Jordan Christianson was known for his work on Murdoch Mysteries (2008), Fool's Gold (2006) and Tomorrow Doesn't Look Good Either (2005).
Christianson completed the Canadian Film Centre TV writing program along with Simon McNabb and Michelle Ricci who are now all on Murdoch Mysteries writing team. Peter Mitchell was their mentor-in-residence. Mitchell took the job on Murdoch Mysteries shortly after that program and took Michelle with him. At that point in time, McNabb and Christianson were both aspiring comedy writers. That class was sponsored by CBC and they had taken a liking to a script Christianson had written and told him about this show they had called "Mr. D". He knew who Gerry Dee was and thought he was hilarious. In fact, Christianson had Gerry Dee in mind when he wrote the Bert Grady character in The Keystone Constables. After getting a CBC interview he was lucky enough to be hired on "Mr. D" as a script coordinator in the first year.
"After my two years on "Mr. D", Pete called Simon and me up and said he had a couple of openings at Murdoch. It was a no-brainer. Murdoch Mysteries allows for humour, so Christianson didn’t feel like he was giving up comedy altogether and it meant working with Peter Mitchell, who is widely regarded as one of the best showrunners in Canada.
Jordan Christianson couldn’t recommend the CFC enough for those interested in getting into TV writing, particularly in Canada, "Not only do they take care of you while you’re there, but they really care about you afterwards and they keep tabs on you. They really helped me find an agent and get that first job on "Mr. D". I highly recommend it to everybody and I do think that more people need to know about it."
Jordan Christianson passed away in early January 2017, and the episode Weekend at Murdoch's, that Christianson had written, was re-aired in remembrance on January 30, 2017. Jordan was a much loved member of Murdoch Mysteries and Shaftesbury family and is missed by all.
Master Lovecraft marks the final complete script written by Jordan Christianson, possibly his most serious episode other than the farewell to Dr. Grace one (ep.903). According to Peter Mitchell, "It’s illuminating that the dialogues between Crabtree and H.P. Lovecraft are probably the most Jordan ever talked about death, both the light and dark side. The emotional core of the episode is George and Lovecraft. I think Jordan was happy with it." [*]
"It is telling that both of Jordan's episodes [for Season 10] were about death." Peter Mitchell on Jordan who joined Murdoch Mysteries along with Simon McNabb : " I got to watch both of them grow and develop over the four or five years since. He was turning into a mighty fine writer. He was kind of the calm centre of the writers’ room and had a delightful naiveté to him that was often just a ruse so that he could basically punk us all the time. He would ask naive questions and take us down a road until we realized we’d been completely had. He learned to be a better writer and was also involved in every sports pool known to man," adding with laughter [*]
An "In memory of Jordan Christianson" appears in the first frame of the end credits to Hot Wheels of Thunder, his last script written with Simon McNabb.
Co-Producer
- Concocting A Killer (2016)
- A Study in Pink (2016)
- Cometh the Archer (2016)
- From Buffalo With Love (2016)
- Bl**dy H*ll (2016)
- Summer of '75 (2015)
Executive Story Editor
He was executive story editor for 32 episodes Murdoch Mysteries:
- House of Industry (2016)
- Wild Child (2016)
- Colour Blinded (2016) .
- Unlucky in Love (2016)
- A Case of The Yips (2016)
- Raised on Robbery (2016)
- A Merry Murdoch Christmas (2015)
- Pipe Dreamzzz (2015)
- Summer of '75 (2015)
- The Local Option (2015)
- 24 Hours Til Doomsday (2015)
- Barenaked Ladies (2015)
- Double Life (2015) (also, Writer)
- Marked Twain (2015)
- Crabtree Mania (2015) (also, Writer)
- Nolo Contendere (2015)
- Artful Detective (2015)
- Election Day (2015)
- Crabtree Mania (2015)
- Shipwreck (2015)
- Toronto's Girl Problem (2015)
- The Incurables (2015)
- The Devil Wears Whalebone (2015)
- All That Glitters (2015)
- Murdoch and the Temple of Death (2015)
- The Keystone Constables (2014)
- High Voltage (2014)
- What Lies Buried (2014)
- Murdoch Takes Manhattan (2014)
- Holy Matrimony, Murdoch! (2014)
- Glory Days (2014)
- On the Waterfront: Part 1 and Part 2 (2014)
Story Editor
- The Death of Dr. Ogden (2014)
- Blast of Silence (2014)
- Kung Fu Crabtree (2014)
- Friday the 13th, 1901 (2014)
- The Spy Who Came Up to the Cold (2014)
- Unfinished Business (2014)
- Journey to the Centre of Toronto (2014)
- Murdoch in Ragtime (2014)
- A Midnight Train to Kingston (2014)
- Republic of Murdoch (2013)
- Loch Ness Murdoch (2013)
- Murdochophobia (2013)
- Murdoch of the Living Dead (2013)
- Return of Sherlock Holmes (2013)
- The Filmed Adventures of Detective William Murdoch (2013)
- Murdoch Ahoy (2013)
Writer
His Murdoch Mysteries writing credits (2013 - 2016):
- Hot Wheels of Thunder with Simon McNabb (2017)
- Master Lovecraft (2017)
- Weekend at Murdoch's (2016)
- Cometh the Archer with Peter Mitchell and Simon McNabb (2016)
- The Big Chill (2016)
- Double Life (2015)
- Crabtree Mania (2015)
- The Keystone Constables (2014)
- Glory Days (2014)
- The Death of Dr. Ogden with Carol Hay, Simon McNabb, Michelle Ricci (2013)
- Tour de Murdoch (2013)
External Links
Interview: Chats Weekend at Murdoch's
- According to Peter Mitchell, Jordan and Simon had innumerable Newsome episodes planned.