The Comedy Channel

2025-10-31T16:50:03Z

2403:4800:25AD:DA74:A597:7165:1C5E:9C93: /* Programming */

{{About|the former Australian subscription television channel||}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2021}}
{{Use Australian English|date=March 2012}}
{{Infobox television channel
| name = The Comedy Channel
| logo = Comedylogo.png
| logo_size = 200px
| owner = [[Foxtel#Foxtel Networks|Foxtel Networks]]
| headquarters = [[Melbourne, Australia|Melbourne]]
| country = Australia
| language = [[English language|English]]
| sister_channels = [[Foxtel#Foxtel Networks|Foxtel Networks channels]]
| logo_alt = The Comedy Channel Logo
| launch_date = 30 June 1996<ref name=jokestopshere/>
| closed_date = {{End date and age|2020|09|1|df=yes}}
| picture_format = [[16:9]] ([[576i]], [[SDTV]])
| replaced_by = [[Fox Comedy (Australian TV channel)|Fox Comedy]]
| website = [http://www.thecomedychannel.com.au/ thecomedychannel.com.au]
| online_serv_1 = [[Foxtel Go]]
| online_chan_1 = Channel 121
}}
'''The Comedy Channel''' (promoted on air as '''comedy''') was an Australian subscription television channel available on [[Foxtel]], and [[Optus Television]]. The channel ceased broadcasting on 1 September 2020.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://tvblackbox.com.au/page/2020/07/31/exclusive-the-comedy-channel-becomes-latest-iconic-name-to-depart-from-foxtel/|title=The Comedy Channel Becomes Latest Iconic Name To Depart From Foxtel|first=Kevin|last=Perry|publisher=TV BlackBox|date=31 July 2020|access-date=19 October 2020}}</ref>

==History==
A joint venture between [[ITV Studios Australia|Artist Services]] (20%), [[Australis Media]] (40%), and [[Foxtel]] (40%),<ref name=foxteltakesmore>{{cite news
| title = Foxtel takes more of comedy TV
| first = Jane
| last = Schulze
| url = http://newsstore.fairfax.com.au/apps/viewDocument.ac?docID=news980728_0441_9998
| newspaper = [[The Age]]
| publisher = [[Fairfax Media]]
| location = [[Melbourne, Australia]]
| date = 1998-07-28
| page = 5
| access-date = 2010-01-01
}}</ref> the channel began broadcasting on the Galaxy platform, and became available on Foxtel on 1 August 1996.<ref name=jokestopshere>{{cite news
| title = The Joke Stops Here
| first = Jane
| last = Freeman
| author2 = Andrew Conway
| url = http://newsstore.fairfax.com.au/apps/viewDocument.ac?docID=news960630_0141_1237
| newspaper = [[The Sydney Morning Herald]]
| location = [[Sydney, Australia]]
| date = 1996-06-30
| page = 2
| access-date = 2010-01-01
}}</ref> After the collapse of Australis in 1998, Foxtel's share of the channel increased to 80%.<ref name=foxteltakesmore /> The channel became fully owned by Foxtel after it purchased Artist Services' (now [[ITV Studios Australia]], formerly Granada Australia) 20% stake in August 2002.<ref>{{cite journal | title = Burrells returns to run Foxtel's Comedy Channel| first = Jacqueline | last = Lee Lewes | page =14 | journal = [[The Hollywood Reporter]] | issn = 0018-3660|volume = 374 |issue = 45 | date = 23 August 2002 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news | title = Switched on| first = Michael | last = Idato | page = 2 | newspaper = [[The Sydney Morning Herald]]| publisher = [[Fairfax Media]] | location = [[Sydney, Australia]] | date = 19 August 2002 | access-date = 24 February 2010 | url = http://newsstore.fairfax.com.au/apps/viewDocument.ac?docID=SMH0208199QS9V1SJCOU}}</ref>

In 2006–2007, the channel moved headquarters from Sydney to Melbourne, into the studios vacated by [[Fox Footy Channel]].<ref name=melbourne>{{cite news
| title = Foxtel handballs Comedy Channel to Melbourne
| first = Matthew
| last = Ricketson
| url = http://newsstore.fairfax.com.au/apps/viewDocument.ac?docID=AGE0611297U4NP4IT6FC
| newspaper = [[The Age]]
| publisher = [[Fairfax Media]]
| location = [[Melbourne, Australia]]
| issn = 0312-6307
| date = 2006-11-29
| page = 3
| access-date = 2010-01-01
}}</ref> Until the launch of [[Comedy Central (Australia)|Comedy Central]] in 2016, The Comedy Channel was the only channel in Australia specifically dedicated to comedy around the clock. It primarily features [[stand-up comedy]], [[situation comedy|sitcoms]], [[Animated television series|animated comedy series]], [[sketch comedy]], comedy films, and [[talk shows]].

Started on 11 March 2008 but the comedy shows are now airing on The Comedy Channel on 11 March 2008. The block returned with ''Robot Chicken'' and ''Harvey Birdman, Attorney at Law'', in March 2008, with ''Aqua Teen Hunger Force'' joining the programming on 1 July. ''[[The Boondocks (TV series)|The Boondocks]]'' also airs on the same channel although it is not under the Adult Swim banner and instead airs separately. ''[[Moral Orel]]'' has premiered on Australian television. ''[[Titan Maximum]]'' also premiered on 6 January 2010. ''[[Frisky Dingo]]'' joined the Comedy Channel’s "Animania" line-up as of 21 July 2010. ''[[Tim and Eric Awesome Show Great Job]]'' premiered on 26 January 2011 along with ''[[Childrens Hospital]]'' which unlike the American broadcast, aired completely uncensored with profanity intact. The new incarnation also premiered a lot of other Adult Swim shows including ''[[Moral Orel]]'', ''[[Titan Maximum]]'', ''[[Robot Chicken: Star Wars]]'', ''[[Frisky Dingo]]'', ''[[Tim and Eric Awesome Show Great Job]]'' and ''[[Childrens Hospital (TV Series)|Childrens Hospital]]'' (airing uncensored with profanity intact), along with the latest additions but aired at a different time, ''[[Metalocalypse]]'' and ''[[The Venture Bros]]'', the latter making it the third show with ''Aqua Teen Hunger Force'' and ''Harvey Birdman'' to have been aired on both the old and the new block. Some series that aired on Adult Swim have been released to [[DVD region code#4|Region 4]] DVD by [[Madman Entertainment]], including shows that have never been shown on Australian television before, such as ''[[Metalocalypse]]'', ''[[Minoriteam]]'', ''[[12 oz. Mouse]]'', ''[[Xavier Renegade Angel]]''. The ''[[Aqua Teen Hunger Force Colon Movie Film for Theaters]]'' has also been quietly released to DVD.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://burn.com.au/Aqua-Teen-Hunger-Force-Colon-Movie-Film-for-Theatres-DVD/693986.html |title=Aqua Teen Hunger Force Colon Movie Film for Theaters DVD |publisher=Burn.com.au |date=2 April 2008 |accessdate=2011-01-20}}</ref>

Comedy Channel personalities include [[Frank Woodley]], who hosts ''[[Aussie Gold]]''; [[Tim Ross]] and [[Merrick Watts]], who together host ''[[The Merrick & Rosso Show]]''; [[Cameron Knight]], who amongst other things for the Comedy Channel hosted ''[[Stand Up Australia]]''; and [[Greig Pickhaver|H.G. Nelson]], who hosts ''[[Comedy Slapdown]]''. ''Short & Curly'' featured the voice of John McManus, before he became better known under his stage name [[Rove McManus]].

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 of its channels to widescreen before the end of 2010.<ref name="Comedy Channel Going Widescreen">{{cite web |url=http://tvtonight.com.au/2010/03/comedy-channel-goin-widescreen-no-foolin.html |title=Comedy Channel goin' widescreen, no foolin' |first=David|last= Knox | work = tvtonight.com.au |access-date=7 July 2010 |date = 15 March 2010 }}</ref>

On 31 July 2020, it was announced that Comedy would cease broadcasting in September, alongside sister network [[Fox Hits]], show title “thanks for watching Press (i) for info”, on this message “Thank you for watching”, and both channels merged onto the Fox Hits channel space as [[Fox Comedy (Australian TV channel)|Fox Comedy]]. Its current-day programming was dispersed across [[Foxtel]]'s [[Fox8]] and [[Fox Showcase]], as well as [[ViacomCBS]]' free-to-air [[10 Shake]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://tvblackbox.com.au/page/2020/07/31/exclusive-the-comedy-channel-becomes-latest-iconic-name-to-depart-from-foxtel/ |title=THE COMEDY CHANNEL BECOMES LATEST ICONIC NAME TO DEPART FROM FOXTEL|first=Kevin|last=Perry| work = tvblackbox.com.au |access-date=2 August 2020 |date = 31 July 2020 }}</ref>

==Programming==
===Final programming===
* ''[[Total Wipeout]]'' (now airing on [[Fox Comedy (Australian TV channel)|Fox Comedy]], [[ABC (Australia)|ABC]] and [[Comedy Central (Australia and New Zealand)|Comedy Central]])
====Original programming====
* ''Just For Laughs Sydney'' (2014–present)
* ''Melbourne Comedy Festival's Big Three-Oh'' (2016–present)

====Acquired programming====
* ''[[@midnight]]''
* ''[[The Eggs]]''
* ''[[Arrested Development]]''
* ''[[Billy on the Street]]''
* ''[[The Paz Show|paz]]''
* ''[[Curb Your Enthusiasm]]''
* ''[[The Daily Show with Trevor Noah]]''
* ''[[This Is Not Happening (TV series)|This Is Not Happening]]''
* ''[[Deadbeat (TV series)|Deadbeat]]''
* ''[[Detroiters]]''
* ''[[Freaks and Geeks]]''
* ''[[The Graham Norton Show]]''
* ''[[Happy Endings (TV series)|Happy Endings]]''
* ''[[Impractical Jokers]]''
* ''[[Jeff Ross Presents Roast Battle]]''
* ''[[Ned's Newt]]''
* ''[[Just For Laughs]]''
* ''[[Key & Peele]]''
* ''[[Last Week Tonight with John Oliver]]''
* ''[[Not Safe with Nikki Glaser]]''
* ''[[Happy Tree Friends]]''
* ''[[Saturday Night Live]]''
* ''[[Countryballs]]''
* ''[[Thank God You're Here]]''
* ''[[Tosh.0]]''
* ''[[Vice Principals]]''
* ''Whose Line Is It Anyway?'' (both the [[Whose Line Is It Anyway? (American TV series)|US]] and [[Whose Line Is It Anyway? (British TV series)|UK]] versions)
* ''[[Wilfred (American TV series)|Wilfred]]''
* ''[[Zerby Derby]]''

===Former programming===
====Original programming====
* ''[[30 Seconds (TV series)|30 Seconds]]'' (2009)
* ''[[A Night at the Festival Club]]'' (2008–2010)
* ''[[Aussie Gold]]'' (2008–2009)
* ''[[Balls of Steel Australia]]'' (2011)
* ''Bedders for Bedtime''
* ''[[The Breast Darn Show in Town]]'' (2009–2010)
* ''Brexit at Tiffanys: The Best of the Edinburgh Fest'' (2016)<ref>{{cite web|last=Knox|first=David|title=Airdate:Brexit at Tiffanys: The Best of the Edinburgh Fest|url=http://www.tvtonight.com.au/2016/11/airdate-brexit-at-tiffanys-the-best-of-the-edinburgh-fest.html|work=TV Tonight|quote=The two-hour special was filmed and commissioned by Foxtel.|date=24 November 2016|access-date=24 December 2016}}</ref>
* ''The Chaser's War on Everything - Red Button Edition'' (2009–2011)
* ''[[Chop-Socky|Chop-Socky's the Prison of Art]]'' (1999)
* ''[[Comedy Gold (TV series)|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 Mansion (TV series)|The Mansion]]'' (2008)
* ''[[The Merrick & Rosso Show]]'' (2008–2009)
* ''No Laughing Matter''
* ''[[Off Their Rockers (Australian TV series)|Off Their Rockers]]'' (2012)
* ''[[Open Slather]]'' (2015)
* ''[[Pacific Heat]]'' (2016–2017)
* ''[[Pam Ann|The Pam Ann Show]]'' (2009)
* ''[[The Power of One (TV series)|The Power of One]]'' (2006)
* ''Rabbit's Gotcha Calls'' (2011)
* ''The Short and Curly Show''
* ''Small Tales & True'' (1998)
* ''[[Stand Up Australia]]'' (2006–2008)
* ''Stand Ups Sit Down''
* ''[[Statesmen of Comedy]]'' (2010–2011)
* ''[[Whatever Happened to That Guy?]]'' (2009)
* ''[[Whose Line Is It Anyway? (Australian TV series)|Whose Line Is It Anyway? Australia]]'' (2016–2017)
* ''[[You Have Been Watching (Australia)]]'' (2011)

====Acquired programming====
* ''[[3rd Rock from the Sun]] '' (moved to [[Fox Classics]])
* ''[[Absolutely Fabulous]]'' (moved to [[Fox Classics|FOX Classics]])
* ''[[Alan Carr: Chatty Man]]''
* ''[['Allo 'Allo!]]''
* ''[[America's Funniest Home Videos]]'' (moved to [[Fox8|FOX8]])
* ''[[Aqua Teen Hunger Force]]''
* ''[[Are You Being Served?]]'' (moved to FOX Classics)
* ''[[Balls of Steel (TV series)|Balls of Steel]]''
* ''[[Behave Yourself! (TV series)|Behave Yourself]]''
* ''[[Betty White's Off Their Rockers]]''
* ''[[The Big Bang Theory]]'' (moved to [[Fox Funny|FOX Funny]])
* ''[[Big Bite]]''
* ''[[BlackAdder]]''
* ''[[Black Books]]''
* ''[[Black Dynamite (TV series)|Black Dynamite]]''
* ''[[Brand X with Russell Brand]]''
* ''[[The Chaser's War on Everything]]''
* ''[[Childrens Hospital]]''
* ''[[China, IL]]''
* ''[[The Colbert Report]]''
* ''[[Comedy Central Presents]]''
* ''[[Comedy Inc. (Australian TV series)|Comedy Inc.]]''
* ''[[The Comic Strip#The Comic Strip Presents...|The Comic Strip Presents]]''
* ''[[Community (TV series)|Community]]''
* ''[[Coogan's Run]]''
* ''[[The Comedy Company]]''
* ''[[The Daily Show|The Daily Show with Jon Stewart]]''
* ''[[Delocated]]''
* ''[[Deon Cole's Black Box]]''
* ''[[Eagleheart (TV series)|Eagleheart]]''
* ''[[Everybody Loves Raymond]]''
* ''[[Everybody Hates Chris]]''
* ''[[Fast Forward (Australian TV series)|Fast Forward]]''
* ''[[Full Frontal (Australian TV series)|Full Frontal]]''
* ''[[The Gong Show with Dave Attell]]''
* ''[[The Goodies (TV series)|The Goodies]]''
* ''[[The Gruen Transfer]]''
* ''[[The Half Hour]]''
* ''[[Harvey Birdman, Attorney at Law]]''
* ''[[John Oliver's New York Stand-Up Show]]''
* ''[[Jonah from Tonga]]''
* ''[[Late Night with Jimmy Fallon]]''
* ''[[The League]]''
* ''[[Lewis Black's Root of All Evil]]''
* ''[[Life's a Zoo]]''
* ''[[Kevin Spencer (TV series)|Kevin Spencer]]''
* ''[[Kingswood Country]]''
* ''[[Malcolm in the Middle]]''
* ''[[The Man Show]]''
* ''[[MANswers]]''
* ''[[Mary Shelley's Frankenhole]]''
* ''[[Men Behaving Badly]]''
* ''[[Metalocalypse]]''
* ''[[The Middle (TV series)|The Middle]]''
* ''[[Modern Family]]'' (moved to FOX Funny)
* ''[[Monty Python's Flying Circus]]''
* ''[[Mr. D]]''
* ''[[Mr. Black (TV series)|Mr. Black]]''
* ''[[My Name Is Earl]]''
* ''[[Parks and Recreation]]''
* ''[[Peep Show (British TV series)|Peep Show]]''
* ''[[Porridge (1974 TV series)|Porridge]]'' (moved to FOX Classics)
* ''The Pranker''
* ''[[Puppets Who Kill]]''
* ''[[Real Husbands of Hollywood]]''
* ''[[Reno 911!]]''
* ''[[The Red Green Show]]''
* ''[[Rick and Morty]]''
* ''[[Russell Howard's Good News]]''
* ''[[The Sarah Silverman Program]]''
* ''[[Saved by the Bell]]''
* ''[[Scrubs (TV series)|Scrubs]]'' (moved to FOX Funny)
* ''[[The Secret Policeman's Ball 2012]]''
* ''[[Shooting Stars (British TV series)|Shooting Stars]]''
* ''[[skitHOUSE]]''
* ''[[Squidbillies]]''
* ''[[Stroker & Hoop]]''
* ''[[Summer Heights High]]''
* ''[[Taboo (Australian TV series)|Taboo]]''
* ''[[Tim and Eric Awesome Show]]''
* ''[[The Venture Bros.]]''
* ''[[Two and a Half Men]]''
* ''[[Full Frontal (Australian TV series)|Totally Full Frontal]]''
* ''[[Upload with Shaquille O'Neal]]''
* ''[[Whacked Out Sports]]''
* ''[[The Wedge (Australian TV series)|The Wedge]]''
* ''[[Yes Minister]]'' (moved to FOX Classics)
* ''[[You Have Been Watching]]''

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{Foxtel}}
{{Subscription television channels in Australia}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Comedy Channel, The}}
[[Category:Defunct television channels in Australia]]
[[Category:Television channels and stations established in 1996]]
[[Category:Television channels and stations disestablished in 2020]]
[[Category:1996 establishments in Australia]]
[[Category:2020 disestablishments in Australia]]
[[Category:Comedy television networks]]
[[Category:English-language television stations in Australia]]
[[Category:Foxtel]]

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The Comedy Channel