Like something? Buy it. That’s ITV’s new mantra based on the fact that they bought something. Anyway, the channel have snapped up the Shaun of the Dead production company Big Talk for a cool £12.5m. Nice business.

It would be nice to tell you that Simon Pegg and Nick Frost built it from the ground, owned the whole thing and pocketed the lion’s share of that £12,5m, but they were only shareholders, and merely stand to gain a portion of that sum, as do BBC worldwide, who owned 25% of it.

It’s not all doom and gloom for Pegg and Frost, in fact there’s no doom or gloom whatsoever. Their latest film, The World’s End has been a hit with the critics and the pair are now at the top of the comedy ladder, so to speak. Big Talk was responsible for Friday Night Dinner, Rev and Him & Her, and will continue to put those shows out.

The new deal is designed to help the company grow internationally, especially in, you guessed it, the big old U S of A. ITV chief executive Adam Crozier said: "The acquisition of Big Talk represents another important milestone as we continue to grow our production base and invest in creative talent." Kenton Allen said: "After an amazing five years of very rapid growth we're delighted to have found a dynamic new partner to help us realise the untapped potential that exists at Big Talk."(The Independent)

Simon PeggSimon Pegg at the World's End premiere