Range of cash-in products planned

A new range of comedy tie-in products including an Have I Got News for You board game and Kumars At Number 42 Indian food are to be sold by a new merchandising website.

Independent producer Hat Trick is hoping to make more money from its successful programmes with the potentially lucrative e-commerce venture.

Other products planned for the site, to be launched on September 19, include Father Ted cards.

Hat Trick business director Hilary Strong told Median Guardian: "I think we're the first indie to do this. We decided to look at the programmes we have made in the way other industries do, as brands in their own right, rather than just re-formatting them… as DVDs or books.

"Apart from children's television there's very little else that has been done with merchandising.”

Published: 2 Sep 2005