The Comedy Channel (British TV channel)

Former British short-lived satellite television network (1991–1992) For other uses, see The Comedy Channel (disambiguation).

This article has multiple issues. Please help improve it or discuss these issues on the talk page. (Learn how and when to remove these messages)

This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.
Find sources: "The Comedy Channel" British TV channel – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (November 2006) (Learn how and when to remove this message)

This article possibly contains original research. Please improve it by verifying the claims made and adding inline citations. Statements consisting only of original research should be removed. (February 2014) (Learn how and when to remove this message)

(Learn how and when to remove this message)

Television channel

The Comedy Channel
Ownership

Country	United Kingdom
Owner	British Sky Broadcasting
History
Launched	1 October 1991
Closed	30 September 1992 (365 days)
Replaced by	Sky Movies Gold

The Comedy Channel was a short-lived satellite television network owned by British Sky Broadcasting during the early 1990s.

History

The channel launched on 1 October 1991, soon after the merger of Sky Television plc and British Satellite Broadcasting. The merged company called British Sky Broadcasting, brought together comedy programming from its existing libraries – Sky having an archive of American imports (including Three's Company, I Love Lucy, Green Acres, The Beverly Hillbillies and Seinfeld) and BSB having obtained rights to a number of BBC sitcoms such as 'Allo 'Allo!, Steptoe and Son, Are You Being Served?, Porridge, Dad's Army and The Goodies.

The Comedy Channel existed in the days before the basic Sky Multichannels subscription package, so was made available as a premium service to subscribers of either Sky Movies or The Movie Channel. Listings for the channel were carried in Radio Times and other listings magazines.

The network lost its broadcasting rights following the expiry of the contract between the BBC and former BSB. Eventually the channel closed on 30 September 1992 to be replaced by Sky Movies Gold, a service dedicated to "classic movies". Following the end of the contract with Sky, the BBC's archive programming was subsequently used to launch UK Gold on satellite and cable from 1 November 1992.

Sky would not relaunch a comedy-based channel until the arrival of Sky Comedy on 27 January 2020, it retains a minority interest in the domestic version of ViacomCBS's Comedy Central.

Programming

This section does not cite any sources. Please help improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (April 2014) (Learn how and when to remove this message)

American

Australian

The Comedy Company
Mother and Son

British

Canadian

The Kids in the Hall
Maniac Mansion

References

Crisell, Andrew (2005). An Introductory History of British Broadcasting. Routledge. p. 243. ISBN 978-1-134-53805-8.
Currie, Tony (2001). The Radio Times Story. Kelly. p. 210. ISBN 978-1-903053-09-6.

Portals:

Sky Group

A subsidiary of Comcast

UK and Ireland

Channels	Challenge Sky Arts Sky Atlantic Sky Cinema Sky Comedy Sky Crime Sky Documentaries Sky Kids Sky Max Sky Mix Sky Nature Sky News Sky Replay Sky Sci-Fi Sky Showcase Sky Sports Box Office F1 News Sky Witness
Defunct channels	Now Galaxy The Power Station The Sports Channel The Comedy Channel Sky Arts Sky 2 The Movie Channel Sky Scottish Sky Soap .tv PremPlus Sky News Ireland The Amp Sky One Sky Travel Sky Real Lives Bravo 2 Challenge Jackpot Channel One Sky Living Loves Sky 3D Real Lives Merit
Joint ventures	Sky Sports Racing A&E Networks UK History H2 Blaze Crime & Investigation Ginx TV Paramount UK Partnership Comedy Central Extra Sky News Arabia
Defunct JVs	A&E Networks UK Lifetime Bio
Defunct magazines	Sky Magazine Sky Kids
Other	Amstrad Diagonal View Freesat from Sky On Demand Sky Sports Active Digibox Minidish Sky+ HD Sky Q Sky Betting & Gaming Sky Broadband Sky Active Sky Go Sky News Radio Sky Store Sky Text Sky Vision Now The Cloud Open.... Sky Multichannels

Germany and Austria

Channels	Sky One Sky Atlantic Sky Cinema Sky Krimi Sky Crime Sky Sport Sky Sport News Sky Sport Bundesliga Sky Sport F1
Defunct	Sky 3D Sky Arts Sky Select Sky Comedy
Other	Sky Store

Italy

Channels	Sky Uno Sky Arte Sky Atlantic Sky Cinema Due Sky Meteo 24 Sky Primafila Sky Sport Sky Sport F1 Sky Sport MotoGP Sky Sport 24 Sky Calcio Sky TG24 Cielo TV8 Sky Documentaries Sky Investigation Sky Nature Sky Serie
Defunct	Sky Vivo Sky Show Sky 3D Sky Music Sky Radio

History