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This production company producing the beloved comedy series Have I Got News For You has effectively regained profitability following its first-ever introduction in the American market.

Economic Turnaround

Hat Trick, which also makes Mastermind, the comedy series, and the improv program, disclosed earnings before tax of almost £857,000 during the latest financial period. This marks a significant upturn from the pre-tax loss of £377k logged in the prior year.

Nevertheless, turnover at the company fell by almost 28 percent from £48.4 million to £35 million year on year.

American Launch

This profitability comeback coincided with the successful introduction of a 10-part season of Have I Got News for You on the US network in the lead-up to the previous November's presidential race. A further 20 episodes are set to air this year.

The number of series produced, a important metric of the company’s performance, increased from 7 to ten programs in the previous year.

Shareholder Payouts

Overall, the British enterprise distributed an interim dividend of one million pounds, which is down from the £4.7m distributed in 2023.

From this amount, £900,000 went to Jimmy Mulville and his wife, his partner, who had received a £4.2m distribution in the previous period. At the same time, the chairman, the director, obtained one hundred thousand pounds.

Company Background

Hat Trick was created in the mid-80s by Mulville – a budding comedian who became TV executive – and his former spouse, his co-founder. Collectively, they created comedy shows including the satirical series and the talk show before her exit from the organization in the mid-2000s.

Theatrical Project

Recently, Mulville addressed his effort to “buy out” the writer from a intended stage adaptation. The executive explained that the writer, who developed the hit series that ran between 1995 to 1998, refused the company permission to create it even if he passes away.

Given the co-creator's advocacy and outspoken views on gender identity, he said he advised that the issue would hinder getting the stage show into theatres.

“The script and the songs were completed, and we were prepared to proceed but that’s when it all went badly,” the executive stated during a media podcast. “We discussed with Graham in which I said: ‘Listen, this production won't be produced with your credit on it, there’s no respected venue that will make it.’”

Mulville continued: “Things went from bad to worse … he claimed that if he passes away it’s in his will that we can’t create the production.”

The co-creator has previously said he was “ready to reduce my participation, just coming along to the some sessions to see how it was going. ‘Not possible,’ I was informed; they wanted a complete separation.” The writer eventually declined a suggested agreement, which he called an “disrespect.”

In the previous month, the co-creator faced legal proceedings to contest charges of vandalism and intimidating a teenager, which he contests.