Latest news with #Khari
Yahoo
18-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Channel 4 Launches Comedy YouTube Channel As Digital Boss Reveals Strategy Insight: 'The Show Starts At Minus 10 Seconds'
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 having three years ago launched 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 will live alongside Channel 4.0 as a separate channel. More from Deadline News UK Expands Original IP Ambitions With 14 Projects In Development Based On Its Archive Channel 4's Head Of Creative Diversity Exits Prince Harry, Paddington Bear & Keir Starmer Puppets Lined Up For 'Spitting Image: The Rest Is Bulls*!t' YouTube Series 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 produced by Strong Watch Studios and commissioned by Charlie Hyland, 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 YouTube. '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.' Best of Deadline 'The Buccaneers' Season 2 Release Schedule: When Do New Episodes Come Out? 'The Buccaneers' Season 2 Soundtrack: From Griff To Sabrina Carpenter 2025 TV Series Renewals: Photo Gallery Solve the daily Crossword
Scottish Sun
15-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Scottish Sun
Channel 4 launches brand new free channel for Brit comedy fans – but it's hidden on your Freeview, Sky and Virgin box
The viewing platform where you CAN watch Channel 4's latest comedy show 4 THE LOLS Channel 4 launches brand new free channel for Brit comedy fans – but it's hidden on your Freeview, Sky and Virgin box Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) CHANNEL 4 has announced it will be launching a brand new comedy channel later this month, but it is hidden on Freeview, Sky and Virgin boxes. The new channel is purely digital and will be available to watch on YouTube. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 2 The popular broadcaster has announced the release of "A Comedy Thing by Channel 4" Credit: UTC Artist Management Channel 4 to launch new comedy channel Called "A Comedy Thing by Channel 4", this new content will include original unscripted comedy. Episodes will air weekly and run for 20-30 minutes. Viewers can also expect to see highlights and shorter clips from each episode be across other social media platforms such as TikTok an Instagram. According to Cord Busters, this marks Channel 4's latest move in its "Fast Forward" strategy, as it hopes to become primarily a streaming service by 2030. Plans to target Gen Z viewers Its latest series will launch later this month, and follows the successful model of Channel 4.0 and Channel 4 Served, targeting mainly Gen Z viewers who often opt for online entertainment over traditional TV. The head of digital commissioning at Channel 4, Sacha Khari, told Deadline: "Channel 4 has a long history of shaping British comedy. "We're bringing that legacy into pixels. It's built for a community who want to get their laughs online first but still love the buzz of a live gig." The minds behind comedy classics like "Have I Got News For You and Derry Girls, are also supporting this new venture. Emerging new comics to take centre stage Comedy fans can expect to see a line up of rising stars. Unlike most Channel 4 comedy offerings which feature big-name comics, this new show will platform emerging stars, reports Deadline. Alan Carr and Daisy May Cooper perform comedy gold in ITV's quiz show Password Among those expected to take centre stage are Vittorio Angelone, Finlay Christie, Olga Koch, Gbemi Oladipo, Micky Overman and Dan Tiernan. Khari described the seven stars as a "fresh and formidable lineup." This ensemble cast will appear across various formats from podcasts and crowd work to quick-fire gags and panel shows. Khari 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.' Keeping kids safe on YouTube RESTRICTED Mode is an optional setting on YouTube that helps filter out mature videos. It's not perfect, but it's a good way of scrubbing out a large portion of the adult material on YouTube. However, you have to turn it off manually for each browser or device your child is using – it can't simply be applied at account level. On your computer, go to the account icon – a little person icon in the top right corner of your screen. Click Restricted Mode, then use the toggle button to turn it on. On the Android phone app or mobile site, tap the menu icon, which looks like three vertical dots. Then go to Settings > General and turn Restricted Mode on. On Android TV, go to the Home screen then scroll down to the Apps row. Select YouTube, then scroll down and select Settings. Choose Restricted Mode or Safety Mode, then select Enabled. On the iOS app (for iPhones or iPad), tap the account icon in the top right. Tap Settings then Restricted Mode Filtering, then choose Strict: Restricted Mode On. On the iOS mobile site, tap the menu icon, which looks like a three-dot column. Tap Settings then tap Restricted Mode to turn it on or off.
The Irish Sun
15-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Irish Sun
Channel 4 launches brand new free channel for Brit comedy fans – but it's hidden on your Freeview, Sky and Virgin box
CHANNEL 4 has announced it will be launching a brand new comedy channel later this month, but it is hidden on Freeview, Sky and Virgin boxes. The new channel is purely digital and will be available to watch on YouTube. 2 The popular broadcaster has announced the release of "A Comedy Thing by Channel 4" Credit: UTC Artist Management Channel 4 to launch new comedy channel Called "A Comedy Thing by Channel 4", this new content will include original unscripted comedy. Episodes will air weekly and run for 20-30 minutes. Viewers can also expect to see highlights and shorter clips from each episode be across other social media platforms such as According to Tech news Plans to target Gen Z viewers Its latest series will launch later this month, and follows the successful model of Channel 4.0 and Channel 4 Served, targeting mainly The head of digital commissioning at "We're bringing that legacy into pixels. It's built for a community who want to get their laughs online first but still love the buzz of a live gig." The minds behind comedy classics like "Have I Got News For You and Derry Girls, are also supporting this new venture. Most read in Tech Emerging new comics to take centre stage Comedy fans can expect to see a line up of rising stars. Unlike most Channel 4 comedy offerings which feature big-name comics, this new show will platform emerging stars, reports Alan Carr and Daisy May Cooper perform comedy gold in ITV's quiz show Password Among those expected to take centre stage are Vittorio Angelone, Finlay Christie, Olga Koch, Gbemi Oladipo, Micky Overman and Dan Tiernan. Khari described the seven stars as a "fresh and formidable lineup." This ensemble cast will appear across various formats from podcasts and crowd work to quick-fire gags and panel shows. Khari 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.' Keeping kids safe on YouTube RESTRICTED Mode is an optional setting on YouTube that helps filter out mature videos. It's not perfect, but it's a good way of scrubbing out a large portion of the adult material on YouTube. However, you have to turn it off manually for each browser or device your child is using – it can't simply be applied at account level. On your computer , go to the account icon – a little person icon in the top right corner of your screen. Click Restricted Mode, then use the toggle button to turn it on. On the Android phone app or mobile site , tap the menu icon, which looks like three vertical dots. Then go to Settings > General and turn Restricted Mode on. On Android TV , go to the Home screen then scroll down to the Apps row. Select YouTube, then scroll down and select Settings. Choose Restricted Mode or Safety Mode, then select Enabled. On the iOS app (for iPhones or iPad), tap the account icon in the top right. Tap Settings then Restricted Mode Filtering, then choose Strict: Restricted Mode On. On the iOS mobile site , tap the menu icon, which looks like a three-dot column. Tap Settings then tap Restricted Mode to turn it on or off. 2 The show is set to launch later this month Credit: Alamy
