BBC Comedy Boss Jon Petrie Exits After Five Years to Join Hat Trick as Creative Director

The executive behind Dreaming Whilst Black and Such Brave Girls is moving to the indie that made Derry Girls — a lateral move that tells you something about where the real creative leverage sits in British comedy right now.

Written by Miles Hart · Bureau Media · Jun 1, 2026

The Exit

Jon Petrie is leaving the BBC after five years as its head of comedy. He is joining Hat Trick Productions as Creative Director — a role that puts him on the production side of the same relationships he has been managing from the commissioning chair.

The BBC has not yet announced a successor.

What He Built at the BBC

Petrie's tenure produced a comedy slate that was notably less reliant on legacy formats than the BBC's historical output. The titles he shepherded — Dreaming Whilst Black, Such Brave Girls, Amandaland, Small Prophets — represent a deliberate push toward newer voices and, in several cases, toward comedy with stronger international streaming appeal.

Dreaming Whilst Black in particular crossed over. The show, created by Adjani Salmon, built an audience on BBC Three before attracting wider attention and demonstrated that the BBC could still develop original comedy IP with genuine export value.

That track record matters for what comes next.

Why Hat Trick Makes Sense

Hat Trick is not a flashy choice, but it is a smart one. The company has been producing British comedy since the early 1990s and has a back catalogue that includes Have I Got News for You, Father Ted, and — most relevantly for international positioning — Derry Girls, which became one of Channel 4's most-watched shows and landed a significant Netflix deal outside the UK and Ireland.

For Petrie, the move trades institutional authority for creative and commercial upside. Commissioners at public broadcasters control the greenlight, but they do not own the IP. Production companies do. At Hat Trick, Petrie will be developing and producing projects rather than approving or rejecting them — a fundamentally different economic position.

For Hat Trick, the hire brings in someone who spent five years inside the BBC understanding what the corporation will and will not commission, what budget ranges are realistic, and which relationships move projects forward. That institutional knowledge has direct commercial value when you are an indie whose business depends substantially on BBC commissions.

The Broader Pattern

Petrie's move fits a recognizable trajectory in British television. Senior commissioning executives at the BBC, Channel 4, and ITV have increasingly migrated to the independent sector over the past decade, drawn by equity stakes, backend participation, and the ability to build something with lasting asset value rather than managing a slate on behalf of a public institution.

The economics of that calculation have only sharpened as streaming platforms have demonstrated what globally distributed IP is actually worth. A show like Derry Girls does not just earn production fees — it generates licensing revenue, merchandise potential, and catalogue value that accrues to the production company.

Petrie is not leaving because the BBC is broken. He is leaving because the math on the other side of the table has gotten more interesting.

Key takeaways

Jon Petrie is departing the BBC after five years as head of comedy to join Hat Trick Productions as Creative Director.
Hat Trick is best known internationally for Derry Girls, giving Petrie an established platform with proven global distribution appeal.
Petrie's BBC tenure included commissioning Dreaming Whilst Black, Such Brave Girls, Amandaland, and Small Prophets — a slate that skewed toward fresh voices and underrepresented perspectives.
The move from a major public broadcaster to an independent production company reflects a broader pattern of senior commissioning talent migrating toward the production side, where IP ownership and backend economics are more favorable.
Hat Trick gains a commissioner-turned-creative-director who understands the BBC's internal logic — a meaningful advantage when pitching back to the corporation.

FAQ

What is Jon Petrie's new role at Hat Trick Productions?

Petrie is joining Hat Trick as Creative Director, a production-side role focused on developing and producing projects rather than commissioning them on behalf of a broadcaster.

What shows did Jon Petrie oversee at the BBC?

During his five years as BBC head of comedy, Petrie was responsible for commissioning Dreaming Whilst Black, Such Brave Girls, Amandaland, and Small Prophets, among others.

What is Hat Trick Productions known for?

Hat Trick is a long-established British independent production company whose credits include Derry Girls, Have I Got News for You, and Father Ted. Derry Girls is particularly notable for its international reach via a Netflix deal outside the UK and Ireland.

Why do senior BBC executives often move to independent production companies?

Independent production companies offer equity stakes, IP ownership, and backend participation that are not available to in-house commissioners at public broadcasters. As streaming has increased the value of globally distributed IP, the financial case for making that move has strengthened.

Has the BBC announced a replacement for Petrie?

As of the time of reporting, the BBC had not announced a successor to lead its comedy commissioning operation.

Citations

BBC Comedy Boss Jon Petrie Exiting To Hat TrickJon Petrie is leaving the BBC after five years as head of comedy to join Hat Trick Productions as Creative Director.
BBC Comedy Boss Jon Petrie Exiting To Hat TrickPetrie oversaw BBC comedy titles including Small Prophets, Amandaland, Dreaming Whilst Black, and Such Brave Girls.
Deadline FeedSource feed confirming Deadline as the originating publication for this report.