The charming small-town Canadian crime drama Murder in a Small Town is returning this fall on Fox and we have even more good news for fans: season 2 will be longer than the first season!
According to the latest "Inside Line" feature from TVLine, the second season is getting bumped up from just eight episodes to 10. It's still a far cry from the 18-22 episode seasons we're seeing for other shows and on different networks, but hey it's better than eight!
I'm happy that we're getting more episodes, but I think this is one of those cozy procedural shows that would really benefit from longer seasons. In many ways it recalls series from the Hallmark Mystery channel and even British series like Midsomer Murders. Then again, the British series only has 4-8 episode seasons so I guess we're lucky to be getting 10.
Due to the era of streaming, we're seeing more shows settle into shortened seasons. It's only the rare series that gets more than 15 episodes, and it's rarer by far to see a show get 20+ episodes nowadays. Long gone are the days of 22-24 episode seasons.
Based on a series of crime novels by L.R. Wright, Murder in a Small Town season 2 will take us back to the Gibsons to check in on police chief Karl Alberg (Rossif Sutherland) and local librarian Cassandra (Kristin Kreuk) as they continue solving murders in their little coastal town.
In addition to the series regulars, the show's second season will also feature Marcia Gay Harden, who has been cast as the Mayor Christie Holman. Variety previously described the character as a "beloved figure in the community and also a consummate political operator."
Apart from being the town mayor, Mayor Holman is a practicing doctor and she will create some potential obstacles for Karl and Cassandra "as she uses the competing priorities of the community to advance her own agenda."
TVInsider recently shared some scoop on the new episodes, too, revealing that fans can expect the story to expand and the season-long mystery to encompass "more than one killing." There's going to be plenty of surprises in store as we delve deeper into supporting characters and find out what's going to happen next for Karl and Cassandra after that kiss in the season 1 finale.
Filming for the second season is currently ongoing in British Columbia and expected to wrap this June.
Here's the official season 2 synopsis:
“Karl Alberg will continue to investigate crimes both in and around Gibsons, as his jurisdiction expands and he has to contend with an increased caseload and limited resources. Meanwhile, Cassandra’s career and community involvement takes her in new and unexpected directions, and Karl and Cassandra will have to navigate the balance of these commitments with their deepening relationship.”
We do not yet have an exact return date for Murder in a Small Town, but Fox has already shared its upcoming fall 2025-2026 schedule and the series is slated to air Tuesday nights at 8:00 p.m. ET, followed by new episodes of Doc season 2.