Initial ups Lynch

Endemol Shine-owned UK prodco Initial has promoted its head of development to creative director.

Catherine Lynch

Catherine Lynch is stepping up having led the Big Brother firm’s development since 2011, executive producing several key shows.

She moves into the creative director role vacated earlier this year by Mirella Breda when she replaced the departing Nick Samwell-Smith as MD.

Lynch was part of the creative team behind The Almost Impossible Game Show, which she executive produced for ITV2. The format has just sold to MTV in the US, where it will be produced locally by Endemol Shine North America.

She also co-developed Big Box, Little Box for ITV, which sold to Germany, Sweden and Norway and returns to VOX in Germany later this year.

As creative director, reporting to Breda, Lynch will focus on the expansion of Initial’s entertainment and factual entertainment programming for UK broadcasters with international potential.

Lynch first joined Endemol Shine UK as a creative intern in 2003, moving to Monkey and ITV Studios between 2005 and 2007. She returned in 2007 to run the creative intern programme and was promoted to senior development producer in 2009 before joining Initial to lead development.