EXCLUSIVE: Having kickstarted the careers of David Mitchell, Chris Morris and Jamie Demetriou, Channel 4 is taking its rich comedy heritage to YouTube with the launch of a new channel.
The Gogglebox network has expanded its YouTube strategy by rolling out A Comedy Thing, which will publish weekly long-form programming for YouTube plus content on TikTok and Instagram. The move is one of the biggest bets taken by Channel 4.0, the network’s digital first brand that is looking to supercharge YouTube per Channel 4’s much-vaunted Fast Forward strategy.
A Comedy Thing launches with a cast of seven up-and-coming comics who have emerged from YouTube and the UK stand-up circuit: Vittorio Angelone, Finlay Christie, Olga Koch, Gbemi Oladipo, Micky Overman, Mike Rice and Dan Tiernan.
The comics will feature in social entertainment formats with a “play along element,” explained Sacha Khari, Channel 4’s Head of Digital Commissioning.
“We are trying to make the formats feel very simple at the start because if they are too complex then they become abstract,” he added. “The formats derive from what works well on YouTube but the big difference here is that we are combining the sensibilities of the [digital] talent with that kind of night where all you want to do is watch stand-up.”
Khari went on to describe the shows as a “YouTube proposition for modern audiences who are digital first but also love stand-up,” as he pointed out that around 30% of viewing to Channel 4.0 is on smart TVs rather than mobile phones, suiting an audience that craves long-form. “If we talk about the stand-up crowd then a fair ambition is saying, ‘What does the live version of these formats look like?’,” he added. “All the best creators now are selling out stadiums, they are getting people to purchase energy drinks, and buy t-shirts and hoodies.”
He described the seven comics as a “fresh and formidable lineup.” “They have really leaned in to the importance of socials and understand that social isn’t an enemy but can help and give us the opportunity to talk directly to our audience.”
Some content will be clipped for Channel 4’s Instagam and TikTok, a strategy that Khari said his team is “agonizing” over to the same extent as YouTube, while a “phase two ambition” for the comedy channel is to make podcasts and vodcasts.
Khari’s team has been in constant communication with Channel 4 comedy boss Charlie Perkins over the YouTube channel but Khari stressed that A Comedy Thing is first and foremost about YouTube, as he pointed out that popular collective The Sidemen made it big on the platform before switching their show Inside to Netflix.
“We are talking about cross departmental opportunities [with Charlie Perkins] but I think that what we have learned with Channel 4.0 is that if we saw this stuff as a nursery slope it’s just going to fail,” added Khari. “The Sidemen didn’t immediately think their content had to fit on Netflix – they created something so successful that Netflix came calling.”
Having said this, Channel 4 did pilot a 4.0 unscripted format recently, Tapped Out Prank Stars, which featured rapper ArrDee, comedian Fatiha El-Ghorri and JLS singer Aston Merrygold. Khari revealed this pilot was ordered after Tapped Out became one of the top five most-searched Channel 4 shows on its regular streaming platform. “We couldn’t just ignore that,” he added. although he noted that discussions are still taking place over a full series of Tapped Out Prank Stars.
“The Show Starts At Minus 10 Seconds”
In less than three years, Channel 4.0 has amassed 2.5 million subscribers leading to more than one billion views, with 85% of the audience under the age of 34 – the target market, Khari said.
According to Khari, it has taken Channel 4.0 less than half the time it took YouTube star Mr Beast to reach these numbers. “The speed of growth has been startling yet we’ve never compromised on where we want to go,” he added. “Our briefs have been massively consistent and we haven’t really taken anything from outside of those briefs.”
Khari’s core strategy centers on what he describes as “the show starts at minus 10 seconds.” In effect, this is a reference to Channel 4.0 videos finding ways to reach the top of audiences’ YouTube feeds by hooking them in with a clicky thumbnail. Once they have clicked, they need to know they are viewing something of Channel 4 quality, Khari said.
“This is the interesting thing about behavioral commissioning,” he added. “Our viewers need to stay until the end. If they do then it tells the algorithm that people from their demographic are interested in the types of show we are doing and that pushes them up the newsfeed.”
Khari shouted out recently-departed Channel 4 boss Alex Mahon for understanding these challenges and manifesting a culture that placed YouTube front and center.
“She knew that YouTube is not the enemy but is a distribution platform,” he added. “There are still loads of people coming to linear but what YouTube affords is the ability to transcend those remits, values and programmes worldwide. That is a new model.”
