12 Yard
British television production company
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
12 Yard Productions Limited, trading as 12 Yard, was a British television production company that mainly focused on the production of game shows and light entertainment programmes.
| |
| 12 Yard | |
| Industry | Television |
| Genre | Production company |
| Founded | April 5, 2001 |
| Founder | David Young |
| Defunct | November 11, 2025 |
| Fate | Closed by ITV, Folded into Bright Entertainment |
| Successor | Bright Entertainment |
| Headquarters | London , UK |
| Owner | ITV plc (2007â2025) |
| Parent | Hat Trick 12 Yard Productions Limited (2001â2007) ITV Studios (2007â2025) |
| Subsidiaries | 12 Yard Productions (Investments) Limited |
| Website | 12yard |
12 Yard produced formats including the BBC's long-running quiz Eggheads, Saturday night BBC One lottery formats The National Lottery: In it to Win it and Who Dares Wins!, primetime feel-good format Holding out for a Hero, Take on the Twisters and Big Star's Little Star for ITV, and Coach Trip, Celebrity Coach Trip and Christmas Coach Trip for Channel 4.
History
12 Yard was formed by David Young in 2001 shortly after leaving the BBC's Light Entertainment department, which he previously ran. The company was operated under Hat Trick 12 Yard Productions Limited,[1][2] a joint venture run by Young, the creative team behind the worldwide hit Weakest Link and Hat Trick Productions.[3][4]
On 5 December 2007, it was confirmed that ITV plc had acquired 12 Yard for £35 million. The purchase of the company formed as ITV's first acquisition for its ITV Productions division.[5]
On 22 October 2024, ITV Studios announced that it would close the studio at the end of the year, with its IPs and shows being transitioned off to other ITV Studios subsidiaries.[6] In October 2025, ITV announced that 12 Yard and sister label Potato would be folded into a newly-formed label of ITV Studios.[7] The label was launched as Bright Entertainment in January 2026.[8]
The company was dissolved in November 2025[9] while the "Investments" division remains as a dormant company.[1]
Programmes
| Title | Year(s) | Network | Notes/Sources |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dirty Money | 2002 | Sky One | [10] |
| The National Lottery: In It to Win It | 2002â2016 | BBC One | [4] |
| Eggheads | 2003â2020, 2021-2023 | BBC One (2003â2005) BBC Two (2005â2020) Channel 5 (2021â2023) | [11] |
| Without Prejudice? | 2003â2004 | Channel 4 | [12] |
| The Benefactor | 2004 | ABC | [13] |
| Coach Trip | 2005â2006, 2009â2012, 2014â2019 | Channel 4 (2005â2006, 2009â2012, 2014â2015) E4 (2016â2019) | [13] |
| The Rich List | 2006 | Fox | [14] |
| The Great British Village Show | 2007 | BBC One | [15] |
| The National Lottery: Who Dares Wins | 2007â2019 | BBC One | [4] |
| Are You an Egghead? | 2008â2009 | BBC Two | Spin-off to Eggheads |
| Celebrity Eggheads | 2008â2013, 2017â2018, 2022â2023 | BBC Two (2008â2013, 2017â2018) Channel 5 (2022â2023) | Celebrity spin-off to Eggheads |
| The Colour of Money | 2009 | ITV | 12 Yard's first commission from an ITV-owned network |
| Celebrity Coach Trip | 2010â2012, 2019â2022 | Channel 4 (2010â2012) E4 (2019â2022) | Celebrity spin-off to Coach Trip[13] |
| Michael Winner's Dining Stars | 2010 | ITV | |
| Perfection | 2011â2016 | BBC Two (2011â2012, 2015) BBC One (2013â2014) | [4] |
| Holding out for a Hero | 2011 | ITV | [16] |
| Sorority Girls | 2011 | E4 | [17] |
| Christmas Coach Trip | 2011 | Channel 4 | Christmas themed spin-off to Coach Trip[13] |
| Don't Blow the Inheritance! | 2012 | ITV | [18] |
| Top Dog Model | 2012 | ITV2 | [16] |
| Brendan's Magical Mystery Tour | 2013 | Channel 4 | Spin-off of Coach Trip[19] |
| Take on the Twisters | 2013 | ITV | [20] |
| Big Star's Little Star | 2013â2018 | ITV | [21] |
| Pressure Pad | 2013â2014 | BBC One (2013â2014) BBC Two (2014) | |
| Revenge of the Egghead | 2014 | BBC Two | Spin-off to Eggheads[22] |
| The Guess List | 2014 | BBC One | [23] |
| Gift Wrapped | 2014 | ITV | |
| Celebrity Pressure Pad | 2014 | BBC One | Celebrity spin-off to Pressure Pad |
| The National Lottery: 5-Star Family Reunion | 2015â2016 | BBC One | Co-production with Boom Cymru[24] |
| Guess This House | 2015 | ITV | [25] |
| Hello, Campers! | 2015 | ITV | [26] |
| Big Star's Bigger Star | 2015, 2018 | ITV | Spin-off of Big Star's Little Star Originally a one-off show for Text Santa, and commissioned for full series in 2018. |
| Insert Name Here | 2016â2019 | BBC Two | Co-production with Black Dog Television[27] |
| Think Tank | 2016 | BBC One | [28] |
| Make Me an Egghead | 2016 | BBC Two | Spin-off to Eggheads |
| I'll Get This | 2018â2020 | BBC Two | |
| The Instant Gardener | 2018â2019 | BBC One | [29] |
| Catchpoint | 2019â2022 | BBC One | Co-production with Possessed |
| Comedians Giving Lectures | 2019â2022 | Dave | |
| The Cabins | 2021â2022 | ITV2 | [30] |
| Unbeatable | 2021â2023 | BBC One | Co-production with Possessed |
| PopMaster TV | 2023â2025 | More4 | Spin-off of Ken Bruce's radio music quiz of the same name[31][32] Later seasons will be produced by Bright Entertainment |
| Puzzling | 2023 | Channel 5 | Co-Production with Wheelhouse The 2025 revival, Celebrity Puzzling, is co-produced with Potato |
| Bullseye | 2024 | ITV | One-off Christmas Special The full-series revival is produced by Potato (Series 1) and Bright Entertainment (Series 2) |
Other
| Title | Year(s) | Network | Notes/Sources |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best Possible Taste: The Kenny Everett Story | 2012 | BBC Four | TV movie |
| Cheaters: Unfinished Business | 2025-present | Netflix | Originated at 12 Yard, but produced by Lifted Entertainment |