Comedy

It's official, comedy is good for you.



People love comedy. It is impossible to overestimate the BBC's importance to comedy or the importance of comedy to the BBC.



Comedy breaks down barriers and reaches audiences we find hard to satisfy, such as men and young people. It's also invaluable for representing nations, regions and communities.



Our longstanding commitment to comedy has reaped dividends - when the UK public voted for their favourite TV sitcoms of all time, 27 of the Top 30 were from the BBC, while BBC radio comedy has kept audiences laughing for decades.



However on BBC One comedy hours have reduced almost 50% in the last decade. Our Comedy Strategy shows how we'll reverse this trend to create more big hits on television and improve comedy on radio and online too - all to help keep the nation happy, healthy and giggling wildly.

Our recommendations



The PROGRAMMES

1. Focus on developing popular comedy hits for television and radio, including contemporary British sitcoms relevant to people's lives



2. Invest in development, with more pilots, rehearsal time and script development



3. Invest in more Comedy Drama on Television



The TECHNOLOGY

1. Make the most of BBC comedy by maximising access through new media, from podcasting to broadband - giving all audiences as many chances as possible to enjoy BBC comedy



2. Make a home for home-grown comedy with the new BBC 'Comedy Soup' website



3. Commission pilots of bespoke material for new platforms, particularly mobile



4. Further integrate new media with comedy commissioning and production in television and radio



The TALENT

1. Launch shows for new comedy talent on Radio 4 and BBC THREE to provide a breeding ground for the next generation of comedy writers, performers and producers



2. Establish further opportunities for new talent to produce innovative comedy for young audiences on digital radio and new platforms



3. Provide improved training and mentoring for comedy programme-makers



4. Nurture talent to encourage them to keep making comedy for the BBC



The JOURNEY

1. Ensure we leverage the whole BBC portfolio from the web, Nations and Regions through to Network Television and Radio, to grow comedy for all generations



2. Hold an annual BBC Comedy Day to bring together everyone involved in comedy at the BBC, and help us share knowledge, develop and retain talent and keep our overall direction on target.