Dan Patterson is an award-winning writer and producer of cutting-edge comedy. His work has featured across stage, screen and radio. His career began as a producer for BBC Radio working on the News Quiz and Week Ending before creating his own shows Saturday Night Fry with Stephen Fry and Whose Line Is It Anyway? (co-created with Mark Leveson). Whose Line was an instant success, winning the Sony Radio Award, and it was snapped up for TV by Channel 4.
Upon moving to the recently formed Hat Trick Productions, Dan went on to produce 10 series of the iconic improvisation show and helped make household names of Clive Anderson, Paul Merton, and Josie Lawrence. Whose Line Is It Anyway? won numerous awards including both BAFTA and the Royal Television Society awards.
During this time Dan also created and produced Clive Anderson Talks Back (Channel 4), Clive Anderson All Talk (BBC One), S and M (Channel 4, starring Mike McShane and Tony Slattery), The Brain Drain (BBC Two, starring Sandi Toksvig, Craig Ferguson and Stephen Frost), Never Mind The Horrocks (Channel 4 starring Jane Horrocks), and Dan co-wrote sitcom The Peter Principle (BBC One, starring Jim Broadbent). In addition, Dan developed and produced Room 101 for BBC Two and was involved in the development of They Think It’s All Over for BBC One.
In 1998 Dan took Whose Line Is It Anyway? to America, producing it for ABC Television. Hosted by sitcom star Drew Carey, Whose Line Is It Anyway? proved to be a major hit and ran for five years on primetime Thursday night, giving the network their best audiences for almost a decade. The series, which was co-executive produced by Mark Leveson, starred Ryan Stiles, Colin Mochrie and Wayne Brady, who won an Emmy award for his role on the show. Guests included Whoopi Goldberg, David Hasselhoff and Jerry Springer. The episode that guest starred Robin Williams attracted an audience of over 15 million people.
When Dan returned from the States in 2004, he established Angst Productions and, with Mark Leveson, created the hit satirical panel show Mock The Week. Mock soon established itself as a key BBC Two show and was instrumental in reviving stand-up comedy on television. It also continued Dan Patterson’s enviable track record in championing newer comedians. Amongst those who used the show as a springboard are Dara O Briain, Frankie Boyle, Russell Howard, John Oliver, Jack Whitehall, David Mitchell and Michael McIntyre. Mock The Week has completed 21 successful series over 17 years.
In 2013 Dan produced the relaunch of Whose Line on the CW network in the US. The show has successfully attracted a new generation of fans.
Other Angst Productions shows have included 29 Minutes Of Fame (BBC One), the improvisation based Fast and Loose (BBC Two), Trust Us With Your Life (ABC) and The Great American Joke Off (The CW). For the theatre, Dan Patterson co-wrote with Colin Swash the political farce and Olivier nominated The Duck House starring Ben Miller. The show ran for six months in London’s West End. In 2015 Dan directed Whose Line Is It Anyway? Live, at the Adelphi Theatre, the first official stage version of the loved television show. The following year Whose Line Is It Anyway? Live took the London Palladium by storm with 14 exhilarating shows and in December 2018 a special 30th anniversary version of the show ran at The Royal Albert Hall. In 2023 Dan co-wrote Winner’s Curse with Daniel Taub, a play about international peace negotiations starring Clive Anderson, which ran at Park Theatre.