A joint bid from indies Hat Trick and Hindsight has won the competitive tender to produce Mastermind and Celebrity Mastermind.
The programme was previously produced by BBC Studios and the tendering of returning series currently produced by BBC Studios forms part of the Compete Or Compare strategy launched by the BBC in 2014.
The tender was launched in September last year. Hindsight and Hat Trick’s bid was considered to be the strongest from a field of eight eligible producers who submitted proposals.
The contract will be for two years from July 2019, and covers 31 episodes of Mastermind and ten episodes of Celebrity Mastermind per year. John Humphrys will continue to present both shows.
The programme was previously produced from Salford and will now move to Northern Ireland. The Hat Trick and Hindsight bid was supported by Northern Ireland Screen and will see the programme based, filmed and edited in Northern Ireland.
Kate Phillips, Controller of Entertainment Commissioning says: “We assessed the bids against four criteria and the bid from Hindsight and Hat Trick was the strongest. We liked their idea of Mastermind returning to its roots, in a dramatic and pressurised setting. We’re also delighted that this decision means another BBC show will be made in Northern Ireland.”
Staff Reporter
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