Channel 4's Phil Clarke on a year of comedy

At the end of 2012, Phil Clarke joined Channel 4 as head of comedy from programme-makers Objective. Today the broadcaster released its annual report, and in it Clarke explained what he had achieved in his first year in the job. Here is what he had to say...

What were the key ambitions for comedy?

Channel 4 has always been seen as the home, some would say the birthplace, of alternative comedy but for us the question was: 'What is the alternative now that the Channel 4 style of comedy has percolated onto other channels? What can we do that is now different?'

Our big thrust was on narrative comedy, and as a result  of commissioning a raft of new pilots including Scrotal Recall,  Raised by Wolves, Catastrophe and Sit.com  this year, we’ll be seeing many  new comedy series in 2014 and 2015. We also wanted to have some strong returning shows and with PhoneShop, I’m Spazticus and Cardinal Burns I think we achieved that. We said we’d find new commissions for E4 and we did that too, with shows such as Drifters.

We wanted more female voices. Drifters had a female writer and cast. London Irish was by a new female writer. The pilots we have coming in reinforce this new direction, including a show co-written by and starring Sharon Horgan. On the New Talent front, we’re still commissioning Blaps (online showcases for up-and-coming comedy talent) which gives anyone, however new or inexperienced, an opportunity to pitch to us.

A Blap commission can be a stepping stone to launch a career. Roisin Conaty made a Blap for us and is now a regular on Man Down, as well as having her own pilot.

Channel 4 comedy has often been iconic, and has always punched above its weight. Comedy is often the first way of expressing an alternative voice. The Inbetweeners had a very quiet first series and then took off. Peep Show has never had huge audiences, but has had a resonance and impact far beyond the number of people that actually watch it.

How do you feel 2013 went?

Black Mirror made a big impact and Toast Of London, which we always knew was a late-night, cult show really resonated. That’s what a Channel 4 show can do – start quietly and then grow.

Man Down did well too but there were also hidden gems deserving of  a larger audience, shows like  London Irish  with its terrific writing, a raw and unapologetic comedy performed by an amazing young cast, and also the outstanding  PhoneShop another brilliant series, again  with great writing and great performances.

How did comedy help deliver the remit?

Channel 4 comedy aims to innovate, to experiment, and to be distinctive and original.  This year Noel Fielding and Toast of London excelled in providing a platform for alternative voices. Cardinal Burns was innovative – it’s unlike any other sketch show out there. It deservedly won awards last year. And so did Charlie Brooker’s Black Mirror, which gave us another outstanding series of  experimental cutting-edge television. 

When it comes to working with a particular writer, we would never say “Oh, I don’t think many people are going to like that.” We try to work with writers to hone what makes them unique and original. My job is to make sure that, overall, our output caters to a variety of ages, demographics and tastes, but you don’t do that by asking individual artists to broaden their appeal; we encourage them to find their true  voice.

I’ve worked with other broadcasters who have talked in that language, and tried to make programmes more populist by covering too many bases, but in my opinion that’s always a disaster.

Blaps, our online showcase for new talent, is all about new ideas and new approaches to commissioning. We take submissions from anyone – they don’t need to come through a production company – and the best ideas get funded to become a short film or series. That’s an exciting and innovative way of discovering and nurturing new talent.

Nurturing talent also means looking after established talent, giving people freedom to move in a new direction, such as Ricky Gervais doing Derek.

What are the key challenges?

It’s always about new talent and taking risks. You spot a fantastic writer or performer and you think “Are they ready yet?” We should always be ready to say “Let’s give it a go.”

Catching people just as they’re ready is the hardest thing to do in comedy. An example is Jessica Knappett, who wrote Drifters. Her writing gets stronger and stronger, and she was a different writer at the end of that series than she had been at the beginning.

Our impact goes beyond audience numbers. Noel Fielding’s series made a really big impact without getting particularly large audiences. He doesn’t compromise. He’s an artist, and giving someone like him a platform is exactly what we should be doing.

What’s the 2014 strategy?

There are three strands to our output.

There’s the genuinely alternative voice, like Noel Fielding’s Luxury Comedy, or Toast of London – things you really won’t find anywhere else. Then there’s the ‘big joke’ strand, where there are big laugh out loud jokes and big energy – shows like Man Down. And the third strand, which I want to do more of, is witty, acerbic, knowing comedies. You might not laugh out loud, but they’re clever and sophisticated. You admire them.

Watch out for Scrotal Recall – the first of more  exciting shows to come

Published: 8 May 2014