Stephen Lambert (media executive)

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Stephen Lambert
Born (1959-03-22) 22 March 1959 (age 65)
London, England
Alma materUniversity of East Anglia (B.A., Politics and Philosophy, 1981)
University of Oxford (postgraduate research, 1982)
Occupation(s)Television producer
businessperson
Years active1983-present
Notable workWife Swap
Faking It
The Secret Millionaire
Undercover Boss
Gogglebox
Squid Game: The Challenge
The Traitors
SpouseJenni Russell (m. 1988)
Children2
Websitehttp://www.studiolambert.com

Stephen Lambert (born 22 March 1959) is an English television producer and executive who works in Britain and America. He is the chief executive of Studio Lambert, one of All3Media's production companies,[1][2] which produces Gogglebox, Undercover Boss, Squid Game: The Challenge, Race Across the World, and The Traitors.[3]

In Lambert's previous job at the independent production company RDF, he was responsible for global unscripted hits such as Wife Swap, Faking It and The Secret Millionaire.[4] Lambert is also chairman of Seven Stories, a scripted production company launched in 2015 and backed by All3Media.[5][6]

Lambert's programmes have won dozens of awards including BAFTA awards, the Rose D'Or of Montreux, and both Primetime and International Emmy Awards.[7][8][9] In 2016, he was made a Fellow of the Royal Television Society[10] and in 2024, the Royal Television Society recognised his career with an Outstanding Achievement Award.[11]

Early life[edit]

Born in London, Lambert was educated at Thames Valley Grammar School and the University of East Anglia, graduating with a first in politics and philosophy. He studied as a post-graduate student at Nuffield College, Oxford, where he wrote a book on the history of British broadcasting policy published by the British Film Institute called Channel 4: Television with a Difference? which coincided with the launch of Britain's fourth terrestrial channel in November 1982.[12][13]

BBC[edit]

In 1983, he joined the BBC and worked in the Documentaries Department for the next fifteen years.[14] He was a producer and director of documentaries for the BAFTA-winning BBC2 series 40 Minutes and the BBC1 series Inside Story; many set in conflict areas such as Sri Lanka, Croatia, South Africa, Kuwait, Gaza and Northern Ireland. Between 1992 and 1994, he produced and directed a six-part documentary series for BBC2 about the Foreign and Commonwealth Office which was filmed in Northern Iraq, the former Soviet Union, Bosnia, Thailand, Saudi Arabia, Europe, the US and in Whitehall.[15]

In 1994, Lambert became the founding editor of BBC2's main documentary strand of the 1990s, Modern Times. While running Modern Times, he executive produced some of the first BBC1 docu-soaps, including The Clampers and Lakesiders, as well as the fly-on-the-wall series about Sunderland A.F.C., Premier Passions and the five part Royal Television Society award-winning series about the Department of Social Security called The System.[14] Lambert also started a long working relationship with the film-maker Adam Curtis, executive producing his series The Mayfair Set, winner of the 2000 BAFTA award for best factual series.[16][17]

RDF Media[edit]

In 1998, Lambert left the BBC to join independent production company RDF Media as its first director of programs.[14] He devised and executive produced the acclaimed series Faking It which premiered on Channel 4 in 2000.[18] It won the BAFTA best features program award in 2001 and 2002 and the Rose d'Or in 2003.[19] This was followed by Wife Swap, which attracted audiences of more than six million.[20] It won the BAFTA best features program award in 2003 and the Rose D'Or in 2004.[21] Lambert continued working with Adam Curtis, executive producing his The Century of the Self (2002), The Power of Nightmares (2004) (winner of BAFTA best factual series award 2004), and The Trap (2007).

From 1998 to 2005, RDF Media grew rapidly with Lambert spearheading its editorial development. RDF started producing in the US and opened its RDF USA production office in Los Angeles. In 2004, Lambert executive produced the US network version of Wife Swap which launched on ABC.[22] RDF received Broadcast's Best Production Company of the Year Award for 2002, 2004 and 2006; the only company to win this award three times.[23] In May 2005, RDF Media floated on the London Stock Exchange's Alternative Investment Market and started to acquire other independent production companies.[24] Lambert became the group's chief creative officer.[14] He continued to devise new formats such as The Secret Millionaire, which won the Rose d'Or in 2007,[25] Shipwrecked: Battle of the Islands for Channel 4, and The Verdict for BBC2.

In 2007, Lambert resigned from RDF after taking responsibility over a misleadingly edited trailer for a BBC documentary which appeared to show the Queen storming out of a photoshoot with Annie Leibovitz. In fact, she was walking in. Peter Fincham, Controller of BBC One, and his head of publicity also resigned from their jobs.[26]

Studio Lambert[edit]

In 2008, Lambert launched a new independent production company, Studio Lambert, based in London and Los Angeles.[27] In the 2021 Broadcast survey of independent UK production companies, Studio Lambert ranked #5 by size of turnover.[28]

Lambert's first major formatted show in his new company was Undercover Boss, which started on Britain's Channel 4 in 2009 and has been produced in dozens of countries around the world.[29] Studio Lambert produces an American version which premiered on CBS in February 2010 immediately after the Super Bowl to a record-breaking audience of nearly 40 million viewers.[30] It went on to become the highest rating new show of the 2009-10 television season with an average audience of 17 million viewers[31] and to earn an Emmy Awards nomination for Outstanding Reality Program every year from 2010 to 2016, winning the category in 2012 and 2013.[32]

In March 2013, Studio Lambert launched Gogglebox on Channel 4, a weekly show observing ordinary people watching and reviewing the week's television.[33] It has become "one of Britain's most popular shows",[34] winning many awards including a BAFTA[35] and five National Television Awards[36] and local versions are produced in more than thirty countries.[37]

Lambert launched a scripted division in his company in 2015.[38] The first scripted show, Three Girls, won five BAFTA awards.[39][40] This was followed by The Feed for Amazon Prime,[41] and The Nest and Three Families for BBC One.[42][43]

Studio Lambert productions include Race Across the World, The Circle, The Traitors, Naked Attraction[44] and Four in a Bed.[45]

In 2023, Stephen Lambert was an executive producer on Squid Game: The Challenge for Netflix. The show was No. 1 on Netflix’s list of Top 10 English-language show for the first two weeks after its release, with a total of over 224 million hours watched within the first 21 days.[46][47][48] On 6 December 2023, prior to the release of the season one finale, Netflix announced a second season order.[49]

Seven Stories[edit]

In 2021, Disney+ announced that Seven Stories, the other scripted company Lambert is involved in as chairman, was making Nautilus a major live-action series based on Jules Verne's 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea.[50]

Personal life[edit]

Lambert is married to journalist Jenni Russell and they have two children.[51]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Stephen Lambert". Studio Lambert. Retrieved 15 December 2021.
  2. ^ "Group Companies". All3Media.com.
  3. ^ Kelly, Liam (7 January 2024). "My tips for winning The Traitors, by its creator". The Times. Retrieved 2 February 2024.
  4. ^ Singh, Anita (30 July 2023). "'It's like the Stanford Prison Experiment': The British studio turning Squid Game into reality". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 2 February 2024.
  5. ^ Friedlander, Whitney (16 September 2015). "All3Media Backs New TV Shingle Seven Stories". Retrieved 16 September 2015.
  6. ^ "Team". SevenStoriesTV.com. Retrieved 12 December 2021.
  7. ^ "BAFTA Awards Search - Stephen Lambert". bafta.org. Retrieved 23 October 2018.
  8. ^ "The Rose d'Or Festival Award winners 1961 – 2008" (PDF). Retrieved 23 October 2018.
  9. ^ "Stephen Lambert Awards and Nominations". emmys.com. Retrieved 23 October 2018.
  10. ^ "Royal Television Society announces new appointments". 16 February 2016. Retrieved 16 February 2016.
  11. ^ Creamer, Jon (27 March 2024). "BBC leads RTS Programme Awards with 21 wins". Televisual. Televisual Media UK Limited. Retrieved 2 April 2024.
  12. ^ Whitworth, Damian (7 October 2021). "The future of TV — from Stephen Lambert, the man who gave you Gogglebox". The Times. Retrieved 15 December 2021.
  13. ^ Lambert, Stephen (1982). Channel 4: Television with a Difference?.
  14. ^ a b c d "Stephen Lambert". Royal Television Society. Retrieved 15 December 2021.
  15. ^ Garel-Jones, Tristan (30 April 1994). "BBC dispels 'chinless' image of Diplomatic Service: The former Foreign Office minister Tristan Garel-Jones describes being put under scrutiny for the TV documentary 'True Brits'". Independent. Archived from the original on 25 May 2022. Retrieved 15 December 2021.
  16. ^ "BAFTA Awards: Television - Factual Series or Strand in 2000". bafta.org. Retrieved 23 October 2018.
  17. ^ "The Mayfair Set - BBC Two England - 25 July 1999". BBC Genome. 25 July 1999.
  18. ^ McMahon, Barbara (4 September 2013). "Will Ryan Seacrest's Million Second Quiz revolutionise TV". The Times. Retrieved 16 December 2021.
  19. ^ "Faking It - Awards". IMDb. Retrieved 16 December 2021.
  20. ^ "BRITAIN'S FAVOURITE COUPLES IN WIFE-SWAP SHOCK". HELLO! Magazine. 18 March 2003. Retrieved 16 December 2021.
  21. ^ "Wife Swap - Awards". IMDb. Retrieved 16 December 2021.
  22. ^ Brown, Maggie (4 October 2004). "Swapping success | Media". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 8 March 2010.
  23. ^ "98. Stephen Lambert". The Guardian. 17 July 2006. Retrieved 16 December 2021.
  24. ^ Gibson, Owen (23 October 2006). "Making it, not faking it | Media". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 8 March 2010.
  25. ^ "Studio Lambert Ltd". Mandy. Retrieved 16 December 2021.
  26. ^ Brown, Maggie (10 October 2007). "Profile of RDF's ex-creative director Stephen Lambert | Media | MediaGuardian". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 8 March 2010.
  27. ^ "U.K.'s Lambert hangs reality shingle - Entertainment News, TV News, Media". Variety. 25 March 2008. Retrieved 8 March 2010.
  28. ^ "Indie Survey Table 2021". Broadcast. 25 March 2021. Retrieved 9 April 2021.
  29. ^ Wilkes, Neil (July 2021). "ITV 'to revive Undercover Boss in UK'". Media Mole. Retrieved 16 December 2021.
  30. ^ Seidman, Robert (9 February 2010). "TV Ratings: Super Bowl XIV post game and Undercover Boss dominate weekly viewing". tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com. Archived from the original on 18 November 2010. Retrieved 30 October 2014.
  31. ^ CBS (28 July 2010). "CBS ANNOUNCES FOUR COMPANIES PARTICIPATING IN THE SECOND SEASON OF THE EMMY AWARD-NOMINATED SERIES, "UNDERCOVER BOSS"". The Futon Critic. Retrieved 12 September 2010.
  32. ^ "Site Search: Undercover Boss". Television Academy. Retrieved 16 December 2021.
  33. ^ McNulty, Bernadette (11 December 2013). "Gogglebox: the TV show making Britain feel great". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 11 December 2013.
  34. ^ Marshall, Lucy; Reid, Ben (8 November 2021). "Gogglebox behind the scenes secrets from drinking, eating and friends off camera". Derby Telegraph. Retrieved 16 December 2021.
  35. ^ "Television in 2014". BAFTA. 2014. Retrieved 16 December 2021.
  36. ^ "Role Call of Winners 1995-2021". National Television Awards. Retrieved 16 December 2021.
  37. ^ INCREASING THE REGIONAL IMPACT OF CHANNEL 4 CORPORATION: Channel 4 response to the Government consultation (PDF) (Report). Channel 4. July 2017.
  38. ^ "BBC Veteran Susan Hogg Joins Studio Lambert As Scripted Programming Chief, Head Of Drama". Deadline. 12 February 2015. Retrieved 16 December 2021.
  39. ^ "Three Girls and Game of Thrones lead Bafta TV Craft Awards 2018". Radio Times. 23 April 2018. Retrieved 26 January 2021.
  40. ^ "Bafta TV awards 2018: full list of winners". TheGuardian.com. 13 May 2018. Retrieved 26 January 2021.
  41. ^ "'Walking Dead' Writer Channing Powell Plugs Into Dystopian Thriller 'The Feed'". Variety. 11 April 2019. Retrieved 26 January 2021.
  42. ^ "Martin Compston and Sophie Rundle to lead the cast in brand new five-part BBC One thriller The Nest". BBC Media Centre. 28 August 2019. Retrieved 16 December 2021.
  43. ^ "Cast confirmed for BBC One drama Three Families, from the producers of Three Girls". BBC Media Centre. 7 April 2021. Retrieved 16 December 2021.
  44. ^ Robinson, Jon (6 April 2022). "Gogglebox and Naked Attraction maker criticises Government plans to sell off Channel 4". Business Live. Retrieved 29 December 2023.
  45. ^ Goldbart, Max (7 November 2023). "Studio Lambert Bosses Talk "Breaking The Conventions Of Reality TV" On 'Squid Game: The Challenge', Casting New Seasons Of 'The Traitors' & Hopes For A First Returning Drama Series". Deadline. Retrieved 2 February 2024.
  46. ^ "Netflix Global Top 10 TV (November 20-26, 2023)". Tudum. Archived from the original on 29 November 2023. Retrieved 29 November 2023.
  47. ^ "Netflix Global Top 10 TV (November 27 - December 3, 2023)". Tudum. Archived from the original on 6 December 2023. Retrieved 6 December 2023.
  48. ^ "Netflix Global Top 10 TV (December 4-10, 2023)". Tudum. Archived from the original on 14 December 2023. Retrieved 14 December 2023.
  49. ^ Moreau, Jordan (6 December 2023). "'Squid Game: The Challenge' Renewed for Season 2 at Netflix, Casting Now Open". Variety. Retrieved 6 December 2023.
  50. ^ Goldbart, Max (23 August 2021). "Disney+ unveils UK original series 'Nautilus'". Screen International. Retrieved 16 December 2021.
  51. ^ "About the Authors". Oreilly.com. November 2010. Retrieved 15 December 2021.

External links[edit]

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