Mike Gibbon

{{for|other similarly named people|Michael Gibbons (disambiguation)}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}

{{Infobox person

| name = Mike Gibbon

| image =

| birth_name = John Michael Gibbon

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|df=yes|1942|1|27}}

| birth_place = {{nowrap|Fulmer, Buckinghamshire, England}}

| death_date =

| death_place =

| occupation = TV Producer/Director

| nationality = British

| television = EastEnders

| years_active = {{start date|1972}}–{{end date|1989}}

| spouse = {{marriage|Moya McCarthy|July 1976}}

| children = 1 daughter

| website =

}}

John Michael Gibbon (born 27 January 1942) is an English television producer and director.

He directed and produced the BBC televised soap opera, EastEnders. He began directing the programme in 1985 and began producing the programme in 1988.{{cite book|last=Brake|first=Colin|author-link=Colin Brake|title=EastEnders: The First 10 Years: A Celebration|year=1995|publisher=BBC Books|isbn=0-563-37057-2}} He became the show's new producer following the departure of the show's creator and series producer Julia Smith. Due to personal conflict with the series' head, Peter Cregeen, he was replaced by Michael Ferguson.{{cite news|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/eastenders-writer-wins-pounds-68000-from-bbc-1557818.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220514/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/eastenders-writer-wins-pounds-68000-from-bbc-1557818.html |archive-date=14 May 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|title='EastEnders' writer wins pounds 68,000 from BBC|work=The Independent|date=17 October 1992|accessdate=19 July 2009 | location=London}}
- {{cite news|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/scriptwriter-lost-job-after-giving-ira-a-role-in-soap-1555686.html|title=Scriptwriter lost job after giving IRA a role in soap|work=The Independent|date=6 October 1992|accessdate=19 July 2009 | location=London | first=Charles | last=Oulton}} It was reported that Gibbon controversially called for the killing of at least ten long-running characters in a bid to boost ratings. According to the writer David Yallop, acting ability was a key factor in deciding which members of the cast to kill off. Cast lists were marked with black asterisks, signifying a death for their character. One of the written plots saw characters die in an IRA bombing. However, the plots never came to fruition, as Gibbon was demoted and then resigned from the serial.{{cite news|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/soap-operas-producers-aimed-axe-at-poor-acting-1556027.html|title=Soap opera's producers 'aimed axe at poor acting'|work=The Independent|date=8 October 1992|accessdate=19 July 2009 | location=London}}

He is also the deviser and adaptor, with David Yallop, of Herbert Jenkins's Bindle book series.

Gibbon married Moya McCarthy in July 1976 and they have a daughter, Sophie.