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''Frankie Drake Mysteries'' is a Canadian drama that ran on
CBC Television CBC Television (also known as CBC TV, or simply CBC) is a Television in Canada, Canadian English-language terrestrial television, broadcast television network owned by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, the national public broadcasting, p ...
from November 6, 2017 to March 8, 2021. The series stars Lauren Lee Smith and Chantel Riley as Frankie Drake and her partner Trudy Clarke who run an all-female private detective service in
Toronto Toronto ( , locally pronounced or ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, most populous city in Canada. It is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. With a p ...
in the 1920s.


Overview

Lauren Lee Smith portrays the fictional Frankie Drake, the first female private detective in 1920s Toronto, with Chantel Riley as her crime solving partner Trudy Clarke."The TV home of Murdoch Mysteries is getting a new detective drama"
''
Toronto Star The ''Toronto Star'' is a Canadian English-language broadsheet daily newspaper. It is owned by Toronto Star Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary of Torstar Corporation and part of Torstar's Daily News Brands (Torstar), Daily News Brands division. ...
'', April 4, 2017.
Frankie and Trudy are often assisted on their cases by Mary Shaw ( Rebecca Liddiard), a morality officer in Toronto's police force, and Flo Chakowitz ( Sharron Matthews), a
morgue A morgue or mortuary (in a hospital or elsewhere) is a place used for the storage of human corpses awaiting identification (ID), removal for autopsy, respectful burial, cremation or other methods of disposal. In modern times, corpses have cu ...
attendant at the Toronto City Morgue.


Cast and characters


Main

* Lauren Lee Smith as Frankie Drake, Toronto's first female private detective and the owner of Drake Private Detectives * Chantel Riley as Trudy Clarke, Frankie's partner and friend * Rebecca Liddiard as Mary Shaw, a morality officer in Toronto's police force who often helps Frankie with her cases * Sharron Matthews as Flo Chakowitz, a morgue attendant at the Toronto City Morgue who provides information to Frankie


Recurring

* Wendy Crewson as Nora Amory, Frankie's mother, a con artist * Karen Robinson (seasons 1–3; guest season 4) as Mildred Clarke, Trudy's mother, a good Christian woman who is not afraid to speak her mind when needed * Grace Lynn Kung (seasons 1–3) as Wendy Quon, the owner of Quon's Cafe, a
speakeasy A speakeasy, also called a beer flat or blind pig or blind tiger, was an illicit establishment that sold alcoholic beverages. The term may also refer to a retro style bar that replicates aspects of historical speakeasies. In the United State ...
in the Ward that is frequented by the main cast * Romaine Waite as Bill Peters, a friend of Trudy's who works at
city hall In local government, a city hall, town hall, civic centre (in the UK or Australia), guildhall, or municipal hall (in the Philippines) is the chief administrative building of a city, town, or other municipality. It usually houses the city o ...
and helps the women out with information at times. At the beginning of season four, was engaged to Trudy. He had a job offer in Ottawa, which caused Trudy to break off the engagement * Emmanuel Kabongo as Moses Page (seasons 1 & 3), Frankie's boxing instructor with whom she has a casual romantic relationship *
Steve Lund Steve Lund (born January 9, 1989) is a Canadian actor, best known for playing the roles of Nick Sorrentino in ''Bitten (TV series), Bitten'' (2014–2016) and Jake in ''Schitt's Creek'' (2016–2020). Before acting, he played in the Quebec Majo ...
as
Ernest Hemingway Ernest Miller Hemingway ( ; July 21, 1899 – July 2, 1961) was an American novelist, short-story writer and journalist. Known for an economical, understated style that influenced later 20th-century writers, he has been romanticized fo ...
(season 1), a writer and reporter for the ''
Toronto Star The ''Toronto Star'' is a Canadian English-language broadsheet daily newspaper. It is owned by Toronto Star Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary of Torstar Corporation and part of Torstar's Daily News Brands (Torstar), Daily News Brands division. ...
'' * Richard Walters (seasons 1–3) as Tickles Malone, a musician who Frankie bumps into at different clubs around Toronto * Anthony Lemke as Detective Grayson (season 2), recently transferred to the Toronto police and a thorn in Frankie's investigations * Johnathan Sousa as Alessandro Contento (season 4), a European race car driver who is Frankie's boyfriend * Ben Sanders as Steven Reid (season 4), a journalist for the ''Worker's Gazette'' and Mary's boyfriend * Patrick Garrow as Harvey Lyle (season 4), a detective in Mary's precinct, who suspects Mary is smarter than she lets on and tries to catch her snooping * Mac Fyfe as Sebastian West (season 4), Frankie's neighbour, a carpenter, who has a passing interest in Frankie


Guest

*
Jonny Harris Jonathan Harris (born 22 September 1975) is a Canadian actor and comedian from Newfoundland and Labrador.George Crabtree (season 1), who has retired from the Toronto police and was a successful investor * Derek McGrath as Abraham Amory (season 1) * Romane Portail as
Coco Chanel Gabrielle Bonheur "Coco" Chanel ( , ; 19 August 1883 – 10 January 1971) was a French fashion designer and Businessperson, businesswoman. The founder and namesake of the Chanel brand, she was credited in the post-World War I era with populari ...
(season 2), who hires Frankie to determine who shot at her in Toronto *
Honeysuckle Weeks Honeysuckle Susan Weeks (born 1 August 1979) is a British actress best known for her role as Samantha Stewart (later Wainwright) in the ITV wartime drama series '' Foyle's War''. Early life Weeks was born in Cardiff, Wales, to Robin and Susan ...
as
Agatha Christie Dame Agatha Mary Clarissa Christie, Lady Mallowan, (; 15 September 1890 – 12 January 1976) was an English people, English author known for her 66 detective novels and 14 short story collections, particularly those revolving ...
(season 3), whom Frankie meets in England * Dillon Casey as Jack Drake (seasons 3 & 4), Frankie's younger half brother *
Geraint Wyn Davies Geraint Wyn Davies ( , ; born 20 April 1957) is a British-American stage, film and television actor. Born in Wales and educated in Canada, he became a citizen of the United States on 13 June 2006, having been sworn in by then Associate Suprem ...
as Ned Drake (season 4), Frankie's dead father, who she discovers is alive and well


Episodes


Series overview


Season 1 (2017–2018)


Season 2 (2018)


Season 3 (2019)


Season 4 (2021)


Production

The series was created by Carol Hay and Michelle Ricci; both women also served as writers and producers on ''
Murdoch Mysteries ''Murdoch Mysteries'' is a Canadian television drama series that premiered on Citytv on January 20, 2008, and currently airs on CBC. The series is based on characters from the ''Detective Murdoch'' novels by Maureen Jennings and stars Yannick ...
''. It is produced by Shaftesbury Films. On April 5, 2018, the show was renewed for a second season. On March 25, 2019, the show was renewed for a third season. The third-season premiere was filmed in England, with
Honeysuckle Weeks Honeysuckle Susan Weeks (born 1 August 1979) is a British actress best known for her role as Samantha Stewart (later Wainwright) in the ITV wartime drama series '' Foyle's War''. Early life Weeks was born in Cardiff, Wales, to Robin and Susan ...
playing the role of British author
Agatha Christie Dame Agatha Mary Clarissa Christie, Lady Mallowan, (; 15 September 1890 – 12 January 1976) was an English people, English author known for her 66 detective novels and 14 short story collections, particularly those revolving ...
. On May 27, 2020, ''Frankie Drake Mysteries'' was renewed by CBC for a fourth season. On February 28, 2021, CBC announced the show would not be renewed for a fifth season. In May 2020, an animated spinoff for kids called '' Mary and Flo On the Go!'' was reported as being in production; the web series was released in March 2022.


Broadcast

Alibi An alibi (, from the Latin, '' alibī'', meaning "somewhere else") is a statement by a person under suspicion in a crime that they were in a different place when the offence was committed. During a police investigation, all suspects are usually a ...
in the United Kingdom aired the second season starting January 21, 2019, with the third season aired in 2020. Ovation in the United States aired seasons one and two back to back, beginning on June 15, 2019, and started airing season three on April 4, 2020. The fourth and final season premiered on October 2, 2021, following the broadcast of the new special titled ''Frankie Drake Mysteries: Music at Midnight'', and the series concluded on December 4, 2021. Co-produced by Ovation in conjunction with the Toronto Sympathy Orchestra and Shaftesbury Films, this special features interviews and performances from series stars Chantel Riley, Sharron Matthews, and more. The special wasn't aired in Canada, instead released onto
YouTube YouTube is an American social media and online video sharing platform owned by Google. YouTube was founded on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim who were three former employees of PayPal. Headquartered in ...
by Shaftsbury on their channel earlier in February 2021, and premiered on Ovation on September 25, 2021 at 7PMET/4PMPT. Additionally,
PBS The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) is an American public broadcaster and non-commercial, free-to-air television network based in Arlington, Virginia. PBS is a publicly funded nonprofit organization and the most prominent provider of educat ...
has started broadcasting the show and offering it on-demand through its membership program, Passport. The show was further picked up in Europe, Australia, and New Zealand. In Greece the show airs in ERT3 under the title "Frankie Drake" (Φράνκι Ντρέικ) on Saturdays and Sundays at 20:00pm. The show was not so successful like ''
Murdoch Mysteries ''Murdoch Mysteries'' is a Canadian television drama series that premiered on Citytv on January 20, 2008, and currently airs on CBC. The series is based on characters from the ''Detective Murdoch'' novels by Maureen Jennings and stars Yannick ...
'' (Ντετέκτιβ Μέρντοχ) in the past.


Home media


Reception

The series has received generally positive reviews from critics since its release. John Doyle of ''
The Globe and Mail ''The Globe and Mail'' is a Newspapers in Canada, Canadian newspaper printed in five cities in Western Canada, western and central Canada. With a weekly readership of more than 6 million in 2024, it is Canada's most widely read newspaper on week ...
'' remarked "it's a hoot and as silly as all get-out," and concluded that "thanks to its charm and the frocks, skirts, suits and, well, the gorgeous furniture, it's frightfully good entertainment."
Johanna Schneller Johanna Schneller is an American-born Canadians, Canadian film journalist and television personality, who hosted the film talk show ''The Filmmakers'' on CBC Television. A freelance celebrity interviewer for such publications as ''Vanity Fair (ma ...
of the ''
Toronto Star The ''Toronto Star'' is a Canadian English-language broadsheet daily newspaper. It is owned by Toronto Star Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary of Torstar Corporation and part of Torstar's Daily News Brands (Torstar), Daily News Brands division. ...
'' wrote that "the messaging in CBC series sometimes hits you over the head, but it's fun to watch women run their own show." Hanh Nguyen of IndieWire wrote "inclusive casting opens up the world in a way that hasn’t been seen previously in shows set in that era. Through this lens, 1920s Toronto feels fresh and modern, a setting where almost anything can happen. ... The series holds back from crossing into didactic moralizing, but instead approaches history from a different angle, enough to be stimulating and to inspire curiosity."


Notes


References


External links

* *{{IMDb title, 6881870
''Frankie Drake Mysteries''
at
Rotten Tomatoes Rotten Tomatoes is an American review aggregator, review-aggregation website for film and television. The company was launched in August 1998 by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Senh Duong, Patrick Y. Lee ...
CBC Television original programming 2010s Canadian crime drama television series 2020s Canadian crime drama television series 2017 Canadian television series debuts 2021 Canadian television series endings Canadian historical television series Canadian mystery television series Cozy mystery television series Detective television series Cultural depictions of Ernest Hemingway Cultural depictions of Coco Chanel Cultural depictions of Agatha Christie Cultural depictions of Grand Duchess Anastasia Nikolaevna of Russia Television series by Shaftesbury Films Television series set in the 1920s Television shows set in Toronto Television shows filmed in Toronto