C4 Looking for New Drama

The Stage reports that the upside of Channel 4's decision to axe the reality TV show Big Brother is that the broadcaster is going to inject an extra £20 million a year into its drama budget.

Director of television and content at Channel 4, Kevin Lygo, said the extra funds in the drama budget would allow the broadcaster to deliver more "event dramas" such as this year’s Red Riding and The Devil’s Whore, but added Channel 4 would be looking for "more quirky, returnable series aimed at younger audiences".

In addition, he revealed that Channel 4 was looking for a long-running comedy drama and single films that can sit "at the heart" of themed seasons.

"Channel 4 is at its best when it does things that others don’t or won’t. This is a fresh opportunity to reach out to audiences underserved by drama on the more mainstream channels. We don’t want to be prescriptive about themes or formats. We just want the most creative ideas from Britain’s best new and established drama talent," Lygo said.