Comedy

Introduction

Comedy at Channel 4 should be original, bold, and distinctive with a real sense of authorship. Recent output includes The Change, Hullraisers, Everyone Else Burns, The Curse, Big Boys, Don’t Hug Me I’m Scared, Derry Girls, We Are Lady Parts and The Windsors Coronation Special. 

Channel 4 has a special relationship with new talent and we are more likely to take risks on unknown comedians and writers than any other broadcaster. Alongside championing brilliant and original writing, we are passionate about launching the next generation of great comic performers. We want to keep making programmes people love and return to, shows that spark conversation, help us to think about the world differently, and even use humour to reflect and affect social change.

Channel 4 cannot accept unsolicited materials, so submissions need the backing of a PACT-registered production company. Please look at our Submissions section for information on how to submit ideas to us.

To make sure we are inclusive and accessible to all, please let us know if you require any adjustments or assistance for meetings and communications with you.

What are we looking for?

We’re actively developing and commissioning for the end of 2024, into 2025 and beyond. We’re prioritising comedy for Streaming and want our shows to have long lives in our archive. Predominately, we’re looking to commission 6 x 30 minute fully scripted returning shows, but we’re open to proposals for duration and volume that subvert that norm. Moving forward, we want at least 1 show a year that’s famous as a young people’s show, right for a 16-24 year old age group, but most importantly we want carefully curated variety in the spread of shows we make, reaching as big an audience as possible across our comedy output.

 

Broad:

• We have a gap where Derry Girls, Friday Night Dinner and The Inbetweeners have all sat over the last ten years. Bring us your big, returnable ideas. Broad, popular, big ratings, story of the week, out and out comedy-comedies. Ideas that can be seen and tick over successfully on Streaming.
• There’s no clear alchemy to this but we think there’s a lot of success with inter-generational, group-led comedies rather than individual linear stories. We’re not afraid of studio shows, bigger writers rooms and would actively like to work with more big name on and off screen talent.

 

Authored:

• Channel 4 will always be a home for more authored, often personal stories, thematically covering topics we’ve rarely if ever seen talked about in comedy before. These always feel like places for unique talent produced with a considered distillation of their comic voice.
• Recent shows including We Are Lady Parts, Big Boys and The Change are examples of ‘right time, right place, right people’- someone at the right stage of their career to helm their own show, working with the right indies and creative teams to excavate what makes them special and mould that into something powerful, funny and idiosyncratic.

 

Alternative:

• We have an inbuilt audience for alternative comedy and we’re keen to remain the home for shows like DHMIS; non-traditional, subversive, colourful comedies that come from unexpected and interesting places. We charge you to bring us funny from elsewhere.
• ‘Alternative’ doesn’t mean overly surreal, or wacky for wacky’s sake, what works best is Trojan Horsing the weirdness- so put the characters from Stath Lets Flats in a familiar sitcom framework, put them in space, too far.
• We’re also exploring adult animation. This will need to be international in idea and scope.

 

Semi-Scripted:

• We’d like more cross-genre propositions in comedy across the channel. We’re joining forces with the Entertainment Team and pooling a development pot for ideas that mix premium elements of scripted comedy with the unpredictability of non-scripted entertainment.
• We’re missing cultural tent-pole Channel 4 Comedy shows like Trigger Happy TV, Fonejacker and Star Stories and we want them back. What would Channel 4’s Jury Duty look like?
• This target could be sketch, anthology, hidden-camera or improv. Play with the form, but our one big steer is that these need to be instantly clear ideas that include high profile, established names, and function as training slopes for new, breakthrough talent.

 

Current & fast-turnaround ideas:

• We’re also seeking ideas that work better if freed from the 6x30 constraints, more topical, current and timely ideas, like The Windsors Coronation Special. That was based on an existing, successful title of ours, so new ideas will need to have a smart combination of big names, suitable budget, and an audacious idea.
• Pitch us your big ideas that tie in with a national event, Pride, Stand Up to Cancer, Christmas, Halloween, The Comedy Awards, Easter, a centenary… anything that might be a good excuse for some big laughs, we’d like to hear your idea.

 

BLAPS & PLAYGROUNDS

 

BLAPS

• Blaps continue to be a space for the on-screen development of interesting and exciting ideas, and an incubator for emerging talent. They are a great place for brilliant up and coming producers as much as for newer writing, performing and directing talent. Use them to test out the mechanics of a good scripted idea, talent chemistry and the tone and rhythm of dialogue.   
• Blaps have been great feeders to fully fledged sitcoms over the years. We Are Lady Parts, Stath Lets Flats, GameFace and our upcoming series Disability Benefits all began life there, so we hope future ones will translate too. However, it’s also important that they’re a place for first credits and development in all its guises and so also exist in their own right without an element of competition. For this reason we’ll be releasing each Blap individually moving forwards.
• Blaps stats: 15 mins max. £100k set tariff.

 

PLAYGROUNDS

• This our NEW new-talent platform. With lower stakes and lower budget come a promise from us of less supervision. We won’t meddle. Here’s a place to experiment. A free run at your idea. We’re open to anything here- but a good example would be the 1 x 5min Stath Blap Jamie Demetriou did all those years ago.
• Playground stats: 5 minutes max. 50k set tariff.

 

Blaps and Playgrounds will sit on Streaming and Youtube.These still require the backing a PACT-registered production company and follow our usual submissions process.  We are commissioning these on a rolling basis.

What don't we want?

• We’re not looking for comedy dramas. Defining the difference between comedy and comedy-drama in an era of grey area genre-bending can be a challenge but please be honest about whether you see a project as a true comedy. Is it making you laugh or is the comedy element no more than the occasional moment of comic relief? That doesn’t mean we shy away from serious issues and dramatic moments in our comedy.
  • Big Boys is an example of a show which delivers strong insights into sexuality and mental health without compromise on the jokes. The dramatic moments land perfectly because of the comedy, not in spite of it.
  • The Curse S2 is another example. A show that relied heavily on gripping, thrilling drama set pieces and a complex story that unfolds on a global scale, importantly included uncompromisingly funny people that elevated the series from thriller to a comedy with a capital C. We’re not shying away from serialised or cinematic storytelling, just make sure is it a true comedy.
• We’re not actively looking for shows set in the political world. “Politics” is a broad label that intersects with a lot of stories, so we won’t impose a total moratorium on the topic. We just ask that if you are wanting to pitch something set in this space then do bear in mind that we’ve had a few recent developments set against the backdrop of local councils, as well as stories that act as metaphors for national politics.
• Most importantly, before submitting to us, please check ideas against our recent comedy output as we won’t be taking on anything too similar.

 

Submissions process

• Please cc Serena Basra into all submission emails. Otherwise, we cannot confirm that we have received your idea. Please do not cc Charlie Perkins into submission emails.
• Nudge us (nicely please!) We should confirm receipt in 10 days, and we’ll get back to you as quickly as we can after that. If we are taking a beat to get back to you it’s likely that it’s something we wanted to all look at and discuss. Remember to cc Serena Basra into all submission emails.

 

Please do:

• Send us a treatment/general overview. We can clash check it’s not identical to a current project on our slate, already in development or is about to be greenlit. We can review toplines if you’re unsure.
• Please include supporting and additional materials.
  • Especially if the idea is from a new writer/performer or someone we aren’t aware of, then please include sample scenes/writing, a short film, materials that show their comedy voice and writing ability.
• Nudge us (nicely please!) We should confirm receipt in 10 days, and we’ll get back to you as quickly as we can after that. If we are taking a beat to get back to you it’s likely that it’s something we wanted to all look at and discuss. Remember to cc Joe Hullait and Serena Basra into all submission emails.
• Strap rockets to things! Think about how your pitch can be un-turndownable for development and commission. Make sure to consider big talent that would work internationally both on and off screen, exceptional creative teams, properly original ideas, exploiting gaps in our slate, editorially international appeal, partnering with other producers, opportunities for co-financing both internationally, tax credits and funds etc. Think of ways you can bring another territory organically into a project through character or location, take distributors advice on how you could you add international appeal without losing local story specificity.
• Invite us to see shows! We have a broad spread of interests across the team so we’re always happy to come and see stand-up, plays, shorts, readthroughs if this helps to give us a clearer idea of a performer’s voice or tone. We also love to hear about comedy schemes, collectives and voices emerging across the UK that you are excited about, and we might not know.
• Think outside the box when showcasing your idea. Do let us know if there is a better way to show us your idea outside of the traditional route, we’re always open to new ideas!

 

Please don’t:

• Send us 1 million ideas! Send us 1 or 2 ideas that you are passionate about and that are a good fit for Channel 4 specifically. Multiple ideas in one email or a flurry of pitches in quick succession just makes it unclear where your real passion lies. 
• Insist on a pitch meeting before sending materials. We need materials to have an informed and useful meeting and we are a small team; we can’t afford generals and pitch meetings for every submission. Once we’ve read your submission then we’ll invite you in to talk us through it.
• Make us say no more than once. If aspects of a script might work for us, we’ll let you know and discuss it. So if we’re passing, changing a few things in the pitch won’t change our minds. It’s really the worst part of the job, especially when it’s an idea we’re sad to let go of, so please accept the response. 

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