A Comedy Thing: Channel 4 launches new digital comedy channel with four new unscripted shows - how to watch
Channel 4 has announced the launch of a brand new digital standalone comedy channel called ‘A Comedy Thing’.
The new channel, managed by Strong Watch Studios, will go live later this summer with four new shows - The Split, The Front Row, Joke Swap and The Lying Game - set to launch alongside it. Comedian such as Vittorio Angelone, Olga Koch, Dan Tiernan, Gbemi Oladipo, Micky Overman, Mike Rice and Finlay Christie are all set to feature in the shows.
Charlie Hyland, digital commissioner at Channel 4, said: “Channel 4 has always been at the forefront of fresh new comedy. This new comedy channel is built on a deep understanding of what people love to watch online and where we want to be creatively.
“We’re working with incredible talent, both on and off screen, to create a bold, diverse and brilliantly funny channel and our first shows are an eclectic array of comedy formats. From smart, quickfire jokes that grab attention, to longer-form, podcast-style shows where audiences feel part of the conversation, and classic panel shows that continue to resonate, we’re genuinely excited about the range and quality of comedy this new channel will offer.”
The Split will see the comedian pair up in attempt to predict whether members of the public will fall on one side or another of a specific issue. The Front Row will be filmed in front of a live studio audience and put the comedians’ crowd work to the test, with the stand-ups quizzed on their knowledge of audience members in a head-to-head Q&A.
Joke Swap will prove if comedy really is all in the delivery, as the comedian write jokes for members of the public to perform. The Lying Game will centre on the comedians being tasked to tell an anecdote about a random subject, and deduce between them which two are lying completely about their story.
Thom Gulseven, co-founder of Strong Watch Studios, added: “We couldn’t be happier to be working with Channel 4 and this group of super-talented comedians on this channel, it is a genuinely fresh, exciting approach to how content like this is made.
We love where digital comedy is at the moment in the UK, and what we’re doing is trying to reflect that brilliant place through a bunch of games that tap into the things that people love on different platforms. Part of the joy of the new way we make things is the freedom to respond to the audience, and how ideas evolve, change and grow over time; we’re looking forward to seeing where this channel takes us.”
How to watch new Channel 4 channel A Comedy Thing
A Comedy Thing will launch on YouTube on Monday, July 21.
The new channel follows Channel 4’s introduction of a standalone digital food channel. Channel 4 Served launched earlier this year and posts shorts to the YouTube channel, some of which have racked up thousands of views.