Hat Trick International Sets MIPCOM Slate

Hat Trick International has unveiled the slate of programming it will be presenting at MIPCOM, including a slew of factual titles, formats and comedies.

From the team behind Derry Girls, the gang comedy Smoggie Queens follows a group of friends as they navigate love, life and their pride in their neglected U.K. town. “Buyers want shows that will stand out, and this definitely does that,” says Sarah Tong, director of sales. “Comedy is always in demand.”

Do You Want to Live Forever?, available as a format and a finished program, bridges the gap between science, health and well-being to show everyday people what they can do to live healthier, fuller lives. The show’s hosts take a deep dive into longevity and share the latest advances in medicine and science.

Do You Want to Live Forever? comes from Australian independent producer Lune Media and originally aired on Nine Network in Australia.

Bombing Brighton: The Plot to Kill Thatcher, made to mark the 40th anniversary of the Brighton hotel bombing, is “an emotional and tense story with new and exclusive testimony from some of those who were there and those who were involved in the atrocity,” explains Tong.

The feature documentary comes from Keo Films in association with Walk on Air. It includes an interview with Patrick Magee, the man who planted the bomb.

Also on Hat Trick International’s MIPCOM slate is Communion Stories, from Walk on Air films, which examines one of the most important rituals in the Roman Catholic Church. Every year, thousands of children across the U.K. take their first Holy Communion, a milestone that some think is becoming less about the ceremony and more about the celebration, with huge sums of money spent on dresses, parties and cakes.

Two new James May-fronted series are on offer, both produced by Plum Pictures. James May and the Dull Men follows the former Top Gear presenter as he teams up with the Dull Men’s Facebook group to solve a series of problems such as why your washing machine can’t double as a cooker to allow you to make a curry while washing your whites. In The Great Explorers with James May, meanwhile, he sets out to retrace the legendary voyages of Columbus, Raleigh and Cook.

Hat Trick International is also offering two George Clarke-fronted series: Kitchens v Gardens and a 13th season of George Clarke’s Amazing Spaces. In the former, the TV architect brings his expertise and creativity to help people rework their kitchen and garden spaces. The 13th season of George Clarke’s Amazing Stories sees him travel the country and visit Portugal in search of amazing and inspiring micro-builds.

The slate additionally features the sitcom Outnumbered, which is returning after running for five seasons between 2007 and 2014 and a 2016 Christmas special. A one-off special is set to premiere on BBC One and BBC iPlayer this Christmas. Written and directed by the show’s creators, Guy Jenkin and Andy Hamilton, the 40-minute special will reunite the Brockmans, with Hugh Dennis (Pete), Claire Skinner (Sue), Tyger Drew-Honey (Jake), Daniel Roche (Ben) and Ramona Marquez (Karen) reprising their roles. Parents Pete and Sue attempt to host a traditional Christmas for their grown-up offspring, but fate, neighbors, hyenas and bus-replacement services get in the way.

Hat Trick International’s formats and comedies continue to be in demand, with new deals including the first U.S. version of Have I Got News For You?

“We’re fortunate that our family of creative partners includes some of the most talented producers in the U.K., if not the world,” Tong said. “Added to that, our classic in house-produced shows not only continue to delight audiences but lend themselves to fresh and exciting brand extensions and local adaptations, as is demonstrated by the Outnumbered Christmas special and Have I Got News For You?’s successful U.S. debut. With the surplus of content out there in the market, arriving at MIPCOM with a suitcase full of new shows is no longer enough. Those shows have got to be exceptional—and I believe our MIPCOM 2024 slate delivers exactly that.”