Lygo

Congratulations to C4’s director of television and content, Kevin Lygo, for standing by the programme and its makers, and for withstanding the typical inaccuracies and hypocrisy of the tabloid press.

Archive 2007-06-01 Stephen Tall 2007

Congratulations to C4’s director of television and content, Kevin Lygo, for standing by the programme and its makers, and for withstanding the typical inaccuracies and hypocrisy of the tabloid press.

Channel 4: an apology Stephen Tall 2007

With Prime Suspect US on NBC this autumn, Julian Fellowes-penned Titanic sold to ABC, Jeremy Kyle being syndicated in America and Lygo "confident" Red or Black will make it on to a US network, he hopes to do more business there, particularly profitable drama co-productions.

'There's an absolute will that it's better for ITV if we make the stuff ourselves' 2011

As managing director, Lygo oversees the production of the network's biggest shows – from Coronation Street to This Morning, Jeremy Kyle to Emmerdale.

'There's an absolute will that it's better for ITV if we make the stuff ourselves' 2011

Lygo chuckles: There's a certain delicious irony in ITV having turned down Come Dine With Me and it coming to me at C4, saying yes and here it is now a wonderful show in our stable.

'There's an absolute will that it's better for ITV if we make the stuff ourselves' 2011

Lygo has taken what he hopes is "decisive action" since he arrived – around two entertainment pilots a month are being made, ranging from £40,000-£50,000 to several hundred thousand – and he and ITV chief executive Adam Crozier cut through six years of talks to approve the building of a new Coronation Street set in Salford Quays.

'There's an absolute will that it's better for ITV if we make the stuff ourselves' 2011

"I don't think we will be commissioning them any more," Lygo, who left last year to become managing director of ITV Studios, said at the time.

Channel 4 axes list shows 2011

Sitting in his large but somewhat spartan ITV office on London's South Bank, Lygo says mockingly: "It's all down to my blue eyes … actually, it's money, freedom, favours and anything I can do to get good people here."

'There's an absolute will that it's better for ITV if we make the stuff ourselves' 2011

However, this came despite claims in 2007 by Channel 4's then director of television and content, Kevin Lygo, that the broadcaster would be abandoning them.

Channel 4 axes list shows 2011

After digital soap spin-offs from The Archers and EastEnders, Lygo says there is "room" to do the same with ITV's soaps but only if there is a commercial benefit and viewers are not overloaded.

'There's an absolute will that it's better for ITV if we make the stuff ourselves' 2011