Channel 4 seeks shortform comedy

Bafta winner Stath Lets Flats started as shortform comedy

UK commercially funded pubcaster Channel 4 is on the hunt for shortform comedy offerings as well as comedy originals for social media.

The channel wants at least four comedy shorts, dubbed ‘blaps’ by the broadcaster, involving writer-performers or writer-directors, with ideas that represent disability and showcase characters and areas in the UK nations and regions.

Fiona McDermott

C4 has commissioned blaps for the past decade, with successful comedy series Michaela Coel’s Chewing Gum, Stath Lets Flats and Dead Pixels starting out that way.

Fiona McDermott, head of comedy at C4, said: “After the year it’s been it’s wonderful to say that we’re officially open and commissioning for comedy blaps 2021. We’re so proud of the extraordinary and diverse talent these shorts have enabled us to back over the last 10 years.

“With original comedy such a stronghold for C4, the three Baftas won this year by blaps alumnus Stath Lets Flats are proof they play an important role in creating lasting comedy careers. We’re excited to see what this year brings.”

Elsewhere, the channel is on the lookout for digital programmes that can work on C4 and its youth network E4’s social media platforms and can be anything from pilots to six-episode runs.

C4 said it is keen to receive ideas that build characters or worlds that could grow and develop with long-running potential, or independently watchable comedy ents formats that could be repeated in higher volume.

Ideas should feel important to a young audience, be they challenging perceptions, representing unheard voices or covering diversity and inclusion, sustainability or the state of the nation.

Other areas of interest include ideas that are experimental or the next iteration of pranks, bitesize sitcoms, character formats, musical comedy or even comedians in unusual situations.

Karl Warner, head of youth and digital at C4, said: “Our shortform comedy content has been a big hit on social and it’s brilliant seeing so many new up-and-coming writers and performers from across the country cutting through with young audiences. With this new brief, we really want build on that success with original ideas that surprise, entertain and, above all, make our audiences laugh and share.”