The Comedy Channel
| The Comedy Channel | |
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| Launched | 30 June 1996[1] |
| Owned by | Foxtel Networks |
| Picture format | 576i (SDTV) |
| Audience share | 0.9% timeshift 0.5% (September 2008, ) |
| Country | Australia |
| Language | English |
| Headquarters | Melbourne |
| Sister channel(s) | 111 Hits Bio. Crime & Investigation Foxtel 3D Foxtel On Demand FOX Classics Fox8 History SoHo |
| Website | thecomedychannel.com.au |
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Availability
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| Satellite | |
| Foxtel | Channel 112 Channel 153 (+2) |
| Austar | Channel 112 Channel 153 (+2) |
| Cable | |
| Foxtel | Channel 112 Channel 153 (+2) |
| Optus TV | Channel 112 Channel 153 (+2) |
| IPTV | |
| Xbox 360 | Channel 112 |
The Comedy Channel (promoted on air as comedy) is an Australian subscription television channel available on Foxtel, Austar and Optus Television.
Contents |
History[edit]
A joint venture between Artist Services (20%), Australis Media (40%) and Foxtel (40%),[2] the channel began broadcasting on the Galaxy platform on 30 June 1996, and became available on Foxtel on 1 August 1996.[1] After the collapse of Australis in 1998, Foxtels share of the channel increased to 80%.[2] The channel became fully owned by Foxtel after it purchased Artist Services (now Granada Australia) 20% stake in August 2002.[3][4] In 2006-2007 the channel moved headquarters from Sydney to Melbourne, into the studios vacated by Fox Footy Channel.[5] The Comedy Channel is the only channel in Australia specifically dedicated to comedy around the clock; primarily featuring stand-up, sitcoms, animated comedy, sketch comedy, comedy genre films and talk shows.
Comedy Channel personalities include Frank Woodley, who hosts Aussie Gold, Tim Ross and Merrick Watts who hosts The Merrick & Rosso Show, Cameron Knight who amongst other things for the Comedy Channel hosts Stand Up Australia, and H.G. Nelson who hosts Comedy Slapdown.
The Comedy Channel transferred from 4:3 to Widescreen 16:9 broadcasting on Thursday 1 April 2010 at 5:30am as part of Foxtel's plan to convert all its channels to widescreen before the end of 2010.[6]
In July 2010 the channel dropped its late night talk shows, leading to disappointed viewers.,[7] however Late Night with Jimmy Fallon has since returned to a late night timeslot.
Programming[edit]
 |
This section is outdated. (March 2011) |
Original programming[edit]
Current[edit]
- Balls of Steel Australia (2011–present)
- Off Their Rockers (2012-present)
Former[edit]
- 30 Seconds (2009)
- A Night at the Festival Club (2008–2010)
- Aussie Gold (2008–2009)
- Bedders for Bedtime
- Chop-Socky's the Prison of Art (1999)
- Comedy Gold (2008)
- Comedy Slapdown (2008)
- Cracker Night (2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011)
- Dilemma
- Eck's Rated Shorts
- Hahn Ice Headliners
- Hit and Run
- Home & Hosed
- Introducing Gary Petty (2000)
- Jimeoin: Over The Top (2010)
- Limo Diaries (2007)
- The Breast Darn Show in Town (2009–2010)
- The Chaser's War on Everything - Red Button Edition (2009–2011)
- The Merrick & Rosso Show (2008–2009)
- The Mansion (2008)
- The Pam Ann Show (2009)
- The Power of One (2006)
- The Short and Curly Show
- Small Tales & True (1998)
- Rabbit's Gotcha Calls (2011)
- Stand Up Australia (2006–2008)
- Statesmen of Comedy (2010–2011)
- Whatever Happened to That Guy? (2009)
- You Have Been Watching (Australia) (2011)
Other programming[edit]
Talk shows[edit]
- Alan Carr: Chatty Man
- The Colbert Report
- The Daily Show with Jon Stewart
- The Gruen Transfer
- Jimmy Kimmel Live!
- Lewis Black's Root of All Evil
- Late Night with Jimmy Fallon
- Shooting Stars
- You Have Been Watching
Sitcoms[edit]
- Absolutely Fabulous
- 'Allo 'Allo!
- Are You Being Served?
- Black Books
- BlackAdder
- The Big Bang Theory
- Childrens Hospital
- Everybody Hates Chris
- Malcolm in the Middle
- Men Behaving Badly
- My Name Is Earl
- Porridge
- The Sarah Silverman Program
- Scrubs
- Summer Heights High
- That '70s Show
- The Middle
- Yes Minister
Animated[edit]
- American Dad!
- Aqua Teen Hunger Force
- Archer
- China, IL
- Harvey Birdman, Attorney at Law
- Mary Shelley's Frankenhole
- Metalocalypse
- Robot Chicken
- South Park
- Stroker & Hoop
Sketch comedy[edit]
- Balls of Steel
- Big Bite
- The Chaser's War on Everything
- Comedy Inc.
- The Goodies
- Monty Python's Flying Circus
- The Red Green Show
- Saturday Night Live
- skitHOUSE
- Tim and Eric Awesome Show
- Whose Line Is It Anyway? (both the U.S. and UK versions)
- The Wedge
Other[edit]
- Comedy Central Presents
- Delocated
- The Gong Show with Dave Attell
- Just For Laughs
- The Man Show
- MANswers
- Puppets Who Kill
- Tosh.0
- Whacked Out Sports
References[edit]
- ^ a b Freeman, Jane; Andrew Conway (1996-06-30). "The Joke Stops Here". Sydney Morning Herald (Sydney, Australia: Fairfax Media). p. 2. Retrieved 2010-01-01.
- ^ a b Schulze, Jane (1998-07-28). "Foxtel takes more of comedy TV". The Age (Melbourne, Australia: Fairfax Media). p. 5. Retrieved 2010-01-01.
- ^ Lee Lewes, Jacqueline (23 August 2002). "Burrells returns to run Foxtel's Comedy Channel". The Hollywood Reporter 374 (45): 14. ISSN 0018-3660.
- ^ Idato, Michael (19 August 2002). "Switched on". Sydney Morning Herald (Sydney, Australia: Fairfax Media). p. 2. Retrieved 24 Feb 2010.
- ^ Ricketson, Matthew (2006-11-29). "Foxtel handballs Comedy Channel to Melbourne". The Age (Melbourne, Australia: Fairfax Media). p. 3. ISSN 0312-6307. Retrieved 2010-01-01.
- ^ Knox, David (15 March 2010). "Comedy Channel goin' widescreen, no foolin'". tvtonight.com.au. Retrieved 7 July 2010.
- ^ Knox, David (7 July 2010). "Comedy Channel: No reprieve for Letterman, Fallon & Leno". tvtonight.com.au. Retrieved 7 July 2010.
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