Hat Trick International shops We Are Black & British format for remakes

We Are Black & British offers an insight into the experiences of black people in the UK

Hat Trick International (HTI) is aiming to secure remakes of factual show We Are Black & British, which aired recently on BBC Two, around the world.

Welsh indie Cardiff Productions, launched in May 2020 by executives Narinder Minhas and Pat Younge, is behind the 2×60′ constructed reality show which followed six Britons from diverse backgrounds as they explored the reality of being black in Britain today.

Sarah Tong, director of sales at HTI, described the show as a “nuanced and insightful examination of the problems faced by black people in the UK today.”

“However, in terms of international format sales, the concept would work equally well to give voice to any community in any country that is assumed to be homogenous but of course is not, whether it’s disability, gender, sexuality or religion.”

Elsewhere on HTI’s slate is another Cardiff Productions programme for BBC Two, Beauty & the Bleach, which followed Queer Eye presenter Tan France’s mission to take down the shocking beauty trend of skin bleaching.

The 60-minute documentary dissects colourism in society, fashion, entertainment and beauty through Tan’s own experiences – as a nine-year-old he attempted to lighten his own skin with bleaching cream.

Meanwhile, Bristol-based Seadog Productions, which has been behind Channel 4’s My Family & the Galapagos and WWII’s Great Escapes: The Freedom Trails, has joined HTI’s stable of regional producers.

The first title to come out of its representation deal is Commandos: Britain’s Ocean Warriors (4×60′), which was commissioned by BBC Two in early 2021.

The series offers a rare glimpse of the men and women who make up the UK’s elite sea-borne force, from fresh-faced recruits to the more experienced faces of committed veterans. It came after Seadog’s founder and ex-commando Monty Halls spent two years securing access to his former corps.

HTI represents shows from more than 25 third-party production companies, including factual producer Keo Films, Plum Pictures, Outline Productions and Cardiff Productions.