Uploaded February 2021 | Updated September 2026, 2 hours ago
Today we feature an exclusive interview with television producer, investor, entrepreneur: Blair Murdoch. In this interview, Mr. Murdoch speaks about his career in television. Starting out working for Catalena Productions, forming a company with Bill Armstrong and producing such cult shows as Liar’s Club, Kidstreet, Love Me Love Me Not, Love Handles and many more. I want to thank Mr. Murdoch for taking the time to speak about his extensive career in television.
This interview was recorded via Skype/Phone on January 6th 2021. This interview is the property of the JM Archive and The Spider's Lair Studios. Any work referencing this material must give written and/or oral credit to the interview and its source. This interview may not be excerpted or re-posted without expressed written and/or oral permission from the Spiders Lair Studios.
0:00 Introduction
0:32 On his earliest memories of Television
1:09 On growing up in Vancouver in the 1950s and his interests as a child
1:45 On his early education
2:46 On jobs he had early in his life, Working for Burrows Business Machines in Sales,
5:44 On investing in and later being hired at Catalena Productions as Vice President of Sales and Marketing shortly before it went bankrupt
11:31 On the shows of Catalena Productions and on Meeting Bill Armstrong and forming Northstar Productions with him.
15:57 On producing Richard Deacon's Micro-Magic and the show's format
18:50 On Pete Barbutti's Celebrity Microwaves and working in Calgary at CFAC
24:20 On meeting Larry Hovis and cast members of Laugh-In
25:46 On the amount of television that was produced in Vancouver in the 1980s
27:20 On Executive-producing a remake of Sea Hunt with MGM television and working under Canadian Content regulations
31:34 On producing Love Me, Love me Not for MGM and USA Network, Working with Ross Schafer and Jane MacDougall
37:54 On creating and producing the game show Kidstreet
40:34 On the set of Kidstreet and the race-car theme
41:22 On Kidstreet Host Kevin Frank
43:02 On the questions used on Kidstreet, The day-to-day process of making the show and production coordinator Deborah Sanderson
45:03 On John Tobyanson
47:06 On the famous "Kidstreet Clap"
49:09 On Kidstreet's Rebus Round
51:26 On the difficulties of selling Canadian shows to other countries
52:54 On selling the Kidstreet format to Turkish television
54:43 On Toys and Wheels and the prizes on Kidstreet
56:36 On episodes of Kidstreet no longer being available
57:35 On being a Game show producer
59:35 On producing the New Liar's Club
1:01:56 On the format of the New Liar's Club
1:05:04 On booking the subject props and paintings for The New Liar's Club
1:06:38 On The Next Line and how it differed from The New Liar's Club
1:08:12 On producing the one man play: An Evening with Casey staring Jack Carter
1:11:12 On the game show Acting Crazy
1:13:23 On host Wayne Cox
1:14:16 On distributing with Global Television Network
1:15:35 On set design for Acting Crazy, The production and celebrity troubles
1:19:53 On Union difficulties and preferring non-union production
1:20:57 On meeting Stu Jeffries and hiring him for Million Dollar Ice Picks and Love Handles
1:25:26 On having Same-Sex Couples on Love Handles and the audience reaction to that
1:30:14 On Money Court with Bob Duncan
1:33:36 On producing several pilots including A Perfect Match
1:36:19 On producing the children's improv show: Fibi's Funny Bones
1:37:53 On leaving the television industry and other business ventures he has participated in
1:39:59 On his legacy in he industry and the kind of people he has enjoyed working with
1:41:06 On the typical production day at Blair Murdoch Productions
1:42:39 On his thoughts of a proudest professional achievement
1:44:38 Advice he has for those who want to work in the television industry
1:46:45 On people he has worked with starting with Bill Armstrong
1:46:53 Alex Trebek
1:47:06 Monty Hall
1:47:20 Ian MacLennan
1:47:59 Pete Barbutti
1:48:11 Kathy Morse
1:48:51 Kevin Frank
1:49:12 Stan Litke
1:49:32 Ron Ely
1:49:56 John Barbour
1:50:20 Jo Anne Worley
1:50:44 Jackie Swanson
1:51:40 Wayne Cox
1:51:53 Ross Shafer
1:52:19 Stu Jeffries
1:52:43 David Kaye
1:53:20 Dave Russell
1:53:41 Blair Murdoch
Today we feature an exclusive interview with television producer, investor, entrepreneur: Blair Murdoch. In this interview, Mr. Murdoch speaks about his career in television. Starting out working for Catalena Productions, forming a company with Bill Armstrong and producing such cult shows as Liar’s Club, Kidstreet, Love Me Love Me Not, Love Handles and many more. I want to thank Mr. Murdoch for taking the time to speak about his extensive career in television.
This interview was recorded via Skype/Phone on January 6th 2021. This interview is the property of the JM Archive and The Spider's Lair Studios. Any work referencing this material must give written and/or oral credit to the interview and its source. This interview may not be excerpted or re-posted without expressed written and/or oral permission from the Spiders Lair Studios.
0:00 Introduction
0:32 On his earliest memories of Television
1:09 On growing up in Vancouver in the 1950s and his interests as a child
1:45 On his early education
2:46 On jobs he had early in his life, Working for Burrows Business Machines in Sales,
5:44 On investing in and later being hired at Catalena Productions as Vice President of Sales and Marketing shortly before it went bankrupt
11:31 On the shows of Catalena Productions and on Meeting Bill Armstrong and forming Northstar Productions with him.
15:57 On producing Richard Deacon's Micro-Magic and the show's format
18:50 On Pete Barbutti's Celebrity Microwaves and working in Calgary at CFAC
24:20 On meeting Larry Hovis and cast members of Laugh-In
25:46 On the amount of television that was produced in Vancouver in the 1980s
27:20 On Executive-producing a remake of Sea Hunt with MGM television and working under Canadian Content regulations
31:34 On producing Love Me, Love me Not for MGM and USA Network, Working with Ross Schafer and Jane MacDougall
37:54 On creating and producing the game show Kidstreet
40:34 On the set of Kidstreet and the race-car theme
41:22 On Kidstreet Host Kevin Frank
43:02 On the questions used on Kidstreet, The day-to-day process of making the show and production coordinator Deborah Sanderson
45:03 On John Tobyanson
47:06 On the famous "Kidstreet Clap"
49:09 On Kidstreet's Rebus Round
51:26 On the difficulties of selling Canadian shows to other countries
52:54 On selling the Kidstreet format to Turkish television
54:43 On Toys and Wheels and the prizes on Kidstreet
56:36 On episodes of Kidstreet no longer being available
57:35 On being a Game show producer
59:35 On producing the New Liar's Club
1:01:56 On the format of the New Liar's Club
1:05:04 On booking the subject props and paintings for The New Liar's Club
1:06:38 On The Next Line and how it differed from The New Liar's Club
1:08:12 On producing the one man play: An Evening with Casey staring Jack Carter
1:11:12 On the game show Acting Crazy
1:13:23 On host Wayne Cox
1:14:16 On distributing with Global Television Network
1:15:35 On set design for Acting Crazy, The production and celebrity troubles
1:19:53 On Union difficulties and preferring non-union production
1:20:57 On meeting Stu Jeffries and hiring him for Million Dollar Ice Picks and Love Handles
1:25:26 On having Same-Sex Couples on Love Handles and the audience reaction to that
1:30:14 On Money Court with Bob Duncan
1:33:36 On producing several pilots including A Perfect Match
1:36:19 On producing the children's improv show: Fibi's Funny Bones
1:37:53 On leaving the television industry and other business ventures he has participated in
1:39:59 On his legacy in he industry and the kind of people he has enjoyed working with
1:41:06 On the typical production day at Blair Murdoch Productions
1:42:39 On his thoughts of a proudest professional achievement
1:44:38 Advice he has for those who want to work in the television industry
1:46:45 On people he has worked with starting with Bill Armstrong
1:46:53 Alex Trebek
1:47:06 Monty Hall
1:47:20 Ian MacLennan
1:47:59 Pete Barbutti
1:48:11 Kathy Morse
1:48:51 Kevin Frank
1:49:12 Stan Litke
1:49:32 Ron Ely
1:49:56 John Barbour
1:50:20 Jo Anne Worley
1:50:44 Jackie Swanson
1:51:40 Wayne Cox
1:51:53 Ross Shafer
1:52:19 Stu Jeffries
1:52:43 David Kaye
1:53:20 Dave Russell
1:53:41 Blair Murdoch
