Brighton's reputation as a hotbed of creative talent was underlined after three of the city's TV production companies were listed among the 100 best in the world.

Ricochet, back2back and Seventh Art Productions all feature in the Realscreen Global 100 table, a list of the most "exciting and influential" non-fiction production firms.

The hat-trick is a coup for Brighton, which has a population of only 250,000.

Bristol was the only other major city outside London to feature in the list, with one company making the grade. Elsewhere the table was dominated by big-city firms.

London had 24 companies in the list, New York 15, and Los Angeles 11.

The table was compiled by Realscreen magazine, which asked its readers to vote for the documentaries and television shows that most impressed them.

Ricochet, based in Dyke Road, earned a place on the list for My New Home, How Not To Decorate and the transatlantic phenomenon Supernanny.

Based in Boyce's Street, back2back was picked for The Model Prisoners, Strictly Male Voice and Take That: For The Record which was watched by six million people.

The Take That documentary, which came 10 years after the band split, won a Grierson Award in the category Best Documentary On The Arts, in November 2006.

Meanwhile, Seventh Art Productions, in Ship Street, impressed judges with In Search Of Mozart and The Boy Who Plays On The Buddhas Of Bamiyan.

The latter was filmed in Afghanistan in 2002 by Seventh Art owner Phil Grabsky and follows the life of eight-year-old cave dweller Mir Hussain.

It has won 11 awards, including first prize at Valladolid International Film Festival, and the Gold Hugo in Chicago for Best Film, Best Cinematography and Best Editing.