A Comedy Thing YouTube Channel Is Back on Channel 4 with Fan-Favorite Shows Like ‘The Lying Game’
Channel 4 Renews Popular YouTube Channel ‘A Comedy Thing’ for Second Year
Channel 4 is set to continue its foray into digital comedy with the renewal of its YouTube channel, A Comedy Thing, for a second year. The channel will introduce fresh formats including the new show Pun Battle, where comedians compete to make each other laugh using the driest of puns.
Since its launch, A Comedy Thing has garnered significant attention, racking up 6.5 million views and accumulating 165,000 hours of watch time. The channel primarily appeals to a younger demographic, with a majority of its audience under the age of 35, and it features weekly long-form programming that highlights up-and-coming comedians.
This second season will see the introduction of new talent, including Eric Rushton, the recipient of Channel 4’s Sean Lock 2023 Award; Jin Hao, a nominee for the Edinburgh Comedy Award Best Newcomer; and viral sensation Kyla Cobbler. Notably, all seven original cast members from the inaugural year will return.
Returning formats include the popular The Lying Game, where comedians share anecdotes on randomly selected topics, blending truth with fiction. Alongside this, the new Pun Battle promises to deliver entertaining, pun-filled competition.
The announcement precedes a comedy event organized by Channel 4 in London, aimed at showcasing new comedic talent. British television comedy is thriving, as evidenced by the success of Prime Video’s Last One Laughing and Sky’s debut of Saturday Night Live UK, which has exceeded viewer expectations. The upcoming hosts of Saturday Night Live UK will be Nicola Coughlan and Aimee Lou Wood.
Charlie Hyland, Channel 4’s Digital Commissioning Editor for Comedy, commented on the initiative, stating, “We wanted to build a proper home for new comedy — somewhere brilliant young stand-ups can try things, sharpen their voice and find an audience. What’s been exciting is seeing that grow into a real community around them. The UK and Ireland have always been at the heart of this kind of comedy, and this is about creating the space to keep doing that.”
A Comedy Thing is commissioned by Hyland in collaboration with Laura Marks, Head of Digital Commissioning. The channel is produced and managed by Strong Watch Studios, with Thom Gulseven and Ben Powell-Jones serving as executive producers.
