Coogan and Joly head BBC3 line-up

Steve Coogan, Dom Joly and Johnny Vaughan will all feature in the schedules of BBC's new digital channel BBC3 when it launches on February 9.

Coogan is to resurrect his student-hating lager lout Paul Calf character and his slapper sister Pauline after an eight-year break, as Chortle reported last month

The show, Paul and Pauline Calf's Cheese and Ham Sandwich, is recorded live at Liverpool's Neptune Theatre.

The channel, which will replace BBC Choice, is aimed at people in their twenties and thirties and will boast a heavy dose of comedy.

Among the shows in the launch schedule announced today are:

This is Dom Joly - a studio-based show from the man behind Trigger Happy TV, right.

Little Britain - Matt Lucas and David Walliams's character-based sketch show transfers from Radio 4

Swiss Toni ­ Charlie Higson's Fast Show character's new sitcom is probably very much life to making love to a beautiful woman.

Johnny Vaughan Tonight - a return of the BBC Choice chat show.

Popetown - animated sitcom set in the Vatican, and starring Ruby Wax as the voice of the Pope.

3 Non-Blondes ­an all-girl hidden camera comedy show, featuring black comics Tameka Empson, Jocelyn Jee and Ninia Benjamin

Monkey Dust - a new darkly comedy animation that has already attracted controversy for featuring a paedophile character

Angry Kid - new series from Wallace and Gromit creators Aardman Animation, that has previously been available on the internet.

Stuart Murphy, the channel's controller, said: "BBC3 will be packed full of modern, radical, imaginative and funny British shows. In every programme, it will be BBC3's job to raise the creative game, and to be constantly surprising and stimulating.

"From a comedienne who was working in Woolworths 18 months ago to the brilliance of Dom Joly and Johnny Vaughan, BBC3 is the only channel committed to giving both new and known names the encouragement to experiment with the unexpected."

" The channel will always be seeking shows which tread new ground with contemporary and caustic satire."

And as for bringing back Paul Calf, he admitted: "I'm obsessed with Steve Coogan - he represents everything that BBC3 should be about. He's reachable, funny, innovative and constantly surprising. Bringing back the series was a no brainer."

The BBC had to agree that 90 per cent of the schedule would be made in Europe in order to secure government permission for the new channel.

The first night of the channel will be simultaneously broadcast on BBC2, and it will be on air daily from 7pm to 4am.

Published: 23 Jan 2003