Sue Murphy

Kevin Lygo’s new job is possibly the biggest in British television – and certainly the most exposed. ITV’s incoming Director of Television must, together with his freshly minted team of commissioning chiefs, arrest a decline in audience that saw the main channel’s viewing share halve between 2000 and 2015.

Downton Abbey is gone, The X Factor is on the wane, and ITV hasn’t launched a breakout hit since Broadchurch in 2013. The company’s share price, which peaked at over 280p last July, fell close to 200p recently.

At its most basic casting involves finding actors to play roles in TV and film, however there is far more to it as it is one of the few television roles that seems to bridge the creative and the technical sides of television.

“It’s very much a taste-based role” Andy says. “What people don't see is the enormous amount of work that you put into casting a show – in terms of researching and trying to pull the whole thing together, getting the right people seen, managing expectations and then negotiating the artists contracts.”

The RTS sat down with Doctor Who casting director Andy Pryor who has worked on the show since it was resurrected in 2005. He gave us the low-down on the new face in the TARDIS.

Since the departure of Clara Oswald, played by Jenna Coleman, at the end of the last series, the Doctor has been flying alone. Coleman has gone on to play Queen Victoria in the forthcoming  ITV drama Victoria, hitting screens later this year.