Murdoch Mysteries heads for final season

The Victorian-era detective series Murdoch Mysteries, which featured a cameo by Prime Minister Stephen Harper earlier this year, is coming to an end.

Citytv says the show's upcoming fifth season will be its last.

The network says production is underway on new episodes, which will kick off in the Yukon with Insp. William Murdoch, played by Yannick Bisson, investigating a murder against the backdrop of the Klondike gold rush.

The season also will introduce Dr. Julia Ogden's ambitious new protegé.

The weekly series, based on the novel series by Maureen Jennings, revolves around Insp. Murdoch and crime-solving forensic techniques that were radical in the late 1800s.

Guest stars slated for the final season include Canadian soprano Measha Brueggergosman and Aaron Ashmore playing the writer Jack London.

Executive producer Christina Jennings says she is sad to see the show end but is looking forward to a "fulfilling conclusion."

No airdate has been set. Citytv usually airs Murdoch Mysteries during the summer, repeating it often in an effort to meet its Canadian content requirements.

Nonetheless the show has a loyal following and has been sold around the world.

Among its champions is Harper, who played a dim policeman in a cameo on the show and says he always watches it with his daughter.