The Comedy Channel

**The Comedy Channel** (promoted on air as **comedy**) is an Australian subscription television channel available on Foxtel, and Optus Television. pfdffg

## History

A joint venture between Artist Services (20%), Australis Media (40%), and Foxtel (40%), the channel began broadcasting on the Galaxy platform on 12 February 1989, and became available on Foxtel on 1 August 1996. After the collapse of Australis in 1998, Foxtel's share of the channel increased to 80%. The channel became fully owned by Foxtel after it purchased Artist Services' (now Granada Australia) 20% stake in August 2002.

In 2006-2007, the channel moved headquarters from Sydney to Melbourne, into the studios vacated by Fox Footy Channel. Until the launch of 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, sitcoms, animated comedy series, sketch comedy, comedy films, and talk shows.

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 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 of its channels to widescreen before the end of 2010.

In July 2010, the channel dropped its late night talk shows, leading to disappointed viewers. However, *Late Night with Jimmy Fallon* has since returned to a late night timeslot.

## Programming

### Current programming

#### Original programming

* *Just For Laughs Sydney* (2014–present)
* *Melbourne Comedy Festival's Big Three-Oh* (2016–present)

#### Acquired programming

* *@midnight*
* *Archer*
* *Arrested Development (Season 5 Premieres June 2nd)*
* *The Big Bang Theory*
* *Billy on the Street*
* *Black Jesus*
* *Chappelle's Show*
* *Curb Your Enthusiasm*
* *The Daily Show with Trevor Noah*
* *This Is Not Happening (TV series)*
* *Deadbeat*
* *Detroiters*
* *Freaks and Geeks*
* *Happy Endings*
* *Hello Ladies*
* *Impractical Jokers*
* *Jeff Ross Presents Roast Battle*
* *Jimmy Kimmel Live!*
* *Just For Laughs*
* *Key & Peele*
* *Last Week Tonight with John Oliver*
* *Louie*
* *The Middle*
* *Modern Family*
* *Not Safe with Nikki Glaser*
* *Robot Chicken*
* *Saturday Night Live*
* *Scrubs*
* *South Park*
* *Thank God You're Here*
* *Tosh.0*
* *TripTank*
* *Vice Principals*
* *Whose Line Is It Anyway?* (both the U.S. and UK versions)
* *Wipeout*
* *Workaholics*

### Former programming

#### Original programming

* *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)
* *The Chaser's War on Everything - Red Button Edition* (2009–2011)
* *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 Mansion* (2008)
* *The Merrick & Rosso Show* (2008–2009)
* *No Laughing Matter*
* *Off Their Rockers* (2012)
* *Open Slather* (2015)
* *Pacific Heat* (2016–2017)
* *The Pam Ann Show* (2009)
* *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? Australia* (2016–2017)
* *You Have Been Watching (Australia)* (2011)

#### Acquired programming

* *Absolutely Fabulous* (moved to FOX Classics)
* *Alan Carr: Chatty Man*
* *'Allo 'Allo!*
* *America's Funniest Home Videos* (moved to FOX8)
* *Aqua Teen Hunger Force*
* *Are You Being Served?* (moved to FOX Classics)
* *Balls of Steel*
* *Betty White's Off Their Rockers*
* *Big Bite*
* *BlackAdder*
* *Black Books*
* *Black Dynamite*
* *Bob's Burgers* (moved to FOX8)
* *Brand X with Russell Brand*
* *The Chaser's War on Everything*
* *Childrens Hospital*
* *China, IL*
* *The Colbert Report*
* *Comedy Central Presents*
* *Comedy Inc.*
* *The Comic Strip Presents*
* *Community*
* *Coogan's Run*
* *The Comedy Company*
* *The Daily Show with Jon Stewart*
* *Delocated*
* *Deon Cole's Black Box*
* *Eagleheart*
* *Everybody Hates Chris*
* *Fast Forward*
* *Full Frontal*
* *The Gong Show with Dave Attell*
* *The Goodies*
* *The Gruen Transfer*
* *The Half Hour*
* *Harvey Birdman, Attorney at Law*
* *John Oliver's New York Stand-Up Show*
* *Late Night with Jimmy Fallon*
* *The League*
* *Lewis Black's Root of All Evil*
* *Life's a Zoo*
* *Kingswood Country*
* *Malcolm in the Middle* (moved back to 111 Greats)
* *The Man Show*
* *MANswers*
* *Mary Shelley's Frankenhole*
* *Men Behaving Badly*
* *Metalocalypse*
* *Monty Python's Flying Circus*
* *Mr. Bean*
* *Mr. D*
* *My Name Is Earl*
* *Parks and Recreation*
* *Peep Show*
* *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*
* *The Secret Policeman's Ball 2012*
* *Shooting Stars*
* *skitHOUSE*
* *Stroker & Hoop*
* *Summer Heights High*
* *Tim and Eric Awesome Show*
* *The Venture Bros.*
* *Two and a Half Men*
* *Totally Full Frontal*
* *Upload with Shaquille O'Neal*
* *Wilfred*
* *Whacked Out Sports*
* *The Wedge*
* *Yes Minister* (moved to FOX Classics)
* *You Have Been Watching*