Channel 4 Comedy expands talent ladder with new online pilots scheme

Building on the department's commitment to nurturing and uncovering new talent, Channel 4 have announced a new online showcase space for up and coming comedy, to add to on-air talent ladder initiatives, Comedy Lab and Comedy Showcase.

Entitled Comedy Blaps, the new online pilots scheme will be overseen by Multi-Platform Commissioning Editor for Comedy and Entertainment, Jody Smith, and Comedy Editor Fiona McDermott.

The department are looking to commission in the region of eight Independent production companies by April, to collectively produce around 24 videos. The content produced will be available on Channel4.com, as well as being distributed off site via podcasts.

Fiona McDermott said,

"The long term goal for Comedy Blaps is that they provide the all important stepping stone for fantastic new talent to get their break through on screen.  Ultimately the successes that emerge from this online series will be the talent we nurture in next years Comedy Labs, so it's an exciting commission that we hope will yield some funny and inspiring pitches" 

Jody Smith said,

"Commissioning short-form video will allow us to trial a broad range of talent and styles in a format that's easy to swallow online. We're looking into new ways of distributing the content -getting viewer feedback on these pilots is a priority over us building a portal."