ITV America Promotes ‘Love Island’ EP Simon Thomas & Michelle Byars As It Searches For Global Formats

deadline.com:

ITV America has had success adapting British formats in the U.S. including CBS’ Love Island, ABC’s The Chase and Fox’s Hell’s Kitchen.It is now looking to add more global formats to this list with the promotion of Love Island exec producer Simon Thomas.Thomas has been named President of ITV Entertainment – one of the company’s six production banners – as well as Head of International Programming at ITV America.Thomas was previously EVP, Current Programming, West Coast at ITV America and is an exec producer on TBS’ Rat In The Kitchen, which is based on an idea from ITV-owned producer Possessed, and HBO Max’s My Mom, Your Dad.

Before joining ITV America, he worked on series such as the British version of I’m a Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here!, which ITV America and Blumhouse are looking to reboot in the States, as well as Big Brother and Beauty and the Geek in Australia.In his new role, Thomas will run ITV Entertainment’s development and production slate of original series and international formats and will also oversee production of any ITV America series sold to U.S.

buyers and produced abroad. Thomas reports to ITV America’s Chief Creative Officer David Eilenberg.ITV Entertainment will serve as the company’s “clearinghouse” for import and export of noisy series with global appeal.It sits alongside the company’s other production labels including Leftfield Pictures, Sirens Media, Thinkfactory Media, High Noon Entertainment, and Good Caper Content.ITV America CEO David George said, “With the sweeping globalization of the marketplace, we’ve been focusing our business on selling and producing on a global level, in any territory.