Hat Trick Productions

An independent London TV and radio production company, founded in 1986, famous for comedy such as Have I Got News for You, Father Ted and Derry Girls.

About Hat Trick Productions

Hat Trick Productions is an independent British production company based in London. It makes television and radio programmes, mainly comedy. Its best-known shows include Have I Got News for You, Father Ted, Whose Line Is It Anyway?, Outnumbered, Drop the Dead Donkey and Derry Girls.

We did not find a formal mission statement. The company is described mainly by its independence and its focus on comedy across television and radio. A 2015 profile of co-founder Jimmy Mulville shows he campaigned against the closure of BBC Three's linear channel, which tells us how much the company values chances for new comedy talent on British TV. Mulville studied French and Classics at Cambridge, was president of the Footlights, wrote and performed on Channel 4's Who Dares Wins and produced Alas Smith and Jones for the BBC before co-founding the company.

Hat Trick was founded in 1986 by Rory McGrath, Jimmy Mulville and Denise O'Donoghue, and its first commission was the Channel 4 sitcom Chelmsford 123. Jimmy Mulville said he was inspired to bring Whose Line Is It Anyway? to television after appearing on the radio version. Geoffrey Perkins joined as a director about two years after the start and helped produce Father Ted and Have I Got News for You, before leaving in 1995 to become head of comedy at BBC Television. Other Hat Trick shows include Harry Enfield's Television Programme, The Kumars at No. 42 and Fonejacker. In 2021 Hat Trick International signed a first-look distribution deal with Cardiff Productions.

In 2016 it launched HTM Television, a joint venture with writer Jed Mercurio, which has made dramas including Bloodlands and DI Ray. Hat Trick has also made drama such as Trigger Point and The Suspicions of Mr Whicher, and factual and game shows including Mastermind and Room 101. This shows a company that has grown from sitcoms to many genres. Its logo of a rabbit pulling a man out of a hat is part of its playful reputation.

A comedy production company employs producers, directors, script editors, researchers, production managers, accountants and business affairs staff, as well as writers and performers who work on its shows. If you love comedy, try watching the credits of your favourites and noticing the production roles. Hat Trick's own website is a good place to see its current shows.

What they do

• {'desc': 'Sitcoms and panel shows for TV and radio.', 'title': 'Comedy production'}
• {'desc': 'Series made with Jed Mercurio.', 'title': 'Drama via HTM Television'}
• {'desc': 'Programmes such as Mastermind and Room 101.', 'title': 'Factual and game shows'}

Key facts

• Founded 1986 by Rory McGrath, Jimmy Mulville and Denise O'Donoghue
• First commission: Chelmsford 123 (Channel 4)
• Launched HTM Television with Jed Mercurio in 2016
• Based in London

Website: www.hattrick.co.uk