Murdoch Mysteries S17 E11

[Brian Rose]

Murdoch Mysteries is a long running CBC drama featuring turn of the (20th) century Toronto police. S17 E11 features the detectives investigating a murder at a Highland Games event. Highland sports and dancing make an appearance. Clan grudges appear in the plot line.
In the US, the series is shown in a sporadic nature on a couple of streaming service. Season 17 was the most recent shown the CBC. It’s scheduled to be shown on Ovation beginning in February. I found this episode ( and other S17) on You Tube. Various channels post them. None are sanctioned by the CBC so an episode may stay up only as long as it takes for the CBC to ask it be taken down as a copyright violation. A search may show an episode appearing on more than one channel. It might disappear on one to reappear on another.
Those using VPNs may be able to mask their country and watch it on CBC.

[OC Richard]

The episode is up now, let's see how long it stays up https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QfukwiKuSks

It's nice to hear a high-quality piper playing the correct tune for the Sword Dance!

But the Highland costumes are outrageously anachronistic.

I'm guessing from the style of shirt collars etc that it's supposed to take place c1890-1910 however the Highland outfits are pure 1980s Kilt Hire, including:

-pure white hose (which didn't appear until the late 1980s)

-kilt-hire "semi dress" sporrans (which didn't appear until around 1980)

-Prince Charlie coatees (which had been invented shortly prior to 1910 but weren't widely seen until the 1930s)

Add to that one gent is wearing a Weathered Tartan. These weren't introduced until the late 1940s.

These illustrations well show some of the variety of "day dress" as would have been worn at a Highland Games around 1900:



and this sort of outfit for the Evening do:

[Patty Logan]

I watch some of it today when I had time between work. I can’t believe they were talking about the Glen Coe Massacre. And then to my surprise, still fight about it during the games 🤣🤣🤣

[Jock Scot]

[QUOTE=OC Richard;1406389]The episode is up now, let's see how long it stays up https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QfukwiKuSks


Words don't often fail me..............................but, that episode has to be absolutely the worst interpretation of Scottish Highland attire and Highland attitudes that I have ever seen.I don't honestly know whether to laugh or cry!

[Jock Scot]

I watch some of it today when I had time between work. I can’t believe they were talking about the Glen Coe Massacre. And then to my surprise, still fight about it during the games ������

Make no mistake given the right, or, in this particular case, probably the wrong circumstances, feelings can let rip at the drop of a hat even today.

[OC Richard]

Words don't often fail me..............................but, that episode has to be absolutely the worst interpretation of Scottish Highland attire...that I have ever seen.

Agree 100%

It's horrid.

The costumes suggest that either 1) the costumer was lazy and didn't bother to do any research or 2) the episode was done on a tight budget.

Or possibly both.

It appears that they simply went to the closest Kilt Hire Shop and hired everything to dress the actors and extras.

That episode has to be absolutely the worst interpretation of...Highland attitudes that I have ever seen.

About that I'll take your word on it! Being an American I wouldn't know.

[room2ndfloor]

......... I can’t believe they were talking about the Glen Coe Massacre. And then to my surprise, still fight about it during the games ������

The Glencoe Massacre is worth talking about, even today, because it is a good lesson of the depth of human wickedness. Was then more violent than now? My opinion, probably not.

One of my direct ancestors, James Claghorn, used the ancient practice of capturing his bride, in 1660s Massachusetts. He had been captured as a POW in the Battle of Dunbar, then sent to Massachusetts as a slave. Not surprising that he had bad manners

Many people have theorized that the American Appalachian families, the Hatfields and the McCoys, were descendants of the Campbells and the MacDonalds.

[figheadair]

Add to that one gent is wearing a Weathered Tartan. These weren't introduced until the late 1940s.

Richard,

AFAIK, Weathered tartans were a (Lochcarron I think) response to the popularity of the Reproduction palette and so much post-date their introduction in 1946. It would be useful exercise to find the earliest example of their mention.

[OC Richard]

That's a good question, a chicken-or-the-egg thing.

My assumption has always been that DC Dalgliesh created that palette (as I recall introduced in 1949) and that at some point other mills like Lochcarron copied it, dubbing it "weathered".

In the 1980s I worked at a Highland Outfitter, we mainly used Lochcarron, House of Edgar, and Strathmore for our fabric and as best I recall Strathmore also had weathered tartans (or perhaps it was some other mill, I do know we didn't deal with Dalgliesh).

But as you rightly point out this is just conjecture because I don't actually know when those mills introduced "weathered" tartans.

Old catalogues won't help because they don't state who weaves the fabric they use for their kilts.

[figheadair]

But as you rightly point out this is just conjecture because I don't actually know when those mills introduced "weathered" tartans.

Old catalogues won't help because they don't state who weaves the fabric they use for their kilts.

I guess that dating the catalogues where possible might help with the back dating.