Craig Piligian

Craig Piligian (born August 25, 1957) is an Armenian American television producer, and the President and CEO of Pilgrim Films & Television. As an Executive Producer, he is best known for creating The Ultimate Fighter, American Chopper and Dirty Jobs series for Discovery Channel. In 2001, he won an Emmy Award as co-executive producer of Survivor.[1]

Craig Piligian
Born (1957-08-25) August 25, 1957
OccupationTelevision Producer
Spouse
​
(m. 1990)​
Children2

In November 2003, Piligian began producing Dirty Jobs, a series on the Discovery channel that focused on blue-collar jobs. The show ran for eight years and aired over 170 episodes.[2][3] The show ended in 2012.[2][3]

In 2004, Piligian worked with Dana White and Lorenzo Fertitta to bring a reality show about boxers, called The Ultimate Fighter, to television.[4] The reality series followed sixteen fighters that lived in a house and competed for a UFC contract.[5]

In 2012, Piligian was 18th on The Hollywood Reporter's "50 Most Powerful List".[6]

In 2015, Lionsgate purchased a major stake in Piligian's Pilgrim Studios for $200 million.[7][8]

In March 2016, Piligian partnered with Ben Affleck and Matt Damon to create The Runner, an original series about mobile devices for streaming on mobile devices through the streaming service go90.[9][10] In 2018, Piligian worked with Roger Ross Williams to develop High on the Hog, a docuseries depicting African American history through the lens of food, based on Dr. Jessica B. Harris’ book High on the Hog: A Culinary Journey from Africa to America.[11]

In April 2021, Piligian was named chair of Pilgrim Media Group and president.

Personal life

He is married to Lucinda Dickey; they have two children, Joseph Michael (b. 1986) and Amanda Marie (b. 1989).[12] In 2016, Piligian purchased a historical ranch property in Kansas for $5.325 million.[13]

References
  1. "Outstanding Non-Fiction Program, 2001". Emmy Awards. Archived from the original on October 15, 2013. Retrieved October 15, 2013.
  2. Levin, Gary. "Discovery cancels 'Dirty Jobs'". USA TODAY. Archived from the original on November 22, 2012. Retrieved October 6, 2021.
  3. Andreeva, Nellie (November 23, 2012). "Discovery Channel's 'Dirty Jobs' Cancelled". Deadline. Archived from the original on October 11, 2014. Retrieved October 6, 2021.
  4. "Loretta Hunt: As The Ultimate Fighter ends run on Spike TV, a look back its origins". Sports Illustrated. Archived from the original on October 6, 2021. Retrieved October 6, 2021.
  5. "The inside story of how 'The Ultimate Fighter' saved the UFC 15 years ago". ESPN.com. April 9, 2020. Retrieved October 6, 2021.
  6. "Reality TV: THR's 50 Most Powerful List". The Hollywood Reporter. May 16, 2012.
  7. Andreeva, Nellie (November 12, 2015). "Lionsgate Buys Major Stake In Craig Piligian's Pilgrim Studios For $200 Million". Deadline. Archived from the original on November 13, 2015. Retrieved October 6, 2021.
  8. Vlessing, Etan (November 12, 2015). "Lionsgate Invests $200M in Craig Piligian's Pilgrim Studios". Archived from the original on October 6, 2021.
  9. O'Connell, Mikey (March 16, 2016). "Ben Affleck, Matt Damon and Craig Piligian Partner for Verizon Reality Competition". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on October 6, 2021. Retrieved October 6, 2021.
  10. Andreeva, Nellie (March 16, 2016). "Ben Affleck & Matt Damon Reality Series 'The Runner' To Launch On Verizon Go90". Deadline. Archived from the original on March 18, 2016. Retrieved October 6, 2021.
  11. Petski, Denise (September 24, 2018). "Roger Ross Williams & Craig Piligian Team On 'High On The Hog' Docuseries Tracking African American History Through Food". Deadline. Archived from the original on September 24, 2018. Retrieved October 6, 2021.
  12. Biography for Lucinda Dickey at IMDb
  13. "'Wild Tuna' creator Craig Piligian snaps up a historical spot in rural Kansas". Los Angeles Times. October 11, 2016. Retrieved October 6, 2021.


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