Fincham’s Expectation builds comedy team

Expectation, the prodco Peter Fincham and Tim Hincks run, has hired a creative director for comedy entertainment.

Ben Wicks has joined the London-based company following the hires of others such as Nick Mathers, Rob Brown, Nick Samwell-Smith, Nerys Evans and Amy Flanagan.

“There are so many comedy entertainment shows that I’m itching to develop and there’s no better place to hone them,” said Wicks.

He was previously executive producer on satirical comedy show The Last Leg, which has been driving significant ratings for UK broadcaster Channel 4 in recent years.

He has also exec produced Alan Carr’s Specstacular and worked on Harry Hill’s Tea Time, Have I Got News For You, The Revolution Will Be Televised and A League of Their Own.

Expectation co-CEO Hincks said: “Peter and I have always loved making comedy entertainment shows and we think it’s such a vital area for Expectation to be involved in. We needed to find a younger and funnier version of ourselves and annoyingly we found him.”

Hincks, the former president of Endemol Shine Group, launched Expectation with veteran comedy and entertainment producer and former ITV controller Fincham in February this year.

BBC Worldwide, the commercial arm of the BBC, owns a 24.9% stake in the business.