CNN to air a US version of Have I Got News For You

Long-running format sold to the States

American news network CNN is to make its own version of Have I Got News For You.

The show will run for a limited series on Saturday nights in the autumn during the Presidential election campaign.

Have I Got News For You will be CNN’s first foray into comedy, although it does air repeats of HBO’s Real Time with Bill Maher

The host and team captains have not yet been named, but the show will be made by Hat Trick Productions, the production company that created the British version in 1990. The current series, the 67th, will bring the total number of episodes ever made to 600.

Executive producer Jimmy Mulville says: ‘To bring Have I Got News For You to such an iconic network as CNN is a great honour and career highlight for us all at Hat Trick. I just hope there will be something interesting going on in the fall for us to talk about!"

Amy Entelis from the network added: ‘We have been looking for innovative ways to explore new formats and expand the boundaries of CNN programming. The series is the standard bearer of the genre and ripe for its American reincarnation as we revitalise Saturday nights on CNN.’

Hat Trick are also working on a UK spin-off called Have I Got Sport For You, which many have likened to the defunct panel show They Think It’s All Over.

They previously piloted a US version of Have I Got News For You in 2009 for NBC and another in 2012 for TBS, but neither were picked up for a series.

The CNN news was announced at a New York industry event, with the broadcaster calling the show: ‘A smart, silly, opinionated, and edgy take on the news of the week featuring a rotating collection of comedians, pundits, politicos, and entertainers.'

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Published: 15 May 2024