Today's interview is with television writer, producer and humanitarian Mark Maxwell-Smith. In this interview Mark talks about his start in Radio before moving on to work for Ralph Edwards productions, His work with Jack Barry/Dan Enright Productions, His time doing Audience Warm-Up, Creating the cult-favorite Canadian game show Talk About, His work performing and entertaining children with Illnesses, Pitching a game show to Steven Spielberg and many other subjects. I want to thank Mr. Maxwell-Smith for taking the time to speak with us about his career. This interview was recorded via Skype on April 3rd 2020. 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 or oral permission from the Spiders Lair Studios. 0:01 Introduction 0:37 On his earliest memories of film and television. 1:42 On getting into magic as a youth and performing. 2:44 On his education and working at WTFM in New York. 4:28 On Jerry Bender giving him a job at PickTV as a gofer on Truth or Consequences with Bob Barker. 12:44 On becoming an "Idea-man" for Truth or Consequences and how being Hired to write jokes for Marty Allen lead to being a writer for the program. 17:09 On the type of material he wrote for Truth or Consequences and the difficulties of coming up with new stunts for the program. 22:01 On leaving PickTV and begining work for Barry-Engright productions as an audience warm-up performer. 31:58 On Truth or Consequences ending and being hired by Ralph Edwards productions in development. 38:07 On creating the show Knockout. 42:06 On working on Cross-wits and The $100,000 Name That Tune and ideas he came up with for both formats. 49:01 On being writing stunts for and eventually being hired as the side-kick to Sonny Fox on Way Out Games. 55:48 On the differences between The New Truth or Consequences with Bob Hilton and The original series with Bob Barker. 57:27 On working as a producer for the game show Hot Potato with Bill Cullen and an incident on the program involving Milton Berle. 1:06:02 On what the qualities that make a good game show host. 1:08:32 On meeting and working with Wink Martindale. 1:13:05 On working as a writer for the Canadian game-show Bumper Stumpers. 1:17:00 On appearing as a Comedy Club Emcee on the show Too Close for Comfort in the episode Presenting Buddy Ficus. 1:22:38 On developing the Canadian children's game show 5,4,3,2,Run. 1:28:39 On on leaving Barry Enright productions and developing/selling Talk About 1:38:12 On hiring Wayne Cox to host. 1:41:05 On differences between American and Canadian Game shows. 1:42:45 On working with Melvin and Mario Van Peebles on Family Figures for Black Entertainment Television. 1:43:54 On Bob Boden. 1:45:42 On Think Twice and the difficulty of working with PBS. 1:47:23 On selling formats to the United Kingdom and working with Donald O'Connor on Talk About UK. 1:52:06 On working free-lance for Richard S Kline on Pictionary. 1:53:12 On being the Mirror Man in Masters of the Maze. 1:54:46 On Majority Rules and pitching the idea to Steven Spielberg and Jeffrey Katzenberg. 2:10:34 on Writing for Greed. 2:11:15 on producing Supermarket Sweep for one year in 2000. 2:12:15 On Beat the Clock with Gary Kroger in 2002 and updating the format in Universal Studios Florida. 2:15:22 On the disappointment of producing Taboo. 2:17:26 On producing the 2003 Let's Make a Deal Revival with Billy Bush and the disappointment of NBC Interference. 2:22:58 On entertaining for sick children in hospitals and camps and on positive contributions those in the Game Show world have made to the Ronald McDonald House and other Children's Charities. 2:35:44 On his proudest achievement in Television.