Julie Christie (producer)

{{short description|New Zealand television producer and businessperson}}

{{Infobox person

| honorific_prefix =

| name = Dame Julie Christie

| honorific_suffix = {{post-nominals|country=NZL|DNZM|size=100%}}

| image = Julie Christie DNZM (cropped).jpg

| alt =

| caption = Christie in 2017

| birth_name = Julie Claire Molloy

| birth_date = {{Birth based on age as of date|47|2009|12|04}}

| birth_place =

| death_date =

| death_place =

| nationality = New Zealander

| occupation = Television producer

| spouse = Simon Lamond{{cite web |url=https://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/dunn-stables-brings-in-controversial-restaurant-owner-leo-molloy-to-fight-doping-case/C77XCGWIN3YJKFZXL6QQBS2R5Y/ |title=Dunn stables brings in controversial restaurant owner Leo Molloy to fight doping case |date=21 December 2017 |work=New Zealand Herald |first=Gordon |last=Findlater |access-date=14 March 2022 |archive-date=27 April 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230427033615/https://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/dunn-stables-brings-in-controversial-restaurant-owner-leo-molloy-to-fight-doping-case/C77XCGWIN3YJKFZXL6QQBS2R5Y/ |url-status=live }}
Louis Jones{{cite web |url=https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/euro-owner-charged-over-row-at-rival-eatery/FKCHE3DK3TUF3EA77KSVF2JX6A/ |title=Euro owner charged over row at rival eatery |date=21 December 2001 |work=New Zealand Herald |access-date=14 March 2022 |archive-date=14 March 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220314115240/https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/euro-owner-charged-over-row-at-rival-eatery/FKCHE3DK3TUF3EA77KSVF2JX6A/ |url-status=live }}

| relations = Leo Molloy (brother)

}}

Dame Julie Claire Molloy Christie {{post-nominals|country=NZL|DNZM|size=85%}} ({{nee}} Molloy; born {{Birth based on age as of date|47|2009|12|04|noage=1}}) is a New Zealand businesswoman and television producer. She founded Touchdown Productions, an international television company, and served as its CEO. Touchdown Productions was acquired by Dutch media company Eyeworks in 2006, and later sold to Warner Bros.{{Cite web|url=https://unfilteredtv.podbean.com/e/the-west-coaster-who-reshaped-new-zealand-television/|title=Dame Julie Christie: The West Coaster who reshaped New Zealand television|website=unfilteredtv.podbean.com|access-date=17 March 2020|archive-date=17 March 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200317195640/https://unfilteredtv.podbean.com/e/the-west-coaster-who-reshaped-new-zealand-television/|url-status=live}}

Biography

Christie was born in approximately 1962 and raised in Greymouth. She is the sister of Leo Molloy. At age 17, she moved to Wellington and began working in newspaper journalism.{{Cite web|last=Tay|first=Karen|date=2009-12-04|title=Small screen queen|url=https://www.stuff.co.nz/sunday-star-times/features/3104820/Small-screen-queen|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210411181247/http://www.stuff.co.nz/sunday-star-times/features/3104820/Small-screen-queen|archive-date=11 April 2021|access-date=2020-09-10|website=Stuff|language=en}}{{Cite web|date=2017-08-16|title=TV reality queen Julie Christie becomes a Dame|url=https://www.stuff.co.nz/entertainment/95840224/tv-reality-queen-julie-christie-becomes-a-dame|access-date=2020-09-10|website=Stuff|language=en|archive-date=29 November 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191129071929/https://www.stuff.co.nz/entertainment/95840224/tv-reality-queen-julie-christie-becomes-a-dame|url-status=live}}

After a decade as a sports sub-editor for newspapers, Christie transitioned to research for broadcaster Neil Roberts at Communicado production house. In 1991, she established her own company, Touchdown Productions.{{Cite web|url=https://www.nowtolove.co.nz/celebrity/celeb-news/julie-christie-tv-is-a-business-not-an-art-1634|title=Julie Christie: TV is a business not an art|website=Now To Love|date=5 August 2016 |access-date=17 March 2020|archive-date=17 March 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200317195407/https://www.nowtolove.co.nz/celebrity/celeb-news/julie-christie-tv-is-a-business-not-an-art-1634|url-status=live}}

Touchdown became a major exporter of television formats to 29 countries, most notably the game show The Chair for ABC in the US and the BBC, and the reality game show Treasure Island.

In the 2007 Queen's Birthday Honours, she was appointed an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit, for services to television.{{cite web|url=https://dpmc.govt.nz/publications/queens-birthday-honours-list-2007|title=Queen's Birthday honours list 2007|date=4 June 2007|publisher=Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet|accessdate=7 August 2019|archive-date=30 March 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190330205330/https://dpmc.govt.nz/publications/queens-birthday-honours-list-2007|url-status=live}} In the 2017 Queen's Birthday Honours, she was promoted to Dame Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit, for services to governance and the television industry.{{cite web|url=https://dpmc.govt.nz/publications/queens-birthday-honours-list-2017|title=Queen's Birthday honours list 2017|date=5 June 2017|publisher=Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet|accessdate=7 August 2019|archive-date=11 May 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210511001140/https://dpmc.govt.nz/publications/queens-birthday-honours-list-2017|url-status=live}}

In 2021, Christie acquired a majority shareholding in the international natural history TV and documentary production company NHNZ, and changed the name to NHNZ Worldwide. She is currently CEO.{{cite web |url=https://variety.com/2021/tv/asia/julie-christie-acquires-factual-tv-producer-nhnz-1234916107/ |title=Julie Christie Acquires Control of Factual Producer NHNZ |date=26 February 2021 |work=Variety |first=Patrick |last=Frater |access-date=27 April 2023 |archive-date=14 August 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220814084526/https://variety.com/2021/tv/asia/julie-christie-acquires-factual-tv-producer-nhnz-1234916107/ |url-status=live }}

Memberships

Rugby World Cup 2011 – Member of the Organising Board
New Zealand Rugby Union – Member of the Commercial Committee 2012 to 2018
New Zealand Trade and Enterprise – Board Member 2009 to 2015
New Zealand Steering Group for World Expo Dubai 2020{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=|title=Expo 2020 Dubai UAE|url=https://www.nzatexpo.govt.nz/about|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210120102643/https://www.nzatexpo.govt.nz/about|archive-date=20 January 2021|access-date=18 September 2020|website=NZTA Expo}}
All Blacks Experience – Chair{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=|title=All Blacks Experience to open in December 2020|url=https://www.nzrugby.co.nz/news-and-events/latest-news/all-blacks-experience-to-open-in-december-2020/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200923102902/https://www.nzrugby.co.nz/news-and-events/latest-news/all-blacks-experience-to-open-in-december-2020/|archive-date=23 September 2020|access-date=18 September 2020|website=NZ Rugby}}
Development West Coast – Board member 2017 to 2022, Deputy Chair 2021 to 2022{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=19 June 2017|title=Dame Julie Christie now a West Coast trustee|url=https://nzbusiness.co.nz/news-items/dame-julie-christie-now-west-coast-trustee|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210206015605/https://nzbusiness.co.nz/news-items/dame-julie-christie-now-west-coast-trustee|archive-date=6 February 2021|access-date=18 September 2020|website=NZBusiness}}
Rugby World Cup 2021 – Organising Committee Chair{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=3 February 2020|title=Rugby World Cup 2021 set to break new ground as tournament dates are announced|url=https://www.rugbyworldcup.com/2021/news/557833/rwc-2021-set-to-break-new-ground-as-tournament-dates-are-announced|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201130211740/https://www.rugbyworldcup.com/2021/news/557833/rwc-2021-set-to-break-new-ground-as-tournament-dates-are-announced|archive-date=30 November 2020|access-date=|website=Rugby World Cup}}

References

Category:Place of birth missing (living people)

Category:Living people

Category:New Zealand television producers

Category:New Zealand businesspeople

Category:Dames Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit

Category:People from Greymouth

Category:1960s births