In 2010 Lythgoe left Fremantle Media N.A. and setup his own company, Legacy Productions. The production company established development deals with a number of development Executive Producers in Hollywood. In the first quarter of 2011, Legacy Productions, with Simon as the Showrunner, produced "CMTs Next Superstar" for Country Music Television, part of the MTV Networks. The series was commissioned for a second season, but was later cancelled for creative and budgetary reasons. In 2012 Simon developed, directed and was the Showrunner on "A Chance to Dance" for Ovation and "Opening Act" for E! Network. More recently Lythgoe was the Co-Executive Producer for a CBS pilot, "The Spotlight" and an untitled social experiment series for ABC Family.