Once upon a time, the TV murder mystery was a genteel and tasteful affair. Then came the CSI franchise and its hell-spawn, trailing blood and body parts. For those who prefer their whodunits without the autopsy footage, VisionTV has a special treat: all 264 episodes of Murder, She Wrote, returning to the Canadian airwaves for the first time in more than four years.

Before House, before Doc Martin, a Canadian took the gold medal for TV’s least lovable doctor. As portrayed on the drama series Side Effects by the ever-reliable Albert Schultz (Shades of Black: The Conrad Black Story), Dr. Noah Knelman was a cynical, smug, self-serving – and thoroughly compelling – character (even if you’d never want him as your physician in real life).

Before he became the evil Darth Vader, Vancouver native Hayden Christensen was bad boy Scott Barringer, one of the troubled teens on this turbulent family drama series. Joe Lando (Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman) stars as Peter Scarbrow, once a Wall Street hotshot, now a recovering drug addict and headmaster of Mt. Horizon High, a wilderness school for at-risk youth. In this remote, rustic setting, he struggles to help his young charges overcome every kind of crisis, from eating disorders to sexual abuse. Filmed against the backdrop of British Columbia's natural splendour.

Hope Island will explore an array of family-oriented themes including the challenges of raising children, maintaining a sense of family, love, greed, loyalty and fighting for ones faith and beliefs, among others. The series is based on the long-running international hit, "Ballykissangel". Filmed amid the natural beauty of B.C.

This romantic comedy series, inspired by the true-life memoirs of Richmond P. Hobson, Jr., chronicles the adventures of three of Canada's most colourful modern-day pioneers: Rich Hobson, Panhandle Phillips, and Gloria McIntosh. Aiding them on their ranch are their sometimes inept ranch hands Ed, his younger sister Kit and Tommy who has a crush on Kit. Set in the rugged wilderness of northern British Columbia in 1940, the series blends romance, comedy and action-adventure to put a unique, contemporary spin on the traditional Western. Starring: Chad Willett, Ted Atherton, Sarah Chalke (Scrubs).

Country music performer Billy Ray Cyrus stars as doctor Clint "Doc" Cassidy who gives up the simple life in Montana and takes a position at Westbury Clinic, a small medical center in New York, NY, only to find that practicing his brand of down-home medicine in the Big Apple isn't always easy.

While searching for clues to the disappearance of their father, a celebrated archaeologist, teen siblings Alex and Cleo (Christopher Jacot and Meredith Henderson) stumble across a portal into the AlterWorld of myth and fable. Their quest brings them face to face with the stuff of legends: the Minotaur, the Norse god Loki, the knights of the Round Table, the Egyptian gods Isis and Osiris, and many others. This thrilling Canadian-made adventure series also stars Joseph Kell and Wendy Anderson.

Ekhaya
Thursdays, 6 pm ET / 3 pm PT

Set in 1989. Eric Miyeni stars as Darryl, an expatriate South African writer living in Toronto with his Canadian wife Rosa (Julie Stewart). Darryl obsesses over the possibility that he is still being stalked by the South African secret police, and recalls the tragedies and deprivations experienced by himself and his family under the oppressive Apartheid system. Ultimately, Darryl develops into a firebrand political activist, determined to return to South Africa to right old wrongs, even if it may cost him his life.

Black Stallion
Fridays, 6 pm ET / 3 pm PT

Inspired by the novels of Walter Farley. After being shipwrecked on a remote desert island, courageous, young Alec Ramsay and a wild Arabian stallion named "The Black," form an irrevocable bond that continues after their rescue. Now teammates in the horse-racing circuit, they are poised to take the racing world by storm. No one else can ride the stunning fire and silk stallion but Alec; and though the Black's spirit is untamed, his speed is unmatched and he is swiftly becoming the fastest racehorse in the world.

My Life As A Dog
Fridays, 6:30 pm ET / 3:30 pm PT

My Life as a Dog tells the story of a working-class twelve-year-old sent to live with his uncle in a country village when his mother falls ill. Once there, he finds refuge from his misfortunes and unexpected adventure with the help of the town's warmhearted eccentrics. A bittersweet evocation of the struggles and joys of childhood. Starring: MICHAEL YARMUSH as “Eric Johansson”, MALLUM KEITH RENNIE as “Johnny Johansson”, MARLEY OTTO as “AJ (Anastasia) Burke”and JENNIFER CLEMENT as “Zoe Johansson".

One of television’s most admired family dramas comes to VisionTV on weekdays. Set in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia, The Waltons tells the story of a poor but upright American family struggling to stay together through the hardships of the Great Depression and the dark days of World War Two. Their trials and tribulations are seen through the eyes of John-Boy Walton (Richard Thomas), the eldest of seven children and an aspiring writer. Through good times and bad, his parents (Ralph Waite, Michael Learned) and grandparents (Will Geer, Ellen Corby) do their utmost to set an example of strength, determination, decency and compassion. The winner of 13 Emmy Awards, including best drama series.