine. That works for us.' "

Because the Christmas episode takes place largely at night and focuses on only a handful of characters, the production did not require local background performers. Hood noted that Murdoch Mysteries often hires local actors when filming daytime scenes, particularly in communities such as nearby St. Marys and Stratford.

The production team also praised the support they received from the community throughout the shoot.

"The town made it easy," Hood said.

One familiar local face will even make a brief appearance in the episode.

"The mayor actually requested and will be an extra in the episode," Hood said with a laugh.

Location filming is a regular part of producing the long-running detective drama, with Hood estimating about 80 per cent of episodes include scenes filmed away from the studio.

"It depends on the scripts, but for the most part, (we shoot on location)," he said.

For New Hamburg, the visit from one of Canada's longest-running television series offered another opportunity to showcase the charm and historic character of its downtown to audiences across the country.

When the Christmas episode airs on CBC in December, viewers may recognize many of the iconic streets and buildings that helped transport Murdoch Mysteries back more than a century.